What cost of living crisis?

[pagopago]

Beauty salons mega busy and some with waiting lists of a month or two.

People piling trollies high in supermarkets, carrying bags of shopping in shopping centres

Airports and flights busier than ever.

Tradesmen e.g. plumbers, painters/decorators, carpet fitters booked well into next year.

Is this people burying their heads in the sand? Or making the most of things while they can still afford to?

Right now it doesn't really feel like there is a shitstorm approaching.

@BoredOfGrey22 I think it is about behaving ethically. I have seen people in expensive looking clothes literally elbow obviously poor people out of the way in the supermarket when food price reductions are being done. I would not push in front of people who obviously need cheap things more than me.

When are we going to stop insisting on school uniform. 1 in 8 families have to cut back on food to buy it and on average it costs £300 - we need to just stop with this madness!

Uniform per se is fine. It is possible to kit a kid out for £40 or so for the year. It’s the branded stuff that’s crazy. Especially PE kits that are worn once a week!

I don't understand how people can be so blind as to what is coming in the next few months.

Yes people have had holiday's, eat out now, but going forward will people be able to afford to or even will these places still be open once their energy costs go up 300%.

Perhaps read this and maybe you will get an inkling that people will lose their income as they lose their jobs through no fought of their own

The extra shoes too - no kid wants to wear school shoes at home - and if they are poor they’ll have to.

Is it not better that those of us who aren't so exposed to energy rises and/or can afford them continue to spend?

I can’t even deal with the sheer ignorance of comments like this! What a lovely life you must lead making assumptions without any critical thought whatsoever! 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

This 👏🏼….absolutely moronic to say I see ppl spending money therefore the reality is everyone’s making the same as they were before. We know for a fact the cost of living has gone up, some ppl will feel it more than others. If 30% more ppl are living in poverty than before then that’s a massive problem! Those other ppl who can afford things-that’s who you are seeing spending cash. Or maybe you’re seeing a mother doing one big shop of cheap goods that has to last her abs her 3 kids a whole month! What a weird view on the country today this comment is.

People with some spending power despite the price rises could make a big difference if mindful of where they put their money. I want my local milk man and veg grower to stay in business, so although they are a bit more expensive, I will carry on using them for as long as I can afford them…if enough of us stick with them, it will keep multiple local families in work.

I really don't think you can work out everything about a person's finances by a 5 second look at what they wear to tescos! What are "obviously expensive" clothes anyway? Some people might be dressed well because they are in the shop on their way home from work, that could be their only "smart" outfit, they could have bought it years ago, could have bought it second hand, could have had it paid for by job centre as they often give money for interview clothes, etc.

Similarly I've been to tescos before wearing cheap and worn leggings and hoodie - I might look "obviously poor" but I'm not!

I popped in to our local farm shop today. The cafe part was heaving and nearly all the organic fruit n veg for sale had run out. The staff said they were waiting on a delivery. No sign of a cost of living crisis there which is good news. As it only opened this year.

Shoes and haircuts are often obvious signs.

Haircuts just aren't. Shoes might be, but only in quite specific circumstances, like if they obviously had holes or were inadequate for the weather then being unable to afford new would be the most likely explanation.

There is a difference between cheap shoes and expensive shoes. And anyone wearing coloured co-ordinated shoes with their outfit is unlikely to be really poor.
Lots of poorer women have hair kept in a ponytail. They cut their own hair. No one really poor is having expensive-looking hair dyes.
And I can see the obvious difference between people wearing leggings and a t-shirt that are of decent quality and the equivalent bought very cheaply. Even the print on cheap t-shirts does not look the same quality, never mind the fabric and cut.

I think, it's not that everyone will get terribly poor because of COL. It's good that people still spend money (given they're not borrowed), it keeps economy going. I can't justify why people on high salaries should buy supermarket own brands or stop going to hairdresser or restaurant. It gives jobs.

Clarkson's?!

Some people will have inflation linked pensions?

No. Its name is just Farm Shop!

@TortolaParadise many may be mobility ones though

There is a difference between cheap and expensive shoes, but you are deluding yourself if you think people with money never wear cheapo stuff. It might be possible to discern expensive clothes, though obviously the rise of Ebay and the like has somewhat widened access, but it simply isn't the case that a person who doesn't appear to have spent much on their appearance is poor. It's an assumption.

@PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior I have never seen anyone I know has money wear all cheap clothes and shoes and a cheap or home-done haircut. I am not saying it has never happened, but it is very unusual.
I have seen people I know have money wear scruffy clothes, but you can still tell they are good quality.

But you didn't know these people, which is the point really. You simply cannot assume that your necessarily limited experience will be replicated in all other cases.

I used to live in a rural area. It was pretty obvious who had money actually.

I agree. Sometimes people rent a room and they can afford premium hair colour and cut, nice clothes etc., whilst others wear primark and have simple cut, but they pay off mortgage. I think it's not that simple to say who has money and who hasn't. I think people paying off debt towards their own properties are richer than people who don't own anything and they spend spare money on expensive cuts or designer sunglasses. World isn't black&white.

Whilst richer people "tend to" spend their money and there are outward appearances of wealth, it's not really "proof" of who has money and who doesn't.

Plenty of people have money but just don't spend it.

Plenty of people are up to their eyeballs in debt because they spend money they don't have to give the appearance of being wealthy.

Anecdotal evidence doesn't equal proof.

We could easily afford two brand new cars, paid for outright if they wished to. Instead we have a 14 year old and a 7 year old, both cheaper makes and simple models. That's our choice, not to spend (waste) shedloads of money on something shiny and new when the ones we have do the job we expect from them.

Same with clothes. We're still wearing some basic M&S simple clothing that's over 20 years old! The same reason, it still does the job we want it to!