I rely on many services for myself and my family, from school to buses to local community services like support groups and arts and crafts sessions in the community. I rely on our local leisure centre who are a safe warm space and our local theatre, who are also a safe warm space, but also offer discounts to low income families meaning my kids get access to important cultural opportunities when possible. I also rely on social services who support our family and mental health services who support me to support my family. Social services cover school taxis costs and we rely on the taxi services which are heavily subsidiarised in our area. In ways I seldom acknowledge, I rely on our local council and the community events and free opportunities they provide for families, especially holiday clubs and school meal vouchers and town centre activities. Like, in a couple week they're running a light festival that we're looking forward to checking out. I may not be able to easily access food banks but I can access important community and cultural opportunities for my families which I feel in very valuable.
Mainly, I rely on school, they support my children incredibly well even though they're grossly underfunded. My kids get to lend a laptop from school for homework, they get well fed plus free access to daily breakfast club (in fairness social services essentially cover that cost for us), they enable kids to attend events and learn things I can't teach them and tailored to each of my child's needs. I rely heavily on school.
We found out this week that our school isn't striking this week, they posted to the parents chat space and every parent that replied said they stand with teachers over strikes and support the strikes. It was beautiful. Our schools are grossly underfunded and underappreciated, how many kids would essentially starve without schools for Pete's sake? How many kids would grow up unable to world or contribute to society if not for our schools?
Public infrastructure is essential to a healthy economy and society, from schools to social services to buses and community development. Without them no of our essential services like government would function at all.

I am so glad that the spring is just around the corner, as the cold weather has started to have a serious affect on both my physical and mental health. Not even being able to boil the kettle or eat a hot meal during the winter months has really taken it's toll on me.

In Northern Ireland every household receives a payment of £600 to tackle the cost of living crisis. I am one of the few who hasn’t received theirs yet. It’s to do with what service provider you have. I’m with Budget and it appears that not all of us have received the voucher. I can’t find my electric card so I hope they accept a receipt with my number on it. It’s nerve wrecking as you’ve to bring some forms of ID and proof of address. I just wish it was paid straight into my bank account instead of worrying with the anxiety over it and there’s a time frame as to when you can cash the voucher in.

Feeling nervous. My son who is 9 keeps getting suspended. I can’t afford to keep the heating on if he is suspended again this week. If he makes it through this week it will be the first full week in school he has had since November. It’s a disgrace that schools can’t cater for children with emotional needs and instead force parent from poor backgrounds to do the work of a teacher. However I didn’t budget for extra gas and electric and I’m struggling to make ends meet. I really hope he is ok in school and manages his behaviour so he can have a right to an education.

I would say the NHS and Royal Mail are the services that I use the most.
I am disabled I have autism and I have early onset osteoarthritis. Therefore the NHS is very important to me in terms of physiotherapy and pain medication and mental health help.
My children are clearly autistic but as yet undiagnosed I am currently awaiting assessments for them CAMHS. I have been told that the assessments may take up to 2 years until my children are seen.
2 years in a child's life is a hell of a long time it is disgusting that there is not enough help available out there for children with mental health issues in the UK.
Therefore I think there could be improvements within the mental health sector of the NHS, however the government are failing the NHS as they need so much more funding and so many more staff. I am sickened at some of the stories I've heard regarding the NHS from people who work for the NHS it is heart breaking for the staff to see people in need of help and not being able to help them.
In terms of Royal Mail I rely on them for appointments being sent and other important letters. Again the government are letting this sector down these people are being worked to the bone with absolutely next to no pay. Something needs to be done.

Today was a good day for my kids but a bad day for me.
They was invited to a birthday party at a really cool arcade, it's a place where we could never afford to go with it costing £18 per wrist band so I was so glad they had the opportunity to attend, due to the type of place the parents had to stay to keep an eye on their children. Food was provided for them... But not the adults (fair enough) however all the other adults bought their own food from the venue. I had £2 in my bank and the cheapest thing was £4 so I had to pretend I wasn't hungry even though I was ravenous, luckily the kids left a few nachos so I ate those.
While I was sat there literally eating scraps I looked around at the other families who wasn't at the party but were enjoying the venue and the happiness in the kids faces and I felt terribly sad, there's no way on earth I could EVER take my kids to places like this.
My heart hurts because they miss out on so much because we can't afford it, their lives must be so mundane.
The thing is my husband works a 54 hour week so why can't we afford to do something fun each weekend. It's just not right.

My stomach is giving me pain today.
Indigestion. Lower left abdominal pain.
Nauseous.
Cutting back on food again. I'm filling up on porridge for all meals. It stops the hunger but I'm so bloated.
Checked bank account in hope of a miracle.
No child maintenance payment again.

I am worried as I do not what will happen next, especially with strikes everywhere and nothing changing.
Our children future is on strike.
The government is not supporting so what next?

Every public service is vital for us to survive. For example, day to day health, I need to rely on NHS. if they call strike where should I go? To drop of my children I need to use public transport. If they call strike then I can go by my car but it will impact on carbon footprint plus heavy on my pocket. If I go to my child's school and teachers may call strike. Where should my child go then if I go to work? Are not they losing their study hour? If I can't attend to my hospital appointment due to Royal Mail strike then the hospital will release me from their outpatient list. Who I can blame then? The reason for all strike is legitimate as there are a big gap between income and living cost due to high inflation, high interest rate, etc. How inflation and living cost going up that way income is not going up. So, government need to take robust initiative to resolve this.

I rely on school to remain open for my children. I rely on buses running to get to work, the council for taking away my rubbish.

I received a help from the social services in couple of occasions. They tried a lot to help and support us.

This weekend we are making the 250+ mile drive back to our old town because I have a commitment to a teenager who I used to volunteer with. It's not a cheap or easy trip - it will use more than a full tank of petrol and the day out is expensive - but I remember how important it was for teenage me to have 'spare adults' in my life, and I want to honour my promise to the young woman who has me as one of her spare adults. It's a cost (time and financial) that my family don't really understand but it's a priority. And my friends are excited about looking after the toddler for the day! He gets to stay in contact with some of his important adults too.

We all rely on services and schools it would be so hard without, GP services I personally think have gone downhill since Covid everything is online or on the phone which, yes, is good but not if you have autism and need to speak to the GP face to face like my children. I think the government should be funding more community projects, projects that could take pressure off some of the services, drop in sessions with GPs or nurses in local community centres where food could be available, food bank vouchers, a warm space and hot drinks. Other services could attend like age UK, debt advice, housing advice energy saving advice, citizens advice, benefits help, etc. If things like this were created in community centres with local people taking the lead it could take a lot of pressure off some of the services and would also reduce some social isolation.

My financial circumstances are draining me, I feel helpless and it’s like a dark pit, the climb out of is such a challenge.
I was a taxpayer for 30 years.
Never wanted to live off the state, I feel undignified and judged.

