AIBU to believe that the cost of living crisis is a load of nonsense

[MaryWils24]

So I wake up this morning to find that 14 million people are trying for Oasis tickets. A mediocre rock band and a “reunion” tour just to create a retirement fund for two already multi-millionaires.

The question is - where are so many people getting the money from to buy tickets? On one hand people moan about the “cost of living” but can easily find £500 to fund this nonsense.

Madness.

People should stop moaning about the cost of living if they can waste money on things like this. They are either getting too much income from their job/benefits (if they can afford this) to complain about “cost of living” or they should stop moaning about increasing food/fuel prices!

Rant over!

This!

We're doing ok and if I wanted to go to a gig could afford the tickets - Oasis not really my thing but everyone is different.

But COL is still hitting us all in some way, even if fortunate enough to be able to still manage.

My food shopping has doubled in the last 4 years, and gas/electric is higher than it's ever been. Every year seems to be another bill increase - Council Tax was a big one this year and sky was cancelled as increased 14%. My salary hasn't!

I hope you get them, I am not an Oasis fan but some of my happiest moments have been at gigs seeing my favourite bands. It lifts your spirits and lives in your memory forever. There is the thrill when you get the tickets, the countdown to the gig, the energy and anticipation when you arrive, the slight boredom while the support act is on and then the most amazing adrenaline rush as the main act takes to the stage! Nothing like a good live gig

OP your post has made me think. I qualify as very poor in this country, and I only use my credit card for online purchases and then pay it off straight away, but I like to have it there for emergencies. Now, I don't give a shiny shit about Oasis, but what if there was an event that I wanted to go to that was a truly once in a lifetime thing? I'd certainly be tempted. Wouldn't you?

Ah thanks that’s so nice of you!

when me and DH first met the only CD he had in his little Polo was Oasis and we used to trundle around everywhere listening to it - we have really fond memories with them as the soundtrack so fingers crossed🤞we wouldn’t be doing it for anyone haha

@MissEsmeWatson But this won’t be a “once in a lifetime” thing. Oasis could easily add more dates in 2026/2027… etc.

In some ways I feel that Oasis (and whoever organises their tours) have been somewhat predatory in releasing only a limited number of dates to push up demand to such a level. Nothing is stopping them from adding more dates in future years. This is NOT a “once in a lifetime” thing.

The cost of living crisis isn’t affecting everyone you know?!

I’m trying to get tickets, we don’t struggle for money despite the cost of things going up, we’re comfortable. I’m sure this is a situation a lot of people in. The people who are struggling with the price of things going up are unlikely to be trying to get tickets I would imagine.

And my question to you, and please don't dodge this, because its important, is how exactly could posters who are poor use the ticket money to get a higher income as you suggested? Because I'm not going to see Oasis, they're not my cup of tea. So how could I use the money I'm not spending to increase my income? I'm not poor, but wouldn't say no to a bit more affluence. So, how do I get that from £200 please?

What drivel.
There are millions of people in the UK and surprisingly, everyone is in different positions money wise.
A lot of people are in a queue right now to get Oasis tickets. There’s also a damn sight more that aren’t.
I don’t know exactly how many people are trying to get tickets but let’s say there’s 1million. That means 65million aren’t.
You’re acting like every single person in the UK
can suddenly afford it. That’s not the case. The thousands upon thousands of people buying tickets today can afford it. Because yes, a huge amount of people are suffering the COL right now. But also a huge amount of people are comfortable. I am luckily one of them, and I am currently in a queue on three different devices,
spending my own money how I see fit.

Have you got the "deserving" and "undeserving"poor the right way round here?

FWIW I think the reaction to the Oasis reunion is bonkers. Can't say I know anyone is real life who gives a shit?

I have to say it's a hugely successful advertising campaign though if 14mil people want tickets and are willing to pay for them!!

It might be a once in a lifetime thing for someone in poor health. You might get run over by a bus the day after, so it definitely would be then.

I'm baffled by your post. Where the money is going, and you opinions on the band's music is completely irrelevant.

If people want to find a couple of hundred for a ticket for what might be a once in a lifetime experience for them, let them. I'm not sure where £500 came from but even if it is that, £500 is less than most holidays (for example) and so people might be making choices like that

I'm a bit unsure why you're so bothered by it though...

