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?

Plus I worry as a relative is self employed and relies solely on Timber brought in from France.

We don't produce enough ''Grown as a crop'' good quality managed Broadleaf hardwood in UK.

@LittleLapwing

Pretty much everyone can just eat less. People eat loads. Yes it’s not ideal but half portions won’t kill you. It’s not the end of the world.

Pretty shit, though. And entirely avoidable.

During the hungry gap (January to late March) the vast bulk of the UK's fresh fruit and veg is imported from the EU

Look at your supermarket and take away all the imported food in Winter

• salad veg (lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, leaves, etc)
• fruit (citrus, grapes, peaches, plums, pears)
• ready meals
• fruit juice
• processed meats
• tinned fruit and veg
• pasta, rice, couscous

oh and do not forget medicines and beauty products

I’m likely to go vegan, once the market is flooded with unlabelled US imports. Whether or not it will be cheaper is open to debate, of course.

@Mxflamingnoravera

Brexit with no deal will mean 40% on EU products. Wine, salad, pasta etc. I hope you brexiteers are ready for that.

Quick question: who do you think is charging this 40%?

We spend about £150 a week but could easily cut this down

So I'm going to say yes, we could

I voted Remain, and I am also in the very fortunate position that a significant increase in the price of food as a result of no deal wouldn’t make much difference to me. In fact, it might just be worth it to hear all the OAPs who voted Leave whining & bleating about being unable to afford to eat. Oh dear, what a shame...

What I’m really looking forward to, however, is the Nissan car factory in Sunderland closing. They can’t claim the weren’t warned about the potential consequences of voting Leave...

For me it'd be a mix of cutting back on what I buy and how much, and going without stuff we have now, and covering any increase that's unavoidable from other areas like gas/electric by using less of both. Can't cut back on anything else really because it's all fixed stuff like rent and council tax.
Don't really have any luxuries like TV packages etc to cut back, furlough saw to that and I need my mobile for work (PAYG), and DD the WiFi for college.
We wouldn't starve but I've worked hard to get out of that position, bloody depressing to be back in it again through nothing I've done or even wanted.

I think we could. Shouldn't have to though.

elsewyre
Quick question: who do you think is charging this 40%?
Import VAT on any processed foods = 20%
Extra costs due to customs clearance
Extra costs due to delays crossing the channel
Extra costs due to extra costs hiring drivers licenced to go in and out of the EU

We have a six figure income and 20% on food is going to mean changes. (Property expensive where I am though.) So yeah, tiny violin, but yes we’ll notice a fifth added to groceries.

@LittleLapwing

I’d just eat less.

Could be worse. We could be on ration books.

Oh well as long as it could be worse, that’s okay.

We are not at war. The country literally chose this. FFS.

@Mxflamingnoravera

Brexit with no deal will mean 40% on EU products. Wine, salad, pasta etc. I hope you brexiteers are ready for that.

Plenty of Californian and South African wine on the market. I'd rather starve than eat a salad, whatever the price.

I would have to cut back on some things for sure.

We can afford it but I’m not happy about it!

We are lucky we could manage ok

What sort of fruit is seasonal in the UK in January to April?

You can keep apples and potatoes for months stored right. Blackberries (free) and most other soft fruits (strawberries, raspberries etc) freeze or can be preserved in jars. Tomatoes can be grown on a windowsill all year round.

Yes I understand that not everyone has a freezer or a window. But just in answer to the question, and just off the top of my head.

Veg no problem. Loads of winter veg in this country.

And yes it’ll be shit if everything’s 20% more expensive, I’m not denying that but there’s no point moaning on is there? If it happens it happens and well just have to deal with it. Moaning won’t do anything.

@ListeningQuietly

elsewyre Quick question: who do you think is charging this 40%? Import VAT on any processed foods = 20% Extra costs due to customs clearance Extra costs due to delays crossing the channel Extra costs due to extra costs hiring drivers licenced to go in and out of the EU

Who sets the vat rate?

In fact looking on the bright side, maybe this would reduce the appalling amount of food wastage. We’ll have no choice but to be more careful and less wasteful.

elsewyre
Who sets the vat rate?
Rishi Sunak.

"What sort of fruit is seasonal in the UK in January to April?"

What's in season January to April in the rest of Europe?

That's surely an egypt/Argentine importing season?

So fucking angry after reading about a greater Manchester and then I’ve come across this thread. I might need to put my phone away for the night

I did not vote leave, I’ve been prepping for Brexit since September 2019 but Covid has put extra strain on. I was feeding my family of three on £30 a week before Christmas and can’t do it for less than £50 a week now. That’s shopping in Lidl and Home Bargains for the most part. A 40% increase will not be manageable.

Elsewyre
What's in season January to April in the rest of Europe?
Have you never been to Crete or southern Spain or Italy ?
You really need to look at food labels a LOT more

And yes it’ll be shit if everything’s 20% more expensive, I’m not denying that but there’s no point moaning on is there? If it happens it happens and well just have to deal with it. Moaning won’t do anything.

Well Leave voters are just going to have to put up with me moaning on for years. Stupid fuckers.

Yes by cutting back in what we buy.