I really missed regular post deliveries when Royal Mail were on strike, it made me realise how much I take that for granted and now I am more appreciative. The NHS has saved mine and my husband's lives with emergency surgeries and I can't imagine life without access to free medical care. I also use local libraries as a warm space, a quiet safe space, resource centre and for buying and borrowing books. The online service that lets me borrow audiobooks and E books free of charge is brilliant as I listen to fall asleep every night.
The services that would help me most would be reinstating the mental health home support team including having an emergency mental health contact, access to counselling/therapy (not CBT) and a GP that could offer a face to face appointment within a week.

Public transport is most at moment as kids doctors and hospital appointments etc., and school but my kids school is useless - so many issues.

Part of my daughter's school. I rely heavily on that for my daytime respite. She's a special needs child, she goes to a special needs secondary school and I really do need that respite in the Turn Farms as much as I can as a single father and I'm also neuro divergent as well, so that can make our house also very interesting at times. But the service apart from school that I heavily rely on the most is 'CAMHS', Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service my daughter has passed trauma through her mother, my past relationship with my ex wife and unfortunately all three of my daughters have some form of mental health problems, PTSD, etc. And we heavily rely on that service, although I have been battling that service for over six years to get my daughter to help she needs and she's only now just under the right service with them for her special needs. CAMHS service are the ones we heavily rely on. Unfortunately, social services are not able to do anything at all. They've offered so many times family early help. But unfortunately, social services are so stretched and under sourced, we do not qualify for any respite care, even though I am disabled myself. I have bilateral osteoarthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, and my daughter has mild to severe learning difficulties. But apparently we do not qualify as a single parent household for respite care, and we must plod along. Unfortunately the system is not fully geared up for disabled and special needs and there's also no funding for disabilities and special needs children either.

I budget all the time, I find it incredibly hard. I will make sure we have the necessities. There are certainly no luxuries. Vegetables are always frozen and no fresh fruit.

Things are not getting any easier, it’s soo cold in my house. I love to go to work just to get warm. My gas bill is due and I don’t have the money to pay.

My mum makes a very filling meal and it lasts for a few days and you can make a lot. She used to feed 3 of us and herself with it and we would be stuffed, it's tin of corned beef, salad cream and spaghetti sticks or fusilli pasta. Boil the pasta as usual, while that's cooking just before it's fully cooked heat up the corned beef and then drain the pasta and add the corned beef and the salad cream and pasta together sprinkle with cheese and dinner is served. It's still a favourite of mine but it's not for everyone. My child hates it but she's a fussy eater, everyone else I've given it to have loved it.
I buy my child healthy food and try hard to be able to cook her healthy meals I don't really eat a lot myself because sometimes I don't have enough for myself as well or I'm just too stressed out and can't eat from stress but it is getting harder with the prices rising and I'm stuck depending on my family and friends sometimes but I hate to ask for myself but as long as my child isn't hungry and she's happy and healthy then that's how it's gonna be because I'd rather be hungry than her being hungry.

Frozen veg is always sort of staple in our house. It's easier than buying fresh veg because it's always there when you need it and most of the time it's really chopped up and prepared for you. So that makes life a lot easier. And I also do lots of batch cooking. I make just a plain tomato sauce which just with saturated in tomatoes and put whatever vegetables I have around in it, freeze it and take away cartons. And then I can make a spaghetti bolognaise, shepherd's pie, chili con carne or whatever spices you want to it and turn it from just a plain tomato sauce into a sauce. So that would be my sort of tip, just throw in lots of vegetables and tomatoes. You could do anything with rice and pasta and you could always make a meal out of that.

I worked for 30 years, provided for my 3 boys… losing my job after the pandemic (restructuring) my mental health is suffering. Things are not the same anymore.

Sometimes it feels like one is lost in the middle of struggle and stress of life. The cost of living is making the stress double. Always eating things you really do not want because you can't afford what you really want makes life unbearable. Oh, what a shame

If needs be, I can stick to a budget by buying the cheapest items and cutting out things like pop and sweets. I am a family of 5 with 3 young children. I do keep setting an amount but finding that it’s not lasting. The price of products has gone up but also some products have reduced the amount given so I’m finding myself now buying more frequently. I used to do monthly shops then went to 2 a month and now I’m trying week by week to see if I can stop food waste, excess spending when not needed to try save money for other bills, etc.

I only have me time when my 2 older children go to school and the younger goes to nursery.

It's very hard because any time I go to the supermarket it's stressful, concerning and worrying about the cost of the amount the food. We can eat and how we can survive.
I feel when I leave the supermarket with my little son sad and worried, angry and desperate. How can I provide for him the food for the week and the proper food for him?

Life is stressful at the moment, I have been in my job for 8 years and currently going through the redundancy process. I work part time so although I will receive a payment it wont be a big payment and will need to go to bills if I don't secure a new job. I have been relentlessly applying for jobs and although I have had an interview and I have one later today a lot of employers are not responsive.

I just wrote a diary entry that speaks about this.
I've downloaded the app called Too Good To Go it's where shops and supermarkets sell off their unsold food that they can't sell the next day. For £4 I got about £15 worth of fruit and veg from Morrisons. It can be a bit hit or miss but you always get more than what you pay for. Some bags are cheaper as well. Saves food from going to landfill.
I also keep my eyes open for marked down stickers (look in fresh sections in evening) Lidl sell off boxes of fruit and veg that's bruised for 1.50 if you can't see them ask a member of staff.

I download an app called 'too good to go'. It's where shops and supermarkets sell off their unsold food that they can't sell the next day. For £4 I got a grocery bag from Morrisons and it was brimming with loads of fruit and veg. Well worth a look if your struggling to buy food.

This year buying healthy food, especially fruit, has become expensive, my children often ask for different fruit but I have to say, 'let's just get a couple to have'. My shopping bill feels like its drastically gone up and I have to be careful with what I buy, I'm definitely buying less meat and notice I'm cooking pasta a lot more as a cheaper alternative to meals we might already have.
I try to eat a high protein diet so I get a big pack of chicken each week and generally it lasts me but my son is a vegetarian so it's a challenge most days to cook meals to suit everyone in the home.

It's a new week, I hope I'm able to shop for the food I need because I have some more recipes especially now that I need to go on a diet.

