How many people complaining they are broke have fancy devices?

[IRememberXanadu]

I was waiting to pay for petrol this morning when I overheard two ladies who were queuing up for the till next to mine, complain about the price per litre (of petrol). One way saying that she is really worried about the upcoming increase in price of electricity and gas, with the other agreeing and saying they don't know how they'll cope. While talking, they were looking at their phones - these were very expensive iPhones.

Later, I was relaying this exchange to a colleague, who said he has a friend who has also been going on and on about the upcoming price hikes and how worried he is, but also just bought (himself - it was not a gift or a work phone) a brand new iPhone.

So that got me thinking - while it's unbelievable that we are having to worry about utility prices in this country in this day and age - how many people are saying they are worried about how they will afford to heat their homes and use electricity, while still spending money on non-essentials? Of course we all need treats, but surely spending hundreds of pounds on nicer stuff when you could still buy something cheaper and put the savings towards essentials you are worried about affording, beggars belief? We are not hard up but have been thinking twice about buying luxuries when we are still in the dark about how much it will cost us to run our home, come this winter. Surely it can't be just us...

Why should everyone have shit stuff so we can just pay our bills.

Ridiculous thing to say.

Work all week to have fuck all then.

One step back. What car were they driving, how many of those journeys could be walked or merged (one trip not two)?

@IRememberXanadu and you know that those women paid that sort of money for their phones Because …..
And you also know that they spent that sort of money in the last few months because …..

Unless you also heard them say they’ve spent £1000 for their phone in June, then you dint have a leg to stand on tbh.

How out of touch are you? A smartphone is needed for
kost thing these days, I’d be lost without mine as I have no computer/tablet, when times get tough I stop the nail appointments and other luxury things but a phone these days isn’t a luxury it’s a part of life. You can’t book an appointment, parking etc in a lot of places without one. Even paying bills can be difficult. I think you’ve really judged the situation wrong. They could be paying a few lost cost for these or even if it’s £50 a month if they need the tech to keep up with modern life then it’s not a luxury

Surely if you are watching the pennies, even an extra £10 a month counts? It's not just expensive phones; it's the tablets in additions to phones and laptops, it's the nail appointments, smoking, etc. Surely when you add it all up, it amounts to quite a bit. Either that or I guess people aren't really that hard up, which I doubt because even here on MN you are constantly reading about how posters don't know where they'll get the money to pay their bills this winter. Surely if you were really desperate, every extra pound would help, wouldn't it?

No smoking, No nails, IPad is listed in the requirements for Ds school, Laptop belongs to work - what i'm really trying to say here is ODFOD - I have an Iphone 12Pro, refurbished and bought outright a year ago for £700. Sim only contract on it is £12 a month.

Do I still hate that my gas/elec bill is about to double and my fuel bill is through the roof - yes i bloody do. Am I worried about how we will cover the cost of nursery/mortgage and groceries on top of it all over the coming 12 months, yes I am. Will selling my phone now and buying one for £25 help with that for longer than a few weeks? No it won't.

I'm allowed to be bloody pissed off that 2 full time working adults are tightening no longer comfortable when on paper we bloody should be.

A few months ago, I upgraded my old iPhone 7 bought in November 2016 for a new iPhone 13 mini. Unless they're side by side or I'm inspecting the cameras, I can't tell the difference in style.

I upgraded because the battery didn't last the day and it was so old it wouldn't be supported for long enough to justify a replacement battery. I'm still moaning about other bills.

Also if your in a 3 year contract or whatever for a phone you can’t just walk away from it even when things get tough.

Pigeons

Oh god is this going to become the new flat screen TVs!

It's highly likely that the phones were bought before the cost of living went through the roof and at the time a £20 a month contract probably wasn't a big deal.

Nah people have been whingeing about homeless people and the poors in general having the temerity to own smartphones for a few years now.

Bet they had tattoos as well. 😱

I own a smart phone, I need one as a foster carer on the emergency list I need to be contactable 24/7. It isn't on a contract and I pay £6 a month for data. I drive a nice, 2 year old big car because DH bought it for me before he died because he wanted to know, that when he was gone, I would have car that would see me right for a few years. It isn't on credit, I own it outright. Am I scared about how I am going to get through the coming winter? Yes. Do I talk about it to friends? hell, yes. Would you know how I got my phone and my car of you overheard me in the queue in the petrol station? No.

