How do you cope with the cost of living crisis?

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Okay, so everything is expensive!

For energy bills, you might do things like use an electric blanket instead of using central heating, or wear thermal wear indoors.

What is your coping mechanism for a hostile economic environment (if any)?

I've built up quite a 'war chest' over the years, which will hopefully see me through the inflation storm, provided that things don't get too out of hand, South American style. I can still live off around £650 per month at the moment. It's been a mild autumn so far, and I still haven't turned on my heating, so that's helping.

I don't do any housework until 7 pm, at which time our electric rate cuts in half.
It's a pain in the arse because I'm dead tired by then, and I want to relax.
I end up carrying baskets of laundry around at midnight.

I don't use electric lights except for string lights.
I rarely use heat, although I use a lot of air conditioning.

It's still insanely hot outside.

I am glad to hear you have a war chest, Deephour.

I am finding it hard resisting turning an electric radiator on. Though the thought of the money running away with the thing, makes me think twice.

String lights? Do you mean tube lighting or Christmas lights?

Yes, Christmas lights. ^

Either those, or candles.

No overhead lights except the one by my laundry.

I even shower in the dark.

I am very sensitive to light also, though I settle for a daylight lamp as opposed to horror-show overhead lights.

How much does a kilowatt hour cost for you?

I've stocked up on 8hr tealights
Invested in an oodie (they are fugly, but so effective and calming)
A bunch of stuff from heatholders - their original socks keep feet so warm
Dreamland heated throw
Sherpa fleece bedding (not the cheap stuff) - bed is never cold
A couple of hot water bottles
And a dehumidifier (which I already had)

My flat is all electric. It's a huge basement flat with very high ceilings. When the temps drop, I will have to start using one of the storage heaters......it gets unbearably cold here. For me, it costs 8.60p per kWh during the economy seven hours. They've increased the day rate to 45.94.

It would certainly cost me more than what I spent on the above if I relied on my halogen heater to keep me warm late evening (when the storage heater runs out of heat). I need to move somewhere with central heating.

The only other thing I found effective in staying warm was to stay in bed all the time. I can't do that.

Do you mean a clothing hoodie when you say oodie?

Fleece bedding sounds nice - look at you.

Hot water bottles! That's old school!

A blanket hoodie....I think I pull it off rather well.
https://theoodie.co.uk/

Forgot to mention heating pads. Way better than hot water bottles.

I found that the halagen heaters cost more to run compared to their heat output than a convector heater with a thermostat and a timer set on low. The halogen heaters do work but they don't give out much heat.
I also found electric dehumidifiers are not cheap to run.

The most expensive things to run commonly used in the house are showers, dishwashers, tumble dryers and immersion heaters. If one has a wood stove that partially heats up the tank, then immersion heaters are a lot cheaper than an electric shower as one only uses it once or twice a week for a bath (Usually once a week). Is a lot cheaper than a shower "IF" one has the water already partially heated by other means such as wood or coal. (Of course, if one is starting from cold water in the tank, then a shower is usually cheaper, but it depends how long one is in the shower for. Showers take up a LOT of electricity because they have to heat the water at full force as it is moving through the pipes. Immersion heaters are slower heaters so don't need to heat the water instantly, hence why they are best to use for adding that extra few degrees to already warm water where they then really come into their own (And of course, one does not need to bath anywhere as near as often as a shower). Immersion heaters are VERY expensive to run if not used correctly. Heard of one family that had a mother in law staying for a while with them (Think it was a mother in law) and while she was there, their electricity bill went up three or four times what they usually paid. They eventually tracked it down to this lady as just before each time she went to wash the dishes, she turned it on and turned it off straight after which was a stupid way to use an immersion heater. Use an electric kettle to boil water instead or better still put an old cast metal kettle on the top of a wood burning stove to do the dishes as is MUCH, MUCH cheaper!

Some so called "Energy saving" modern devices are actually more expensive than the older devices if one knows how to use them correctly. The old twin tub washing machines were much more economical with both water and with electricity "IF" one knew how to run them economically which is why one day a week was dedicated as a "Wash day", where the water was filled up and the heating element turned on. Then while the water was partly warmed up, in the old Hoovers (Made differently than other makes in that there was no central washing device) one temporarily turned off the heat and first gave ones children a quick wash (I grew up with being washed like this once a week as was far cheaper than the bath as washing was done as well in the same warm water). Then one switched the heating element back on and put in the whites such as shirts, then came the lighter colours in a wash, and then the medium colours in another wash always using the same water, and the final wash was my Dads work clothes. All this was done in the same water so one only had to heat one lot of water to do ones washing. The spin dryer was used just to get rid of the wetness and then the clothes were hung out on the clothes line to dry, so one waited for the best day of the week to do the washing. All very economical and used very little water compared to doing the same in todays washing machines. My Mum said the electricity used doubled when she started using an automatic washing machine. Also the washing powders needed more and they needed more water as each wash was done in new water which had to be heated all over again (Even if it came from a hot water tap supply as then ones heating system has to heat more water so is a falacy that the electricity is cheaper when one gets a lot of the heat from elsewhere if using this facility... Unless the hot water in ones heating comes for free or is cheap such as burning wood etc and one has a free supply of dry seasoned wood)...