Even though money is tight, I'm so fortunate to have internet access & be computer literate so that I'm able to shop around. Take pet insurance for example. My current provider quoted me £90 per month to renew insurance for my elderly dog & 2 of my cats. £90! That is an obscene amount of money! So I used a comparison website to check for better deals & have renewed my pet insurance for my dog & all 4 cats that now live with me for £45 per month - a saving of 50%. And the policies were all interest free for paying monthly, which is a welcome change. There are folk out there that do say those on low incomes shouldn't have pets (or children) if they can't afford them. But given that I don't smoke, drink much,go out or go on holidays, pets make my life meaningful & bring me comfort in difficult times. I can't imagine a life without pets - I've grown up with pets, always had them even before I ended up in dire straits. I've paid nothing for them - they were all unwanted or abandoned rescues. I tend to get on with them better than people lol. Yes, I'd have more money if they weren't eating me out of house & home but I would be even lonelier than I already feel. The fact that I've unintentionally ended up with so many pets is fuelled by guilt in part because when I fled the family home with my children - I had to leave my dog & cats behind - I couldn't get help to rehome them because no-one, meaning animal rescue professionals, would intervene on my behalf. I don't know what happened to them & will never know - and that kills me & still fills me with guilt to this very day. I could put the money I pay on insurance into a bank account & save it up. But the fact that I seem to lurch from crisis to crisis would mean that any savings would be eaten up through emergency expenses, which when you live life on a low income seems to crop up at the most inconvenient of times. I prefer to have the security of knowing there are funds available should I need them. For example, last year along I had to pay nearly £2000 in vet fees because my dog needed an operation & one of my rabbits needed repeated dental treatment. I had to pay it up front, so even with an insurance policy, I was still left short. Obviously I resorted to using a credit card, which is why I'm currently maxed out. I'm so tired of living life on a knife edge, financially speaking. But one thing it demonstrates is those who have the least do shop around & cut their cloth according to their means, given their circumstances. It's just that sometimes there is no more cloth to cut.

Living on a low income - have been intermittent fasting for years before it became "trendy". I've noticed I tend to eat cereal & toast for meals during the day - A LOT! I tend not to eat breakfast. I've noticed that my carbohydrate consumption - good & bad (!) has definitely increased as belts are tightening because of the cost of living. I am at risk of Type 2 diabetes - I am very overweight & in my annual blood pressure review for hypertension, my HbA1C - my blood sugar level over the past 3 months has increased from 43 to 47 in a year, which doesn't bode well. As a former nurse, I know about nutrition, healthy eating, exercise etc, but when you are disabled with impaired mobility, in constant pain, on a low income, putting that knowledge into practice is very difficult. I can cook & have a good repertoire of dishes I can make - when I have the energy & money to buy ingredients. It reminds me of my childhood in a blended family of 7 - even though both my parents worked full time, our meals comprised "chips with everything". It's 2023 & folk on low incomes are having to live like that. It's disheartening. With regards to cheap nutritious recipes, I have an instant Pot - an electric pressure cooker in which I can whip up a tasty soups, stews & casseroles out of the cheapest ingredients, any wilting leftover veg to which I usually add beans & pulses to add to the protein content. I make mini pizzas out of pitta bread, cheese, tomato puree & herbs. I make crumbles with foraged ingredients when available. I make my own yoghurt - it works out much more economical. My main challenge is accommodating my son's autistic palette. He prefers pre-packaged convenience foods in the main, not exclusively so, but it can prove more costly. And he shuns leftovers, so I end up eating them in subsequent days. The sad thing is that access to nutritious food is a basic human right, but when you're on a low income, quality comes second to quantity per pound (£). Furthermore, food should be a pleasure - but when you live on a low income, it feels so much more like a chore. Eating to live rather than living to eat.

We've had another spell of very cold weather - a week of snow, ice & minus degree temperatures. No surprise there - it is winter after all. What is evident is how it is a struggle to be prepared for adverse weather events when you are on a low income. Firstly, even though I knew the cold spell was imminent, I couldn't afford to put fuel in my car because I had about £2.50 in my bank account at the time & "payday" - the day I receive a benefit payment was several days away. I couldn't put anything on my credit card because it had less than £100 available & pay at pump charges mean you need a minimum balance of £100 to have your card accepted. In short, I couldn't get to the shops & if I did, I didn't have enough to buy anything. Secondly, when payday arrived, the majority of the money was swallowed up by debt & bill repayments, leaving little left over to buy food. Once I had paid my bills & did some shopping, I didn't have enough money to bulk buy so I didn't have to leave the house, which is difficult for me at the best of time due to pain & fatigue. Similarly, I prefer to shop online & have it delivered - it is a life-changing adaptation for me, but more often than not I can't afford the delivery charges or minimum basket thresholds. I prefer to be organised when it comes to situations like this, but I just can't afford to do it anymore. I realise that i am fortunate compared to some as I am in receipt of all the tax credits & disability benefits to which I am entitled, but I've come to realise how much my PIP - Personal Independence Payment, is being subsumed into the household budget - I wouldn't be able to manage without it. But in the meantime, I have to go without the aids & adaptations & treatments that I need to make my life easier for which PIP is originally designed. It leaves you feeling very vulnerable to sudden life-shocks & is a constant source of worry.

Inflation in food prices becoming increasingly apparent. E.g. Supermarket own brand hash browns used to be £1 - now £1.70; Onion rings - again used to be £1 - now also £1.70. "Shrinkflation" is also becoming more apparent - e.g. rabbit food - I buy it on a deal from Amazon - bags used to be 10kg - now they are 9Kg & also cost marginally more. So not only are folk on low incomes having trouble feeding their families, we are having problems with feeding our pets. No wonder pets are increasingly being surrendered to animal shelters or abandoned. It's absolutely heart breaking.

As a single parent of 5, I have always been careful as to how much I spend. We have always bought cheaper (supermarket's own brands) foods, no eating out, no junk foods - only homecooked stuff. Since the cost of living crisis, it seems many people have resorted to buying supermarket own brand and so I have noticed deficit in those. It's sad to see empty shelves in food stores. I have no choice but to be even more resourceful.

I can't remember that when I ate healthy diet as I can't afford to. Maybe it is easy to afford for one or two days but not every day of the week. Healthy food is quite expensive and I don't have much money left every month after paying all the bills for buying healthy food. We all are suffering due to lack of nutrition and are putting pressure on the NHS. I don't know when can afford those healthy food again.

I found it difficult to budget, but I've added different things into my meals and modified them like pulses and lentils to make things stretch out. I have actually started a food project that's starting next week in my local area, where we're trying to eat on a budget with slow cookers and try and eat healthily, because I'm very passionate about it as well. So if you need any tips or anything, I've got a few recipes. I've just basically tweaked old Italian recipes that I know and love and just try to make them budget friendly. So for four people, it's always under £5 and even less, actually, most of the time. So I hope this helps. Bye bye.

Really Really hard especially our African food - it's so much more expensive 😫.

I am in constant battle with my teenager over what foods to buy and eat.
I tend to buy cheap boxes of cheesy pasta costing around£1 each and cut a garlic baguette into 3 to stretch out for 3 teas.
My daughter wants to eat at different times from me, so I wait until she eats and finish off what's she leaves rather than open 2 packets of pasta.
The oven of the gas cooker that is part in my private rental home does not work. It's been reported to landlord many times but he lives abroad and in no hurry to fix it. I can use the gas hob. This leaves me limited what to cook.
I do not enjoy cooking as my teenager is fussy and I don't see the point in cooking for myself.
It's a lot of bother of peeling vegetables and washing dishes. I'm conscious of how much energy costs to fill up the sink for dishes.
I buy porridge or ready brek which is warming and filling to fill me up.
It's quick to make and eat so I can get upstairs to my bedroom where it's warmer than downstairs where it is very draughty.
I'm aware of our diet is not healthy. I don't enjoy eating and feel guilty for not providing healthy meals.
I buy fruit but it goes off quickly. Fruit is expensive from the local Co-op. Three tangerines cost £1.35. I can buy 4 pack of chocolate for 99p and it doesn't go off.
Other cheap food I buy are super noodles and tins of soup. I tend to buy cheaper white bread to make toast to eat with the soup.
In between, cups of tea (hot drinks to warm up) I fill up with cheap biscuits, although even cheap biscuits costs have risen in price.
I worry if some foods are not available to buy locally. Food deliveries to the Co-op is on a Wednesday and other locals tend to get to the store early to buy up cupboard food in bulk. It is still like lockdown at times here with empty spaces on the shelves.