Yeah they really need to sell those before they're allowed to complain about cost of living increases.

You can get refurbished iphones. my SIL got hers for 300 euros.. my own phone was £139 (bought outright) but there are plenty of andriod phones on the market for £250-300 and I would consider that reasonable. Looking at google pixel 6a for £400...

Really excellent post, ClumpingBamboo.

OP, stop being so goady and maybe think a little bit about the actual economics without applying your own personal (privileged) overlay.

I work in the electronics sector, it's a global business but looking at the UK specifically, the harder recession hits, the higher the volume of fridges, TVs and small appliances being sold. You'd reasonably think that people struggling would rein in spending but in many cases you'd be wrong. Those appliances (just as an example) are the 'feel good' expenditure, the joyful purchases. Many people can't buy 'big', can't buy a new house or even get onto the property ladder in so many cases - but they can purchase - or finance something that will make them feel better.

Would I do it? No, but I'm not there. If I were, I conceivably might. I mean, why would I continue to scrimp and save and carry on bumping along with nothing? I wouldn't.

As for these phones; I wouldn't know recognise a new one from an old one but posters have told you about reneging on contracts, affecting credit score and so on. Why are you failing to grasp that very simple point?

These threads are truly awful. If you truly were on a garage forecourt rubbernecking at phones and eavesdropping on conversations then that's sad. But then, anybody can say anything, can't they, when a little, tiny, judgemental notion crosses their little, tiny, mind...

I wouldn't call a smartphone a luxury, i'd call it a necessity.

I volunteer with refugees, straight off the boat, and they get given iphones (second hand ones that people have donated) - it's their contact to the outside world, family, friends and society, and everything has to be done and applied for using phones anyway.

Some people also think owning and running a car is not an essential how many phones, gadgets, cars does your family have OP.

I agree with the point you’re trying to make, but as someone upthread said, phones are mostly on contract and are not easy to get out of. I don’t have patience though for those moaning about increases in fuel etc and how they cant afford when they have stuff such as Sky, expensive big cars on lease, going on holiday etc. the main concern should be paying your mortgage/rent and utilities/priority bills and food, then the luxuries if you’ve got spare money left. That’s just the way it is at the moment. Just got to get on with it and hope things will improve.

Most people have phones on 3 or 4 year contracts so can't just downgrade.

So what you're saying is OP, until we are all walking around in rags and living on runny grovel we should just accept the price hikes. Toys gotta tory afterall.

You're not the poster complaining people on UC might spend it on the wrong stuff, are you?
Geez, leave people alone. They don't need your approval to moan about rising costs nor to own iPhones.

*Torys

If you only have a set amount coming in you can divvy up that cash as each person pleases.

We are currently on one low wage. I will not be letting my smart metre go over £5 per day in winter. We can eat wash cook have lights on for under a fiver I'm sure. No heating? So be it.

But we have two cars. Dh has I old iPhone second hand from cex. I have a basic Galaxy as do our sons. Bought the car when I was working. So we might appear to have luxury. It was bought when I had a corporate job.

My mate is what I'd call proper broke. Lives on UC. Kids have designer trainers and iPhones/ iPads. I dont judge. Why? Mum gets credit to purchase these few luxury items at Christmas/ birthdays and the rest of the year they live on the bread line day to day hand to mouth. If she can do that from her pot of cash why would I judge? I dont envy her luxury goods that i personally cant offord as i dont want to spend my disposable income that way. She does and that our choices.

I think it's easy to surface judge but everyone is paying for these things in the end somehow

I have Netflix and an older iPhone XR
Don't drink, smoke, go out. Have my nails done, have sky, have an expensive car, or socialise really
So no I'm not giving up Netflix or my sim only phone

And again - I'm not talking about phones in general - I'm talking about expensive phones and luxuries in general. But if some posters try to speed read when they can't and miss my point, that's on them.