Inflation and the cost of living.

Mollygo

Allira

It doesn't matter what the nutritional value is; the Freddo Index is a satirical one.
fullfact.org/online/freddos-vs-inflation/

Surely no-one is really taking it really seriously?

Oh yes they are! 🤣🤣

I have worked out that a Freddo is some sort of chocolate bar, but I don't think I have ever even seen one, let alone purchased one, in my entire life.

Why are they a benchmark (albeit a satirical one)?

Better still was to go into the fields and pick wild mushrooms.

No other mushroom has such a lovely flavour - fried with bacon - food for the gods. (Yes I’m ignoring the nitrates☺️)

Now people eat ice cream almost daily, can afford to eat strawberries all year round and children seem unable to leave the house unless clutching a packet of sweets or bag of crisps.

This is what free market capitalism is all about, MOnica.

MaizieD in our family it’s the price of Toblerone’s , along with how many peaks per bar.

This began with my mother many years ago 🤷‍♀️

Whitewavemark2

Better still was to go into the fields and pick wild mushrooms.

No other mushroom has such a lovely flavour - fried with bacon - food for the gods. (Yes I’m ignoring the nitrates☺️)

Unfortunately I became violently allergic to wild mushrooms, which is a bit frustrating when I find them in my fields. I discovered this the hard way

Tame ones are absolutely fine , we eat them all the time. They must be a completely different variety.

GrannyGravy13

MaizieD in our family it’s the price of Toblerone’s , along with how many peaks per bar.

This began with my mother many years ago 🤷‍♀️

But why Freddos? They're not British, are they. I have never ever seen one in the course of seventy plus years of sweet purchasing.

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

MaizieD in our family it’s the price of Toblerone’s , along with how many peaks per bar.

This began with my mother many years ago 🤷‍♀️

But why Freddos? They're not British, are they. I have never ever seen one in the course of seventy plus years of sweet purchasing.

They have been around in U.K. since 1973, Cadbury’s. Our children used to buy one with their pocket money.

They originated in Australia in the 1930’s

They are Cadbury now owned by Mondelez.

The recent spike is to do with climate change and crop failure but before that I blame bankers, the Tories and Brexit as this chart clearly shows.

thefreddoindex.com/

The spike in 2007 was also to do with salmonella contamination for which Cadbury received a hefty fine - passed on to customers, no doubt.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddo

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

MaizieD in our family it’s the price of Toblerone’s , along with how many peaks per bar.

This began with my mother many years ago 🤷‍♀️

But why Freddos? They're not British, are they. I have never ever seen one in the course of seventy plus years of sweet purchasing.

They used to be British frogs, but no longer since Mondelez took over Cadbury.
They also took over Toblerone, GrannyGravy 😲

My children liked one occasionally and older DGC but I've not seen one for years. It's uncertain where they are made, possibly UK or Ireland.

In October 2024, Labour MP Patrick Hurley launched a campaign to reduce the price of the Freddo as a way to engage young people in politics and discussions about the cost of living crisis.
😀

Allira
If Labour see chocolate rather than potatoes as a way to engage young people in politics, they may be more in touch than I thought.

David49

"the ability to afford small indulgences is an important indicator of economic and social health. We can all agree here."

It's not the small indulgences that are the problem, its the big ones, compared with 50 yrs ago those that can afford it are spending a great deal deal more on holiday, homes, cars technology and services.
It's only economic health for those that can afford it, at the expense of those that cannot afford it

Indeed. It's priviledge.

Mollygo

Allira
If Labour see chocolate rather than potatoes as a way to engage young people in politics, they may be more in touch than I thought.

😁

I buy a Freddo occasionally. They are quite small so appropriate for small people, I need bigger bars myself. I shall definitely be buying a big bar for the end of Lent.

MaizieD

^Now people eat ice cream almost daily, can afford to eat strawberries all year round and children seem unable to leave the house unless clutching a packet of sweets or bag of crisps.^

This is what free market capitalism is all about, MOnica.

Free market capitalism is the problem there is no control, any spare money we spend on what gives us pleasure in the short term.
Not what we need for the future, we have not invested in the future for decades, which is why the UK had a weak economy.

Jaxjacky

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.

Definitely very true and on target.

We are very lucky in Spain to have "a menu del dia" - which is a lunch consisting of:

beverage ( wine, beer, soda, cider ) & comes with a basket of fresh bread
1st course ( norm is a choice of 4 or 5 different choices )
main course ( fish, beef, lamb or pork or poultry )
dessert or café
and one can add the 1 €uro for their coffee or tea

AVERAGE PRICE NOW: 12.90 € - 16.00 €uros

THE MENÚ DEL DIA was put into our CONSTITUTION for the workers during the 1950s more or less.

HIGHLY VALUABLE AND DEFINITELY WORTHWHILE.

FOREIGN Restaurants also have a menu de dia.

theworriedwell

I buy a Freddo occasionally. They are quite small so appropriate for small people, I need bigger bars myself. I shall definitely be buying a big bar for the end of Lent.

Freddos I don't recall, the biggest size change is Mars bars they used to be massive compared to the tiny offering we get today

Jaxjacky

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.

As with anything, depends on what one buys and how much a person is willing to spend. I'd not prefer to spend £53 for a meal. It is down to 'where you live, how you shop' and if you prefer scratch made.

Norah

Jaxjacky

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.

As with anything, depends on what one buys and how much a person is willing to spend. I'd not prefer to spend £53 for a meal. It is down to 'where you live, how you shop' and if you prefer scratch made.

It’s not £53 for a meal but for a meal for five (plus leftovers)
£10 or under a head sounds pretty good to me!

RosiesMawagain

Norah

Jaxjacky

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.

As with anything, depends on what one buys and how much a person is willing to spend. I'd not prefer to spend £53 for a meal. It is down to 'where you live, how you shop' and if you prefer scratch made.

It’s not £53 for a meal but for a meal for five (plus leftovers)
£10 or under a head sounds pretty good to me!

An opinion I do not share. Good we all spend differently!

It was my birthday Norah I’m recovering from a complex hip issue, it gave my husband a rest as he’s been cooking from scratch for weeks.

Jaxjacky

It was my birthday Norah I’m recovering from a complex hip issue, it gave my husband a rest as he’s been cooking from scratch for weeks.

We all need a break from cooking sometimes.

That sounds good value for an Indian takeaway meal for five, Jaxjacky. We had one recently and I think it was more, but DD paid and wouldn't tell me how much!

But @Norah I don’t see any need to be so dismissively superior about another‘s choice.

And Jaxjacky should feel no compulsion to make excuses to you or anyone.

M0nica, is it your experience that " children seem unable to leave the house without a packet of crisps or sweets"?
I do not see this out and about, nor when I am collecting from school or nursery.
Younger people seem, sometimes, more critical than older folk ( well, me, anyway) with regard to seasonal fruit and vegetables and air miles.
Imported strawberries - my children would deliver a stern lecture to me if they found these in my fridge.. I have been known to hide things from them.

RosiesMawagain

But @Norah I don’t see any need to be so dismissively superior about another‘s choice.

Apologies, I didn't intend to be dismissive.

We don't spend on takeaways, cafes, pubs. Not superior, a different choice. The tread was about COL and inflation. I'm in the wrong, it seems.