Trying to buy healthy food for myself and my daughter is a constant struggle especially with the cost of living increasing prices at a alarming rate. I buy very little that is not reduced or on special offer. I mainly eat only bread or go ahead bars at the moment and my daughter largely eats pasta with whatever sauce is on offer mixed with frozen veg, which I know is getting a bit boring for her. I am a diabetic and find that this is affecting my health both physically and mentally but for now we have no other choice.

Thank you for the Changing realities calendar. I had been unable to buy one for myself this year and have been using scraps of paper to write appointments etc. on. I have been feeling a bit down recenty, I was amazed how a small act of kindness has made me feel a lot better when I received it in the post this morning. I know it will take some time but there must be a better future down the road.

Hi, we are struggling with eating healthily on a budget as we both work long hours in the Education sector & commute between two UK countries due to our professional expertise at work, as well as caring for our young son (who has ALNs). It is a real struggle with the cost of food & travel / petrol now, as although we both have professional jobs we earn 36k between us and the vast majority goes on bills, food & clothing our son. We often have to grab something on the move or eat carb heavy meals for the energy. I have found healthy foods very expensive for a long time now, but definitely more expensive again the last 3 months or so (apart from selling off cheap veg after Christmas). I also find the quality / longevity of fruit & salad to be poor a lot lately and that some products are hard to come by at mo (eg iceberg lettuce); as well as eggs.

Now a days it is impossible to get a healthy diet in low budget. Vegetables are expensive than the non veg item. We are not eating that much junk food and the reason is not that we don't like it but for the budget. Junk food are also expensive as well as healthy food/diet. So, I will try to put chicken, beef, pasta, vegetables, eggs, etc., once a week to spread the cost over the week as well as maintain a balanced diet where veg and non veg items are there in every week.

I find food shopping, budgeting and eating healthily on a budget is very difficult and time consuming. It is even harder to meet special dietary needs, dairy free, low saturated fat, vegetarian & no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours. Recently the significant cost of cooking has to be taken into account as well as the cost of ingredients.
I cook 1 healthy meal a day that meets every body's dietary requirements and we all eat together in the evening.
We enjoy meals like 10 veg lasagne, veggie sausage pasta bake, cauliflower & chick pea madras, spicy bean stew, broccoli & stilton soup, chilli and veg burgers.
We get treats for the weekend from the local pantry and sometimes try new foods from there as it isn't an expensive mistake if no one likes it. Us adults have cut down on the amount of food we eat and just eat one snack and the one meal a day. Our daughter has 3 meals a day and snacks. We all get to choose a couple of meals to go on the menu each week.
It is my priority for my family to eat nutritious home cooked food every day to maintain our good health. I choose to eat one high quality nutrient dense meal rather than cheaper foods more frequently and this has benefited my health dramatically.
I batch cook, use leftovers, substitute with cheaper ingredients, plan ahead, portion control and offer no alternatives. Eat it or go hungry are the menu options in our house, just how it was when I was a kid.

Hi, I would like to say it's difficult most of the time, I try to feed my children first and then eat what's left. Sometimes I have much smaller portions or just have a snack. I cant afford to buy fish anymore, so the diet is not varied and healthy all the time.

I’m really struggling to buy healthy food for my daughter and I.
I find healthy food goes out of date faster as 90% the time it’s fresh produce - and with the cost of living and the price rises on everything, freezer food is cheaper and more sustainable for me to afford.

The court appeal to get the £20 weekly uplift (that was applied to Universal Credit) retrospectively applied to legacy benefits has failed. The Government claim that the uplift was to protect the workforce and the economy and wasn't intended to relieve poverty so it was legal to exclude disabled people. THIS MAKES ME FURIOUS!!! Yet again people unable to work treated as the lowest of the low by the government. They squirm their way out of every challenge and show no morality, compassion or humanity at any stage.
The court acknowledged that legacy benefits are so low, anyone who has to live on them will face hardship. No Sh1t Sherlock! 🙄

I do get time for myself, but there isn't really anything that I want to do. Everything costs money. And also I am in a relationship whereby I am made to feel guilty if I go and see a friend or do anything for myself. I really wish that I could spend some money on myself, but the children are the priority and I always put the kids' needs before my own.

No I never get any time to myself. If I’m not working I am looking after the children. Even when they are in bed my son is awake most of the time as he is autistic and never sleeps. It can be really hard going and there is no time to think and no one to make you a cup of tea. Aswell as no adult conversation or rest time

As a single working parent with no help I do not get time to myself. I work while my child is at school, football every weekend for my child, I get a hour or so when he’s in bed to do some cleaning and have a bath, I’d love a lay in but never a chance for that, I’d like to go out every now and then with other adults but again never a chance for that.

Sometimes I feel like I have all the time and yet there is so little time. There’s the time after the children have gone to bed. Where after a long day, I sit and watch the television. There’s the time during my long commute to work where I can listen to a podcast or something I’ve downloaded on to my phone. I sometimes think of the time I should have such as a paid holiday break. My situation means I am not paid if I take time off work. I am on a zero hours contract and as a single parent am always on call.
I do wish I could be a bit more proactive at times. We’ve accumulated lots of things over the years and it costs money to get rid of them. I don’t own a car, I cannot afford to pay someone to simply remove stuff. It’s the clutter of life and it’s this which I feels weighs heavily mentally.

Today's weather went to -3 it was so cold especially with no proper heating on. But thank goodness it got better this evening.

We had an extreme spell of very cold weather just before Christmas - so much so that I received two Cold Weather Payments of £25 each, for which I am very grateful. It was so cold that it was necessary to put the heating on as the temperature in the house had dropped to 13.5 degrees C. Yet it was really difficult to keep the house warm - not so draught-proof as it was marketed to be.
Yesterday we had snow after a couple of weeks of wet, wild stormy weather & the temperatures have plummeted again. The house temperature this morning was 11.5. degrees C! So obviously the heating was put on again because it was so cold it was painful, not just to me & my arthritic joints, but my son as well. Yet because the cold weather is only expected to last 5 days, I'm not sure we'll get a cold weather payment this time. Why? Because payments are only issued posthumously after a 7 day period of forecasted temperatures of Zero degrees C & below. With my energy company saying my fuel direct debit needs to go up to £177 per month to cover the increase in energy prices (currently £222 in debt), The energy company doesn't factor in the Government help I receive, including the additional Warm Home Discount I'm entitled to before increasing the monthly amount. Cold weather payments are essential for folk on low incomes to make ends meet. But it would be even better if energy companies 1. windfall taxed on excessive profits & 2. were taken back into public ownership as recent reports in the media suggest we (The UK) are paying the highest amount for energy in the world, so that we don't need a hotchpotch of schemes to help us through the winter months. As for my monthly direct debit - I've managed to cap it myself to £144 per month, but it's going to make getting back on an even keel with my finances in the New Year even more difficult.

