Can you easily absorb a 20% rise in your grocery bill?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I am worried about this, predicted to come early next year. I moved abroad last year but have people I love in the UK, some are budgeting very tightly already, and there's nothing I can suggest when they are worried.

I find it really troubling. Surely this is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back for quite a few people who are coping with limited money? It could mean the difference between being able to get by and being stuck?

Would a 20% increase in food prices be difficult for you, or just a pain in the arse?

Is there any way a price hike can be avoided?

Our food bill is already ridiculous (>£200 a week for two adults and a 2 year old) so 20% more would be unaffordable.

It isn't something that worries me because I think you can always cut down your food budget if you need to. How much is a sack of spuds? If paremsan and French wine is too expensive, I just won't buy it. We could easily sustain ourselves without eating any European food, if need be.

@pointythings

I think the key takeaway is that a lot of people will not be able to absorb a 20% rise in food costs. Instead of thinking 'I'm all right, Jack', perhaps we should all be concerned about that.

That wasn't what the OP asked. I doubt anyone thinks "I'm alright Jack". Sorry you didn't get the replies you wanted.

And there's literally nothing anyone can do about it, so sorry if I refuse to wear a hair shirt because I could just about cope with a 20% rise in prices.

There’s nothing any of us can do about it tho is there
52% of people voted for this. Ok we were lied to. And yes our government are utterly utterly incompetent
But people voted them back in ....
So it’s tough luck. And as pointed out above it’s the poorest and least able to cope who will suffer the most

Saddest thing is that it was all avoidable

The first thing to cut back on is alcohol, then ready made meals, then processed stuff (snack foods, biscuits, bars, crisps, crackers, etc.) I would definitely prioritise fresh meat over crisps and biscuits.

We cut way back on high carb snacks for health reasons and it was surprising what a savings it was.

@EmpressoftheMundane

The first thing to cut back on is alcohol, then ready made meals, then processed stuff (snack foods, biscuits, bars, crisps, crackers, etc.) I would definitely prioritise fresh meat over crisps and biscuits.

We cut way back on high carb snacks for health reasons and it was surprising what a savings it was.

I don’t buy alcohol, ready meals, any snack foods, biscuits, crackers, crisps etc, or meat. There isn’t anything to cut back on.

We could absorb it by changing a few things we buy I suppose. Not that we are extravagant now! Already living cheap even pre-COVID - no holidays, eating out, social life etc, EBay for clothing. Both freelance with low & fluctuating incomes. Did not vote Leave.

Yes, we could absorb it but I'm.bloody furious that we will have to.

Lots of people won't be able to afford it though. People who already are living on the bread line. Its appalling.

£200 a week for food for 2 people and a 2 yr old😮. Does that include the gold leaf?

And who can really truly only spend £40 a week on groceries for a family of 4?

I'd love to see their receipt
You'd then find out that people aren't including their top up shops or toiletries, washing powder & cleaning stuff from Wilkos.

£200 per week for 2 adults and a toddler is loads of money !
I spend not much more than that per month for Me and 2 teens (who eat adult amounts of food!) And we eat well. We had salmon yesterday.

I do think there's been a bit of a pile on to @Janevaljane here. She answered the original question by the OP.
The thread has become 'will many people be able to cope with 20% rise in food bills?' and the answer is obviously no.
But the posters who've quite reasonably answered the question 'could you cope with a 20% rise really don't deserve to be flamed do they?

Janevaljane, you and others seem to be taking my comment as some form of attack. This thread has debated a lot of other points beyond the original question; that is where my comment came from.

I'm not surprised that the attitude of some people is 'oh well, nothing we can do about it'. That's probably true - no election for over 4 years, and by then an awful lot of damage will have been done. That doesn't mean we should just shrug our shoulders and go on with our lives. Those of us who can sustain the increase should think about contributing to food banks or find other ways of supporting those who can't. Even if that is playing into the hands of the current government. And then in 4+ years' time, perhaps we should think about what we want the UK to be - for the have nots as well as those who have.

And who can really truly only spend £40 a week on groceries for a family of 4? I had £20 a week for myself and an 8 year old six years ago. I'm not sure how much prices have gone up since then. It wasn't great but we got our 5 a day and just about managed. I currently spend £35 a week and we eat well.

I agree wholeheartedly with your 2nd paragraph @pointythings

And then in 4+ years' time, perhaps we should think about what we want the UK to be - for the have nots as well as those who have.
THIS

Those of us who can sustain the increase should think about contributing to food banks or find other ways of supporting those who can't. I donate to my local foodbank but I don't think I could if prices rise by 20%, we could only get by ourselves.

Janevaljane, you and others seem to be taking my comment as some form of attack

Funny, that. Silly me.

I donate to my local foodbank but I don't think I could if prices rise by 20%, we could only get by ourselves.

And this is the problem. On another thread that I am on, a poster pointed out that as a proportion of charitable income, the bulk of it comes from poor people. If this sector can no longer afford to help, the whole system just collapses. I can see real trouble and unrest happening at that point.

I couldn't easily absorb a 20% increase in my food bill, but eating 20% less food would be pretty good for me and lots of other people too. As a nation, we're obese. Although not everyone is obvs.
Our food is actually pretty cheap compared to 30 years ago, and it shows. An enforced reduction in intake to reduce outlay would to most of us the world of good.

Yes, it's fine. In fact most people in the UK need to eat a lot less, do intermittent fasting, only eat lunch and dinner and no snacks, only drink tap water. the biggest challenge for the NHS is people eating loads of junk foods and loads of healthy foods but to such an extent they are very over weight.

What a goady, thick-witted remark. What about the 1/3 of the adult UK population who are a healthy weight or underweight? And what about the fact that higher food prices are likely to push people towards cheaper, lower quality processed food which will not improve health? I seriously doubt that a big hike in food prices is going to improve things for anyone, including the NHS.

Agree lazylinguist

God xenia, you have no shame.

@Xenia

I see your head is even further up your own arse than usual today.

@FourTeaFallOut

God xenia, you have no shame.

Hear hear.