AIBU to feel middle-class luxuries have become increasingly out of reach?

Employers are weighed down with employment legislation, they can't afford to pay any more.

Employers are weighed down with employment legislation, they can't afford to pay any more.

I think on the one hand I agree - things are ridiculously expensive nowadays comparative to what people are earning. But then on the other hand I do think that people have a lot more free time than we used to and expectations around what we should be able to afford are higher - plus having a family is so much more expensive to when you are young and childfree. When I had my first graduate job in London I felt loaded - but I was shopping in Dorothy Perkins and Top Shop and I didn't even know what a designer label was. I would never have shopped anywhere like Space NK for makeup. In terms of going out, I was in the office every day from 8am until 8pm, sometimes later, 5 days a week and then sometimes at the weekend. I don't really remember eating in the evenings and there was a lot of free food on offer in the office at the staff canteen and coffee was free out of the machine. At the weekends my social life consisted of drinks after work on a Friday in local bar and we never really went out for meals - in fact the only time I went to restaurants was for work social events when a client or the boss was picking up the tab!

It depends on the area and size of house. It’s hard to judge as we don’t have info.

Wages are shocking!

We have had nearly 2 decades of stagnation

All My grandparents had techwise were a TV and a radiogram, plus my Dad got them a transistor radio to put in the outdoor toilet to mask the toilet noises.

@Gibgertea The UK isn’t just in this economic mess because of Brexit though.

My parents didn’t have mobiles or computers or even a car. They wouid be horrified at how we have to live now because you really can’t function without so many things these days. It all eats into the finances.

You are right that prices have risen much faster than salaries. The rise in house prices is what has had one of the biggest impacts as that determines what percentage of your household income goes on mortgage.
But when I was growing up my parents would not have had a lot of monthly charges we now regard as normal, mobile phone contracts, broadband, streaming services. Families did not have as many possessions and did not replace them so often.
There have been periods like this before, I can remember my parents struggling in the seventies with increased mortgages and oil fired central heating.

I agree that the main problem is housing , followed by greedy companies who want more for less and making it that you can’t easily live without a car or the internet or any other ‘ adds ons’ they dream up to make it harder if you don’t have them ( like insurance for white goods or whatever)
Someone is getting rich and it’s the normal people as it never is !

My parents have wifi, it’s a bit of inconvenience to not have it nowadays. I don’t have a landline though like I did growing up.

Here's another website my DD uses and recommends: www.mandmdirect.com/gb/en/shop/womens/dresses-and-skirts

Both Poland and Ireland are now member states of the EU which has helped them hugely , transforming both nations into major economic success stories.

Apparently neither has the other poster, however there were multiple threads on here not so long ago with similar concerns. Many librarians commented that is is often why they need male security, which as libraries are increasingly in shared spaces rather than their own buildings, can take a long time to arrive.

Many people clearly don't live in a town like ours, with homelessness and youths with nothing to do. Lucky to be able to use your libraries and parks with small kids and not worry there might be a needle or glass in the grass.

The issue is with the small things costing so much more - OP said treats - so things like books, ice cream, coffee etc, things that used to be treats for a few quid, not a whole new dress! I also think Alan Sugar and Apprentice showed so many how easy it is to sell rubbish cheap stuff to Londoners by jazzing up packaging on bath bombs or how little meat is needed in a sausage roll for a tenner, people have really taken that on board and prices for cheaper things have become "luxury".

This country has plenty of unproductive people. "Dead wood" so to speak.

I agree. That is what I was insinuating.

Wages have kept up

house prices haven’t - house prices have exploded

Ireland has much higher wages & an economy favourable to business (low tax).

Also child benefit isn’t means tested in Ireland & it’s €140 per dc.

Poland has a growing economy with a skilled & educated workforce (Ireland has great education too) Interestingly they also don’t mean test their equivalent of child benefit.

The UK has not invested in much since the crash & particularly not in children & young people.

What you posted was a long list of unnecessary expensive items you don’t need. Out parents didn't waste money like that- just because.

TBH I think it was the nineties and noughties that were a blip where people could afford more luxuries. Before and after, not buying much is normal. As young adults we could afford a couple of pints in the pub once a week, rarely ate out unless it was someone's birthday, new clothes were a treat and we spent weeks browsing before buying. I didn't get on a plane until I was mid twenties and family holiday was once a year in the UK, quite often to Grandma's house 😁.

Food prices in the UK have been too cheap for decades.

The problem is housing.

My Nan bought a winter coat after the war and that was her winter coat until she died in 1990. Stuff was better made than, people looked after their stuff and weren't forever changing size.

If you want to save a few more pennies, visit White Stuff in person and then order on Otrium. There are ALWAYS sales.

I’ve given up. I buy a lot of stuff off Vinted for all of us, some pretty good bargains especially for babies and 3 year old like I’ve got. I got a 4 pack of brand new M&S babygrows still in packaging for £6, DD has her puddlesuit and wellies for £20 with labels on, for forest pre school. I’ve kitted her out for winter for around £60. Brand new items including jumpers, vests, wellies, puddlesuit, leggings, dresses and tights, gloves and hats. I’m sorting baby out for winter stuff this month and I’ve got around 12 babygrows, 10 vests, a few outfits brand new for £30 so far. I couldn’t even get it that cheap in Asda. If I need anything, I always look on Vinted first. My DH earns £80k a year, we own our own business and we used to go for dinner once every couple of weeks and get a takeaway once a month. Now we get a takeaway every 2 months and go out for dinner every 3 months or so. Our food shop comes to £200 a week for 2 adults, a 3 year old and a baby which doesn’t include alcohol, fizzy drinks or luxuries. Meat, fresh fruit, nappies and laundry products make our food shop bill shoot through the roof.