Inflation and the cost of living.

Chocolate frogs are as valid as any other commodity for comparison purposes.

I notice week on week prices creeping up and up. I've been informed this week of two price rises to expect come April. Both have gobbled up the small increase in my pension and I've yet to find out what council tax will be for the coming year.

And I assume there will soon be a fairly hefty hike in oil prices - notwithstanding the artificially inflated petrol costs cause by the idiots who started the panic buying in the first place for no reason other than their own stupidity.

I've heard of the Freddo thing. Personally, holidays are a thing of the past and we are both working in our later years.

My water bill from United Utilities is going up £9 a month, my council tax, increasing by 4. 99 per cent is going up £15 a month.
I haven’t heard yet about Utilities but they are forced to go up because of the current world situation.
I expect that phone bills , Sky, broadband will follow.
I am fortunate that I don’t run a car but family and friends are telling of rises in fuel and car insurance.
Restaurants and pubs are closing every day because of increasing costs.
Have we had it too easy and just now paying the price?
How will those on low fixed incomes cope?

Freddo was real chocolate then, I bet it isn't today.

I think a lot of people have taken a hard look at their expenditure and made economies. Deciding not to waste money anymore on things they do not need or even want is the way forward.

Yes, I think we have had it easy.

Two of you eating out is now about £50. A family of six will be lighter by about £250. For a meal!

Boz

Yes, I think we have had it easy.

Two of you eating out is now about £50. A family of six will be lighter by about £250. For a meal!

And often, nothing special at all.

sixandahalf

Boz

Yes, I think we have had it easy.

Two of you eating out is now about £50. A family of six will be lighter by about £250. For a meal!

And often, nothing special at all.

I forgot to mention that!. Very mediocre food as they are cutting corners.
I think the winners in all this will be those who cook.
I am happy with a 3 day stew - £5 of beef and topped up with veg.
I can also get four meals from a £5 pack of mince!

We had a very tasty Indian delivered last Sunday, £53 for the five of us, with leftovers for Monday.
It does depend on where you live and how you shop I think.

Boz

sixandahalf

Boz

Yes, I think we have had it easy.

Two of you eating out is now about £50. A family of six will be lighter by about £250. For a meal!

And often, nothing special at all.

I forgot to mention that!. Very mediocre food as they are cutting corners.
I think the winners in all this will be those who cook.
I am happy with a 3 day stew - £5 of beef and topped up with veg.
I can also get four meals from a £5 pack of mince!

I notice eggs and bread feature heavily, both cheap ingredients.

I scored an own goal with Waitrose 3 for £12.00 though. Had to throw 2 of them away, nasty processed taste.

£53 sounds a lot for a takeaway but I suppose it depends on the local competition. We have an Indian sweet centre locally (amongst other things) and you can buy a kilogram of vegetable curry for £8 same with biryani nd the samosas (large) are 70p each

I'm really sorry I posted that before thinking as i was doing 3 things at once .

I do agree that everything seems so expensive now though.

I read online we should stockpile cooking oil and kitchen bin liners among other things because of the impending WW3. I have done that so soon I can stay in bed.

I am spending my money on energy as being fairly immobile, over 80. I feel the cold. My Scottish hardiness has long left me.

Usedtobeblonde

My water bill from United Utilities is going up £9 a month, my council tax, increasing by 4. 99 per cent is going up £15 a month.
I haven’t heard yet about Utilities but they are forced to go up because of the current world situation.
I expect that phone bills , Sky, broadband will follow.
I am fortunate that I don’t run a car but family and friends are telling of rises in fuel and car insurance.
Restaurants and pubs are closing every day because of increasing costs.
Have we had it too easy and just now paying the price?
How will those on low fixed incomes cope?

No, it isn't because we had it easy and are now paying the price. There is more money around than ever, but now we spend it on different things.
The main thing though, is that more and more money is going to fewer and fewer people and the ones working for the rich are getting poorer and poorer.
There are a lot of reasons for this occuring and if I started I would be here for hours...

How will those on low fixed incomes cope?

More UC than they currently get. I assume.

Something needs to change.

