The Winter of Discontent #2 Food, energy, transport, jobs, housing etc

[rainbowlemon]

Rather appropriately last week on 'this week in history' had 1975, Argentina inflation hits 250% with the reporter (a young Martyn Lewis I think it was) telling us it was now cheaper to paper the walls with money...

This seems appropriate too...

 

[Jc456]

Petrol prices in my local area.

View attachment 819720
Prices pre panic buying were:

Unleaded: 129.7p
Diesel: 132.7p

View attachment 819724
Prices pre panic buying were:

Unleaded: 131.8p
Diesel: 134.8p

All people have manage to succeed in unnecessarily doing is to push prices artificially higher. For which we ALL lose out.

I paid 133 before the panic buying! Our tesco has turned off the prices outside so you don't know until you get to the pump

 

[HotesTilaire]

I love a bit of food hoarding but it’s only ever a small buffer isn’t it. Eventually you have to pay the higher prices.

 

[HotesTilaire]

It’s the “free fall” aspect that causes the anxiety, I’ve tripled the amount I’m paying (I was underpaying before to be honest as I was broke) if it goes up again (likely) and goes over £100 per month it will start affecting my “spends” aka money for food, clothes, travel that is left over after bills paid. I know it’s going to be a recession-type period anyway, everyone will be scaling back but it just feels a bit grim and also uncertain. I’ve survived a few previous recessions but they didn’t come with a pandemic.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

These massive organisations already have so much power, if they own all our homes too then we're screwed and I wonder what power that would have over local government too, if housing becomes owned by organisations rather than families.

Could write another essay on this lol but a lot of these new build blocks in London are microcosms of exactly that. I rented in one briefly & I’d say of hundreds of flats less than ten were owner occupiers, it doesn’t make sense to buy them as they’re so poorly constructed and price over inflated & a lot of people that did buy them soon move out as they realise there are serious issues whether it be cladding, noise transfer, over insulation, etc etc (rented my first flat from a bloke who left because of the noise & pollution from a main road and concerns for his kids).

Anyway the last flat I ever rented was supposed to be a desirable block for yuppies in tower hamlets. 90% was owned by one company, probably 5-8% by smaller landlords, of which some had multiple flats. Any time it came to vote for changes that benefitted residents but incurred a cost, they were voted down as it’s not in the majority’s commercial interest. Block management are toothless to punish the big share holders (in essence) because they can vote them out! So things like over crowding, anti social behaviour, pests, etc run rife in those properties as they’re standard neglected flats held by investment companies PLUS there’s no recourse for them. I would honestly describe that block as a slum, it became such a shithole.

 

[Tatooine_legend1]

Morrisons is so expensive. And Sainsburys

Pretty sure Morrisons never used to be particularly expensive. Granted I rarely went there, but when I did, it seemed quite reasonable.

 

[IngressUK]

Being reported today that £6 a pint could become 'the norm' in pubs down South.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16462361/brits-pay-30p-more-pint-cost-shortages-drinkers-pockets/

https://metro.co.uk/2021/10/19/get-...d-as-beer-prices-set-to-rise-by-30p-15445798/

If this does indeed become the case, I'll likely severely cut back on the amount of times I will visit a pub.

Also having been involved with a number of drinks festivals over the years, I've had access to various wholesale lists.

Let's just say that pubs already add quite a healthy margin to drinks prices. Some are now just getting greedy, by stinging customers with prices rises to recoup covid losses more quickly. Although that will backfire on them in many cases, as many will now start to question is going to the pub really worth it.

 

[Tublet83]

Lots of changes happening in london too with money being wasted as usual. In central london they spent 6 million on the marble arch mound which looks like an absolute eyesore, with cheap plywood and artificial grass stuck to it.

Re traffic- down the other side of park lane they’ve made it from three lanes into two with one just for cyclists and put the speed limit from 40 to 20. To get to St Mary’s hospital my dad had to go through a lot of side roads. Same thing as we drove through Camden yesterday. Lots of diversions and road closures.

I’m not going to comment on the Marble Arch Mound…that is just a disaster and people deserved to be sacked.

Re traffic this is to reduce air pollution and for people to stop driving. There is no conspiracy for this it’s to improve public health.

 

[Cheapseats]

Hardly any multi packs of crisps at the shop tonight but loads of the share packs

That's the beauty of eating supermarkets own brand ready salted, which I prefer, never seems an issue to get hold of.

 

[CatCafe234]

Probs not the thread for it, but top tip. Put your knickers on the radiator before putting them on. Really warms you up

I do this with socks and gloves. There is nothing better than going out in a nice, warm sock

 

[emmer_moans]

I pay £40 per month for both gas and electric but I pay it manually. I simply cannot afford to pay the £118 pm for both that SSE want if I pay by DD. I just pay the excess, if there is one, when the bill comes in. It’s going to be a lean Christmas in the ‘Farkus’ house this year. I’ve lost over £500 a month since my daughter turned 18 in May, I work but it’s bloody difficult now.

