To be a bit cross with Mumsnet?

[6079SmithW]

On 25/07 Mumsnet published an article on the "cost of Christmas crisis", with the title line "We are expecting to be poor, cold and miserable".

https://www.mumsnet.com/news/we-are-expecting-to-be-poor-cold-and-miserable-mumsnet-research-shows-cost-of-christmas-crisis-approaching-as-families-share-financial-fears/?utmsource=sendinblue&utmmcampaign=Mumsnet%20Daily%20250722%20Monday&utmmedium=email[[https://www.mumsnet.com/news/we-are-expecting-to-be-poor-cold-and-miserable-mumsnet-research-shows-cost-of-christmas-crisis-approaching-as-families-share-financial-fears/?utm_source=sendinblue&utm_campaign=Mumsnet%20Daily%20250722%20Monday&utm_medium=email
]]
[Accepting that it's a self selecting sample and not scientifically valid] Mumsnet's main message was everyone's struggling, it's outrageous. The final quote being:
"The next Prime Minister must take office with a plan to immediately ease financial pressures on families - or this winter could be catastrophic.”

Less than a week later in 'Mumsnet Swears By' they are extolling the virtues of a £70 swimming costume, £65 sandals, £20 pillow mist and advising that "now is the time to pounce if you're already thinking about Christmas presents" and spend £39 on what is (I'm sure very nice but) essentially a big t shirt.

https://r.mailer.mumsnet.com/mk/mr/rW3ZIt4MmnMCfJxFCq0VT7poa1PgncXUa6DmElTVMr-vbEJF0kZVgwgCyyJvA9WcvhePcvVGu2oXtD4rCpVRKMw23lEnAeJ6Vf8GpzXs9T2XYxE4ycQK8S1FiXURMPPt_xEg

So do Mumsnet understand the concerns of their respondents or not? And if they do, don't they feel some kind of moral obligation to 'Swear By' some more accessible items each week?

IMO here's where they could do some real good for everyday mums, by helping them budget for, plan for and source an affordable Christmas where no one has to decide between heat, dinner or presents.

The “swears by” stuff is paid advertising, isn’t it? (Actually I don’t know- just assumed it was.)

I’d like to see Mumsnet promoting ways to save money and featuring products across a range of prices. Also ways to spend and consume less generally (especially re Christmas). But I don’t see how they can do that without also taking paid ads.

Presumably they recognise they have a whole range and variety of users.

The article says that 68% of the people are more worried about the cost of Christmas than usual.

So 32% are not. That's nearly a third of Mumsnet users who might well be on the market for a new swimming costume, or whatever.

Totally reasonable that they should still be thinking about it! If those who can still splash out stop, we're even more screwed.

Not every mumsnet user is poor or going to be. Life goes on for everyone else

Mumsnet is quite a big forum so they cater for a wide range of people.

If they only targeted one demographic, they would be excluding a lot of parents.

My understanding is that the 'swears by' products are chosen based on Mumsnetters' recommendations, so there must be people here who can afford this stuff.

Start a thread about 'high earners' and you'll get plenty of responses from people with £100k + coming into the house and someone will be along soon to tell me that £100k is not a high income .

Maybe contact MNHQ with your ideas for 'budget' swears by features as I'm sure many of us would like to see them too.

It's almost as if the articles on mumsnet aren't all written by the same person. 🤔

I understand that different people write different articles, and that Mumsnetter's span a wide range of incomes/circumstances.

There's a definite bias on Mumsnet Swears By and even Mumsnet Money Savers for the higher end brands. I imagine a kind of save/spend/splurge approach like they have in some magazines would be most representative and genuinely helpful for us all?

I suppose it just irritated me. It's utterly disgusting that we're in Britain in 2022 and there are some people who are afraid about being able to pay to heat their home, or having to use food banks to eat. To have published the article detailing those fears and then advertised so blatantly just didn't sit right with me.

If we are fortunate enough not to have to worry about this Christmas, I think the least we can do is not rub it in the faces of those who are genuinely struggling.