Cost of living....struggles....rubbish!

[IwishIcouldconfess]

Been into Manchester today.

I'll be honest, shops full, restaurants full, pub's standing room only.

I thought as a country we were in a cost of living crisis, not in Manchester, the amount of cocktails, bottles of wine i saw being knocked back today made me wonder, ate things really as bad as as the narrative we're being sold?

Yes, because the people who do have money still go out and spend their money.

We aren't struggling at all. Yes bills and costs are up. But we have enough money for bills and still plenty to spend on extras and fun stuff.

Some struggle some dont, some struggle more than others, and some just get by just fine.

I dont struggle like a lot of folk im single live alone my cost are low, and there is others that are the same as me but are struggling.

When im out yes i buy coffees and have a mooch around treat my self to things.
But its not because im rich i get by on what i get.
What helps me is i have no kids, live alone, no pets, no car no subcriptions coming out my bank.

I pay my bills, do my food shop, save the rest and give myself pocket money for me (sad i know but it works for me) I either spend that allowance or save it till next month.

You’re still not really getting it. You could go out every single day and it be busy, and that still doesn’t mean that there’s no Coal crisis. Because it’s still only the people who aren’t struggling who are out, and the ones who are struggling aren’t in the bars.
A CoL crisis doesn’t mean that everyone is struggling. Bars being busy doesn’t mean that everyone is in a bar.

After housing costs, the average pensioner has more disposable income than a working age person earnimg the average income of £37k/year.

Pensioners are far better off than the working population. Specially the young, who at this point are very broke.

That's nice, dear.

What's the relevance to OPs question?

Not everyone is struggling. I mean I am (on a tight budget) but my ex isn’t, he can afford any treats or extravagances he wants 🫤

I assume you have very different jobs?

For all you know she's a millionaire who forgot a few things and had to go back!

Really glad you didn't say anything

You are very out of touch. Yes some people are skipping meals so their kids can eat.

Lets look at the figures shall we? In 2010 there were about 35 food banks source is the Trussel Trust. And that figure thanks to the Conservatives has gone up to around 1200 food banks due to their austerity measures.

Never before has there been such disparity between income and wealth in the country thanks to the Tories. We have 10 % of the population owning 43% of the wealth in this country. 10% owning almost half. No wonder Reform and the Tories are keen to tell us it’s the immigrants causing all the issues and not the wealthiest who we all have to now compete with for housing, food and other resources.

I spent over £70 on dinner yesterday. We have a high income, lots of savings and a few property investments. We're doing okay thankfully.

Exactly this. There are people in the UK who are really struggling, they're just not out drinking cocktails.

If you actually have to ask if there are “properly starving” people in the uk then you’ve lived a very fortunate/sheltered existence. Thousands of kids everyday are going to school hungry and the free lunch they have at school is the only meal they eat. Parents all over the country are having to skip meals so they can afford to feed their children.

A lot of people will have been paid today.

I think you should go and talk to people at your local food banks if you don’t believe some people are struggling.

I have seen various threads on here from people who are working full time but are skipping meals so they can pay their bills.

Well it’s the end of a very long January and probably most have been paid. They may have a blowout a couple of times a month. Not every day.

Also most people that are struggling, well they aren’t out drinking cocktails or wine in a city centre are they? They are home trying to heat their houses etc . I work in an area of Gtr Manc that has plenty of poverty and families struggling and col is very real.

Yes, very, very different (I’m minimum wage as I was a sahm for many years, he is top tier in his industry). Can be quite jarring at times.

Perhaps OP wasn't fully clear in her point - my opinion is that they're saying there is a COL but not everyone is being affected. They did question:

ate things really as bad as as the narrative we're being sold?

And my answer is no, not for everyone. The media don't run articles on people who're doing fine these days and not at all struggling financially because they know people tend not to read those kind of articles. The media wants to stoke fear in us to get us to click on the COL articles, which implicitly suggest we're all sailing down shit creek, or will be soon. Just the way the media works.

Do you receive spousal/child maintenance from him?

OP goes out and sees other people going out, spending money, and then deduces that 'everyone' else is doing the same.

Seems part of the 'human condition' - to think that the rest of humanity in their local environs is doing the same as them. Twas ever thus.

And if they can't it must be a failing of theirs. For a start, not everyone who can afford to go 'out' actually wants to and many people who wish/want to can't afford to.

What a daft measure of how the 'economy' is doing.

@IwishIcouldconfess Has it occurred to you OP that the people you are seeing spending excessively are a minority, and that the average person is struggling?

It’s pay day weekend after January.

@Crystalovertherainbow people always buy their alcohol and drugs first ...this is why there is cost of living crisis.

Amazing that you were able to conclude that my financial struggles are due to alcohol and drugs, even though I am a teetotal and I don't take any illegal drugs.

Not true. Our gdp is better than most G7 countries. Last year we were second to USA.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1370599/g7-country-gdp-growth/

I live in Manchester and at night, it's defo much quieter than it used to be. Prices are just plainly ridiculous tbh and a lot of restaurants are closing.

I also just got back from Center Parcs - 1/4 full restaurants there in the evening too. £18 for a handful of pasta is not sustainable.

The media wants to stoke fear in us to get us to click on the COL articles, which implicitly suggest we're all sailing down shit creek, or will be soon

We all know our own circumstances though don’t we? I know I’m not sailing down shit creek. We are financially secure, with savings. Reading an article in the DM about CoL isn’t going to suddenly make me think I’m about to be on the breadline.
I know that other people are struggling though.