I plan on a lean Christmas too, with cost of everything going up I will watch the pennies more closely than I usually need to. The food shop is rinsing me at the moment.

Ditto! I got into a bit of hot water at work when they did a survey regarding a bike purchase scheme. My 30 minute car journey would take nearly 2 hours by bike, according to Google Maps. So buying a bike for my commute would be pointless.

But apparently my responses brought down the positive numbers of the survey which the managers weren't happy about

My work did that once Most of us drive on a 70mph road to get to work so cycling not really the feasible option for many due to the distance/safety. Cycling is fine if within a couple of miles but most travel 10+.

Edit to add: they also tried to get us to have car buddy system but having to match up finish times with someone in your area becomes really inconvenient and a chore. I once gave a colleague a lift for a month while they had various car issues and I was glad when she got her car back as doing small talk at 8am is not fun .

Oh and the bus service is crap near my work, it's only really feasible on foot for locals, or by car, due to the awkward location (not a city centre).

 

[pinkypurr]

I was going to ask if anyone had tried these! I don't have space for a tumble dryer in my kitchen although we are thinking of getting a watertight shed outside and sticking one in there as we have electric supply. Though I wondered if these were any good? I've seen the cheapy aldi ones and I guess they'd be a bit crap but I wouldn't wanna fork out for a Lakeland one unless I knew it was gonna actually work

I have one - the best review is from the cat who uses it as a heated tent and comes out smelling like fabric softener!

 

[Princess Baskin]

It's all just so depressing, thought things should be looking up by now but honestly it's just worse. We are down to our last oil dregs, just looked and 500 litres now will cost us more than 1000 litres cost us in the start of the pandemic. Nevermind the price of Diesel which is enough to make your eyes water. So many of us work paycheck to paycheck, already have debt and simply have no means for these increases. I know that's just life and you should be prepared for these situations, but pray tell how is that possible when they lock you up for the best part of a year and destroy your income? Whilst increasing the prices of near everything, so disproportionately. They keep you on your knees then are surprised when you have no give.

It has definitely made me sit up and take notice. I am determined to save no matter how little to make sure I have something going forward.
Can anyone recommend a good app for managing finances/ budgeting and saving

 

[Reverend]

In a world of several billions, individuals can make small changes but the only way change can be truly made is through systemic change at the top, by corporations and politicians the ones leading the world right now. Eating less meat, driving less and turnin your heating down will make a bit of a difference but it is nothing in comparison to industries and the amount of energy they consume.

"Oh you're a hypocrite for using an iPhone" is so stupid. I could get rid of my iPhone and stop using the internet but Apple would still be a billion dollar company and I would still need to go on the internet in order to get a job and put food on my plate and a roof over my head.

I'm not happy about water being privatised, but I still need to take a shower now and again.

 

[Misssj80]

That isnt an ancestral thing. People live like that now. People who can't afford their electric - or they'v ran out of emergency and don't get any money for another 2 weeks so have to make do. People's washing machines break and they can't afford a new one so they handwash their clothes and put them on the airer. Or the gas has gone so they can't have a hot bath or shower so boil the kettle a million times to fill a small bath.

Yes my washing machine broke this year, luckily in the summer months so could hand wash and then peg out, I couldn't afford to buy one straight away so we had 2 months of hand washing.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

I don't think utility companies are obliged to continue providing endless services that aren't being paid for.

They are obliged to help those struggling to pay.

In the case of electric, they'll likely switch people over to a pre-pay top up key.

The best thing I ever did was not change the pre-pay meters when I moved into my old flat that the previous tenants had. When I moved to my bungalow I ask them to put pre-pay in. No bills no surprises. I know many think they are horrible but feel I am in control, not the utility company putting how much I pay on a whim

I top up by phone and don't let it run low so it has to go to emergency. People tell me I'm paying over the odds but to me, it seems less than they pay. If I have a larger purchase to make like dishwasher etc. I can look and see how long the money I have left on the meter will last and plan around that.

 

[Maid22]

It really doesn't help when the daily fail show shops with empty shelves, scaremongering folks into panic buying!
I have a small store cupboard, always have as we used to have alot of electric going off, and I agree with folks buying a little extra a week.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

So the UK is the only one suffering all this and it's all because of Brexit?

Maybe someone needs to tell all those other countries that say they are suffering.

 

[Lollyy]

I spent 4 hours in traffic today on m25 for a 30 min journey, stop start and wasted a load of petrol and pollution. Who do I claim the petrol back from as it’s a ridiculous amount of time to be in traffic

 

[Renegadedancer]

I doubt many families have the school support network shown in this documentary. The staff that work there truly seem to care about the children even out of school time.