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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel like we're constantly getting fleeced left right and centre

20 replies

LittleMissUnreasonable · 01/08/2023 13:43

Aldi food prices have shot up. Fruit juice that was 89p is now about £1.49. just one example.

Dread to think of fuel costs this year, as last winter was hard.

The mortgage increase which is already affecting so many people. More money goes into the outstretched hand from working people's pockets

The ULEZ tax, good idea if you live in inner city London. But not everybody lives in the center of London. There's a few areas near me that have a clean air restriction. Awful public transport though. So basically upgrade your car for £££ or pay a fine. So if you're a care worker who needs to drive to service users and can't just merrily hop on a bus that may or may not turn up, it's tough luck. Let's just spare a thought for those who can't afford an upgrade and rely on their 15 year old diesel car for work. Me and DH try to get a train on three separate occasions across these past few months. Every single day there was a strike. Literally no trains for the entire day. We drove.

Im one of those people who's in the squeezed middle. Not the Mumsnet squeezed middle of "we have a combined income of 100k a year". I earn £25k a year. Too much to qualify for any help. To little to even be close to the average earner in the UK.

Even on the radio today, I've heard that drink prices are going up by up to 20%. So you can't even pop to the local pub for a drink without paying more money into the stretched out hand.

I'm just fed up with it. Feel like I can barely go to work without thinking by the time I've put money into all these outstretched hands. I'm going to end up with nothing.

Have my wages gone up? Like hell have they.

OP posts:
LittleMissUnreasonable · 01/08/2023 13:45

Also everything is shit. The roads are busy and full of potholes, public transport seems to be almost non existent. NHS is struggling, lots of people going private for things. Everywhere looks so run down. Where the hell is all this money going!?!?

OP posts:
DinnaeFashYersel · 01/08/2023 13:50

I am in Scotland so on top of all of that we also get to pay more income tax than the rest of the UK and have minimum alcohol pricing.

The Scottish Govt plans to massively increase alcohol pricing which will nearly double the price of lager and wine.

To top that all off they also want to put 20p on the cost of every drink sold in plastic or glass including fruit shoots and fizzy drinks. So a 6-pack of fruit shoots will go up by £1.20 on top of inflation.

We also have ULEZ in Glasgow with £60 fines.

Legislation has just been passed to allow local councils to charge for free workplace parking.

LittleMissUnreasonable · 01/08/2023 13:53

@DinnaeFashYersel
Wow that's terrible 😲 I'm so sorry!

OP posts:
SarahSaysYes · 01/08/2023 13:54

I get frustrated by hearing people talking about how inflation’s coming down. So many people seem to think it means that prices are decreasing and that eventually they’ll be back down almost to where they were 🫤

Ariela · 01/08/2023 14:01

DinnaeFashYersel · 01/08/2023 13:50

I am in Scotland so on top of all of that we also get to pay more income tax than the rest of the UK and have minimum alcohol pricing.

The Scottish Govt plans to massively increase alcohol pricing which will nearly double the price of lager and wine.

To top that all off they also want to put 20p on the cost of every drink sold in plastic or glass including fruit shoots and fizzy drinks. So a 6-pack of fruit shoots will go up by £1.20 on top of inflation.

We also have ULEZ in Glasgow with £60 fines.

Legislation has just been passed to allow local councils to charge for free workplace parking.

If you're a lower earner, you pay less in Scotland. If you've a very high earner you pay more.
But depends on whether you benefit from free Uni fees at Scottish universities, and free prescriptions, as well as cheaper Council Tax as to whether you're better off or not

DinnaeFashYersel · 01/08/2023 17:45

Ariela · 01/08/2023 14:01

If you're a lower earner, you pay less in Scotland. If you've a very high earner you pay more.
But depends on whether you benefit from free Uni fees at Scottish universities, and free prescriptions, as well as cheaper Council Tax as to whether you're better off or not

If you class £25,689 per year as a very high earner ok - cause that is the level at which you start to pay more income tax in Scotland than the rest of the UK

Gerrataere · 01/08/2023 17:47

I earn £25k a year. Too much to qualify for any help.

I assume you don’t have children in this equation? I usually would assume but this being primarily a parenting site, most people on a single income of 25k with children do qualify for uc top ups.

