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?

There have been LOADS of January deals at restaurants so I think probably people have been taking advantage of those, I know we have; went to the Metrocentre with DD on Thursday and it was reasonably busy but the hairdresser seemed to think it was mostly people coming for the meal deals.
We found the very quiet bowling alley had a deal of 2 games of bowling and a drink for £13.95 per head til the end of January so we did that. Went to Big Lukes 'All you can eat' restaurant for £9.99 each.
Also in January we have done the Chiquito 50% off deal so treated ourselves to dessert/coffee there which we wouldn't normally do and we claimed a free main at Bella Italia (that was a birthday deal tho) when we went to London early January.
DD works at a soft play and that has been rammed every weekend in January. Probably because it's nev er stopped raining in January til today (and it's started again).
Some people are spending some money.
For years I had nothing, especially when the kids were little, but circumstances change for everyone

I believe in personal responsibility

Deflections are not allowed. No.

Which is precisely what you did.

Stick to the facts on a thread about the Cost of Living crisis in 2026.

Save you historical side stories for another thread as they are not germane to this specific thread.

The places you see are full, because the empty ones went bust and closed down.

There are no full ones in the areas where everyone is poor.

It’s not necessarily a true reflection, it’s been a long month, what were things like in previous weekends before pay day. People might be cutting back in other areas. I have massively cut back on take aways & meals out. I still go out for the odd meal.

Those pensioners were broke when they were young. Young people, are always broke. They earn the least and have accrued nothing. After 50 years of working most people have generated some assets, savings and pension

Lol not for today’s young!

Not forgetting their nails and eyebrow tints as well 🤣

Yeah these are really good points.

London is visibly less well off than when I moved here 20 years ago - but fair to say Manchester is in a MUCH better place than it was. That will have tricked into the economy too.

Birmingham, meanwhile, is in an absolute state.

I live in Manchester. It’s a city of extremes really, the rich footballers and the underprivileged.

One in four are also young people and many are students, so town is lively as most of the young ones don’t have the same level of financial responsibility. A lot of the students are not local and are well off. I see the East Asian students with designer clothes, bags etc so they obviously have plenty of spare cash.

I certainly don’t go out eating and drinking every weekend even though we are on decent salaries but that’s because we have teenagers and a young person at university so our cash is going elsewhere. We are also saving up for a full bathroom refurbishment which is not fun or sexy but, sadly, necessary.

I so agree. It's irritating that all pensioners are lumped together as affluent. I know a few young couples who have an exceptionally affluent lifestyle but I'm not naive enough to think this applies to all young families. Everyone's circumstances are unique.

Ultimately your life, income and expenses are down to you

Manchester is thriving as well, it’s full of young people, attracting them and fewer of them are leaving so it will have a buzz

Pensioners who were broke or hard up when they were young did without things they couldn't afford or could manage without, they usually started life with tatty old hand-me-down furniture etc. I know that granny-bashing is acceptable for many on MN but it really isn't as simplistic as portrayed.

Do You police all conversations in this way? You must be fun on a night out. No wandering off girls we were talking about ME.

I live in Brighton rarely go out anywhere as exhausted midlifer. In mid 90’s when I moved here until about 8 years ago everywhere would be packed Thursday-Saturday at least. Went out last month to theatre on Sat night some young peoples pubs were busy but city was dead quiet at 11pm on Saturday night, absolutely unprecedented in earlier years. Young people in my eldest late 20’s group don’t go out a lot like we used to they can’t afford it. Maybe area of country is relevant to, my son now lives in Manchester because it’s infinitely cheaper and easier to have a life there rather than London or Brighton where many peoples income only covers rent or mortgage, cost of living in London Brighton Bristol Oxford and Cambridge is exponentially more expensive than the entire rest of the country and nobody outside of London is getting paid more. The impacts absolutely show up in social spending. (Taught economics & politics for decades this is fact)

A minority of pensioners are affluent. Most pensioners money is tied up in the house they bought and paid for and live in.

Having money tied up in house doesn’t mean you are poor 🙄

Agreed. Also I’m not sure why the PP started on pensioners as I’m sure it’s not them filling the bars and clubs of Manchester

Provided that you had the good sense to choose prosperous parents and get a good education, and a life without severe downfalls.

How do you do that?

It does mean you would feel the COL though.

Odfod

There are multiple factors impacting shifts in consumer spending.

There is a growing divide between those with and those without money. Those with are not feeling the pain nearly as much. Not only are they able to absorb the day to day increases like food and utilities more easily, they may have investments that are growing well.

there is also a shift to small luxuries. Not everyone is living in abject poverty. Things are tighter, absolutely. People can’t afford a big holiday or a big purchase anymore. What they can afford is a small treat occasionally. A bottle of wine, a meal, a video game, or some makeup are attainable luxuries. These might have been casual purchases before, but now they are the things we reward ourselves with. Spending is actually increasing in some of these areas.

area of country is relevant to, my son now lives in Manchester because it’s infinitely cheaper and easier to have a life there rather than London or Brighton where many peoples income only covers rent or mortgage, cost of living in London Brighton Bristol Oxford and Cambridge is exponentially more expensive than the entire rest of the country and nobody outside of London is getting paid more.

Manchester is pretty unique in that it has a London lifestyle offer but much cheaper living costs although that will change.

Interesting London is the only major city getting older.

@Hellohelga no it doesn’t, it means you may feel it. Assets give you options.

I am retired. My house was paid for long ago. Would have more spare money if I was paying rent?