I live in hope of a new government changing things.
Unlike quite a lot of people it seems, I am in favour of changing governements.
Frequently if necessary.

sixandahalf

Boz

sixandahalf

Boz

Yes, I think we have had it easy.

Two of you eating out is now about £50. A family of six will be lighter by about £250. For a meal!

And often, nothing special at all.

I forgot to mention that!. Very mediocre food as they are cutting corners.
I think the winners in all this will be those who cook.
I am happy with a 3 day stew - £5 of beef and topped up with veg.
I can also get four meals from a £5 pack of mince!

I notice eggs and bread feature heavily, both cheap ingredients.

I scored an own goal with Waitrose 3 for £12.00 though. Had to throw 2 of them away, nasty processed taste.

I scored an own goal with Waitrose 3 for £12.00 though. Had to throw 2 of them away, nasty processed taste.

Which 3 for £12? What tastes processed? They have always seemed find in the past. 😲
Waitrose used to do 3 sirloin steaks for £12 but no longer. They weren't large but enough for us nowadays; they were just plain steaks. I've just ordered 3 × lime and coriander chicken and 3 x gammon steaks (separate mango and chilli sauce) so I hope they'll be ok.

I also miss the 3 for £12 steak It's now £14 for one pack of two medium sized steaks.
They are promoting 1/3 off beef at the moment fyi.

council tax is going up..not sure by how much yet, but the cost of having the garden waste bin emptied is going up from £40 to £47 .50, council are doing away with some school crossings, talk of closing libraries, now we'll be paying more and getting less.

pably15

council tax is going up..not sure by how much yet, but the cost of having the garden waste bin emptied is going up from £40 to £47 .50, council are doing away with some school crossings, talk of closing libraries, now we'll be paying more and getting less.

Ours is £61, but that what you get from a District Council who’s party was in government for the last 15 years, ably abetted by Liz Truss.

fancythat

^Something needs to change.^

I live in hope of a new government changing things.
Unlike quite a lot of people it seems, I am in favour of changing governements.
Frequently if necessary.

It would be helpful if you could propose some changes you'd like to see. Just 'change' means very little.

I find this topic difficult because I can't help feeling that if wages started to increase to even just restore them to the same 'value' that they had 20 years ago people would start accusing the workers of being 'greedy' and causing inflation (regardless of the fact that we've had inflation despite wages not rising to keep pace).

And if anyone suggests that there should be an attempt at more equitable distribution by preventing the wealthy acquiring so much wealth (just look at the comparisons of CEO salaries compared with 20 years ago. They certainly haven't failed to keep pace with inflation; they have by far exceeded it). But nearly everyone leaps to their defence 🤥

The predictable comment about increasing UC is dispiriting, too in view of the fact that a great many people struggling with very low incomes are actually in work.

The underlying problem is that this is precisely how the economic policies introduced by Thatcher and carried out ever since are meant to work. Unless the underlying economic dogma changes nothing will ever change.

I renewed my garden waste permit yesterday, £59 , the same as last year which was the first year for us.

It would be helpful if you could propose some changes you'd like to see. Just 'change' means very little.

I will indulge such a comment, just this once.

Household finances for one thing[which is the thread we are both on.
Crime.
And many other things, which I am pretty sure you would not agree with, so I am not going to list.

ferry23

Chocolate frogs are as valid as any other commodity for comparison purposes.

I notice week on week prices creeping up and up. I've been informed this week of two price rises to expect come April. Both have gobbled up the small increase in my pension and I've yet to find out what council tax will be for the coming year.

And I assume there will soon be a fairly hefty hike in oil prices - notwithstanding the artificially inflated petrol costs cause by the idiots who started the panic buying in the first place for no reason other than their own stupidity.

I just been asda and tesco....there's no petrol ....they've bollards it off ....its all sold out....I don't need it...I'm wfh next week....but lots of people gonna be stuck with no petrol...no matter how much its gone up ( it had gone up 8p a litre here)

Our garden waste collection - 105 a year, the letter with the cost for next year arrived yesterday, I need to be in the right headspace to open it ☹️