Many people do not realize how efficient the older methods actually were in the right hands. It was the user who was the one who was to blame if they wasted energy.
Did you know that the old way of producing town gas via coal was a very efficient and cost effective use of energy? Coal was heated up in a sealed container to produce gas. There were a few other elements to clean the gas but that is the principle. Now did you know that this process was repeated using the same pieces of coal up to five times with a skilled operator and the waste material was then called coke. A small amount of this coke was used then to heat the new coal to make gas. This coke was smokeless when burnt, and most of this coke was used in power stations and factories, thus we actually had a far less pollting enviroment with this process than trying to do the same via building solar panels to produce electricity to turn into heat as those panels are EXTREMELY harmful to the atmosphere to manufacture! And we dare call it "Green energy?"
(Nothing wrong with buying solar panels as a back up but we need to stop calling them green as all we do is shift and hide the pollution from a here and now visible form to a form we do not see because the polluting element of the process has been done elsewhere which keeps happening with this "Green" movement and we call it progress?)

But back to electricity. If oen can avoid using tumble dryers and use a clothes line. Saves a lot off ones electric bill. Is like a sailing ship with an outboard motor. Use the motor in the dock and when one is in the sea, then put up the sails. That way one gets the best use of both and saves one money! Ok, clothes are ot the same but one gets the point.

Clotheslines aren't allowed where I live. There is a law against them because they're considered a public eyesore, the same as Ham radio towers. We can only have a small, carousel clothesline outside if we have an inground swimming pool, and the clothesline is only allowed for swim towels and swimsuits. It can't be visible above the fence line for neighbours and it's only allowed to be used in summer (swimming) months. I don't have a pool.

I suppose clotheslines wouldn't be much help here anyway when it's -20 or -30 in the winter and the snow is up to our hips.

Re: Woodstove - We have one at my other house. The cost of a cord of wood is so high now that it's more expensive than using electric or gas heat.

45p / kWh? OUCH! Do you have taxes and carrying fees on top of that?
Those are the killer here.
The fees more than double our usage rates.

Always spend less than you earn.
Put as much as you can in long term savings.
The only investments that can really keep up with inflation are stock market. I no-load index fund is an easy way to participate without being a financial genius.
If you have an income, setting a percent of it to go to long-term savings before you see it can help.
"Belt tightening" is easier when you never see the money.
Eating lower off of the food pyramid is also a good idea. Eating whole foods is better for your health and pocket than processed foods. Potatoes are inexpensive ,filling and nutritious.
When you go to the supermarket stick to the outside walls.
Whole foods usually are on the outside: butcher and fresh produce and dairy tend to be around the outside.
Beans, eggs and dairy are also a good source of protein - and are more sustainable than meats. They also tend to be less expensive. It costs less for you to eat the plants than for the cow to eat the plants and you eat the cow.
Buying in bulk when things are on sale is also a good idea. Canned goods keep for a long time and are easy to keep.
Noodles and dried beans don't need refrigeration. Chicken and fish are less expensive and better for you than pork and beef, and fish can be very good for the environment.
Going for walks for entertainment is cheeper than going to the movies.
Recycling things at home (jars, cans, even plastic bottles) can also be a way to save money.
Making art from things you have can also be a nice and inexpensive way to relax.
The more "stuff" you can save and reuse the less "stuff" you have to buy.
Paper, Waxed paper, glass and aluminum can be recycled more completely and at a lower cost than plastics, so it is better for the environment, and helps the cost of goods from going up. Whole foods can also use less packaging and help the environment, they can also help your budget, and the cost of goods.
Buying things that will last is often less expensive in the long run than buying cheep things over and over again.
Buying something of good quality from a thrift store can save money, and help to reduce waste.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - helps your pocket and your world.

Before the huge increase in prices, I did fine with the halogen and found it very cheap to run compared to storage heaters. It heats the person, and took the chill out in my flat. I only needed it on the one bar (400 kW) most of the time. I blasted all three till I was warm, then left it on just the one.

Oil filled heater was the second cheapest. Didn't work for me as I was still cold. Convector heater kept the room warm, but cost me heaps. Halogen was definitely the best for me. I was never cold with that.

Yes, the dehumidifier is expensive to run. I need it because I'm in a basement. Plus, it keeps the place nice and cool during summer.

This is good advice!