Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Really fucked off with Euro exchange rate

478 replies

GrumpyOldBag · 27/08/2017 15:39

We have been going on holiday self-catering to the same place in Europe for over 10 years.

This year everything feels prohibitively expensive - to the point where it is really inhibiting what we can choose to do.

We are here for 2 weeks and it's really hard as family of 4 (with 2 teenagers) to spend less than £100/euros a day on activities/eating out.

Not in a beach resort type place, so taking a picnic to the beach for the day isn't an option - nearly everything there is to do here costs money. 3 euros for a coffee, 3 for an ice-cream - it all quickly adds up. Even the 'cheap' food in the supermarket is expensive. Practically at parity with £.

Bloody Brexit!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
MargaretTwatyer · 27/08/2017 18:29

'Wages depressed by Eastern European labour' Wtf you on about? As an English teacher I find this a non issue

Oh for goodness sake. Are you really that dim? If there is one job that will never, ever be affected by foreign labour it's an English teacher. In fact it is probably one of the most likely jobs to be inflated by it. Put it this way, no matter how many Europeans come here few of them are likely to apply for your niche job.

But I'm some of the largest industries in the UK (care, construction) wages have been suppressed while living costs have risen because of a rising population.

It's not just me saying it, it's Corbyn: www.google.co.uk/amp/www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2017/07/jeremy-corbyn-wholesale-eu-immigration-has-destroyed-conditions-british%3famp

Thisismadness · 27/08/2017 18:34

Some nonsense about wealth and class here. Like everything, sadly the poor and just getting by are more affected by this than the better off. The really wealthy are generally unaffected day to day by fluctuating prices. The brexit lobby told the not so well off that the uk would be better off outside the EU. No evidence for that then or now.

ForalltheSaints · 27/08/2017 18:37

It is easy to identify whether you are in a Brexit supporting area- if you are you should have to pay for those of us who voted to Remain.

It is sad that 52% of the population were fooled by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.

orlantina · 27/08/2017 18:39

It would be interesting to see how long a worker in each country doing a similar job would have to work to buy say milk, bread or even a Big Mac Grin

That makes it much easier to discuss prices.

Things may look more expensive to us in Euros as the of the pound has fallen - but are they expensive to someone similar in France or Spain?

Justanotherlurker · 27/08/2017 18:39

This is one of the most gobsmackingly unaware posts that I've read in a long, long time. I don't even know where to fucking start.

I am glad someone else picked up on that comment as well, I'm a firm remainer but that is an astounding unaware post.

crazycatguy · 27/08/2017 18:40

I think it's important to note that working class people holiday overseas also.

It's not all rock and kiss-me-quick hats at Margate anymore, Toto.

WhollyFather · 27/08/2017 18:40

The blinkered self interest of remainers is breathtaking. Holidays more expensive, aww. The fall (GBP is still higher than it was end 08/early 09) is justified and is good for the UK and our balance of payments.

Feel free to moan about the correction in the exchange rate all you want. Just don't expect many of us to care.

Justanotherlurker · 27/08/2017 18:46

It is sad that 52% of the population were fooled by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.

Again, its ignorant to say people where fooled, didn't know what they where voting for or only read the DM etc.

Some people took to populism, the same populism that fed into the last election with Corbyn the staunch anti-EU and May.

Some where very valid arguments for a reason to leave.

I voted remain, but there were some very strong arguments to leave if you looked beyond the headlines

orlantina · 27/08/2017 18:46

I am definitely worried about wages, industry and housing

But i am also able to sympathise with those who want to bitch about prices going up

Multi tasking
Grin

There does seem to be a school of thought that people can only hold 1 opinion on a subject rather than have several opinions.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 27/08/2017 18:47

The brexit lobby told the not so well off that the uk would be better off outside the EU. No evidence for that then or now.

It's only a year, things were always going to be difficult in the short term if we took this path.

Arguably though poverty is relative, so if Felix can't afford to do Erasmus in one way the gap between the middle and the poorest has narrowed. Not really the UK better off, but some may feel less aggrieved.

