Do you think Brits are really as broke as the media makes out

[SlothfullyYours]

I took some flexi leave this afternoon to run some errands and do some "life admin."

Started off in town. The shoppers' car park was packed, the shops were packed, coffee shops packed. People spending money.

Came home and tried to book car in for a service - garages booked up weeks in advance. Tried to get some trades round to quote for work on the house - all too busy (have been trying for months!).

Friend popped round. Recently started as a self employed cleaner. She says all her slots for house cleaning have been snapped up - and she's charging £20 per hour and we're in the Midlands!

My hairdresser & dentist (private) - have to book weeks/months in advance.

Are we really as skint as the media makes out?

I was at my local pub on Sunday - its normally quite in the last weekend before pay day, yet they are more bookings than the previous 3 Sundays. The queue for the carvery was 35 deep and after 450 roast dinners were served it was a good day.

In fact we spoke about what on earth is going on as everyone seems to have money to spend?

its normally quite in

quiet - sorry

People complain they’re skint and spend money on clothes, luxuries and holidays. Hard to have sympathy.

There are a lot of people with large amounts of disposable income but that doesn't mean there aren't millions struggling because they have huge amounts of debt because they have stretched themselves beyond their means when buying a house, etc.

It's definitely not a small minority, it's around a fifth of the population who live in poverty in the UK. People in the UK are far poorer than people in other western European countries. The main issue for those are housing costs. www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/13/uk-low-middle-income-families-poorer-oecd-counterparts-study-western-europe

Exactly, Im doing ok at the minute but still pushed back my dentist appointment from last week to into the new year as I could do without her added 60 quid cost just before Christmas. I've got some savings but if I didnt have my paycheck coming in for a month or two I dont know what I would do.
Also, a lot of people I know are just using credit cards for Christmas and day to day living as well.
There's a mcdonalds by me that has a pay by Klarna option, I could not believe what I was seeing.

Some are obviously struggling a great deal, but you've only got to read the Christmas threads on here, and all the tat stuff people are buying, to think it's not as widespread a struggle as supposed. People can spend their money how they wish but you can only spend it once.

This is a bit like saying "It was snowing yesterday so global warming doesn't exist."

Everyone I know is much worse off than they were 5 years ago. You know when you heard your grandparents saying they never had treats and rolled your eyes...that's us. Going out to eat, getting takeaways, going to the cinema, even just going out shopping...not happening anymore.

In my mum circle yes we all just buying food and doing free things to see Santa. Local community center has a free Santa event. My dd isn't getting a Christmas present this year and I've had to explain to family not doing Xmas presents. Everyone understands.

Except affordable housing
An easier welfare safety net
Didn’t have to pay for any further education
Final salary pensions

You would swap all that for the so called luxuries of today?

Boomers are utterly ignorant of today’s financial limitations they wouldn’t last 5 minutes and then call the youngsters snowflakes!

If people are really broke they will neglect those things even if it costs them more in the long term. See Sam Vine's Boot Theory.

What on earth is going on? Why are these people able to feed themselves?

😂 Confirmation bias. Again.

Look at the ages OP. In our area it's the people aged 60+ who consistently seem to be spending the money. From 30s to 60s it's a mixed picture. Younger than that I rarely see in restaurants, theatres or higher priced places, only places like discount shops. I'm in east of England in a fairly affluent area but clearly lots are still struggling.

OP, I agree with you. I don't know anyone whose standard of living has fallen significantly at all. What I do notice, though, is that too many things look tatty and in poor repair: roads and high streets look a bit run down.
Sorry, I don't know why it quoted this post!

Well, you're choosing a strange hill to die on, but you do you

Are you on glue 😅 Oh I do miss Mumsnet of Yore when folk werent so earnest.

I think you're absolutely on to something here OP. Had the same thought re jam packed shopping centres (full of new-ish cars), with people clearly spending on non-essentials, and sitting around in Costa. Nail salons full and dog grooming shops everywhere. I live in an area of high deprivation, officially.
No I don't begrudge anyone these things. But they're all luxuries. We did / had very little like this in the 70's - early 80's.
But whenever I listen to radio, watch news, read papers, the message is people are broke, "struggling" , forced to choose between 'heating and eating'. The two just don't correlate.
Personally I think people love moaning, and love to argue they couldn't possibly pay any more tax, or cope with the slightest benefit cut, because it suits their narrative. I actually think it's quote a pernicious political problem for this country.

Here you go @SlothfullyYours some data & stats for you to ponder from a finance charity. Basically from a macro lens, there are more people who are financially vulnerable than 3 years ago.

Nearly half of UK adults now living in financially vulnerable circumstances - Fair4All Finance share.google/3SioKUWuRE585eVDx

And you wouldn't be paying £90 for a dental check-up if you were skint.

Yes, I do. I save up for the dentist. It's too expensive in the long run not to go. What people don't know is that I only eat once a day and don't have the heating on yet.

The media absolutely love to get us going about how miserable life is, how crap the economy is and how its all the fault of politicians. They are so predictable in the topic they choose and allocate blame. Why...because thays what sells!

The economy has slowed down, that can't be denied, but the average Briton is still living very well and enjoys regular luxuries. Indeed, the main new businesses in my town in the last couple of years have been coffee shops, restaurants (including fast food) and supermarkets.

As for the number of deliverdoo and other on their bikes at all times of the day....

Just look at the child poverty statistics. They are a disgrace and totally heartbreaking and, yes, accurate despite your observations in M&S!

How rude.

This is a serious topic - poverty - but you’re now claiming it’s light hearted?

I think you posted hoping for a tirade of venom against poor people along the lines of how dare they buy coffee and go out for dinner?

But we see what you’re doing.

I work in retail. People are trading down e.g. If they usually buy 'finest' they are now buying standard or value tiers

Yes OP, there are millions of people living in poverty in the UK. You won't see them at the shops or airports because they don't have any money 🤷
Wages in the UK are shockingly low and have no where near kept up with the cost of living rises.
Half the people you do see out spending are getting into debt.

But where do the people who used to buy value go to?

Media doing what media does - promoting fear and increasing our insecurities to get clicks and sell newspapers. They want us to think we’re a homogeneous group, looking for yellow labels in supermarkets and reducing our hair appointments etc but the truth is complex and with some people more positive. Nobody wants to read about people having more disposable income these days, or the restaurant owner whose establishment is full or almost full seven days a week.