It is that nasty time of the year when we all need to look at our financial position. For all of us there will be the usual increases. The council tax will go up as usual. The television fee will increase. Car insurance is a nightmare as we are now forced every year to hunt around to get a reasonable quote. With the chaos in the Iran war fuel costs are already increasing day by day. The global uncertainty will see food price's continue to climb and mortgages offers are already being stopped. Household insurance and water rates will follow suit. Against all of this bad news we hope that our income will be able to cover these extra costs.

This is wishful thinking in today’s economic climate. With such a dismal outlook we will all need to tighten our belts yet again. One approach has been for young families to take their annual holiday in school time. There are fines for this activity but many have found that the cheaper holiday costs outweigh the penalties. The savings can be quite considerable.

With everyone needing a mobile phone to function in the modern world this is yet another cost to be met. For a family where everyone has a phone the cost is considerable. Today many are searching for ways to cope with the cost of living. Online second-hand websites eBay and Vinted are reported to be seeing a big interest in sales. The cost of eating out has become beyond the reach of many as the hospitality industry struggles to cover their costs and feel that they must increase prices.

Having painted a really gloomy picture perhaps we all need to look at ways to enjoy life without the need to spend much money. Getting out for a walk is cheap and probably more beneficial than gym fees from which many do not benefit because after the initial effort they fail to attend. Cooking meals from scratch rather than buying takeaway food is better for us and cheaper. If our financial position means we drink less alcohol, that is no bad thing. The modern trend is for more and more people to have tattoos but they can hardly be seen as essential. They are not cheap.

There is no doubt that life for many people is difficult. Perhaps it is time for all of us to take stock and and ask the question what can I give up to be able to live within my means..

For too many such a question is irrelevant. Too many are concerned about when the foodbank will be open and will I be able to financially survive this month. One section of our society have an even more serious question to answer. Where will I sleep tonight?

Despite the many economic pressures, many of us are able to cope. Many of us to not have hard life choices to make and for that we should be grateful. In such circumstances we should all do our best to help one another. As the saying goes, it is dark now but the sun will rise...