I haven't had a serious relationship since 2005 when I left my abusive ex-partner. I still feel damaged from that time & don't consider myself a suitable candidate for cosy coupledom, in the main because 1. I don't trust anyone enough to allow them to get close in case I am abused again & 2. I genuinely haven't met anyone as I am unable to go out & socialise - in part due to money issues & mainly due to disability. Folk with disabilities aren't exactly at the top of anyone's list of attractive people to date.

The wind it biting and nipping my face outside today. Snow due to fall.
Daughter's appointment with council advisor cancelled again. She is delighted not to go.
Found a shop selling eco logs for the coal fire, £11.99 for 8 logs. Very heavy to carry home. They were bound together with a strap which I used as a handle. Had to stop many times to swap hands as they hurt from carrying them across town. That walk feel longer than it is.

Some days my mental illness absolutely cripples me in terms of dealing with life at the moment. Money goes in tomorrow. Not enough to cover the bills that need to be paid. Daughter still needs school shoes. Instead of a positive, productive day, I’ve sat around crying. Need to piece myself back together and figure things out… can’t quite believe that this is life for me.

Our daughter has a school trip. They only announce the cost and accept payment this week, and they go next week. The cost is only £21 and I think that is probably nothing to most of the parents, but for us that means that I have to reduce our weekly food shopping budget to cover it. There is no 'spare' money, it all has to be shaved off essentials. For our child to visit an art gallery with school, our whole family has less food for a week. 'Education or eating?'

Rarely. More likely to get time individually while the other looks after the kids. Does attending the kids nativity together count 😂
We have lunch together when we’re both working from home.

It’s gone cold again. Even snowed today. It’s so hard to work from home when I’m freezing.

It was very refreshing to watch Martin Lewis (Financial expert) on TV today, reporting that there is a possibility that our fuel bills will be coming down.

When my daughter was younger I always felt that I did not have any time to myself, however, now that she is a teenager she is spending a lot of her time with friends or shut in her bedroom studying for her A levels, which is great as she will be able to improve the chances of living a much better life in the future. Myself, I now find that I have too much time but unfortunately no money in order to do anything or travel anywhere to be able to enjoy myself. Being a single parent father with health issues has left me with no real friends, and is I am living on a legacy benefits I am unable to afford the cost of heating or electricity to be able to enjoy the time that I do spend at home which is most of it as I only go out for essential shopping or hospital appointments which is having a real impact on my mental and physical health.

Yes, as a single father to three daughters which are now at university and my youngest is 15 but also has additional learning difficulties. And myself, I'm registered disabled with bilateral osteoarthritis in both my knees and carpal tunnel syndrome. I don't get any me time unfortunately anymore. There is a very much lack of youth services in my borough and there is absolutely zero for SEN children. So literally the only time I get alone is when my daughter's at school, as my bigger two daughters have now left and gone to university. But I don't now get any time alone at all. And in my free time, when my daughter's at school, it's mainly housework. The only time I used to get sort of 'me time' was when I was able to work at a local charity shop. But unfortunately, due to my health, that job went by the wayside a couple of years ago, but that was the only time I had adult time and grown up time for me. But apart from that, no, I don't have any time at all for myself due to lack of youth services.

Well my 4 year old off school as been sick but partner to went get some meds and it's shot up in £6.99 for a bottle of meds for her x

No we don't get time for ourselves.

I find this question interesting as I’ve only been a single parent for 1 year. 4 of my 5 children have SEN they are hard to care for and all sleep at different times. So Sunday to Friday I get no break and sometimes have to use school hours to catch up on sleep, my ex has the children from late Friday evening to Sunday afternoon this is the only break I’ve ever had and it’s sad that to get a break I’ve had to become a single parent. But this break I find tricky I feel it’s not enough because really it’s only one day and half the time mentally and physically I’m not up to doing something for myself and by the time I am it’s time to go home.
Also due to SEN the older children cannot be left in charge of the younger ones, due to the disabilities I can’t just leave them with people as no one can mange them all together so makes me very isolated and at times I feel a prisoner in my own home.
A nice break away every so often would be nice but no way could I meet this cost and, again, the time I do have there isn’t time to go anywhere.

I haven't had a good week it has been an emotional and angry time. I have shouted at my boy which isn't nice but he pushed the buttons a lot this week. So I am trying to take time for myself in the evening to feel better and happier in life.

We are now in the middle of January, I just got paid and 2/3rd of it is gone already. The long awaited energy support still hasn't kicked in here, suppose to be rolling out on the 17th but going to direct debit customers first. Getting it to those in need will have to wait a while and then we have to jump through hoops with ID and more.
Why is it always the poorest who have to prove they are worthy before accessing this support?
The constant hoops are wearing people down and adds to the shame, and we still hear, 'sure they will drink it anyway'! Never thinking of those with two houses who are more getting this support for each house, it appears it is ok for them to drink it.
The disappointment and anger just simmer away beneath the surface with very little outlet.

The only time I ever get to myself is when my child goes to her dads and even then the time is spent doing housework and catching up with chores undone throughout the week.
I often feel guilty for wishing I had some ME time as that means my child wouldn't be with me and it would feel like i am sending her away.
There used to be a time when we could get away for wee weekend breaks and my child loved them and that was my time also, as just getting away from the "home" space meant I didn't have to think about life just for 2 days. These are no longer affordable as I just bounce from month to month wages leaving no savings behind and that's without buying any oil heating.

Even though I have good support from my mum and she helps as much as she can.
As a single mum who has a son who has supervised visits with his dad, I feel like I don't have enough time to spend time for my self and time to get to know and alone time with my new partner.

I can spend more time with family as I do a night job. I usually help my wife to do with her house work whenever can. Also I usually go to pick up daughter after their school club. I do grocery shopping with my wife if she needs me. Plan for day out trips with kids during their school holidays. Play indoor game like chess, carom etc in weekends.

We are a family of five, which means we have three children. My 24 hours goes to preparing food, preparing school lunch or snacks for everyone, doing laundry, clean house, etc. My husband sometimes helps me whenever he wishes. Everyone thinks that this is my duty to look after household chores but they forget that there are no special designation for household chores. I rarely get time for my self. When I get time, then I see that everyone is already on their bed. Spend sometime to surf my mobile and then go for bed.

So another week past of home schooling and it’s been horrible. I don’t like it especially because the choice has been removed. It’s forced due to my sons behaviour and the fact he needs support. It’s such a pity in this day and age that there’s not more support for non diagnosed children. Teachers also need to receive better training in trauma affected children because not all kids have statements.

