A thread for moaning about the cost of everything

[FlyingSoap]

Just 4 years ago I could get my hair done and nails done for £70 all in all.

It’s now £135 for both of these. Double.
(I understand cost of living drives up the prices for people who are self employed, and I’m not blaming them individually for it)

Bills are up so much this month. The price of everything is just horrendous and I don’t know how some people manage!

Around that sort of area we used to stay at the one on the M1/A38 junction but we realised last year we could get the Holiday Inn next door for the same price - much nicer and with a swimming pool . TBF I was always a big fan of PI and I think some are excellent value (considering the price of many other hotels) but we've stayed in a couple they have been quite tatty and service at breakfast has been dreadful .

@Q2C4 £11 for an M&S dress in a charity shop? 😳 no wonder people buy from places like Temu.

Was that for an organic chicken?

That was exactly my reaction.

Large corn fed free range.

Went to book Legoland for our Family of 4 this coming Weekend... £140!!

😲

My biggest thing is that most yoghurts are now unaffordable. They’re a luxury item if you have kids. Same with a lot of cereals. And bars of chocolate? And little bottles of anything? Insane prices! Couldn’t find son’s flask the other day so stopped in at a petrol station and the prices of the small waters made me want to start crying!!!

I've stopped having balyage and I've just gone grey. It costs £150 a time and I don't live in Mayfair I live in Somerset.
Lashes cost £60, nails cost £50. So I've just let myself go.
To hell with it.
I used to have a really good life on my management salary and now I have to scrimp and save every single month. I can't see myself having a holiday any time soon.

Oh god sorry and shampoo! The ‘deals’ on any of them (including head and shoulders and herbal essences which were always affordable) are eye watering!!!

Pringles £2.25 most places, sometimes more!
I remember when they were £1.

Freddos are never a quid!😮

I remember when they were 10p too

Mullet corner😂

It used to be a quid for 3 of these! Always on offer.

@DoYouSmokePaul a G&T for less than £7?! Where do I find this rare unicorn?

Last time I bough a G&T it was almost a tenner!

It’s the cost of curly fries that really upset me. They used to be less than £1 on Lidl just under 2 years ago. Now they’re £2.20. It’s not on.

Eating out. Since lockdown you can’t get a pub meal for less than £16 for a basic burger or chicken pie in a no fancy pub. If you want a nice fish dish then it’s £21+. Portions are smaller too. Would rather stay home and cook something better but it’s a shame.

I’m going to London for my friends 30th next week and even travelodge etc is way over £200 per night. I managed to find a decent hotel for £150 but most were upwards of £250

Also not sure if anyone’s mentioned it but so many places that do counter service are asking for a tip?! It’s not the staff faults but their companies are taking the piss by putting the option to tip at the till. I flatly opt for no but some may feel pressurised to tip.

My BT broadband! It’s £70 a month - I’m sure it was much less when I signed up nearly 2 years ago. I’m going to call them next week and look into switching if they don’t reduce the price as my contract must be coming to an end. In 2021 I had high speed broadband from a company called hyper optic for about £35 a month. Unfortunately when I moved to a new area that company wasn’t available hence i went with BT.

Which? are running a campaign to stop companies like BT from doing price hikes mid-contract, it’s outrageous that it’s even allowed.

This thread is so depressing but also strangely comforting. I don't even know what to post as everyone's got there before me but my God are we feeling the CoL crisis. We are still super fortunate and have a decent standard of living don't get me wrong, but it's so demoralising working when most of it just seems to disappear into fat cat pockets (cough Tesco cough). (Although we don't usually shop at Tesco much! Too expensive!)

The biggest rises that have affected us recently have been:

• Ongoing gas and leccy. I know prices are actually falling slightly now aren't they, but still so much more than they used to be.
• Food.
• Toiletries.
• Council tax.
• Car insurance. No claims but it's gone up the past two years.
• Home insurance - likewise!
• Clothes and shoes for the kids, I've really seen how much even supermarket stuff has shot up in price for them over the last year.
• Nursery fees - the biggest killer of all. Bigger than our mortgage each month even though we only have one 2yo who goes part-time!

It was in a nice hotel in Edinburgh! I’m glad I don’t drink much, a tenner would have me reaching for the smelling salts 😱

I hear you all. It is so depressing. I have to think twice for every single purchase now. I have been watching Fat Friends on Netflix, did not see it the first time round and it made me a little sad to see what you could do with a 'normal average' income in the 00s compared to now!

Apart from that it is a great show.

I remember when crisps were 2and a halfp a packet.

Since COVID companies have got used to bumper profits and don't want to give that up.

@RainbowZebraWarrior pre Covid might be £40 one week but then £15 the next etc. Shopping mostly at budget supermarkets/Home bargains/bulk buy for dry rice/pasta/pulses, 4 x cans of tomatoes/pulses for £1 offers, doing a big slow cooker pot, limited meat. Was doable and circumstances dictated (also no DCat at that time, price of anything pet related now?!).
But also why I eyeroll at recent threads on here saying “just batch cook” etc when someone is on the bones of their arse with DC to feed. That is challenging on a low budget now. The own brand 70p can of soup used to be half that - basic staples have shot up, food isn’t exactly an optional purchase.

Clothing I’ve really noticed as well, H&M type shops where the quality has taken a nose dive but prices seem to have doubled. Vinted all the way.

Yes! It's really jarring to see the difference.

Surely a lot of more recent rises is down to the increase in national minimum wage?
I think that is now £11.44. What I have decided in view of this is that I will only tip if the service is exemplary. I will also ask for service charge to be removed from a bill if the service has been poor.