Cost of everything. Race to the bottom.

[Eddyraisins]

The cost of things are horrendous no point in denying that.

A mortgaged family are probably £400-500 down a month from a couple of year ago.
A non mortgaged maybe £300. For renters if landlord has put rent up then its the same as above. Food, the insane gas and electricity costs, petrol, food bills gone up 25 percent plus. Just everything. Any spare money doesn't go as far as it did anyway.
Now insurance is creeping up. Everything is up.

It sucks all round.

Why are people fighting at the bottom instead of looking up?

Yes people on min wage work hard and have many different challenges, time also stands still if work is boring. It can be really hard. I also see people that have studied hard and earning ok but they can't switch off after work, have students loans, have been sold the idea life should be slightly better. It should be! Both have their challenges.
Life is shit we are all down.
Battling at the bottom while the rich are fine.
It is representative of that cartoon. The guy with all the food pointing at a guy with some food, pointing at someone with an empty plate saying he is goong to take yours.

Lets compare up not down. AIBU to stop blaming each other and blame upwards?

Many of us are struggling lets not take that away from those struggling.

Based on this reply, my point about your breathtaking ignorance about the complexities of why one might not become rich remains; and my daughter, who is still a child, is already better informed than you about inequality and privilege in their many forms and understands the nuances behind us telling her to “work hard”. She understands it’s not as simple as that for many, and for many reasons.

@AnotherTeaPlease

IFS household income

https://ifs.org.uk/toolsanddresources/wheredooyoufitt_in#tool-results-section

I dont have less money, I'm not talking about absorbing the extra cost!
I spend exactly the same,I've just adjusted from top end to middle range.
If necessary I can go down again.
Im therefore not getting poorer.

You don't seem to be getting my point.
I'm able to adjust,many others can't.
I still spend exactly the same.

I'm not saying it's a good thing. I'm saying it always is that way. And it will be that way, no matter who gets into power. I've been voting since 1973, through various governments, and nothing has changed much. There are rich people, and poorer people.😗

But there is more inequality now which is my point

@AnotherTeaPlease

*How well have you managed it though? How hard did you work at school? Which degrees did you do or which professional qualifications?

Did you delay having children until you were established in your career, find a good partner, and get married first?

At work, did you do your heat every day to deliver more for your employer, give your immediate management what they needed, and improve your skills?*

Sorry I’ve not read the whole thread but I completely agree with this as the starting point on these types of discussions. The FIRST thing everybody should do on an individual level is self-asses. How much ownership have you taken over your financial well-being, over your career and your ability to earn more? Have you made sound financial decisions, and are you acting in a financially responsible way, to the best of your ability?

If you can answer these with a “yes,” and your self-assessment doesn’t bring up anything ugly like overspending on things that you don’t need, not having a proper spreadsheet of finances worked out, overspending on credit cards, making really poor choices in your life like not taking up professional training opportunities, not staying in employment or not working hard enough in a job that recognises your efforts (as it’s also your responsibility to find one,) having kids you just cannot afford to keep with unstable partners who have no sense of financial responsibility themselves………..then and only then are you free to start moaning about the government, about other people who have it better off than you and anyone else you can vent your frustrations on in place of a good hard look in the mirror.

It amazes me how many people moan about being strapped for cash and then you find out they’ve booked an all-inclusive holiday in Corfu for two weeks, or they have regular takeaways, and buy the newest car/digital equipment on credit. They have TERRIBLE spending habits and should apply some serious self assessment and action to their lifestyles before taking to social media to grumble. It’s not easy to self-assess because it’s painful to admit that the failing is actually yours but it’s honestly the only way you’re ever going to turn things around financially.

How much more though? No-one here is arguing that everyone should be paid exactly the same, though its amazing how often that gets trotted out in threads like this. What we have a problem with is the gulf between the shelf stacker and the hedge fund manager (nice try using the more emotive cardiac surgeon though).

I imagine most of us would just like to live in a truly meritocratic society where you start with a level playing field and then everyone gets back in proportion to what they contribute.

That doesn't happen though does it - not by a long way. The biggest indicator of future success in this country? How much money your parents have.

And it's not about taking more money from the people earning £100,000 or even £200,000 - it's taking a much larger chunk from those who don't even need to draw a salary because they can just take out fantastically cheap loans based on assets that they already own, in order to buy even more assets (houses, shares, etc).

@AnotherTeaPlease does your link just measure PAYE? that's not a true representation of income

Yes. It’s utter shit for so many.

More inequality

And also more blaming of individuals who actually often aren't in a position to fix all the problems themselves

You would get less than the equivalent shopping basket from a year, 2 years or 3 years ago but if you were previously well off, bought whatever you wanted but now think about it and have changed your shopping habits to buy cheaper things, then you won't have less than 2 years ago on food bills, just different.

You might even have more if this is the first time you've had to really think about what you spend on groceries.

But the people already buying the absolute basics to live 3/2/1 years ago are massively hit by the increases because they had no wiggle room and no more expensive things to cut back on as they were already cut to the bone.

Same as electric/gas bills. If you were heating your house like everyone should be able to walk around indoors in a T-shirt no matter how cold it was outside, actually thinking about it and putting a jumper on instead of the heating, having a 2 minute shower instead of 20 and not washing clothes after a few hours wear, could mean the heating costs were the same, or even less than before.

Whereas if you were already struggling to minimally heat your home, have a bath and wash your clothes, there were no economies to be made.

No, we are not “all” worse off. You are, many others are, but a great many people are not

Nonsense! So have none of you bills gone up?
Talk about dishonesty.

I agree absolutely with you.

And also more blaming of individuals who actually often aren't in a position to fix all the problems themselves

I'm not doing that 🤷🏻‍♀️

@RitaFromThePitCanteen

We haven't been hit worse than other countries. There's a few reasons why certain things are worse eg food was cheaper on average than most European countries so shops have less profit margins that they can use to cushion the effects of inflation. We are more dependent on gas than some countries and we have older housing stock in many parts of the country

@AnotherTeaPlease my post was referring to the 1% for a family though?

dont have less money, I'm not talking about absorbing the extra cost!
I spend exactly the same,I've just adjusted from top end to middle range.
If necessary I can go down again.
Im therefore not getting poorer.

You don't seem to be getting my point.
I'm able to adjust,many others can't.
I still spend exactly the same.

*Course some pretty cant. You still have to adjust down own brand products. Not have heat in as much. That is poorer.

Yes great you can do this and some can't.
Have can you not see this is still having less than you did?*

Bills have gone up, and I got an £80,000 pay rise.

Surely you're aware that's not the norm for most? Particularly if you were on 100k initially, that's a big increase.

I mean DHs boss got paid 2.3m last yr so he's obviously not struggling but most people are MC partners.

😂 Having conversations with your children about inequality is now parenting that’s not conducive to them being successful? That’s a new one. And deeply ironic.

That’s a rhetorical question above, by the way, so no need to reply. I won’t be engaging with anymore of your comments as you don’t seem to understand.