As a single mom, I really don't think I have any time to myself. I have a nine year old boy who's quite challenging behavior, and not a lot of people that I would trust either to mind him. And I have a nice 14 year old daughter at the minute. I've been pushed into a situation where I've been forced to homeschool, much to my dismay, because of my son's challenging behavior. There's a backlog in Northern Ireland of statutory assessments and children getting a statement. Unfortunately, without the support of the statement, the school are finding it really hard to get behavioral support. And as a result, then I'm homeschooling. Which means, to be honest, I have less time to myself. No, I'm just finding it really difficult as a single mommy, not just with the cost of living crisis. I'm paying extra gas and electric having the child in the house. Twenty four seven. And really, I don't put the heat on during the day, but I'm being forced into a position where I have to put it on. And now I'm feeling that I don't even get to breathe. This is the type of child where you go to the bathroom and they're talking to you while you're in the bathroom. It's literally like no privacy, no escape. And it can be really tough. I knew as a single mommy it was going to be tough, but at least during the school days and on Facebook, and there was loads of pictures of people cheering whenever the children went back to school. And it was all funny. And, you know, I wasn't in that position where I was cheering because I was still having my child in the house. So the answer is no. I do not get any time for myself. On the odd day, tomorrow, I'm looking forward for my daughter's 14th birthday, for my son to be minded. So I can actually go for a cuppa, but I think I might want to go to bed and sleep because I'm so exhausted.

As a lone parent - I prefer that term as I've been alone for over 17 years now & I've had to cope with everything on my own, with very little family backup - I struggle to make time for myself, even though my youngest son is now 18 & goes to college 3 times per week. He is autistic & has ADHD, so even though he might not be in the house, I am always on call as he may telephone me at any time during the day. And at night, he either has a nightmare &/or often comes into my room to talk if he feels distressed or has an idea he can't get out of his head. It is exhausting. In addition, I'm coping with my own disabilities & spend a lot of time sleeping to catch up, which creates a vicious cycle in getting behind with home duties & just being able to spend time doing more pleasurable things. I can drive, but can't afford fuel for the car, so can't take myself off to favourite places or discover new places that pique my interest. Some days I'm too tired & in too much pain to take my dog for a walk. I try to do nice things like have a cup of tea using my favourite tea set, or use a lovely moisturising body lotion on my feet, but that about the size of it. I would love a holiday on my own with nothing to worry about, or being able to go to a spa now & again, or visit museums & galleries or just a meal out with a friend, but it's difficult. My world had shrunk considerably because of caring responsibilities, lack of income & disability & I hate it.

I haven’t filled out a diary entry since before Christmas, because between getting ready for my baby to be born (any day now!), Christmas and my PhD upgrade exam in December, life has just been so busy. A few years ago I never would have envisioned that this would be my life - trying to manage academia and being a single parent - but it really does make me focus on what’s important. At the moment that’s rest and spending quality time with my toddler before the new baby arrives. I’ve been really lucky because I got a hardship payment from my university just before Christmas as well as starting to receive discretionary housing payments from the council, and it’s made this time so much less stressful. I was able to buy the bits I needed for the baby, such as a car seat and new cot mattress, without having a totally joyless Christmas which is what I had feared would have to happen. My toddler loved every minute of Christmas and it’s a great age when they have no concept of how much things cost or what ‘second hand’ means. I’m feeling quite content and ready now - for my home birth; for baby to arrive and make me a mum of 2; for all the challenges this year will bring. I sometimes feel guilty that I essentially chose a life of poverty for my children, going on benefits rather than giving up my studies and working, so that I could spend their early years at home with them. I wish I could afford to take them to more baby classes and days out. But it’s such a pleasure seeing my toddler and my belly grow, and making a happy home for them and inventing adventures for next-to nothing. The way the work of mothers - especially single mothers - is devalued in our society is crazy. I have to be constantly creative, resilient and ensuring I build relationships to support me as a single mother because financially, emotionally and logistically it can be so hard. But seeing my babies develop makes it all worthwhile and makes me proud of the life I have chosen.

Generally speaking I do feel that I get enough time for myself at the moment - my daughter is 19 months and goes to her dad’s for a few hours most days, and stays overnight there once a week. Although I usually use the time for housework or studying, it does also allow me some time for meeting up with friends or having a long bath and some downtime. However I am pregnant and due any day now, so that balance is going to change dramatically very soon! As I will be breastfeeding, the most time I will get to myself for about a year will be a couple of hours. How I will manage to get any PhD work done, I’m not sure.

I would love, love, love a night out. It's so hard as a single parent with elderly parents. I feel guilty each time I ask for a night out. I maybe go out once every 3 months. I would love to be off duty occasionally and let my hair down. I love my kids, but it would be nice to be off "mom" mode occasionally.

No having 3 kids and a carer for partner can't even have a bath in peace as kids x

I get very little time to myself. I work 2 jobs and the times I am not working I have my son. I'm lucky he sleeps early at night but that time is usually spent catching up with housework, etc

I don't get much time to myself as a single parent. Even though my daughter is 16, she has autism and been out of school for over 3 years.
Isolated, my self esteem is low.
I have no support, both financially and respite as no contact with my ex who was violent.
Family do not understand the autsim or support us.
I have a passion for horses but it's a very expensive hobby. I don't drive and equine centres are rural off bus routes.
I put my name down for the parent dance class, my daughter attends, however was dismissed this opportunity from the dance teacher who is ruled over by the dance mums clique. They have husbands who work offshore and all drive top of range cars and socialise together. Apparently, my name that I added to the group chat was not seen. Then I was removed from the parent group chat when I confronted the dance teacher as to why I was overlooked.
This town is divided by wealth. A culture of ostracising from friendship groups due to the stigma of poverty and being a single parent. It's 2023 and yes there are people who are small minded.
I'm hurting and depressed living in an area where not welcomed.

I do but it's not for relaxing.
I get every 3rd weekend to myself when possible. But I end up having to take my disabled mother out shopping which is a all day thing. Clean, wash clothes, coursework, food shopping and at times be and take kids to parties. I try and use any hours free to do things I like, but I find myself doing things for others or for the future.

I try really hard to have some time to myself, as my sons got older it has got easier as he can entertain himself at times. I do think it's really important that as parents we show our children that we take care of ourselves as children mimic our behaviour. I only have 1 child too so maybe it's easier to keep 1 settled than more.

It's not always easy to get time alone but we have the evenings and also when the children's dad has the children on a weekend once a fortnight. We try to have a date night, meal and cinema as we cannot afford much else. We try hard to make time for each other even though the children take up a lot of our time. It's become harder now as I am home-schooling 2 teens (aged 14 and 16) so this takes a lot of my time organising work, etc. Also working 1 day a week along with other activities such as the project, court, etc. It's hard to get a lot of time to myself these days.

So excited, received this amazing zine today, I am so happy to have been a part of this amazing piece of work.

