Things have changed so much , so quickly?!

[doodlywoodlydingdong]

I just had my grown up kids around for dinner, not unusual but it got me thinking how much things have changed in the last 3 years. We are a very typical family. I'm 45 , 4 kids aged 13-25. Between me and my DH we have an income of around £34k but very soon it's going to drop by £4k annually.

Three years ago I would go food shopping and buy pretty much whatever I wanted. If I fancied it, it went into the trolley. Full English breakfast every Saturday, big fat roast dinner with a nice joint every Sunday. Two v cheap foreign holidays a year. I enjoyed making our money stretch as far as it possibly could with holiday bargains etc. Christmas was always glorious with loads of food and some nice gifts. Lots of entertaining. fast forward 3 years.

Today I was stood in the kitchen picking the meat off 6 chicken thighs to feed seven adults and a baby. The roast dinner was totally packed out with veg and spuds. Barely any chicken compared to what I would have served 3-4 years ago. I can't stretch to a joint of pork anymore, a whole chicken is a rare treat. So thighs it is. My kids are eating more and more pasta /noodles based dishes with hot dogs as protein. I have to think twice about what is the most efficient method to cook whatever meal it is to save money on the electric. My dogs are now on the cheapest possible kibble I can find. I was actually relieved when my lovely old cat suddenly died (?!) as I wouldn't have to find the extra money for vets fees as she was knocking on a bit. Thats now £ 18 a month I'm saving on litter and food and I feel like a monster for even typing that.

I use the l local food waste project wherever I can, save every penny I can, but ultimately I'm going to have to give up my mobility car as the money would be much better in my pocket . The trade off is that I will then be house bound and that "freed up " money will be going straight to EON from October .

AIBU to have a feeling of almost grief over all of this? It's been very slow and gradual trickling of price increases etc but suddenly it's taken 6 chicken thighs to push me over the edge and be ridiculously angry and upset about how our money can purchase so much less these days?

I mean £34k for 6 people and pets is very low. According to the below website you need to have a household income of £56,000 to live at the minimum comfortability line with that many people in the household.

It's no wonder you're struggling a bit!

Sorry forgot to add the website: www.minimumincome.org.uk/results/

I know there’s a lot of people wanting to give the British a good kicking because of empire years ago. But the thing such people have never grasped is the scale of inequality here.

The first victims of the old empire years ago were our own working class, sent down the mines or into factories for pittances and forced to live in hovels.

The first victims now in this new empire is our own working class.

We already have the smallest homes in Europe. While we still have an aristocracy with a queen owning umpteen castles: and while we have the new aristocracy brought in over our heads by bloody useless corrupt politicians wanting to be Mr. Big as a pp said, from all over the bloody world. From Putin’s wealth and oligarchs in Russia to the Sunak family to all those with millions hidden in hedge funds and off shore tax havens.

The pain for the new demands of people around the globe is not being spread equally. Once again the burden is being disproportionately forced into a class of working poor people while a superrich class make themselves insanely wealthy beyond any rationality.

This should not be about kicking everyone in Britain, but about working people everywhere around the world kicking the super rich who take the piss out of all of us, everywhere, lying as they do it.

Well if they get "lucky" enough to become disabled enough to require full PIP maybe they would then get social housing and pip and enjoy this fabulous lifestyle.

I cannot believe the bitterness and resentment on this thread. Well I can really its what keeps the tories in power.

Yeah it's not about Empire. Not everything is:) That's in the past. It is not even about 'kicking' people in Britain. I will take back the smaller houses point.

Anyway I have belaboured my point. If people don't agree, that's fine. Inequality won't be fixed by winter.

I’ve never voted Tory in my life. I’m not bitter, I have huge household income. The people who I really feel sorry for are the working poor. Those in the middle who are often told they are rich. Op is clearing at least the salary equivalent of 45k and paying a pittance in rent. Does that mean she’s lucky? No but she’s a damn sight better off than the family pulling in 45k without subsidised rent, top ups and all the extra support who will be lucky to keep their house this winter. Cutting down from 2 foreign holidays a year is unthinkable as they can’t afford them in the first place. If they dare moan on mn they they should thank their lucky stars, put up and shut up and keep paying the income tax to support the 45% who are negative contributors.

RosaGallica I agree with this .WC people in the UK have always had a hard life ,yet somehow seem to being erased somehow.I mean everywhere there are MC people mentioned, who when British all seem to be on good salaries ,uni education. Realistically many children leave School with poor reading skills, lack of qualifications and so on .On here the other day, someone mentioned 40% of children in UK are now in "poverty" even though both parents work! Today it says about 50k per year for the Cambridge Childrens education. Such a huge gap between Rich and Poor.

WC people in the UK have always had a hard life ,yet somehow seem to being erased somehow

But that's just nonsense, isn't it? Most WC people own their own homes, have plenty of food, have foreign holidays and cars and gadgets and savings accounts. Compared to most of the world they are rich.

It's quite obscene to insist they are and have always been living in some kind of illiterate slum like poverty.

Call me old fashioned, but personally I will take not being in an unfortunate enough position to be able claim high end PIP and a mobility car and a large adapted council house

Yes I appreciate it's frustrating when you have similar income and have to work hard to get it but would you want to swap places?

