to think that VAT on food might not be a bad thing?

[NotAfraidOfTheBudget]

It probably wont happen, I know, but if it did, would it really be so bad?

Lots of foods already incur standard rate VAT (all of them are processed and the sorts of things we should only have occasionally), now the govt has thought about applying a ~5% VAT on everything else.

AIBU to think that if food cost more, then we might start respecting it more? It has become a disposable commodity for a lot of people, who buy more than they need, throw away a lot, and buy into all the advertising/brand names/pester power, etc. Basic foodstuffs (ie non-processed, plain fruit, veg, meat, fish) is what sustains a race of people. Crisps, ready meals, fizzy drinks, biscuits and cakes should be considered the luxuries. If you are on a lower income, you probably wouldnt buy a foreign holiday, a brand new car, new dvds every week. So why should food luxuries be seen as an automatic right?

For a family on an 'average' (according to the govt) income, adding VAT to all foods will cost around £20 a week. And will bring in a huge revenue to set against our massive budget deficit. You at least then have the choice of cutting your food budget (fewer luxury foods) or accepting it and resign yourself to spending less on going out/booze/lottery/Sky TV/whatever.

Am I also BU in thinking (hoping) that more expensive food might just get people back into cooking real meals rather than relying on the salt-laden, transfat-saturated, convenience meals?

To whoever wanted to feed 4 people for a pound:

Bag of pasta (variable cost, but even in waitrose you can buy for 60p)
Tin of tomatoes (value range if necessary)
Couple of carrots/whatever get is on offer that week

Bobs your uncle tbh. And a whole lot nicer than £1 sausages (also worked in a factory...)

Like sancti, I too have to spend ridiculous amounts of money on alternative products as we are gluten and dairy free too. The prices are horrendous, and I can't believe how much I yearn for my poverty stricken student days, when feeding myself on pitiful amounts of mo.et wad dead easy!

In waht way do we pay...

yes there's a toll, the Severn Bridge is between us and family. We have to live ehre for practical reasons, but as they don't drive we have to make the visits.

QS fat doesn't = bad; fat can mean full fat milk for a toddler, food for a ketogenic diet (based alrgely on cream from what I can see) to rpevent epilepsy; most of the things we buy for ds1 (who is seen by an eating disorders clinic)

There's always someone affected by a blanket policy in that way

Whereas I would eprsonally rather see others things go up a bit more- 21%?>- becuase most things can be boughts econd hand or whatever, whislt food cannot be.

Healthy foodstuff is a necessity and should not attract VAT. OP YABU

From www.direct.gov.uk
Food and drink for human consumption is, in general, zero-rated but many items are standard-rated [17.5 per cent], including alcoholic drinks, confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks, food for catering or hot takeaways, ice cream, soft drinks and mineral water.

I am dreading this budget - I could not afford another £20 per week in VAT as we are struggling now. I bet the ConLibs will put standard VAT on books newspapers etc. too. Bastards!

haha silver - we both had a similar post there, except you used the tinned tomatoes and I used the cheesy sauce option.

Baking potatoes are often 4 for 50p in Morrisons too, tin of (value) beans, and some cheese.......another meal under £1

obviously we're talking cuts now and the money simply isn't there for "extras" , but in an ideal world I think those that HAVE to have an alternative diet for medical reasons should get help to fund it.

good and better than sausages but hardly going to get your 5 portions there sadly you add vat onto everything and I think less vegetables to go in meals will be bought by the lower wages.

As you say, blanket policies always affect someone. But maybe they should toll all motorways where there IS a viable alternative choice and actually remove the Severn Bridge toll?

Hmm..VAT on books...here's an interesting take on that

From Raedwald blog:
"Why on earth shouldn't VAT be levied on books? Well, the argument is that VAT is a regressive tax, that the poor would suffer and that it would be unfair. Hang on a minute. Just how many books do the poor buy? Despite books of outstanding quality having been available at dirt-cheap prices for almost two decades, the net book agreement having gone by 1997, the number of books bought by the poorest in society has risen by about zero. Their shelves are filled with DVDs (VAT at 17.5%) and computer games (VAT at 17.5%)."

toccata

it is quite easy (but admittdlymonotonous) to eat for under £1

I discounted the cheese sauce option as I forget it even exists! I'm the only one in the house who can eat it...

