To wonder why everything goes up when my salary goes down?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Take home pay down by 70 quid this month due to an increase in tax and national insurance. Pay increase if/when I ever get it, won't be more than 2%,so won't even cover this drop in my pay.

And after school club costs increased this month by 13%, untilities bills up by 6%, station car park has just gone up by 20%, school holiday club by 18%. Rent due to increase next month, petrol increases every time I go past Shell.

How do people cope in this country?

i have had to go back to work whilst dh is doing overtime. Nightmare innit. EVERYTHING has gone up except wages

we don't.

I just did the moneysavingexpert.com budget planner and we're in the red every month. It was very depressing. I didn't include DH's bonus, which puts us back in the black, but I hardly want to rely on that every year.
I think that it's a rare family that isn't feeling the pinch.

I am already looking for jobs overseas again. After 20 years overseas I was looking forward to spending some time here. We haven't even been back two years.

I don't see how most people can cope.

I remember the last recession.
It's very worrying.