What has priced itself out of YOUR budget?

[Threevok]

What about people on benefits........do they get free treatment ??
It wouldn't be so bad if the gov stopped taking nhs out of your wages every week.

Means-tested claimants do get free treatment. We send the forms out here at work, to apply for exemption certificates - for both dental and optical services.

However, you still need to find a dentist that will take the certificate

We also send out forms to claim back past dental and optical charges, including travel expenses. I'm not sure if that affects getting a dentist in the same way though. People usually use these forms to claim back money they have paid out, whilst waiting for their certificate

 

[keithmac]

What about people on benefits........do they get free treatment ??
It wouldn't be so bad if the gov stopped taking nhs out of your wages every week.

Probably, we get to pay for them and have to pay again for private treatment for ourselves. Sounds about right..

 

[cyberknight]

c2w back on at work , would love a new bike but the cost of living means my pay ride this year has already gone on electricity so i dont think so

 

[ColinJ]

A decent mattress...

I have a saggy old mattress and thought that I would spend some of my pension on a new one.

I was expecting cheap ones to be about £100 and good ones about £300, but I just went online and was shocked at how much they actually cost. Apparently, my guesstimate was only about 1/4 of the real cost! I could easily have to save for 4 or 5 months just to buy a damn mattress... (When I should be saving for next winter's fuel bills!)

 

[fossyant]

A decent mattress...

I have a saggy old mattress and thought that I would spend some of my pension on a new one.

I was expecting cheap ones to be about £100 and good ones about £300, but I just went online and was shocked at how much they actually cost. Apparently, my guesstimate was only about 1/4 of the real cost! I could easily have to save for 4 or 5 months just to buy a damn mattress... (When I should be saving for next winter's fuel bills!)

£500ish should get you something pretty good (IKEA/Dreams), this is coming from someone that had to get rid of a Tempur ££££ megabuck mattress as MrsF didn't like it.

 

[classic33]

A decent mattress...

I have a saggy old mattress and thought that I would spend some of my pension on a new one.

I was expecting cheap ones to be about £100 and good ones about £300, but I just went online and was shocked at how much they actually cost. Apparently, my guesstimate was only about 1/4 of the real cost! I could easily have to save for 4 or 5 months just to buy a damn mattress... (When I should be saving for next winter's fuel bills!)

Stone Dam Mills?

 

[vickster]

A decent mattress...

I have a saggy old mattress and thought that I would spend some of my pension on a new one.

I was expecting cheap ones to be about £100 and good ones about £300, but I just went online and was shocked at how much they actually cost. Apparently, my guesstimate was only about 1/4 of the real cost! I could easily have to save for 4 or 5 months just to buy a damn mattress... (When I should be saving for next winter's fuel bills!)

Try a few local independents and not just the big sheds They often have clearance bargains

I paid around £600 from Furniture Village for a double Hypnos in 2020 (they often have all sorts of discounts), around an upper mid range model.
Memory foam is awful, get a good pocket sprung!! Although if you're a weirdo who likes memory foam, there are a number of online companies offering 30 day trials and decent prices

 

[potsy]

I was planning on getting the driveway done this summer, might now wait until next year.

 

[ColinJ]

Stone Dam Mills?

I thought you were suggesting that I try there, but having just checked some of their prices, I think NOT!

£1199, £1499, £2199 & £3099... for a flipping mattress!!!!

 

[classic33]

I thought you were suggesting that I try there, but having just checked some of their prices, I think NOT!

£1199, £1499, £2199 & £3099... for a flipping mattress!!!!

£449 upwards

 

[vickster]

I thought you were suggesting that I try there, but having just checked some of their prices, I think NOT!

£1199, £1499, £2199 & £3099... for a flipping mattress!!!!

Might be worth a look at the John Lewis Anyday range
https://www.johnlewis.com/brand/vie...-john-lewis-partners/sleep/_/N-4bknZlrhhZlrvd
or their main range
https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/fu...s/john-lewis-partners/_/N-caoZ1yzsz8d?chunk=2

 

[ColinJ]

£449 upwards

I must have randomly looked at the crazily expensive ones then!

Anyway, I was just on the phone to my stepdaughter and the subject came up. She seconded @fossyant's suggestion of £500-ish at IKEA.

 

[T4tomo]

Our Dentist Surgery have decided they're knocking NHS patients on the head

I guess its free, but i think I'd rather pay and have a proper anesthetic

 

[ColinJ]

Might be worth a look at the John Lewis Anyday range
https://www.johnlewis.com/brand/vie...-john-lewis-partners/sleep/_/N-4bknZlrhhZlrvd
or their main range
https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/fu...s/john-lewis-partners/_/N-caoZ1yzsz8d?chunk=2

It has taken me just a few hours to go from why are some mattresses so expensive to why are those mattresses so cheap!

PS You caught me out by adding the second link while I was typing.

 

[vickster]

It has taken me just a few hours to go from why are some mattresses so expensive to why are those mattresses so cheap!

Materials and where they are made... lots of the better companies like Hypnos, Harrison Spinks, V-Spring actually still manufacture in the UK!

The only way is to go lie on a fair few - I actually went for one that was several hundred below my top budget