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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be absolutely sick of hearing about the cost of living crisis

883 replies

Katypp · 22/05/2026 08:59

I surely can't be the only person sick to death of hearing about the cost of living crisis?
I am tired of reporters interviewing middle-class (usually) mothers inside paid activities such as soft play and hearing them moan about how they are struggling to make ends meet.
Have we completely lost the ability to cut our cloth according to our means or does 'struggling' now mean carrying on spending as usual then complaining when there's no money left?
There have never been as many massive new cars on the road, towns are full of hairdressers, nail bars, brow bars, tanning salons, soft play, play cafes, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, dog groomers, most of which didn't exist 25 years ago and are probably the recipients of the money of the families who say they can't keep up with spiralling costs.
Yes, some families will have been hard up before prices started to go up and will have nothing else to cut back on. They have my sympathy.
But i am utterly fed up of hearing how hard households ars being hit by the cost of living crisis when all that's needed is a few minor cutbacks which they don't want to make.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
ForWittyTealOP · Today 12:24

Apprentice26 · Today 10:18

Absolute nonsense to suggest most people with little children worked in the mid nineties to 2000’s
My daughter had to go to Nursery briefly during that period so that we could play the game to buy a house for two times my income as a single mother.
She was literally the only baby in the baby room. Part of the reason I stopped working and took her out was because she had to be in with the big one and two-year-olds also a combined room because there wasn’t enough children to justify the staff being employed.

I had my oldest in 2004, my sister had a baby in 2002. It was unthinkable that you'd give up your job. Even if you could have afforded it, why would you? The Labour government had brought in tax credits so you'd be better off in work anyway. Women didn't have that mindset, not in early 2000s London anyway. None of my friends wanted to rely on a man.

StrictlyCoffee · Today 12:44

Wonderfrau · Yesterday 13:15

It is a myth that 25 years ago many families still had only one parent working. Maybe this was the case in the 1950s?

By 1970, stats suggest around 55% of women worked.

There has been a rise in the number of families with mothers working. Some stats suggest around 66% of mother were working in 2000, compared to around 75% now. An increase but perhaps not as significant as is often suggested here, where younger posters seem to think they are the first generation to work full time and that none of their peers work part-time whilst raising families.

The number of women working part time has remained fairly constant since the 1960s.

I’m frustrated to keep reading how easy it was to buy a house and raise a family in one wage only 25 years ago. That is total nonsense and spouted in ignorance. The statistics show it might have been slightly easier, but the younger generation are ill informed to apply such a swathing generalisation. There were some people who achieved this (34%) if the single wage was sufficient. That is true today also (25%). But the majority worked. Recognising this might make you feel slightly less dissatisfied.

I totally agree

We bought our first house in 2000 and yes it was cheap by today’s standards but wages were a lot lower and interest rates were also higher. I think our first mortgage rate was 6.59%.

And everyone I know in my peer group has worked after having kids. Maybe part time but SAHMs were the exception not the rules. I had my kids in 2006 and 2008. When I had my first there was only 26 weeks statutory maternity pay.

The boom times people are thinking of were the 80s, not the 2000s. The biggest impact has been the increase in the equity in our house. Our current house we bought for £185k in 2008 and it’s now worth around £250k, so not a particularly stellar increase.

Life is easier once kids are bigger. I’m in my 50s now and the irony is not lost on me that when we needed the money we have now we didn’t have it and were broke

Thechaseison71 · Today 13:09

Harry12345 · Today 12:14

No not in a big house at all. I pay council tax, virgin media, kids gym, my gym, dog insurance, mine and kids phones, put a few hundred into savings for Xmas, I’m left with a £1000 per month and most of that goes on food shop and petrol. My partner pays the mortgage and cars and paying up our kitchen that was needing done as falling apart

Well that's hardly " short" after all.tbe luxuries you pay for is it.

Thechaseison71 · Today 13:18

StrictlyCoffee · Today 12:44

I totally agree

We bought our first house in 2000 and yes it was cheap by today’s standards but wages were a lot lower and interest rates were also higher. I think our first mortgage rate was 6.59%.

And everyone I know in my peer group has worked after having kids. Maybe part time but SAHMs were the exception not the rules. I had my kids in 2006 and 2008. When I had my first there was only 26 weeks statutory maternity pay.

The boom times people are thinking of were the 80s, not the 2000s. The biggest impact has been the increase in the equity in our house. Our current house we bought for £185k in 2008 and it’s now worth around £250k, so not a particularly stellar increase.

Life is easier once kids are bigger. I’m in my 50s now and the irony is not lost on me that when we needed the money we have now we didn’t have it and were broke

I'm also in my 50s Kids born 1991 and 1995 ( eldest 2) Bought flat in early 1993 on an 11k income. 33k mortgage which was at 6%

No tax credits towards nursery fees either. 16 weeks maternity leave I think with elsest

Differentforgirls · Today 13:20

Thechaseison71 · Today 13:18

I'm also in my 50s Kids born 1991 and 1995 ( eldest 2) Bought flat in early 1993 on an 11k income. 33k mortgage which was at 6%

No tax credits towards nursery fees either. 16 weeks maternity leave I think with elsest

Edited

That's when mine were born!

Harry12345 · Today 13:36

Thechaseison71 · Today 13:09

Well that's hardly " short" after all.tbe luxuries you pay for is it.

I didn’t say it was, my point is after 6 years studying and in a highly stressful job I should be able to afford the gym and a holiday or else what is the point? 10 years ago someone with my wage was probably well off, me not so much now with the cost of living. I’m not struggling the way others are I know that but I’m hardly rolling in it just because I earn 45000

JHound · Today 13:36

YABMU.

Some people actually want a nice life and not just to “survive”.

Sweepyed · Today 13:47

Its a weird situation where it is both true and not true.

It is now hugely more expensive to just pay bills that pre covid/iran/ukraine
just those 6 years ago we could go to zoos/cinema or go buy clothes and yes it added up but within 1 wage (with no housong costs)

but there are reasons why its not affecting all of us

some have lower council tax or live alone
have a log burner or solar panels
dont pay tv license
not paying for school bus or school dinners
getting loads of UC
their kids may not be fussy eaters

whereas some will be paying off own student loan while supposed save for kids uni.
drinkers vs smokers vs vaping vs overeating
how much you have to use car so fuel or bus vs train costs
others inheriting lots.

in 6 years our last car was 3k say but the replacement similar age when bought was at least 4-5k more!i

kids costs
500 a year on school lunch per child
up to 500 a year on school trip each
15 a month on scouts
28 a month swimming

But our local zoo is 75 for 4
Longleat in about 200

older people by comparison ar ent generally eating much so lower food costs and transport but also probably have nt upped kods birthday peesent money since i was young 30 years ago i got £30 for birthday from aunt. So should be about 100 now..
likewise cbild benfit is only 20 a.week. Whag exactly could you get for that. 1k a year for eldest. That may just pay school dinners and trip.
at minimum you would spend 50 xmas and 50 birthdays

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