I must admit I am just Confused over the whole thing. The EU is clearly going to change massively in the next 20 years and there will have to be a 2-tier between Eurozone and non-Eurozone. But instead we decide to cause this massive hoo haa that increasingly looks like it won't change much anyway when we could have just let the situation evolve and take our opportunities as and when. If the poor want change what has gone so wrong in our political system that many of them are voting Tory while the more educated vote labour? The whole thing is mystifying to me.

orlantina · 27/08/2017 18:48

Anyway, we're still off to France next year - going camping.

Because I love France.

PoppyPopcorn · 27/08/2017 18:49

Food in Britain is extremely cheap compared to other European countries

And when compared to the US. We were in Florida recently and were shocked at how much more the basics were than in the UK. A jug of milk I pay £1 for in Asda was $2.97. Fruit was more expensive, so was bread, ham, cheese, all the basics.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 27/08/2017 18:49

I voted remain, but there were some very strong arguments to leave if you looked beyond the headlines

I tend to agree, we were lacking any kind of plan though. The EU has massive issues, which people on here very often like to completely overlook.

orlantina · 27/08/2017 18:50

Oh - and that just means I'll have to cut back on day to day spending in the UK on UK businesses and services.

Funny thing, the economy.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 27/08/2017 18:51

I think it's important to note that working class people holiday overseas also

Just thought i would repeat it

But there is no point

We are already on the stereotypical remainer/remoaner bullshit

I seem to have missed the leaver bits but i am sure they are there

I am not a remainer or a leaver...

MargaretTwatyer · 27/08/2017 18:51

If you are being undermined by people who have English as a second language and have no contacts etc then maybe you need to look at yourself

People like you are the reasons revolution happen.

Most of them have more contacts than UK workers. There are hardly any construction workers in London because Romanian workers dominate the whole industry and work overtime for low pay without it going through the books undermining resident UK workers (I say that deliberately as many are non-British or white but they are long term UK residents who are not transient).

My husband's colleague was threatened with job loss this week because he would lift 12 tons over a busy road which is totally illegal. When he refused the response was 'you'd better or there'll be a Romanian in your job Monday and he will'. Exactly the sort of deterioration of conditions Corbyn talks about.

But, hey. At least you can get cheap moules frites!

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 27/08/2017 18:55

increasinglymiddleaged

I agree

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 27/08/2017 18:57

Sorry, with your post of 18:47

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 27/08/2017 18:57

What the fuck is a moules frites??

orlantina · 27/08/2017 18:58

What the fuck is a moules frites

It's the reason I go to France. Grin

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 27/08/2017 18:58

Nobody panic

I googled

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 27/08/2017 18:59

I go to france for eurodisney

Fact

orlantina · 27/08/2017 19:01

Our city is a UK tourist city. It's been interesting to note that there's been a noticeable increase in vacancies in the service sector - waiting staff especially and that may have been caused by Brexit - people feeling unwelcome and uncertain about the UK.

I did wonder if they should pay more so that makes the jobs more attractive to people...

MargaretTwatyer · 27/08/2017 19:09

I think it's important to note that working class people holiday overseas also

In my experience 'working class' people who holiday overseas are either high earners who are not considered working class because they're manual labour and probably have short hair and tattoos and like (like crane drivers or site managers) or we're lucky enough to buy a house before 2000.

Perhaps I should have used the word 'low waged' (although many are mid waged people not lucky enough to have cheap housing.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 27/08/2017 19:09

people feeling unwelcome and uncertain about the UK.

I don't think it's got anything to do with that, the exchange rate has bombed against the Euro meaning it is less financially viable to work in the UK now. That is a matter of certainty.

My husband's colleague was threatened with job loss this week because he would lift 12 tons over a busy road which is totally illegal. When he refused the response was 'you'd better or there'll be a Romanian in your job Monday and he will'. Exactly the sort of deterioration of conditions Corbyn talks about.

Just awful. I can't help thinking that enforcing our existing laws would be a better way of dealing with it than Brexit though.