Do I have time for myself?
Yes I have spare time but rarely get to spend it how I would choose to. I miss going to the cinema, enjoying a meal or a night out with my partner, going on day trips and visiting places with an entrance fee. I would love a spa treatment or to sit all day in a jacuzzi and soothe my aches and pains away. I want to sky dive, ride horses, llama trek, go zorbing, bowling, clay pigeon shooting, ocean fishing, have a city break, go to gigs, festivals and go on a road trip. I would like to try painting on a huge canvas and not feel inhibited by the cost of materials, or attend craft workshops just to try something new. I used to go to the gym, roller rink and swim several times a week but now I have no money to do any of these things. Instead I try to enjoy free activities such as walking, foraging, pet care, reading, guerrilla gardening, puzzles and brushing up my maths skills in my spare time but usually I make myself do them rather than actually enjoying them. It makes me tearful to think about that. 😥

Really struggling to keep up with bills and debts we racked up years ago. We used to be fine making repayments but these days we just can’t pay everything on time each month. My phone doesn’t stop with texts, calls and emails from people chasing me for payments.

All we can hope for is change. The change would have to be drastic such as the ability to change circumstances to lift us out of poverty. This was almost in reach last year. However I’m finding myself almost but not quite back to the place I was before. There have definitely been some improvements and I shall be working with those as the year progresses. I’m still fearful of homelessness. That has been a constant for years.

Well Christmas and new year are done, I no longer have to fake all the happiness and cheer to appease people who don’t understand life on a broken shoe string. We certainly didn’t have the “Traditional Perfect” Christmas that is shoved down our throats via tv, social media etc, but we were together and made sure the kids had as much fun as possible. We played board games, I searched new games we could play without it costing us anything, we snuggled in blankets and watched movies and scraped together some semblance of a Christmas dinner. I went to bed and sobbed out desperation. Knowing my kids had the best day I could manage for them but knowing they were going to be asked by their friends what they got and did while being told what the friends all got. My kids no longer have the magic of Christmas, even worse when we’re having to ration heat as well as food, gifts really do become an unnecessary burden.

I’m really hoping that the year ahead is full of absolute necessary changes in the way the government sees and deals with people needing help via benefits, etc. It seems that the cost of living crisis has made people who would normally judge people claiming, help in a different light, which hopefully will allow another sector of voices pushing for change.

I’m hoping for it to be a better year in general. I lost my dad in 2022 and it’s been hard to move from that.
My kids are getting to the age they play a bit more now so I’m hoping for some stress free days.
Trying really hard to get some debts paid off this year. Money is always going to be a worry but I have to take it one day at a time otherwise I’ll be panicking every day!

With both of my children being back at school this week, I feel less anxious about the household consumption and cost of fuel, because we won't be using as much as we did during the Christmas holidays, when we were all home most of the time, partly due to the cold damp weather outside, and also because many places that we would normally visit (like, schools and libraries) being closed because of the holiday season.

My hopes are to get out of my consumer debt, I owe about 4k to credit cards and my goal is to get out of this by 2023. I managed to not add to this over Christmas which is a massive win for me. Another hope is getting a new job with a higher salary to try and help me not be so reliant on benefits. My fear - that the cost of living crisis means that I need to add to my debt and that we are unable to feed ourselves.

Finally pay day after Christmas - but it all seems to disappear already.

I got the dreaded energy bill following submitting my meter readings - £4 shy of £300 for a month’s gas/electricity. My monthly DD payment is £151. My head is still trying to process. I’m trying not to panic as everything rises but the reality is starting to hit home. Literally everything is going up. I need some time to make a plan and figure out what to do… it’s felt a bit like I’ve buried my head in the sand but time to face things now.

It's s new year, it doesn't look like a lot has changed but hopeful it is a good year.

I hope that the cost of living crisis and fuel prices will get stabilised; that salaries will rise in accordance with the needs of the families.

Visited a place called ‘The Company Shop’ today to get my shopping.
It has food that is close to its sell by date and I got a fair bit to fill the freezer for a good price. Easy to sign up if you are on benefits too.

My hopes are the situation improves, I hope I can find a little job or any income resource.
My fears my situation and my family's situation will be worse.

My youngest son, who is autistic and has restricted food that feels safe, broke down in tears at the supermarket this week because his bread was too expensive. He only likes one specific brand and won’t eat any others. Luckily I spotted a loaf in the reduced section so we got it for 33p, but this is going to be tough to pull off every week.

Fears would be losing money as things are very tight financially. Hopes - well just that my family are okay and healthy.

My hopes is to try get things into place with debt and try to find a way to make food last in house. Worry is being financially unable to pay for things kids need. Uniforms, shoes, coats, etc. x

Well its crap day today. Food running low as kids eating all day. They are a nightmare but we go without so kids can have. It's so hard with food and prices now so expensive and such a struggle. In my house it's 2 adults, 8 year old, 4 year old and a 10 month old baby. Such a struggle.

So my hopes and fears for 2023, for me and my daughter, hopefully things are now on track with our disabilities and our mental health, which is a good thing. My fears is the energy crisis. At the moment, I'm having remedial work done on an hour hour block of flat, and we're getting some EWI, which will make the buildings a lot cooler in the summer and a lot warmer in the winter. But we're not getting that till hopefully later this year, so that will help. But not quite yet. My fears only really are the energy prices, the gas prices. It's just ridiculous. I'm doing about 25, 30 pound a week just on gas on a prepaid meter, and I'm not even using my oven. I just can't afford to run the oven. It's just ridiculous. And I'm coming up a fixed plan on my electricity. So my electricity is going to double from about 60 to 70 a month to 120 to 140 a month, which definitely going to struggle on that one.

My hopes are good health, to improve my situation, because I am a part-time student I can find a job in the future to improve my family situation.
My fears are the bills and the cost of the food are extremely expensive. I dont know how I can deal with this.

I have mixed feelings about 2023. Whilst there is a sense of optimism for some areas of my life, and the usual positive outlook for “new year new start” I can’t help being worried about the cost of living situation having an impact on everything. No matter how positive I may be about some things, the overriding fear of rising bills puts a huge dampener on everything! I don’t think there is going to be a holiday (I only have UK ones if any at all), and I’m worried about the lack of treats in life that make things interesting… whilst I am good at coordinating free and cheap family activities, literally everything costs, so where is the fun going to come from when the doom of growing costs is ever there?

It makes me wonder how some people manage at all, my gas is triple the amount it was this time last year it’s beyond belief. Food seems to be going up by the week and not just a little by 20,30,40p an item this all mounts up and adds to the growing costs. Do we spend more? No, I don’t think I do, I just buy less for the price of what was more before. I truly do wonder how single people on UC getting next to nothing to live or manage. They must choose between heat or eating. Should things really be this way in 2023! It’s frightening.

My 6 year old daughter is lucky enough to registered with the same dentist with me. They will not register my 1 year old son as they are full. I have rang so many and they all say the same. How are children meant to see a dentist?

I had a trip to the dentist today. Borrowed the £30 from my mum to pay for the transport and the NHS check up cost (I’m not entitled to free NHS treatment). Crown has fallen out over Christmas, my choices are a £1100 private root canal and veneer, £65 NHS band B to have it extracted, £282 to try a crown that probably won’t stay in or I can leave it as it is until it starts to hurt then go back. I chose to leave it as all other options are unaffordable at the moment. I also need a £70 hygienist appointment. Impossible!

