Topic: Cost of living pinching

[Fitzy.]

There’s an increasing squeeze on nearly every household based on the cost of living crisis. There are increasing numbers of children who don’t have access to warm meals and basic luxuries that have been taken for granted for years. The rise in foodbanks is the clearest piece of evidence that households are being forced into desperate measures due to growing levels of poverty. Added to that is the fact that many families are really tightening their belts despite having relatively decent annual incomes. Living to your means is a normal part of life, but that’s a completely different to what it used to mean. Shopping habits, going for nice meals and energy use are no longer things we can afford in the way we might have done in years gone by.

Thought I’d run a poll and see how people’s behaviours have changed over the last few years. Obviously not expecting people to openly tell us what they earn - poll is anonymous. Apologies if this thread is stepping on the toes of the stuff in the News section. Although some of that is more politically driven.

[Drinks Sangria]

I earn good money and my partner has a decent job too (one she’s horribly underpaid for as a critical care practitioner in the NHS on the intensive care wards). We are childless for now and that helps, but what I’ve really noticed is we’re struggling to save money at the moment and have started to give up most luxuries.

I appreciate we’re very lucky - albeit work hard - but we have reduced our trips away to maybe one city break and one holiday a year, we’ve cut out luxuries from our weekly shop and whilst we used to eat out 2-4 times a month, it’s now maybe once every other month as a treat we plan for ahead of time. I’ve binned off most of our subscriptions that weren’t getting enough use.

I understand that us still being able to have the odd takeaway and meal out, and to go abroad at all is in itself a luxury, but when we don’t smoke, rarely drink, don’t gamble and have no real frivolous spend, it’s disheartening to struggle to save for the future. I’m on more than double what I was on 5 years ago, and yet I probably save the same small amount each month. We could sack off ever going abroad and I could get rid of my season ticket and that would save us a few grand each year, but then we’d rarely have anything to look forward to, which I think is very important, mental health wise.

Everything is degrading, getting more expensive and people’s tolerance towards one another is rapidly fading as a direct result of the pressure the economic situation is putting people under.

[kesey]

The odd block of cheese yes.

[Elmo!]

I'm fortunate in that while I'm not a high earner (in the £30k to £39k bracket), I don't have any dependents and have a very affordable mortgage. Mortgage due for renewal in 6 months so I'll take a hit there but with calculations I've done even in the worst case it will still be very manageable. I don't have a laavish lifestyle but I can afford to put away a decent amount every month and not have to worry about my spending too much. It does feel like when I'm paying for the shopping I seem to get much less, and I think I must be spending way too much but then I get to the end of the month and my bank balance is fine.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

The odd block of cheese yes.

Blocks of cheese are awesome.

[jason42]

I have every penny accounted for on a Spreadsheet and it really helps. There's very little left at the end of the pay cycle but everything is covered and paid for and we are able to have the odd meal or takeaway.

[reddebs]

We're just about coping and hoping that with the extra hours we're going to be putting in over the summer will help take some pressure off during the winter when there aren't as many hours work available.

We'd definitely be better off if we moved somewhere more conventional and both got full time jobs but we'd hate it as our quality of life here far outways having some money in the
bank. 

[Peabee]

I have every penny accounted for on a Spreadsheet and it really helps. There's very little left at the end of the pay cycle but everything is covered and paid for and we are able to have the odd meal or takeaway.

I use Revolut. They have some great features for budgeting and saving money. I just transfer in what I've budgeted for the month as spends and the app does the rest. You can even use it with Apple pay or invest in gold. My life has changed. I can now fly too.

#ad

Being serious, there are some great tools like the one I mentioned, which are far better than the shitty app of my actual bank.

[kesey]

 I can now fly too.

Peabee Pan.

[Peabee]

Peabee Pan.

"The man who never wants to grow up" is quite apt for me.

[fridgepants]

Last year I noticed flats in our building renting out for £500 a month more than we pay. I put our current rent (we have it until at least a year from now, and hopefully will have our own place between now and then) into Rightmove and it would basically get us a room in a shared house. I really don't know how families or those on lower incomes are managing right now. I didn't have significant savings (as in, enough to keep me through a period of no pay, or at least handle an emergency - not long ago I would have had to borrow money if I had to drop everything and get a train to see family) for a long time and now I do the thought of sinking it into somewhere to live is daunting. What if my leg falls off and I have to buy a new one?