The people we should have a go at are those who are perfectly able bodied and are lucky enough to have social housing but simply choose not to work because they are quite happy just to 'get by' or those telling lies and claiming as if on their own, when they are not , or those who claim but have lots of little cash in hand sidelines.

Taking out frustrations on the genuinely disabled is somewhat low!!

FGS Kindness and empathy wouldn't go amiss
The OP is letting off steam and there you are picking holes in her fucking lifestyle and squabbling over reasons about why she gets enhanced rates of PIP!!!( as do I)
I doubt op will be back. I wouldn't blame her if posting today is leading her into despair Shame on most of you

Call me old fashioned, but personally I will take not being in an unfortunate enough position to be able claim high end PIP and a mobility car and a large adapted council house

Joining you in the old fashioned corner. This thread doesn’t auger well for the next few months, does it?

It’s not 6 people as OP says two adult dc have already left home. Another DC is leaving for Uni soon, so she will lose £4000. That will still leave her with £30,000 for two adults and one teenager. As her rent is only £97 per week, that seems like plenty of money!

OP is also l" losing" £66" which pays for her car and everything but fuel" Her independence is part of her PIP... why should her world have to shrink so much?
The cost of living increases will effect everyone It's all relative
OP's life is already a daily struggle but the point she is making, is her life is already restricted severely
The fact that she has 4 children is irrelevant J have 3( older) I've been disabled since birth, worked when able I live simply and frugally anyway but my income( half is benefits) can only stretch so far
I'm not entitled to the £625 cost of living

SheeWeee Many WC people are renting and at the mercy of their landlords! This very week on this site ,there was a thread about 40% of children now being in poverty.I had a WC upbringing and certainly dont mean to cause offence to anyone on here . This whole thread has been about how prices have risen, and a good standard of living is becoming harder to achieve for many people on a modest income.My point is that WC people are not well represented in the Media ,its always 2.4 DC Mum/Dad professional jobs.I also think its misleading when we are compared to the "rest of the world".We are in the UK and its not a race to the bottom or it shouldnt be .My Dad and Grandad were in the war and felt they were fighting for a better future for their children and Grandchildren.None of the Govt have a clue about food prices ,and have enough money to pay a second persons energy bill without turning a hair!

It’s not that much of a fucking luxury if you’re doing it in Aldi
It's attitude like this that make the squeezed middle slowly lose sympathy.

I'm now in a comfortable financial position but experienced years of having to count pennies, that despite working FT in a stressful role. I certainly couldn't afford to spend anything over the absolute needed.

I now can go to Lidl and my God do I consider it a luxury that I can browse in their non food items aisle. I can afford to do so easily but it still feels a privilege and one makes me very fortunate.

If those on very low income consider it a due, than yes, there is a problem with people's expectations.

I wish I was rich enough to be as bitter as some of the people on Mumsnet.

If you're madder about disabled people taking their kids to Eurocamp than you are about them having to give up their car to pay the energy bills, you're part of the problem.

You’re making huge assumptions about my personal finances, based on what? I’m very sorry free reign in Lidl makes you feel very fortunate but it’s hardly aspirational for most people. Anyway, thank you for proving my point so effectively.

The Tories divide and rule tactic has worked quite well hasn't it? When people are turning on the likes of the OP for daring to take their family on holidays, rather than on them for the damage they've caused, they must be really quite pleased with themselves.

I agree with you, @Whyareyouasking- nobody begrudges the disabled/infirm enough to live a basic, decent standard of life but why the heck should the working poor earn less?

I’m surprised at the amount of people on here who defend people on benefits and I’m sure they do it because they’re either a.) on benefits themselves and feel entitled/ashamed to receive them or, b.) very wealthy so don’t need/understand them.

Why should people on any form of benefits be better off than anyone working? Can anyone genuinely answer this?

If you're madder about disabled people taking their kids to Eurocamp than you are about them having to give up their car to pay the energy bills, you're part of the problem
No-one begrudges OP getting benefits for her disability. The reason things are now going to be tighter is a bit like everyone else, the impact of inflation, but more significantly, the gradual loss of children related benefits. This was always going to be the case.

Families very much reliant on tax credits all faced the sudden adjustments when the kids leave home, disabled or not.

Oh please! Do you hear yourself? It's not either/or. We can hate what the Tories have done and still point out that OP isn't doing all that badly and should probably read the room a bit better!

I’m very sorry free reign in Lidl makes you feel very fortunate but it’s hardly aspirational for most people
No because we've been spoilt in the last 2 decades. Now things are changing and people are going to have to readjust their thinking as to what constitute a luxury as opposed to necessity.

I, for example, am happy that OP has a large, subsidised, adapted house at an extremely reasonable rent. I'm happy that she has a motability car and benefits. I think that's great.
I don't however, think that when so many people are struggling, that she should also be complaining that she can't now afford TWO Foreign holidays a year and beef every sunday!!

Its called a reasonable opinion

Why should people on any form of benefits be better off than anyone working? Can anyone genuinely answer this?

christ. How many times? The majority of people on ‘any form of benefit’ are working.

I’m a full time teacher. I exam mark and tutor on the side. I claim DLA for one of my children. We are also entitled to Tax Credits. You think I should be worse off than others because I claim tax credits?

Surely this would be based on an average rent/mortgage payment though - the OP's £97 per week is a very low rent for a 5 bed house, so I don't think the calculations on that website are applicable.