Discontent #10 food, energy, transport, cost of living, society etc

[265]

Welcome to #10.

Previous thread - https://tattle.life/threads/discont...port-cost-of-living-society-etc.34631/page-50

Carry on.

Oh and did you know your hot water bottles are suppose to be thrown away every 3 years??
Heard this on the TV this morning (morning live). On the newer water bottles there is a petal
design with a number in the middle telling you the year it was made.

 

[rainbowlemon]

I also told my mother this after someone else mentioned it here. Check for damage before filling it too.

 

[Lalla]

Following on from the last thread and the point about it being your outgoings as much as your salary which are relevant, this is so true.

My ex lives in a lovely part of the UK where house prices are still relatively affordable - he rents a 2 bed house (which would be fine for a couple or even a young family) for under £600 which seems cheap compared to prices in London. And he manages with that despite relatively low earnings. However the social housing rents for somewhere similar are around £400 or less.

But really that's what houses should cost. Not the nonsense we have where I live, on the outskirts of London where whole blocks of flats are being built and the cheapest is £350k. I still don't know who is buying all these expensive properties. The only young people I know locally who have bought a home had it either bought outright by parents or got a £100k inheritance.

 

[Folkevermore]

I think people are very quick to judge when people are struggling on higher incomes, but definitely don’t take housing into account.
My salary is £45k, but I work in London and I have to live in a commutable distance and factor in commuting costs.
I still live in the town I grew up in, which is an hour away from London by train. Because it’s in commuting distance, prices have risen a lot over the pandemic when people moved out of the city.
A lot of people would laugh at the idea that I’m not super well off on my salary, but when my mortgage is over £1500 a month, my disposable income isn’t that high.
There’s also tons of people who just say “move up north”, but I would have to leave behind my job, friends, family and everything I’ve known my whole life behind.

 

[rosemarina]

@I_Like_Tractors I feel bad recommending my blanket because it cost me £45 in the summer but now they’re selling for £75 plus, but it’s a Monhouse Heated Throw (mine was from Amazon).

 

[I_Like_Tractors]

@I_Like_Tractors I feel bad recommending my blanket because it cost me £45 in the summer but now they’re selling for £75 plus, but it’s a Monhouse Heated Throw (mine was from Amazon).

Thank you (that is a crazy jump!! Reminds me of when everyone was profiteering during the pandemic) I'll keep an eye on it

 

[Jc456]

Mines £17k, after rent I've got £800 a month for food and bills. It's comfortable but getting a bit tighter with prices going up. My girls do 2x dance lessons, swimming etc so I could cut back if needed

 

[rosemarina]

I know, it gives you such a grim view of people. I felt like such a tit ordering it during a heatwave, but I had a feeling the price gouging would start soon. Maybe there’ll be a Boxing Day sale?

 

[rainbowlemon]

@I_Like_Tractors I feel bad recommending my blanket because it cost me £45 in the summer but now they’re selling for £75 plus, but it’s a Monhouse Heated Throw (mine was from Amazon).

I had a look there’s also this price in their owtwebsite and wayfair also have other brands.

Wayfair.co.uk - Shop Furniture, Lighting, Homeware & More Online | Wayfair.co.uk

Shop Wayfair.co.uk for A Zillion Things Home across all styles and budgets. 5,000 brands of furniture, lighting, cookware, and more.

www.wayfair.co.uk

 

[Anne1448]

The rent conversation is quite interesting.

I earn 2500€ in Ireland which sounds like a lot of money but my rent is 895€. I was only able to get this rental because I got a deal in the middle of Covid. If I had to pay the real rent it would be 1800€ per month.

Now I am part of the people who can’t move because every rental around me is insane. I looked at housing in the Midlands but I would be by myself which is extremely dangerous for a woman.

 

[Yel]

I wonder if the strikes will continue like this come January?

The real change needed is a long term roadmap to fix the structural problems that have built up for decades. But with the government just in power for about 2 years they're in no position, they'll want to carry on kicking it down the road for the next government to deal with.

 

[Lalla]

The rent conversation is quite interesting.

I earn 2500€ in Ireland which sounds like a lot of money but my rent is 895€. I was only able to get this rental because I got a deal in the middle of Covid. If I had to pay the real rent it would be 1800€ per month.

Now I am part of the people who can’t move because every rental around me is insane. I looked at housing in the Midlands but I would be by myself which is extremely dangerous for a woman.