I thought I was past the days when I had to keep a running total in my head of what was going into my shopping basket in case I had to put some of it back at the end, but I find myself putting things back a lot more now. My expensive pineapple habit has had to go and we don't go to the chippy much these days because it's now £14 for cod and chips round here and it's not even as good as that suggests.

[Riquende]

My expensive pineapple habit has had to go

The way you wrote this makes me think the 'habit' doesn't have anything to do with eating them.

Sinking deposit money etc into property is daunting, I'll grant you. Just this week we've had to kiss over £47k goodbye in one fell swoop to get on the 'ladder' (again in my case). You could stay renting and buy a nice car outright, or an amazing holiday, or whatever. In fact my old boss has given up on purchasing a house, I spoke to him the other week and they just saw house prices in their area (Bedfordshire) spiralling away from their saved deposit so just bought a brand new car instead.

But then the rent money you pay is just enriching someone else...

[fridgepants]

I can't drive, but I guess I could live in the car once retirement age comes?

[kesey]

"The man who never wants to grow up" is quite apt for me.

Don't grow up it's a trap.

[Terry de Niro]

Don't grow up it's a trap.

Is the right answer.

[west_london_red]

I’m coping but one of the lucky ones, we bought 8 years ago when rates were low, and renewed for another 5 years when rates were even lower so still have a couple more years of super low interest rates, and in between now and then me and the Mrs are just stacking away as much as we can to pay off a chunk of the mortgage when the current deal expires. We were also lucky in that our youngest finished nursery just when the price of everything went through the roof so the £400 a month we were paying the nursery now goes on bills and groceries, and my Mrs is an amazing cook and it’s obviously a lot cheaper to make food instead of going out for diner. Also saving about £2k a year now by only going into work 2 days a week and taking a slightly longer but cheaper journey into work by public transport.

My dad got cancer about 15 months ago and passed away about 6 months ago and that was a bit of a kick up the arse for me too. I don’t need to go to pub every week followed by a curry, it’s neither good for the wallet or your health so I stay at home a lot more and only go out when there’s a reason to go out rather than just because it’s Friday.

[kesey]

Is the right answer.

52 going on 10 here Terry.

[Fitzy.]

I’m coping but one of the lucky ones, we bought 8 years ago when rates were low, and renewed for another 5 years when rates were even lower so still have a couple more years of super low interest rates, and in between now and then me and the Mrs are just stacking away as much as we can to pay off a chunk of the mortgage when the current deal expires. We were also lucky in that our youngest finished nursery just when the price of everything went through the roof so the £400 a month we were paying the nursery now goes on bills and groceries, and my Mrs is an amazing cook and it’s obviously a lot cheaper to make food instead of going out for diner. Also saving about £2k a year now by only going into work 2 days a week and taking a slightly longer but cheaper journey into work by public transport.

My dad got cancer about 15 months ago and passed away about 6 months ago and that was a bit of a kick up the arse for me too. I don’t need to go to pub every week followed by a curry, it’s neither good for the wallet or your health so I stay at home a lot more and only go out when there’s a reason to go out rather than just because it’s Friday.

Sorry about your dad, mate.

We’ve had similar good luck in terms with the mortgage timings as well as energy tariff. Pure chance rather than reading the tea leaves.

[ToneLa]

£30 to £39k

Quite variable

[west_london_red]

Sorry about your dad, mate.

We’ve had similar good luck in terms with the mortgage timings as well as energy tariff. Pure chance rather than reading the tea leaves.

I’ll take some of the credit for renewing the mortgage for 5 years instead of 2, they were so low 3 years ago they couldn’t really go any lower (to be honest I slightly kick myself that I didn’t renew for 10 years, they really couldn’t have gone any lower!)

[jason42]

I’ll take some of the credit for renewing the mortgage for 5 years instead of 2, they were so low 3 years ago they couldn’t really go any lower (to be honest I slightly kick myself that I didn’t renew for 10 years, they really couldn’t have gone any lower!)

I have always had fixed rates for the mortgage as I prefer the security of knowing exactly what my monthly payment will be. We have 10 years left to pay on the mortgage and we have fixed for the 10 years.

[rob1966]

Grew up poor as fuck, my Dad never paid maintenance, so got used to having nothing. Lucky now that I earn a good wage, wife's on a decent wage too, mortgage is down to £3k outstanding, so we're able to afford 3 holidays a year, pay for the kids to do what they want and not have to worry. If we still had a mortgage we'd have been struggling as I'd done a tracker and it was brilliant until the Tories went full on fuck the economy, but by then we'd paid most of it off in cash.

