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

[Katypp]

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.

Because they may be better off. Lower wages can mean higher benefits than the wages lost, lower costs because they become qualifying for rent/council tax support, free prescriptions, free childcare or less need for paid childcare, less commuting costs, etc etc. It's really not hard to see how, when you consider ALL factors, people make the choice to work less IF they end up better off, all things considered. It's exactly these behaviour factors that politicians/civil servants etc simply don't understand. They're too blinkered into looking into just one aspect and don't consider all the other aspects, whereas your single mother has to do whatever it takes to survive financially in the short term.

Well, i'm sorry to tell you that money spent on SENDs (plus the benefits it opens up once a diagnosis given) and free childcare for higher tax paying families, is most definitely money the state can ill afford.

If we want growth, then we need to support our own industries, not give work to other countries industry.

The MP for the area has just been told that Falmouth yard scored highest on technical quality.... yet it went to the Danes on cost alone, so expect it to be back in 'dock very shortly..

just flown out on holiday this morning, airport rammed with massive queues. My husband remarked I thought there was supposed to be a cost of living crisis!

Perhaps people are thinking "we might not be able to fly next year because of Trump, so better go while we can". I thought we were supposed to be cowering at home and never flying, 'cos climate change, innit. My heart bleeds for Greta Thunberg.

Interest rates are still at stupid lows, we need a few hikes for people to get spooked. US jobs report today, double the estimates, bond yields off to the races.

How on earth do you afford that?

No mortgage, no tv and related packages. Phone is £7.90 a month. Don't waste loads of money on expensive clothes and " stuff"

So average about 1400 a month. Council tax £125, gas electric £•55 water £25.

Car insurance averages out at £30 a month. Tax is £20 a year. Fuel £200.

Total of bills and car is £ 235. Leaving £1165 for food, social and travel savings

What about housing costs? Rent or mortgage; for many people that’s their biggest outgoing?

Long since paid off thanks

Well done! That’s great!

and it also explains why you are able to go on 6 weeks of holidays per year

Nail on the head there. Housing costs are the biggest cost and the biggest factor as to whether someone is "living" or merely "existing" these days. It does create a polarised society where one extreme are people really struggling due to having to pay insanely high rent or mortgages and the other extreme, people are living well on relatively low incomes because they don't have mortgage or rent to pay.

Housing costs have never been higher in proportion to wages and the situation continues to get worse as wage rises continue to lag behind inflation and have done for about 20+ years.

Its not wages lagging behind inflation (which they have) its the exponential rise in housing costs that no amount of wage rises could possibly have kept pace with.
UK pop. was 62m in 2010, it is now 70m.

Almost all immigration, yet have we built 8m houses over that period? no, about 2m, at most.

Supply and demand.

Yes I was working from 16 and paying off a mortgage from 21.

However I didn't have money in my 20s for fashion, holidays out on the uss etc so hence now is my reward time

And that’s fantastic! I hope that when I’m your age I’ll be in the same position too.

but my point is that 6 weeks of holidays a year when someone is earning only £20k is not a reasonable expectation for most people. You are in the very fortunate (and hard earned!) position of no longer needing to pay for housing, but many people aren’t

I also wouldn't have been if I spent my life wanting " bigger and better" like so many do. How many times do I read on here about how people can't possible manage with one bathroom, or kids need loads of space to have mates over, or must have a " guest room " sort of stuff. But many of my mid 50s friends are also mortgage free now. Not that unusual in the age group if you haven't kept buying bigger places.

And the trips I take aren't expensive. Never more than £10 a night in accomodations, eat street foods , use public transport etc.. so that 6 weeks probably costs me not any more than people paying 2k for a fortnight

Where are you managing to pay less than £10 a night in accommodation? Where do you tend to go on your holidays?

just realised I sound like I’m giving the 3d degree: I’m just looking for inspiration

These numbers don't add up do they?
"Leaving £1165 for.."
What amount are you starting with and ending with each month?

Have you mistyped or are you just making this up?

Ooh for under £10 a night accomodation look at Thailand ( apart from expensive slands) Cambodia, India, bali, Vietnam Laos

Yeah correct looks like an error. Probably left fuel out

Money in £1400
Minus

Council tax. £125
Electric/gas £55
Water £25
Car insurance £30
Fuel £200
Phone £7.90
Car tax £2.10

So that leaves £955 each month for food and any other expenses, savings etc

Thanks for clarifying.
Does kind of look doable especially if you are single with a lowish food bill.