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

[jackolantern]

Near half my shopping wasn’t available today to be delivered, seems the panic buying has resumed whoever out there is eating all my cherry muller corners I’m coming for blood

 

[GobShyte64]

Is it just me that thinks we are on route to another recession? I mean, if the price of everything goes up, and wages and benefits dont rise with the rise of inflation, surely we will be priced out a lot of things and it will be too expensive for anyone to buy.. & then what?

 

[hollowcrown]

Because they are happy to jump on certain people avoiding taxes but are blind and silent when their favourite companies, or favourite celebs actively avoid tax.

Tax avoidance has been happening for a lot longer than 11 years. Nothing was done about it either, under 13 years of Labour.

Netflix paid £3.2m in tax on £940m of UK subscription revenue

2019 figures come as firm will this year start declaring such revenues to UK tax authorities

www.theguardian.com

I don't think this is true at all. I am in "leftie" circles and we all think it is terrible that these huge multinationals are not paying tax whilst Rishi is raising NI on us all.

 

[GobShyte64]

I was just thinking, I remember growing up in the 90s and there being power cuts. Like the whole town would be out of power. It's never happened since I have been living on my own but back then it was a "oh, the powers out" ask the neighbours if there's had too.. then just light some candles and crack on with it. When your a kid you think its fun like ooo darkness, lets play hide n seek or whatever.

I also grew up with a single mum who had 3 jobs. Mom said back then they didnt have family tax credits n stuff like that. You just had to work. We never went without - we just had to wait a bit longer for things. As an adult now tho and speaking to my mom about them times, she said there was times where she would do us food and then she'd have our leftovers if there was any, or just wouldnt eat. And that's in the 90s, working 3 jobs. It's madness that we are now 2021, with state benefits to top up wages and people are still living like this!

 

[kazizzle]

Mr Kazizzle officially had confirmation yesterday that he doesn't have a job this winter season out in France. It's a bit of a mix of Covid and Brexit - the impact and uncertainty of Covid meaning that they are running a reduced season so operating waaaaay less hotels than normal, and Brexit because it's challenging to get work visas for non-EU staff and all vacancies need to be offered to EU nationals first. He's worked with this company for four winters now and is devastated. All other winter seasonal jobs we can find require an EU passport. It's a great money maker for us as he has very little outgoings while there so it's a real blow to be going without for a second winter in a row (and the winter before that was only half a season as Covid sent them all home) when our outgoings will be going up as a result. This whole year has been a total mess for us so this just feels like another huge blow going in to winter. It's so hard to stay focused and positive.

 

[Blond3g1rl]

Guys I’m panicking. My local Starbucks hasn’t had its chocolate delivery so I can’t have my morning mocha

 

[IngressUK]

Redirecting

www-thelondoneconomic-com.cdn.ampproject.org

How is this policy supposed to fit into the 'green agenda' ?

The Government wants passengers to pay a greater share of running the railways, however this will never be a successful policy. The higher fares are, the more people will be put off by travelling by train.

Other countries subsidise their public transport networks at taxpayer expense, why does the UK continue to think this is a bad idea?

As a taxpayer I don't like funding subsidised restaurants and bars in the Palace of Westminster. Why don't MPs pay a greater share towards of the cost of running these private facilities? We certainly can't access, nor benefit from them, so why should we pay for them?

As usual, it is double standards with the attitudes of most MPs.

Of course MPs are immune to any rail fare increases, as we pay for their travel through their expenses.

 

[Doctor_Wibble]

plenty of crisps in my local lidl. Shelf completely full

Pictures or it didn't happen. Preferably GPS tagged so we know where to send the extraction team

 

[gingerteacup]

I seriously looked into relocating to Canada last year.



What's this about pigs?

Pigs can’t be slaughtered in time so they’re being burnt alive. Thousands a day.

 

[fireflies]

I just wanted to get general consensus as keep reading about various shortages on so many things various media outlets right and left wing.

Toilet roll under threat from panic buying again along with chocolate and toys

The slowdown in production has been linked to spiralling energy costs.

metro.co.uk

So far shortages list includes

Toys
Pigs in blankets
Turkey's
Toiliet roll
Pasta
Petrol
Carton fruit drinks still huge issue lilds crisp section seems recovered but long life juice section nearly always empty.
Daily fail reporting black outs.

I spoke to mobile butchers other day van that drives around city and he said he's not seen many shortages
So maybe it is very much supermarket issue.

Definatly noticing price rises and tesco is crazy £1.30 for 4 pint milk in local express.
Its £1.15 sainsbury.
1.09 lilds.

I use milk as every day item we get through 4-6pints day with drinks and cereal.
So based on 30days month could easily spend £40 on monthly food budget just on milk.
Couldn't get prescription filled in boots chemist yesterday waiting for delivery.

This winter is tough for us only benefit we get is child benefit.
We pay £72 to get monthly bus pass 2 older ones go senior school.
Some delayed uniform costs from last month as official uniform shop has not had enough uniform.
This month we have mot, half term and have start paying year 6 residential trip as well as funding rising bills and Christmas I wish we had managed save a but hut this whole year has been really hard.

So my question is does anyone take these news articles seriously.
I don't wish to panic buy and i can't afford buy big stock pile on off chance there maybe shortages..

So my action plan so far or plan to do within next 30 days

Buy load tins and dried pantry goods done but need some more
Batch cook some November meals have 10 in the freezer.
Currently updating and replenishing the medicine box which was a outdated mess.
Got new digital thermometer as entire house has cols and coughs but negative covid test..
Trying not turn heating on.
Restocking clothes everyone needs at local charity shop and jumble sale.
Start doing advent calender shopping this month when child benefit paid and stocking fillers.
Start buying couple extra pantry items xmas items each week.
End of month going to get backup meat frozen veg yorkies partyyfare anything we may need for Xmas day.
So 1 carrier bag in chest freezer.