[pw1008]

Quite lucky at the moment, mortgage fixed for 5 years - although up at the end of 2025 so havent noticed anything there and managed to over pay last few years. Money just seems to be flying out with nothing to show for it.

Everything  feels like a pisstake. Each trip to tescos\asda even for what youd think would be about a tenner is £30. People (Companies) are surely taking the piss left right and centre! Just little things you notice - robinsons orange cordial (I know flash not going for the supermarket own brands) but 750ml bottles instead of a litre and same price if not more than a year ago prob 25% for 25% less.

Countrys fucked in so many ways *(probably better examples than a price of orange cordial)*

Cant believe there havent been riots

[west_london_red]

Usual advice is not to over pay your mortgage when savings rates are better then mortgage rates so if your mortgage is fixed until the end of next year you might be better of sticking the money in a savings account for 18 months and then paying off a chunk of the mortgage when your current fixed deal ends.

[fridgepants]

Feel like leaving the house just costs £30 now.

[Barneylfc∗]

Selected the option for what my salary is, but with overtime it's usually the band above. 23/24 year I actually managed to get in the band above the band above 

Announced last week there will be no overtime for at least the next 3 months, so definitely going to have to watch the pennies more. It's basically a pay cut of minimum £400 a month 

[rob1966]

Selected the option for what my salary is, but with overtime it's usually the band above. 23/24 year I actually managed to get in the band above the band above 

Announced last week there will be no overtime for at least the next 3 months, so definitely going to have to watch the pennies more. It's basically a pay cut of minimum £400 a month 

Its shite when you get used to doing overtime and it stops. We were on permanent overtime a few years ago, then it just stopped. That was a sudden drop of anything from £500 to £800 a month, that fucked me right up as I'd not saved any of it, just spent it.

The trucks of a Saturday mean I can work about 20 days a year, get out of the wifes hair and get out of the house and pull £4.5k extra.

[Draex]

Our weekly food shop for a family of 4 + dog + cat has doubled in two years.

There is no cost of living crisis though, it's the biggest con..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68776913

Supermarkets, Oil companies, Energy companies making record profits while everyone is fucked.

[rob1966]

Our weekly food shop for a family of 4 + dog + cat has doubled in two years.

There is no cost of living crisis though, it's the biggest con..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68776913

Supermarkets, Oil companies, Energy companies making record profits while everyone is fucked.

Tesco have always been piss taking twats, they always make huge profits while pretending to care. The local little Tesco by us is fucking way expensive, I'm sure its dearer than the big ones in Stretford and Irlam

I have no idea what we spend on food, missus does the bulk of the food shops, but I know from nipping into Aldi how everything had gone up massively, I spend about £50/60 a month just on milk, the youngest drinks gallons of the stuff, I know Pizzas she gets them shot up, chicken cheese all up. I'll drop the lad at cadets Monday and Thursday and nip to Aldi and even picking up bits I'll spend £20/25, it used to be around a tenner

[peelyon]

Tesco have always been piss taking twats, they always make huge profits while pretending to care. The local little Tesco by us is fucking way expensive, I'm sure its dearer than the big ones in Stretford and Irlam

I have no idea what we spend on food, missus does the bulk of the food shops, but I know from nipping into Aldi how everything had gone up massively, I spend about £50/60 a month just on milk, the youngest drinks gallons of the stuff, I know Pizzas she gets them shot up, chicken cheese all up. I'll drop the lad at cadets Monday and Thursday and nip to Aldi and even picking up bits I'll spend £20/25, it used to be around a tenner

I saw some stats and even the basic stuff like rice and pasta are up such a huge %.  Like you say what used to be a tenner for a few bits is now 20quid!

[Draex]

Tesco have always been piss taking twats, they always make huge profits while pretending to care. The local little Tesco by us is fucking way expensive, I'm sure its dearer than the big ones in Stretford and Irlam

I have no idea what we spend on food, missus does the bulk of the food shops, but I know from nipping into Aldi how everything had gone up massively, I spend about £50/60 a month just on milk, the youngest drinks gallons of the stuff, I know Pizzas she gets them shot up, chicken cheese all up. I'll drop the lad at cadets Monday and Thursday and nip to Aldi and even picking up bits I'll spend £20/25, it used to be around a tenner

Probably the same Tesco I just went to! If you don't have a clubcard/Nectar you basically get fucked as they've raised all normal prices so they can look like they are discounting with their loyalty cards.