Thats actually frightening me ...vat on food.
I have 4 teenagers to feed , 2 small boys with hollow legs and dd4 who needs to be on high calorie diet , preferably and additive free (read costs a fortune).
If the goverment do put vat on food , im taking up poaching ....(thank you dad for teaching me hunting/fishing when i was 7 yrs old- might just come in handy after all.)

and here is his view on food VAT:

"And food, too, should be taxed. Food is so cheap that the recycling mafia is making a whole industry on the basis of the volume that we throw away. People, especially the 'poor', have grown so used to cheap, available food with no preparation that they have forgotten how to cook. A slow-roasted pork belly provides dinner and sandwiches for three days. The cheapest beef shin and skirt transforms into a rich and succulent Goulash after three hours in a slow oven. And once you can make a simple roux, then every pasta sauce you care to create is yours for pence, incorporating whatever scraps and left-overs you have in the fridge."

I'm strangely caught up on the sausage thing...

when we have sausages (with mash and normally 3 veg) we have a 9 between us, there are 6 of us

I buy sausages that come in packs of 6, so 2 packs gives 32 leftover which then get used (sliced very thinly) as the meat in a pasta dish the next night

So 12 sausages do 2 meals for 6 people (2 adults, then children of 12, 10, 5 and 2).

and you're going get your 5 portions from £1 sausages and waffles??

I presume you're talking about 5 portions of fruit/veg? In which case they don't all have to be eaten with dinner.

I love summer, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, can have "salad" with everything and anything, and it's cheap too.

if vat goes on food I'd buy more fruit and veg, as it's cheaper to bulk out with that than buy more meat.

slushy - it's certainly at least 1, if not 2 portions of the 5 a day... and it is a hell of a lot closer to it than £1 sausages!

A handful of raisins in breakfast cereal (I buy big bags of them, and use a handful as necessary) - also counts.
honestly, what is your opposition to eating healthily?

toccata - are we channelling each other?!

3 leftover, not 32!

my maths isn't (quite) that bad....

bumpy - I don't think you realise how lucky you are that your children eat so little

9 sausages with mash (well 2 of mine don't like mash so I tend to make wedges, which incidentally I find uses fewer potatoes as well), and 3 veg/extras would just cover my DS's (9,6 and 3!) - but it would mean I went without

"People, especially the 'poor', have grown so used to cheap, available food with no preparation that they have forgotten how to cook."

As many of those who would be most affected by VAT on food have attested on this thread, they do know how to cook.

And those who don't know how to cook, what about them? Are we going to send them to compulsory cookery lessons?

haha I was wondering about the 32 but didn't like to say anything

Silverfrog I am aware that your meal was healthier and I have said so and I didn't say the sausages were healthy, in fact that is my point you put vat on and some people will be forced to eat more unhealthily. I have no opposition to eating healthily (I try my best to ensure my dc do eat healthily without sausages )and that is why I don't think that vat should be added to food, because I think many will then eat junk.

It was also in response to someone saying junk food is more expensive than healthy food which IME is wrong.

Goulash slowed cooked in the oven for 3 hours sounds fab..........I'd be ok with that - but I'm not sure if I was on an electric meter I'd be too keen to having my oven on for such long periods....

Mme - I appear to have forgotten how to cook temporarily - but I'm laying the blame for that squarely on my mind

people on this thread who have said they do not know how to cook have access to the reams of stuff, either on here, or on other recipe sites, explaining exactly what to do.

I don't see why cooking lessons would be needed?

Just to point out that putting vat on will mean more unhealthy food would the meal you suggested not be better with another veg or two added. Which would cost more.

'A slow-roasted pork belly provides dinner and sandwiches for three days' really?

Belly pork has gone up in price per kg in the last 6 mths and a small piece here would not do for 3 days worth of sandwiches after a roast dinner.

A simple roux is all well and good,but you have to be able to afford butter,a pint of milk and flour to just 'whip' it up for a simple sauce.

and what exactly is unhealthy about cheesey pasta with salad???

or baked potatoes, beans/cheese and salad???