Current Affairs Cost of living…

[Brennan]

Production costs may well have risen, but so will cost of raw materials, cost to transport the raw materials, energy costs for manufacturer, costs for the transport to the warehouse, warehousing costs, transport costs from warehouse to DC, DC storage costs, transport from DC to stores, stores energy costs, increased interest costs for all of those providers etc etc etc.

I'm not saying every cent increase is justified, but with that many links in the chain from a potato in the ground to a packet of crisps in your hand, there is a lot more than just production costs which impact the cost of goods. And while the supermarkets don't seem to be doing it very tough, many of the other links will be on very tight margins, so can't absorb any further costs.

Production costs includes raw materials.

 

[WA Toffee]

Production costs includes raw materials.

depends how technical you want to get. I was just pointing out that there are many links in the chain and each of those links will be having increased costs which all get passed along to the consumer.

Unfortunately, as the end consumers, we have no one left to pass our increased costs onto

 

[Rita_Poon]

How would the UK manage if a northern rock type bank bust hit now?

 

[IrishBlue2022]

I've been a yellow label hunter for a while now. Always go to M & S to pick up a few treats and look around for any good deals that can be put in the freezer.

Over the last few visits I've got pork belly strips reduced from £4.50 to £1.50, Sausages reduced from £3.50 to 79p, Gammon steaks from £4.50 to £2 so its definetly worthwhile to do and its good quality food. Just means planning meals a bit better so you know when to defrost them.

Definetly helps with the budgetting while also feeling like you are treating yourself to decent grub.

Following on from this. Just back from M&S and got £32 worth of food for £10.

That included cod fillets, chicken and chorizo empanadas, raspberries/strawberries/blackberries and oranges, big pack of fresh spaghetti nests, walnut and gorgozola raviola, mini sub rolls and a pack of eccles.

Most things can be frozen so always good to get a good haul a week before payday. Helps with trying to save.

 

[Nightman]

The mrs and I a couple of months ago decided to set ourselves a weekly budget of £200 , that is to do our food shop and other expenses like fuel or a night out, it doesn’t cover household bills which we account for separate. What we have found though is that since we know we have a budget we tend to spend less and at the end of the week we are usually left with a bit of money we haven’t spent. If we have £50 left we simply only draw £150 out of the bank for the beginning of the new week and we have our £200 budget once more. By not using our cards to pay for stuff we are saving ourselves a bit of money too. Might not work for everyone and everyone’s budget needs are different but it seems to be working for us.

Must add that every other week I work away for a minimum of 4 days where all my meals are paid for so that saves a bit at home too.

I take the point, but this isn't a world I want to live in or expected to as a child or young adult

 

[Nightman]

£3.40 a pint of lager in my local. Thursdays are £2.50 a pint all day … admittedly this is due to the pub struggling for custom during the week. Have no idea how pubs are surviving these days.

£7.20 a pint in Waterloo when there last week. Pubs were rammed every afternoon from 4.30pm.

I think debt and the bi-product of not being able to re-finance credit is a ticking time bomb. And then we will really see the underbelly of this country.

 

[Rita_Poon]

How would the UK manage if a northern rock type bank bust hit now?

@Nightman

 

[Nightman]

@Nightman

Sod all. Who the hell has £85k in the bank these days lol.

Seriously though, the banks have been purchasing up plenty of housing over the past few years especially. So repossession isn't a dirty word for them anymore.

Oh and rents will increase. Naturally.

 

[Charro]

Can’t get over the interest rates for a mortgage.

I don’t see the point in us trying to buy when renting has now become cheaper.

It is absolutely mad that we’re the lucky ones because our rent only went up £50.

 

[Walken]

The free market fetishists seeing exactly how stupid their warped ideology is.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Can’t get over the interest rates for a mortgage.

I don’t see the point in us trying to buy when renting has now become cheaper.

It is absolutely mad that we’re the lucky ones because our rent only went up £50.

Im currently upsizing but the mortgage amount will be scandalous.

2 year fixed it will be with the hopes of a drop in the rates.

 

[Harryflashman]

Biggest rise in food costs since 1977 , ah well

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Im currently upsizing but the mortgage amount will be scandalous.

2 year fixed it will be with the hopes of a drop in the rates.

Me and the missus planned to move somewhere bigger in the next few years, but we are properly shaking our heads at the asking prices for what are frankly bog standard houses in not amazing areas. We can see some downward movement, but it is not that strong. I think we'll wait - it is more of a want than a need. I must be getting old because when I see a house going for £250k -£300k+ I expect something fairly nice. A quarter million. Stop and think about that. Yet an average 2-3 bed terrace can touch that these days. Wowsers. Inflation is a bugger, huh?

 

[Nightman]

Me and the missus planned to move somewhere bigger in the next few years, but we are properly shaking our heads at the asking prices for what are frankly bog standard houses in not amazing areas. We can see some downward movement, but it is not that strong. I think we'll wait - it is more of a want than a need. I must be getting old because when I see a house going for £250k -£300k+ I expect something fairly nice. A quarter million. Stop and think about that. Yet an average 2-3 bed terrace can touch that these days. Wowsers. Inflation is a bugger, huh?

Capitalism, baby!

Anyone born after 1990 is proper biffed.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Me and the missus planned to move somewhere bigger in the next few years, but we are properly shaking our heads at the asking prices for what are frankly bog standard houses in not amazing areas. We can see some downward movement, but it is not that strong. I think we'll wait - it is more of a want than a need. I must be getting old because when I see a house going for £250k -£300k+ I expect something fairly nice. A quarter million. Stop and think about that. Yet an average 2-3 bed terrace can touch that these days. Wowsers. Inflation is a bugger, huh?

Tbh I wouldn't be looking to move if my fixed deal wasn't ending this October but we're trying for a 2nd kid and could do with a bit more living space as ours is going to start getting cramped in with 2 kids + a bouncy doberman lol

Just going to be a rough 1-2 years until rates drop.