Cost Of Living: 'Will I Buy Food Or Pay Bills?'

A mother of three children says she can't sleep at night, worrying about how she'll pay bills and buy food.

Ali Moreno was speaking as the cost of living continues to climb.

Originally from Moldova, she came to Ireland almost 20 years ago.

But she says things are getting worse.

"We're trying to do the best... I know everyone, families, they're struggling.

"But I think a parents job is really much harder and it's very difficult for us - especially with the increasing prices on the food.

"Fuel - OK, what can we do? But you have to try and think 'How do you cut off on some food or get something cheaper?'

"It's not getting cheaper, every time you go shopping you can see increases of prices in food.

"You have to feed the kids, you have to send them to school... the list is really long, but you have to pay your bills.

"So you have to balance the small little money that you get."

A hand counting expenses of an electricity bill on smartphone calculator. Picture by: Sergio Monti / Alamy Stock Photo

Ali says juggling is getting harder.

"I'm not saying I'm not grateful, I am grateful - but it is hard for us to juggle between.

"And you wake up sometimes in the middle of the night and thinking: 'What do I do - will I buy food or I'll pay the bills?'

"If I won't pay the bills, I'll be cut off - or if I won't pay the rent, because lots of parents are on very high rent."

And says the money from working still isn't enough.

"The money that is coming - even if you are working - being a single parent [with a] part-time job or full-time job it's not enough.

"You have to pay €2,000 upfront for the rent and the deposit as well - where this single mom that is not working with kids can get this money?"

Money and receipts. Picture by: Daniele Mezzadri / Alamy Stock Photo

Ali says she's paying off the minimum amount of her electricity bills every week - but sometimes she can't.

"I am living in a place where everything is electricity, and even in the summertime it's not coming cheaper in the wintertime.

"I'm paying €20 per week, and sometimes when I don't have it because the kids are going to school - they have some event, or you need to buy them clothes and shoes.

"I'm not doing that with the bills because I'm doing what's necessary for them, because they can't go to school with no shoes.

"I'm trying to juggle... and it's really stressful, so much stress that really sometimes you don't know what to do.

"It's overwhelming sometimes, it is".