Maddy70 · 01/08/2023 17:55

I don't live in in the UK but we do run a business there. I can't believe the prices in the UK compared to where I live it's extortionate. I honestly don't know how "normal" families are coping

Titicacacandle · 01/08/2023 17:57

No you're not wrong OP. I earn 10k more than you but am a single parent to teenagers with no financial support. I used to be okay. I'm now not! We are being completely fleeced by large organisations that get out of paying tax and instead we are being taxed more as individuals.

We don't even have a decent alternative political party to vote for to change things either.

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 01/08/2023 18:01

You are not wrong. I’m just about done with it all. All I can think about is money (well lack of it) and we’re 2 full time workers. Fucking sick of it.

Titicacacandle · 01/08/2023 18:01

British Gas made a BILLION pound profit and we've all been dead broke! We sat in the cold all winter whilst share holders (some in our government) got rich. It's fucking awful.

MadisonAvenue · 01/08/2023 18:07

I’ve noticed that petrol and diesel prices are increasing again. A garage I pass on my run have increased each by 2p per litre in the last few days.

Sixmonthcruise · 01/08/2023 18:14

YANBU - everything about living in this country right now is making me feel so very miserable. Unless you are very high earners then it’s a real struggle. I was made redundant a month ago and my redundancy is running out fast because everything is just so bloody expensive. I just feel like we are being driving down to the bone. Most of our government are made up of millionaires and very high earners, they have no idea what it’s like to go shopping on a budget in Aldi, or worry how much it will cost to put the tumble dryer on because it’s been sodding raining for days and you can’t get your washing dry or worrying about your health conditions and know that a private hospital appointment could sort you out but you can’t afford it because everything else you have to pay out for takes your money, so you are stuck on a year long NHS waiting list (I bet my bottom dollar they don’t have to wait for the NHS to be seen!)
EVERYTHING is shit!

Weefreetiffany · 01/08/2023 18:28

All funnelling upwards to the corrupt tories and their rich pals. They’re not even subtle about it. Soon our society will be an obscenely rich overclass and an extremely poor underclass dying of cold and malnutrition. And they will let us die just like they did the old people in care homes during the pandemic. If you think this sounds dramatic, you’re not paying attention.

MissHarrietBede · 01/08/2023 19:19

Not to mention the very poor summer we’re having, so free or cheap outdoor activities and events for kids are a no go, putting huge pressure on lower income parents who have to keep the kids entertained for weeks yet.

Of course Big Business and even the tories aren’t responsible for the weather, but it certainly doesn’t help matters.

Titicacacandle · 01/08/2023 20:53

MissHarrietBede · 01/08/2023 19:19

Not to mention the very poor summer we’re having, so free or cheap outdoor activities and events for kids are a no go, putting huge pressure on lower income parents who have to keep the kids entertained for weeks yet.

Of course Big Business and even the tories aren’t responsible for the weather, but it certainly doesn’t help matters.

I was going to say imagine saving up what little spare you have for a camping holiday and you end up with this weather, but then remembered how expensive camping sites were last year and god knows what they are this year.

coxesorangepippin · 01/08/2023 20:57

No subsidized daycare
Nurses and teachers striking, education down the pan
COL crisis
People can't even afford a cheap week in Benidorm
Mortgage rates sky high
Heating bills have tripled

No wonder everyone is miserable, how can there not have been a revolt yet?!???

And Wills has a plan for housing??

😂😂😂🤔

coxesorangepippin · 01/08/2023 20:58

They throw you the odd Bank Holiday and think they're doing you a favour!!!

Ariela · 02/08/2023 11:15

MadisonAvenue · 01/08/2023 18:07

I’ve noticed that petrol and diesel prices are increasing again. A garage I pass on my run have increased each by 2p per litre in the last few days.

They always increase for the first couple of weeks of school summer holidays due to demand increasing as people go away.

SarahSaysYes · 02/08/2023 11:40

@coxesorangepippin : No wonder everyone is miserable, how can there not have been a revolt yet?!???

Am not joking, it's the weather. Too much rain.

With hot weather and an inciting incident of some nature, it all would have kicked off.

Obviously the fact that it hasn't is a very good thing, but the weather plays an enormous part. People don't riot in the rain!

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