[reddebs]

I've been buying my dogs packs of smackos as treats that have been on offer since forever at 3 pks for £2/£2.50/£3 in every single supermarket around.

This last week they're now £1.60 per pack 😳. That's a £1.80 increase for the same amount!!!

[rob1966]

Probably the same Tesco I just went to! If you don't have a clubcard/Nectar you basically get fucked as they've raised all normal prices so they can look like they are discounting with their loyalty cards.

Yep more than likely. I've had to get a Nectar card to go with the Clubcard. Baileys was £10 in Sainsburys at Crimbo, £22 without a Nectar card...............

[The G in Gerrard]

Probably the same Tesco I just went to! If you don't have a clubcard/Nectar you basically get fucked as they've raised all normal prices so they can look like they are discounting with their loyalty cards.

Mrs loves Nectar card for discounts on desserts

[Draex]

Mrs loves Nectar card for discounts on desserts

On the nectar card we got a leg of lamb which should have been £45 (unreal price) for half price! Got two and froze one.

[The G in Gerrard]

On the nectar card we got a leg of lamb which should have been £45 (unreal price) for half price! Got two and froze one.

Yeah see plenty of them kind of deals in-store especially after Christmas!

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

I feel like I am getting emails every other week with something increasing in price - this week it was Spotify.

I think the thing that has shocked me the most is flights. I used to be able to go back home to Ireland quite cheaply but now flights and a car hire are astronomical. Going back in the summer for a wedding, so can't really be flexible with dates/luggage and it's about £350 return for us both via Dublin. Belfast isn't any cheaper. Car hire if we want it is about £200 Fri - Mon.

I genuinely used to be able to do it for £50pp return.

[fridgepants]

MrFridgepants sacked off Spotify when he decided he didn't want to fund them giving a ton of money to Joe Rogan, but as with Amazon Prime, it's very good at making you think it's essential and trying to do the same thing without it when you're used to the convenience feels like a pain in the arse.

Everyone says that if you;re struggling to buy a house, you should get one that needs doing up, but the costs of doing that now (especially if you need someone else to do the actual skilled bits for you) makes it just as expensive if not more. Bet my old landlord is kicking himself for trying to fix the leak in his dodgy roof with some felt and a dehumidifier.

[ToneLa]

I've got 9 consecutive months without paying for a music subscription (6 months Apple free, now Amazon 3 months free) and now I'm using soulseek and my own ripped collection to upload to the iBroadcast app

Dunno why I put so much effort into saving a tenner a month but I'm happy with it

[Drinks Sangria]

MrFridgepants sacked off Spotify when he decided he didn't want to fund them giving a ton of money to Joe Rogan, but as with Amazon Prime, it's very good at making you think it's essential and trying to do the same thing without it when you're used to the convenience feels like a pain in the arse.

Everyone says that if you;re struggling to buy a house, you should get one that needs doing up, but the costs of doing that now (especially if you need someone else to do the actual skilled bits for you) makes it just as expensive if not more. Bet my old landlord is kicking himself for trying to fix the leak in his dodgy roof with some felt and a dehumidifier.

Although we’re feeling the squeeze as most are, we were very lucky in terms of our timing with buying our current home and having work done. We bought our house middle of 2021 when people assumed covid was done but the market hadn’t started to go mental yet. Our house had been vacant for a while and was in an area we loved, but simply too expensive to justify. After a few months, the owner, clearly needing the money reduced the price aggressively - down some £35k - and we negotiated a further £5.5k off the new price. So we’d got into a nice area we couldn’t originally afford, but the house needed work. We gutted the downstairs and had an extension built, reconfigured the internal walls and added a bathroom. Had the drive done, new kitchen etc. All in all, it cost around £40k (up from initial quotes of £32k as materials started to rise during the build) but the house is now worth probably £100k more than we paid for it.

I recently had a few friends over, one of whom is a builder and was a bit curious and forward in asking us how much the work cost. His words were roughly ‘do you mind me asking what you spent on the work, was a couple of years ago now so about £70k?’ I said no, closer to half that, bit more, and he was shocked. Said if we were having it done now, it would be £80k - £90k and some would quote north of £100k. Mental in such a short amount of time. And he says whilst a lot of it is material, a lot of it is profiteering too.

My laboured point is that now, you pay for a wreck what it should cost done up, and if it’s done up nicely and decorated well, it seems to add a mad amount to the value of the property compared to what the purely cosmetic touches will have cost to do.