£500 voucher to spend in restaurants

[Alex50]

Would you go out to dinner, pub shopping if the government paid you to do so?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/05/sunak-considers-500-vouchers-for-all-uk-adults-to-spend-in-covid-hit-firms

They're also for retail gotothecooler

I am in the vulnerable group, I will not be going out around people unless there is a vaccine.

@Littlemissdaredevil that makes sense actually

@gotothecooler but it's not just for eating out. The article says that is can be used in convenience stores and face to face retail.

Presumably you could use that in some way?

I do any shopping I need online. I was like this even before the virus, I HATE shopping

I’d go out once to spend the voucher, in full PPE. In and out as quickly as possible, at a quiet time to minimise queuing. It wouldn’t encourage me to go out again to spend my own money - it would be a one time risk I’d take to get my hands on the dosh. Pub or restaurant voucher is a different matter - no amount of money would convince me to sit in a public place for that amount of time.

If people were given a year to spend the voucher then there shouldn’t be overcrowding.

Are you never doing any shopping?😳

Yes of course I do. My mistake. I took the thread title at face value

@LEELULUMPKIN

@LaurieFairyCake

Thanks. I just went on thread title

It would be a lovely little morale boost at the moment. I'd spend mine on a few meals out and some new clothes.

The carrot & stick atmosphere does my head in. Maybe I'll get used to it. But no rush.

I decided last night we need a new telly. But that's only £300 or so. I guess we could do new telly + 2 meals out.

Never going to actually happen in a million years! Give every over-18 in the UK a £500 gift voucher?!

I did the rough maths. That's about 24 BILLION POUNDS.

But if he WANTS to give me £500 that I MUST spend... I could do with a new telly, and a new laptop, and £500 would make a decent dent in that.

I think it’s a great idea. I rarely spend my money face to face, recently I did as I was desperate to get out of the house and I remembered that I do actually quite like it.
If Everyone was given a voucher to only spend on the high street, I think it would remind people how nice it can be to actually go to the shops and we could potentially save a lot of shops. I admit I’m a ‘buy everything on amazon’ type and this would be a real kick to get me back supporting other places.

Yes of course I do. My mistake. I took the thread title at face value blush

No worries😁 This is exactly why I never trust any thread titles😂

@zingally The article actually estimates £30 Billion! Never gonna happen.

Probably not, the problem with giving money to businesses is that the equity owners get it all, and then don't need to pass it on to anyone, so it just makes someone a little bit richer (whether that someone is the owner of the business or the banks etc. who are owed money by the business)

Exactly, it's not a bad idea.

Hell yes. But me and DP are nurses and have worked through pandemic so no fears about eating out etc. (Probs more likely to be exposed at work)

Temporary VAT cut would help economy enormously and across the board.'

But cutting VAT doesn't mean people will spend whereas a voucher might.

if i got a gift voucher for free food hell yeah lol

Not sure it will happen though

If it happens, it would be free money. It would be (enforceD) borrowing from our future selves, to be paid back in tax. Along with everything else being spent by the government.

Yes! I would usually shop in primark as money is always something I watch, but I would use this money in places I dont usually shop ok the high street as they would be out of my budget. I dont go out to dinner much. I dont go to the pub much. For us, we would get 1250, which is a huge amount of money and I would be keen to spend it as it is intended; helping struggling businesses. It would 100% encourage me to get out and do some shopping.

@LEELULUMPKIN
Same here.
My dd's 18th and my 50th 3 weeks apart during lock down.
Memorable but not for the right reasons!

It’ll probably o to be for those on furlough and benefits. People like my husband and I who have continued to work full time throughout probably wouldn’t get anything. I think it’s a silly idea as it will all have to be paid back eventually anyway.