I'm considering even though huge outlay buying 3 months worth toilet roll as some days family 6 and kids we get through 1 roll.
3months worth cleaning products won't go crazy on toilietrees as get loads for Xmas.

I want to replenishing candles torches and may even buy a little gas hob off amazon.
Our oven and hob is electric.
I just want to feel prepared if things do go wrong.

Also trying collect lft covid tests as they want to start charging for them .

The last couple months with lot hard work manages save least £200 each month from grocery bill despite rising prices.
Manages to do so by meal planning, cooking 80% scratch/ Batch cooking, only buying own brand or on offer so lildls meat offers, coop/ Iceland £5 frozen freezer meals deal great for the kids.
Buying reduced bread items and freezing.
Keeping to strict shopping list.
buying boring snacks, cheap biscuits and less snacks and desserts.
I'm taking the time to shop around and this month been waitrose, morrisions/ aldi/ lilds/ Iceland, b&m and sainsbury for food shop.
Next month planning home bargains/ big tesco/ asda/ m&s and big aldi shop.

 

[Merpedy]

My university has stopped some formal dinners due to supply chain issues and staffing problems

When I'm done I'm really done. None are going anywhere near my destination. I need a new party for that.

I think the problem with just throwing your vote away because you disagree with the leading parties (which is fair enough) is that it's a bit pointless
The other part of the problem with the UK when it comes to voting is that we don't really seem to often be voting for the actual policies and instead just stick to the parties we/our parents have voted all this time, or voting for 'personalities' of the leader rather than looking at what the actual MP for our constituency has done/plans to do too - in effect also looking at the policies
Then there's a whole thing with a lot of people not voting Labour because they "ruined" the country some decades ago, but who really cares if Conservatives seem to be doing the same thing too?

I'm not sure if it's that different in other countries, but personality politics doesn't seem to be this massive thing. Starmer would probably look like a lot more appealing choice (compared to Boris) to many people because he's decently good at holding the Government accountable and seems to have a generally good head on his shoulders. Yet I constantly read on forums about how he's boring (+ other issues that are more political) and doesn't appeal to the public because of that

 

[no-no]

Along with everything else going up in price my appliances are now conspiring against me Had to replace the microwave last month, the washing machine is playing up and now the TV has suddenly decided to go MIA all are about 2 years old and mid-range brands. Who do these manufacturers think they are. Living to work enough as it is without having to play silly beggars with big ticket (household) items. No doubt the Shark will do it’s annual breakdown next and I’ll need a new vacuum. It’s all relentless

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

I remember the catalyst was a drug dealer (?) being sho

Sorry to jump on this but Mark Duggan was murdered by the Met police - the police aren’t judge, jury & executioner and criminal record or intel or not they never should have shot him as he wasn’t presenting a risk to anyone at that point in time. He was a father, partner, son & friend and this often is overlooked as ppl just lap up the dehumanising shit pushed out by the Met and papers.

 

[YellowLadybird]

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

My sister is going from Sheffield to Bristol for a friend's hen do, and the cheapest off-peak tickets are £107. And they have the audacity to complain about using cars. Who would pay that?

 

[eSsExBiRd]

I think this is M&S.......

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“there”

 

[HotesTilaire]

If we are taking in 800 per day… then yes! We need to Be able to provide for the population we have surely? As a country/economy we are struggling…no need for the eye roll.. it’s common sense surely?! Maybe I take it personally? My 84 year old nan won’t accept anything financial help from me… but she worked from 17 years old till retirement age + for the ministry of defence… yet she’s been totally fooked over by pension scheme and is debating whether or not to switch her heating on??!! Really???! It’s a disgrace.

For how many days are we taking in 800?
We lost a few million over the last two years so are we up or down?

I don’t t

“EU nationals” are not the ones keeping the UK going, the Romanians washing cars on every corner in town definitely aren’t the back bone of the UK - signed an “eu national”

You’re aware Romania is in the EU? And that the UK are short of the workers who used to come to work on the farms, in haulage...from the EU?

 

[Wackie Jeaver]

I always vote. However my vote is useless because we live in true blue red-corduroy-trousered Tory country (Kent in fact). My MP ignores my emails basically because I dont agree with some (OK virtually all) of his actions. It's very hard not to get disheartened when you know your vote will make fuck all difference. It's basically a protest vote every time.

 

[hollowcrown]

Having a look at the news and I've seen an article about panic buying toilet roll etc. Has nothing been learnt by the media? Why do they do this knowing it will create panic and people will then go out and buy it all when in reality there's no need to do that. Infuriates me. Prices are rising and people are stressed enough without the added 'we might run out of toilet roll'

Gets clicks

That's all they care about

 

[CatCafe234]

I can't even begin to imagine the disaster it would have been if COVID and the energy crisis had hit right after Lehman in 2009-2010, 10 years prior. The thought of it is scary,

I have often wondered what the pandemic would have been like if it had hit ten years ago. Even just WFH - ten years ago, my office was almost entirely based around desktop PCs. You had to specifically request a laptop and getting one was like winning the lottery. We had almost no videoconferencing software, and nothing on our own computers. I remember that we had just two meeting rooms in the entire office that had VC capability and actually using it was incredibly complex and unreliable. It was a different world and you just wonder what would have happened.

 

[emmer_moans]

Sainsbury's finally had garlic bread this week after weeks of shortage.. but it gave me heartburn last night. That will serve me right for missing it so much