Everything has gone up

[coulditbeme2323]

Had a great weekend (one night) as family of five in London.

Just dawned on me paying the CC bill last night how expensive things have got.

Now London has never been cheap, but I think it cost us probably double what it would pre COVID and that was only 6 years ago.

We were only there 36 hours, and it cost quite a bit of money - not that I regret it.

We live in Cornwall and we are so far from the rest of the UK. We've really noticed how much it costs to escape the county and visit London / Bristol. Or even drive up to any decent airport.

We fancied eating out for breakfast the other day but it's £15 per person for food and then another £5 for a drink. Simply can't afford it anymore!

I really miss visiting London for the weekend but I think if I costed it up we could almost pay for a week in Europe instead. (I won't cost it up, I don't want to depress myself any further!)

Well this kind of proves why people apparently are financially struggling the world's full of idiots.

Anytime anybody on MN talks about prices rising on anything other than Aldi baked beans or water it's "goady"

This is not a woe is me post, but it's ok to talk about things going up that aren't essentials.

I think it's okay to have a treat.

I wouldn't call them idiots to be honest.

£20 for a slice of cake? I feel silly posting on this thread now.

also really craving cheesecake

You have to eat it with biscuits rather than a spoon!

I would and there is a difference between a treat and being completely ripped of. They certainly saw you coming

Fair enough, seems a bit rude to me.

I enjoyed it.

Things like food and drink (both out and in terms of weekly shopping, but especially eating out) have gone up unbelievably. Hotels are incredibly pricey.

I was bemoaning this about a specific trip (a necessary trip!) and my friend pointed out what I’d noticed over the past few years but had mentally thought was some how my fault for doing in wrong in some way - that the price of any kind of overnight stay has shot up!

I used to think if a room cost £100 a night that was a fancy room, and now you’re lucky to get this in very ordinary and even quite “budget” places, such as premier inn. Now I like a premier inn as much as the next person, but it’s definitely gone up so as to not really be budget any more.

No, if you just spoke about rising costs of course that wouldn't be goady.

But baging on about paying that much money for the best cheesecake and trying to imply everyone would pay it, coupled.with your comments of how you didn't even notice the costs because you are fortunate enough not to have to look at them.... now that's GOADY

Where did you get this cheesecake? Genuinely interested. Was it a posh Michelin star place or just a cafe. We were in Covent garden a few weeks ago and paid £9 for cake, thought that was bad. Never again.

https://www.hotelcaferoyal.com/eat-drink/cakes-bubbles/

Nah you are right. Mostly I have to budget for any type of trip out, even to the farm, tickets be £60 and then lunch almost as much.

I took my kids on a one off, no counting pennies trip to london when my son really wanted to see the Big Ben. Cost me almost £800 adding in train fares, pub drinks (w/e people!) lunch served on those menus with either no prices or teeny tiny (18) (21) in the corners.

It was a great time. But I do know a few years back I'd of gone to london for a weekend and stayed over for less than that.

I think the “tap, tap, tap” is an issue though. I mean businesses didn’t adopt contactless for our convenience, they knew it would make some people spend unwisely

You do have to make a conscious effort to remember it’s real money as much as signing your name used to be, or using cash/ a cheque.

Agreed, that and Apple pay etc.

Thanks for clarifying OP. 3 Michelin star chef is able to command £19 for cheesecake. People obviously willing to pay hence the queue.

I agree about “tap tap tap”. In the old days I took a purse of cash and when it was gone I had to go home!

I never use credit cards when I’m out (or on PayPal etc) for that reason. Only for spending I’ve really thought about!

Travel is so expensive too. Train is alright off peak with a family rail card , but then you pay to park at the station

Kids free on a Sunday though, which I didn't know!

That's not just 'cheesecake' though. I'm sure it was amazing but the price is not an illustration of the increased CoL, you're mainly paying for the artistry and provenance of eating at an Albert Adria restaurant. I'd pay that for the 'affordable luxury' experience even though I'd think twice about paying the same for a meal in a chain restaurant where you're effectively getting a ready meal or something you can make at home yourself with little effort like steak. And thanks OP, now I know about it, it's on my list for the next time I go to London.

I can't explain how good it was, I have had plenty of cheesecakes in my life - but this was something else.

And the tap tap tap is what’s putting millions of people in debt . It’s a trap for those that have no control.

I do agree the cheesecake is not an example of the COL - I think it was probably unwise to mention that!

I agree, it's almost not "real."

Have to pawn the family silver to have a weekend in London these days. I always begrudge paying the prices in London, hence I rarely go there.

And the more time we spend addicted to phones with lots of instant dopamine hits, the less control people have over their spending! As people want the dopamine hits when they’re out and about too.