Things used to go up by 5p, now it’s 50p. I never thought life would come down to doing maths about loo roll
- This article is part of a new series, the heat or eat diaries: dispatches from the frontline of Britain’s cost of living emergency
I’m in my 40s and have two children, both of whom are autistic. Five days a week, I volunteer at a local food bank. I’ve also been a food bank user. We live on universal credit, so I understand the pressures people who visit are under.
I’ve always managed, I’ve never felt poor, but it’s getting harder. When I opened my energy bill, I thought it was a mistake. It has gone from £66 to £95, and they expect it to go up to about £150. I can’t afford to visit my child at university; I can’t remember the last time I went out recreationally. This week, I had to spend more than usual on my bus pass so I could go and get my eyes checked, so now it means mostly eating food with reduced stickers on it. My washing machine is on its last legs, and I keep thinking “please don’t break”, because there isn’t money there to replace it. I’m frugal and I know how to make things stretch, but there’s only so far you can go.
As told to Emine Saner. Sophie is in her 40s and lives in the north of England. Names have been changed
The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity that campaigns to end the need for food banks. Show your support at: www.trusselltrust.org/guardian