And you know these are the same people how?

Honestly from the sounds of things the next few years are going to be pretty shit for a lot of people. Just let us have one thing to look forward to? If that’s an aging band from our heydays can you just let us get on with it?

You just have to roll with it.

Well, I think you're wrong about just about all of this. As many people have pointed out on this thread, you don't really seem to have a very high, erh, cognitive grasp of the issues around the cost of living crisis and what is entailed by people buying expensive tickets to pop concerts, and it's probably not much use trying to explain. But still ...

The idea of 'scroungers' you adumbrate falls once you look at the actual rates of benefit in this country (compared with relative historical levels, or indeed with elsewhere in Europe, say). Poor propaganda. You fell for it.

Do any of these people who, you say, are 'scrounging' receive much in the way of capital gains? Or, perhaps, is the epithet scrounger more appropriately applied to one who, while making nothing personally, nevertheless gets rich just by buying (low) and selling (high) things other people have produced?

Who pays a higher tax rate currently? Someone who makes things or helps people (through illness, say) and is paid for what they do, or someone who does nothing useful but simply buys cheap and sells dear? Do you know? Would you agree the latter is useless to society by comparison with the former? Might we start redistributing by taxing the latter at least as much as the former? Do you have a justification for CGT being lower rated than Income Tax, in the light of this?

You fell for the propaganda about IHT as well, I see. Maybe another time ...

My mum bought got tickets in the presale, just over £150 for two tickets so she can see them with her youngest. She is mortgage free, has a fairly decent pension so she could afford them.

That doesn’t mean the cost of living crisis doesn’t have an impact on her, she is still paying for food, utilities, clothing petrol etc. But she is lucky that she can absorb those costs, it doesn’t mean she is ignorant enough or stupid enough to mean the cost of living crisis doesn’t exist.

Someone with the simplest understanding of economics can understand the cost of living crisis.

Credit card

There are plenty people struggling with COL - we just don't see it. They aren't posting on Facebook with their queue position at the foodbank and celebrating that they all got baked beans!

As millions of people regularly donate to charities maybe this group are already buying a little more food (and donating it) without moaning! But what would you then have to moan about? I'm sure you'd think of something. There's always somebody to punch down to.

Not true.

Are the 14 million people that want oasis tickets complaining about the cost of living specifically? If they are then they will likely make the adult decision to prioritise their spending, and not buy oasis tickets. I think it's highly likely that many millions more have at the very least 500 pounds to splurge on whatever they want. Its the millions of people without disposable income who are struggling and rightfully worried about the cost of living. Hope that explains it for you.

But people might choose for it to be a once in a lifetime thing. They might say ill go this time and if they do anymore I won't go. They might decide the experience of seeing them reunite after so many years is a once in a lifetime.

One person might see going to Las Vegas as a once in a lifetime opportunity, other people go regularly. You can't decide that for people!

14 million people? Don’t believe the bullshit. There are photos all over the internet of people having multiple devices open, iPad, laptop, phone so slash the inflated quote immediately. So say there are 5 million people willing to pay the rip off prices, there easily 5 million people who have no financial worries in the UK, doesn’t mean those needing to use foodbanks etc suddenly disappear. Anyone who believes that because 5 million people can afford a £500 concert ticket means that nobody in the UK is living in poverty is supremely thick. I could to pull the money from my savings and buy a ticket but don’t want to. That doesn’t mean that pensioners and families aren’t starving. What a hilariously naive OP.

You do know anyone in the whole entire world can see Oasis and buy tickets? Credit cards exist and some people will choose this over a holiday to see their fav band.

Additionally, Oasis ticket buyers are not feeding their kids with food bank supplies, nor are they turning off all electricity and gas supply to lower their bills even if its cold tinned beans most nights.

If DH and I had got our house sold and were downsizing we would treat ourselves to the tickets and DH would work overtime like a madman to get it paid- we do not have that luxury.

It's the overall tax burden that's at a record high, direct taxation, especially for the top 10%, is almost as low as it's ever been.

That low taxation and the bountiful tax loopholes are why the rich have gotten so much richer over the past 50 years' while the rest of the population have stagnated. Only someone as out of touch as yourself would object to addressing this inequality.