I know that prices are rising at an astonishing rate but THIS took my breath away

Not if they have a monopoly ie large companies like tesco, morrisons etc.

But they don’t have a monopoly. There is competition. Remember the Tesco and Heinz battle some months ago?

I bow to your superior knowledge, as for wage increases?
I offer you, nurses, junior doctors, railway workers, Royal mail workers, teachers desperate for pay increases and surely many more!

My partner has to use a local Public Notary to authenticate his continuing 'existence' for a foreign private pension company, every two years.

Two years ago, the fee was £52. He handed over his credit card last week expecting a huge increase in the fee (offices have to be heated, etc, etc).

It was still £52.

He came away elated - not just because of the cost, but because it's encouraging to know that there are those who don't seize an opportunity to rip people off.

livelylady

Still reeling from cost of decaff coffee. Just under £10 in the Co-op. Back to cheap own brand stuff for a while and hope offers start soon.

we normall buy dowe egberts but tried the asda rich roast stuff (I think it's £2.50 a jar) and neither my husband or sons noticed it had been changed

It`s pure greed,fuel does not need to be so expensive.
Asda`s own brand of 4pck baked beans were 90p last year ,they are know £1-70,so they have lost my custom on the bean front.

Notaries public operate on a statutory fee scale Dickens, as do solicitors for some small matters such as swearing an affidavit or statutory declaration.

Bridie, none of these people are part of the food supply chain. Many who work in that chain are on minimum wage, which increases each year. I believe Asda has just given its store workers a 7% increase. It has to be paid for.

I bought Sainsbury’s fresh orange juice (1 litre) and admit I just grabbed a bottle from the chiller section.
I was shocked to see it cost £3.10 on my receipt when I got home.
Having investigated I could have got a litre of similar for £1.70.
I will be much more careful!

Lingering Covid impacts, supply chain issues, Brexit, Ukraine, energy prices, wage/ pension increase, worldwide inflation, interest rate rise.

Of course prices are impacted.

I wasn't implying these people were part of the food chain, just replying to your mention of wage rises.
However , these people need to buy food, the fortunate asda workers who received a paltry minimum 7% will find it won't go far when prices( as we have seen from posters comments) are rising at a ridiculous rate, how can a bag of soda crystals rise 100% ?

If you want to compare the prices on groceries go to trolley.co.uk . you can set up alert when the price of a favourite changes. I use it all the time .

joannapiano

I’m 74 and I don’t know what soda crystals are for. Sorry.

Nor me? 🤔

The price of the raw material, soda ash (sodium bicarbonate) has risen by a huge amount over the last couple of years - well over 100%. Hence the doubling of the price of a bag of soda crystals.
Bridie, if the Asda workers had received more than 7% don’t you think shopping there would be even more expensive? I don’t call that a paltry amount - increase wages by the level of inflation and you have stagflation. Remember that?

I use it for two main purposes: to keep drains clear(a handful down the sink or bath with boiling water ensures no blockages)and I sometimes use it instead of detergent in my washing machine and it keeps the machine functioning well. There are lots of other uses as well.

I don't know were you got your sodium bicarbonate world pricing from , but according to the sodium bicarbonate trend and forecast prices are pretty stable and haven't risen sharply due to surplus supplies .

I have just found out that Pointers charcoal dog biscuits 10kg have gone from £24 free postage to £40 + postage. Found some own brand ones at Pets at Home for £31 but even that is a steep rise.(spoilt dogs)

How long ago do you suppose the raw materials were purchased by the manufacturer?

asda workers get paid below a living wage anyway (£11 an hour) I suppose it is useful to get a discount off food too though

watermeadow

If you have only the basic state pension you are eligible for further help, like Credit Support, which also brings other benefits.
Our benefits system is very mean compared to most other countries but nobody is expected to live off £600 per month.

Are you thinking of Pension Credit?

It is a great benefit for those who are eligible, but even those on the basic (old) state pension can only claim it if their savings are below a certain level. Off the top of my head, that level is around £15,000 / £16,000. People have to have under £10,000 of savings to get the full amount, a threshold hasn't risen for quite a long time now.

According to the prices I looked at , the last quarter of 2022.

Germanshepherdsmum

Notaries public operate on a statutory fee scale Dickens, as do solicitors for some small matters such as swearing an affidavit or statutory declaration.

Bridie, none of these people are part of the food supply chain. Many who work in that chain are on minimum wage, which increases each year. I believe Asda has just given its store workers a 7% increase. It has to be paid for.

Notaries public operate on a statutory fee scale Dickens, as do solicitors for some small matters such as swearing an affidavit or statutory declaration.

But don't they charge for their time - or is that included?

It’s a set fee Dickens, regardless of what their hourly rate for other work might be. When I was a practising solicitor there was a set fee of £5 for witnessing an affidavit or statutory declaration plus (iirc) £1 for each attachment (‘exhibit’). Doubtless it’s changed by now. Partners had to put the fee into partnership income but assistant solicitors could keep it without having to declare it for income tax - so there were a lot of willing assistants for this particular job!

*Bridie, how far ahead do you think manufacturers purchase raw materials? Maybe the price will go down eventually, as petrol prices have.

Our benefits system is very mean compared to most other countries but nobody is expected to live off £600 per month.

I don't think you can accurately make comparisons though with other countries though can you?

I have a state pension from Norway - but the national insurance contributions were higher.

Working 12 years in that country gives me a pension which is just less than the full state pension here - but it's relevant to the cost of living there. It goes much further here than it does there!

Germanshepherdsmum:

'Companies who were greedy and taking the mick would go to the wall.'

Not necessarily - competition and market forces don't run like clockwork. Many people shop where they always shop - and buy what they always buy. Comparing prices, changing habits and being flexible doesn't occur to them.

If all the major supermarkets charge more where's the (available) real competition anyway. I remember when we 'went decimal' and every price was rounded up - none were rounded down - blatant profiteering!

The evidence on this thread shows that many people don’t buy what they’ve always bought, and don’t always shop where they always have. They vote with purse and feet nowadays because they can’t afford not to.

Decimalisation happened 50 years ago so not exactly relevant.