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!

Where were you living in her reign?

OP you remind me of my nan 40 years ago and not in a good way . I remember correcting her when she couldn’t understand how the “unemployed “ football hooligans in the 80s could afford their tickets abroad . Hint a lot were not unemployed.

You are naïve and awful to boot . Thank god you don’t have kids .

Myself, I have noticed an awful lot of those moaning the loudest about the cost of living crisis are people who are not that badly off. I also find those worst off to be the least vocal. Some of the people who tend to take their tales of financial woe to the media, the BBC in particular, are quite well off whingers who just don't have as much as they would like. I think people reading those news stories notice those people who think not being able everything they desire classes themselves as being in dire poverty. Please tell me you've never read one of these people's stories and rolled your eyes. Maybe they are the people OP has been influenced by.

My moneys on the OP is a kid. Their mum is after Oasis tickets, they're talking about Thatcherism like a kid who's learned it as history, they clearly have zero life experience and they're full of their own importance. Every time they post I get an image of Harry Enfields Tory Boy character. The Oasis fan mum's a nice comedic touch.

This thread has reminded me that I knew someone (aunt of a close friend) who held views similar to the OP. She was bloody miserable; always saving and wouldn’t ever splurge on food or heating or clothes. There was no need for her to be cold or drink out of date milk but she was obsessed with her financial security. She died with many hundreds of thousands in her bank account and no children or grandchildren to gift to. Despite being a miserable judgemental human, her niece (my friend) went out of her way to visit often and help. I occasionally went along for company for my friend. Judgy lady left every penny to the RSPCA. As far as I’m aware, she didn’t even particularly like animals! 😂 The niece (my friend) is financially secure and didn’t want or need or expect the money. She didn’t do it for money or appreciation, she did it because she’s a much kinder person than me! It was such an odd decision to leave everything to a charity which didn’t even mean anything to her.

Yes, especialliy on MN. You get threads about someone on £120k moaning about the CoL, and how they may as well "quit work and go on benefits".

OP I understand your point

We've been led to believe COL crisis is more prevalent than it actually is

Yet every restaurant in my city is booked solid every weekend, every nightclub I go to is bouncing, every cinema packed and yes every gig announced sold out hello taylor, Adele, and oasis.

House prices rise and demand hasn't fallen despite interest rises.

I'm with you op, I refuse to believe COLC is as endemic and widespread as they'd have us believe, but God forbid anyone says that.

Reminds me of a post I saw on Instagram during covid of an acquaintance jumping on the "look at this inadequate free school meal hamper from the gvmt" bandwagon, contents laid out all nicely on the table for maximum effect....with 60 lamberts in the background of the picture

You feel that strongly hun forgo the 40 quid on fags and buy better lunches for the week

65+ million in the uk
14 million in poverty

Just because it hasn't effected every single person the same doesn't mean it's not happening. As always with torys the rich get richer, the poor get poorer but because they and their mates are OK it's not really happening

The cost of living crisis isnt a crisis, cost of living has always challenged some more than others, it's nowhere near as widespread as we’re led to believe. With over 65 million people in the UK and around 14 million in poverty, that’s still a significant number, but it’s far from the whole country. Many households are feeling the squeeze, but they’re managing, what im saying is spending in some areas remains strong, showing that it’s not a blanket crisis affecting everyone equally.

The narrative that “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer” oversimplifies what’s really going on. Not everyone is getting hit hard (which is what we're led to believe) and many of the factors driving the current challenges—like global supply issues and energy prices—aren’t just down to government or local policies.

The media’s focus on extreme hardship makes it seem like the crisis is everywhere when, in reality, it’s much more targeted and uneven than the headlines suggest.

From what I understand, the cost of living crisis is about things like food and energy going up at a fast rate, but average incomes not going up to to compensate.
It means a fall in disposable income. Some people still have enough disposable income to buy Oasis tickets.... and even if they didn't, it is their money and their choice.

And that's my point - what you've described is the reality but not a cost of living crisis

Calling a drop in disposable income a "cost of living crisis" is an exaggeration that misrepresents the true situation for most people. While rising costs in areas like energy, food, and housing are putting pressure on budgets, many are managing through adjustments, not facing a financial emergency.

A true crisis implies essential needs are unaffordable for a large part of the population - which they categorically are not

For most, it’s about rethinking spending rather than an outright inability to cope.

Framing this as a crisis inflates the issue, overlooking that many are adapting, not in a state of severe hardship.

Oh fuck off, I would love to see them but COL is real! Ivory towers and and all of that, good for you

Oh bore off
Ima s pissed off with the COL crisis as everyone else
I'm an nhs worker, very very far from rich
I just about cover my bills with a few quid left over for a night out once a month or a new top or something from new look

I was fully prepared to drop £1000 from my savings on tickets today because I've been a massive fan for 30 years and oasis have got me through the worst times of my life

FYI, that figure of 14 million has hovered around that number since about 2015.

As has the homeless figures, and unemployment is actually lower than the majority of the past 10 years.

Not for one moment am I saying the nunbers of those in poverty or homeless or employed arent too high

what I am saying is that the COL "crisis" is sensationalised beyond belief.

For the majority it is a disposable income adjustment that we prefer to call a crisis.

That's the uncomfortable truth and that is what the OP is getting at

From what youve said, you are categorically not affected by any cost of living crisis.

How so?
The cost of living crisis means a drop in disposable income. Everyone is affected by that, but obviously some people are better able to cope with that.

No, no it doesn't

A cost of living crisis is the majority of the country in a state of financial emergency from soaring costs to the point where they cannot afford the basic necessities to live.

Your insistence that its a fall in disposable income meaning you're maybe less comfortable than you were and "can only afford one night out" as per that poster just proves my point.

My reply was for the OP btw, yes there is a COL crisis! Swap???

More and more people rely on food banks. Food banks didn't even exist in the 90s. Warm home discount began 2011. Its a crisis when millions of people rely on charity to eat and be warm.
Last year was the largest increase in absolute poverty for 30 years.
Just because it doesn't effect you doesn't mean it isn't a crisis. Try looking outside of your bubble and having some empathy.

@Tricho
So you need to be homeless and relying on food banks to be affected by the COL crisis?

Don't be ridiculous

I've had to cut down, change, and go without to be able to meet my monthly bills

I didn't say I was on the breadline. I said it's possible to be affected by the COL crisis and still be able to purchase tickets

There isn't.

Compare the UK to Argentina, where the % of their population in poverty has essentially doubled since 2018 whereas ours has remained level over the past 10 years (yet no one even heard of the phrase COL crisis until recently)

Going without nice things is not a cost of living crisis ffs

Frankly, yes.

If you can afford the basic necessities to live comfortably you are not in a cost of living crisis, you are not in a state of financial emergency. Even if you have to forgo that holiday.

to think that a drop in DISPOSABLE income qualifies you as a victim of any cost of living crisis is frankly spoilt.

If the majority of the country were in a cost of living crisis there would be no disposable income would there???

Like I said, poverty numbers in this country have remained at current levels since 2015, yet now everyone gives a shit and "were in a national crisis" because suddenly people don't have as much money to spend on non essential items as they did previously?

Do me a favour

Oh and FYI homelessness has more than doubled since the tories came into power in 2010 and the national office of statistics show that unemployment is slightly higher now than over the last couple of years

You're wrong. Literally just wrong