Obviously there are some parts of the Midlands that are worse than others but I'd say on the whole it's pretty safe, I wouldn't feel concerned living there (speaking as a single woman). Places like Solihull and Sutton Coldfield are nice, ditto Worcester, Bromsgrove etc or pretty much anywhere in Shropshire (maybe apart from some of the rougher parts of Telford) you should be fine.

That said, some random on the internet telling you somewhere is perfectly safe isn't the same as you feeling safe there, and relocating on your own to an unfamiliar area is a tough thing to do, even if it brings financial benefits.

 

[wideopenspace]

I can't see how people can afford to continually strike. In my view it will be the better paid striking so teachers and nurses not the HCA's and TA's who are the worst off.

I agree with others about housing costs that need to be sorted. I'm not sure what the answer is as rent caps would cause landlords to sell and no council or housing association seems to have the appetite or funds to building housing at the rate required.

 

[hol20x]

I can't see how people can afford to continually strike. In my view it will be the better paid striking so teachers and nurses not the HCA's and TA's who are the worst off.

I agree with others about housing costs that need to be sorted. I'm not sure what the answer is as rent caps would cause landlords to sell and no council or housing association seems to have the appetite or funds to building housing at the rate required.

My dad is a postie and he can't afford to strike but he feels he has to. It works out roughly one strike day a week cos sometimes they fall on his day off (Royal Mail pay weekly). Fair play to them for keeping it up but it's getting them nowhere!

On another note thank you to the person who mentioned the Biscuit pet care app, so handy to earn vouchers just for walking the dog!

 

[ElektraWintour]

I’m in the south east so only now have the temperatures dropped really and this time last year I would have thought nothing of sticking the heating on while working from home. Instead I’ve just put my snuddie and fingerless gloves on.

 

[Lalla]

I’m in the south east so only now have the temperatures dropped really and this time last year I would have thought nothing of sticking the heating on while working from home. Instead I’ve just put my snuddie and fingerless gloves on.

I'm also South East and it is bloody chilly today, there was frost on all the cars this morning and having been for a walk at lunch some cars are still frost covered now.

There is not much point putting our heating on as it never really warms the house (we don't have enough radiators and those we do are too small/ in the wrong place). I let my sons put it on yesterday but it made very little difference so I've switched it off again now!
I did also put the fire on in the lounge for about an hour on Tues but it's too expensive to have on all the time.

 

[Louby@21]

November was very chilly in points where I am. It’s been freezing last couple of weeks or so it feels like. Temps regularly lower than 10 degrees and even less overnight. It was minus 3 this morning and -2 last night when we went to bed. The heating was on in November for odd hours but we’ve it on more now but at 16/17 with the odd boost higher. Costing a fortune but I tried the no heating thing and we got mould on the bedroom ceiling! Despite ventilating etc. the house needs heat too.

 

[Anne1448]

Obviously there are some parts of the Midlands that are worse than others but I'd say on the whole it's pretty safe, I wouldn't feel concerned living there (speaking as a single woman). Places like Solihull and Sutton Coldfield are nice, ditto Worcester, Bromsgrove etc or pretty much anywhere in Shropshire (maybe apart from some of the rougher parts of Telford) you should be fine.

That said, some random on the internet telling you somewhere is perfectly safe isn't the same as you feeling safe there, and relocating on your own to an unfamiliar area is a tough thing to do, even if it brings financial benefits.

I don't know which Midlands you are referring to but the Irish Midlands can be unsafe for a woman due to the emptiness.

Counties such as Offaly or Longford have such a low population density that you can be by yourself for days. Drug related violence are quite high as well.

 

[Blonde_moment]

I’ve had my heating on 19 (sometimes 20) throughout November pretty much every day, all day, as I work from home and it has been colder. I had my bill from Ovo this week. It cost me £33 more for November than October, when I had the heating on much less. I live in a 2 bed bungalow. I don’t think that’s too bad and it’s always more in the winter months.

 

[Burrito88]

I can't see how people can afford to continually strike. In my view it will be the better paid striking so teachers and nurses not the HCA's and TA's who are the worst off.

I agree with others about housing costs that need to be sorted. I'm not sure what the answer is as rent caps would cause landlords to sell and no council or housing association seems to have the appetite or funds to building housing at the rate required.

My union has a strike fund to support those out on strike. Grey are increasing the monthly fees from January to generate more funds.