Big news on Prince Harry's book today.
People are divided. Some support his honesty whilst others say he has gone too far with saying he has killed 25 Taliban when serving in the army. I see it as a distraction from other news.
The NHS crisis. King Charles accepting cash donations on behalf of charities, which screams corruption.

We are settling in to the new year, fortunately I did not run up any debt over Christmas. It does, however, seem that this school year could be expensive as my daughter has been given a list of books and study aids she requires to purchase and a TV series that she needs to watch/ study for one of her subjects but this is a pay to watch series. There is no option but to buy these items to help my daughter get the best possible education to make a better start to her adult life and improve her own future.

I have absolute zero motivation at the moment… the silly season is over and I’m already tired, I think last year’s tired could have come with…

It's been literally one thing after another. But luckily when my car broke down my brother is a mechanic and has helped me fix the issues. I'm not looking forward to to the next energy price increase things are hard enough without the rises.

My hopes are that I can help as many people as I can with what I can contribute to the community by collecting surplus food and items. My fears are my ex-partner is trying to take my daughter from me and the abuse I still face off him. My fears are if I am not strong enough to face this.

Opportunities like this provided by the community mean my children get to eat out at a restaurant occasionally! And a hot drink out for us parents too, a luxury we don’t get very often any more.

I'm fed up of just surviving and not actually living. I'm going to make sure this year I live comfortably and I want to be able to treat my children to their first holiday abroad in the summer, I'm gonna smash this.

My hopes are I find a better paid job as I can no longer live just getting by. I want to be able to give my children the best upbringing I can and the last few months we've barely been making ends meet.
My new year resolution is going to be making my children's future happy. I want to be able to buy them treats and random gifts. I want to be able to take them on holiday abroad for the first time and this is my year, I will do everything I can to achieve this.

A lovely time to spend with the people you love but also a time for hassle and stress, family arguments. Have I got enough? Where will my children spend it?

My big fear for this new year is that I will not be able to lead my life as was before. Living cost rises, including food and energy bills. Everywhere people are worried like we are on the war zone. Everyone striking for their demands to be fulfilled. Everyone has a right to strike to get more in their life as everything is shrinking. Inflation is rises, interest rate rises, as well as prices for consumer goods but wages are not rising accordingly. So, how do people cope with this living cost? This new year will make everything worse if the government don't do enough to tackle this crisis immediately.

How can anyone justify this?
We are being ripped off by our own Government.

I dread being stuck in this situation. Struggling financially and unsupported. I don't hold out much hope as cost of living payment dates have been announced up to Spring 2024.
I do hope a revolution happens and the Tories bow out.

Reading in the news that pupils in England must study math to age 18.
Where are the budgets to pay extra staff coming from to provide this and for what reason?
I hated maths at school. Never used algebra once as an adult.
I learned no matter how many qualifications you have, it's who you know, not what you know, that gets you the job.

Out twice today to the shops. First time, told deliveries not arrived yet. This afternoon, shelves still empty of fresh foods, as staff explained people came and bought the food as quick as it was put on shelves. Picked up crackers and spreading cheese and a tin of soup. Hoping Co-op orders extra delivery before next Wednesday. Joys of living rural and no car the get to the prize first.

We have had a big clear out today and taken all the Christmas decorations down. Things look so bare now! It’s 14 days until we next get any money and we have £127 to last us. Our 6 year old could do with new school shoes but we are hoping they hold out until then. Electricity and gas is around £9 a day for us at the moment despite us really trying not to use it unless required. It’s crazy!

I hope that I can budget enough to get my family through these tough times. Our house is getting a lot of mould due to us using the heating less but it is already costing us £9 a day and that’s with having the heat on for an hour in the morning and in the evening. I don’t want the children to notice that we are finding things tough so I shop alone and fill our weekends with free or very cheap days out.

I really hope that this government let's us have a general election, I have zero faith in the current one. I pray the NHS recovers quickly as I am fearful of the nations future health and unless there is an election I'm not sure the NHS will be around much longer.

I hope that my current financial situation will improve so I'm not worried all the time. I am hopeful things will improve. But I do fear that the cold weather will last too long, making me use my heating, my bills are so high.

Hi. I'm going to start with my fears. I fear that in 2023 we're just going to be stuck with this Tory government and that the country is only going to get worse. I can't really see anything getting better, finding it really difficult to see anything getting better. But I'm clinging on to some hopes. I hope to be earning more money and hope to be able to go and visit my parents in their new home, which will be a holiday for me and the kids. I'm really worried that my landlord is going to sell the house that we're living in because there's building work that needs to be done and it would probably be easier for him to just sell the house and where we live. We just would not be able to afford anywhere. But I'm clinging on to the hopes.

So we still sit here still waiting for information on the energy support for those of us living in N Ireland and face a possible cold spell again in Jan and Feb. How much more can people take? We are led to feel like we should be "grateful" they are giving us £600 in cash! Like we should have been getting this from October the same as everyone else. Those on prepayment (which is usually the poorest and renters) have to wait whilst those who can afford to wait get theirs first and not only that, but those with holiday homes also get payments for empty homes before those in need. But, we are told the priority was getting this out.
My energy provider has decided to increase their rate now just as the energy is reduced, effectively increasing my tariff by 90%. The SOS has the power to make a difference to lives here in N Ireland but it appears he is choosing to not. He can so easily bring our energy into regulation, it's not even worth my while trying to switch as it is time consuming to switch provider and by the time we do switch their tariff could have went up. They can announce as often and as irregular as they choose.
People are getting tired of not being heard, treated third class, like this is what we deserve. N Ireland has years of trauma still undealt with, they don't need to be pushed to the bottom of the rung and made to beg.

So sick & tired of people being publicly shamed in the newspaper for shop lifting. It's happening on a daily basis in my daily newsfeed update. Now bear with me - I'm not saying shoplifting is right, but what the powers that be need to realise is that desperate people will resort to desperate measures when their survival is threatened. Take this account from my local paper " [Woman] took cleaning liquids, meats and cheeses – together worth £70 – from [local shop] on September 2.
The 32-year-old...was fined £40 and ordered to pay £85 costs, £70 compensation and a £16 victim surcharge by [City] Magistrates Court."
£70 is a lot of money for the local shop to lose - I don't dispute that. But when will those in power realise that shoplifting is a symptom of the problem that fining someone will not solve. But if they take practical steps to solve poverty & help those who may steal e.g. due to being ill with addictions, desperate people wouldn't need to resort to desperate measures in the first place.

Our average cost of gas and electric has been £70 per week this winter. That is well over the "average cost" as stated by the government. I am not sure who the average cost applies to as we are 3 people who live in a tiny mid terrace house, have had the heating only 2 hours per day, thermostat set at 15C and are doing everything else to cut our energy use as much as possible. I am horrified that our energy now costs 30% of our total income. The price rise in April will be brutal.