pslewis

Interested in a straw opinion of ScoobyNet ..... are the cutbacks and higher costs of everything actually hurting?

Yes, of course, no-one likes to pay more for fuel, heating, insurance and taxes .... but, there is a huge difference between not liking the extra costs and actually being hurt by what's going on.

I suspect that SN posters are in the upper middle income and wealth demographic - and I'm guessing that it would have to get a lot worse before it started hurting ... am I right or is it genuinely tough out there for most people?

Ant

change the record

tony de wonderful

Yes it is hurting.

Petrol is raping me.

My car insurance is exactly the same as last year despite now having 1 years NCB.

My cash is getting raped by inflation.

I don't have a mortgage so only getting hurt by the artificially low interest rates.

Food is costing more.

pslewis

I assume that you have the intelligence to ignore what doesn't interest you, if so - I urge you to exercise that skill .................. if you are just too thick, well I cannot help you.

richiewong

I'm working Christ Knows how many more unpaid additional hours and losing out on holidays due to not being able to get them in the NHS!

ScoobyWon't

Only about an and a half ago, I was actually considering going to work.










I may actually carry that threat through.

SpecDscooby

To me its all relavent, and kinda the way of life i.e. everything gets more expensive.

I work for a huge company so have been VERY lucky to have not be touched at all by the cost hike, but i do really feel for people working for smaller employers if they are struggling. Missing out on a pay rise, and worrying everyday if you can meet your expenses is not something employed people in the 1st world should need to go through, all things being equal.

Times are worrying though, for almost everyone i would suggest.

Dingdongler

Is it hurting yet?

Isn't that what PSLewis says to his young Ting Tong every night?

Ant

GlesgaKiss

Belter!

SpecDscooby

ScoobyWon't

And you still live with your mum!

PaulC72

Yes it hurts, of course it does, anyone who says it doesn't isn't living a real life no matter how much money you have having a good amount taken off it for the inceases that are happening will still have an effect on you.

I found out that I can get my fuel for free however it is a little risky, I just have to time it right, fill up , pop into the car like I am getting my cards and floor it like a goodun, not too sure how long it'll be before I get caught but as I can always say PS Lewis made me do it with his insane comments about things getting tighter, I am sure they will let me off........

JTaylor

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13035281

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

As a supposedly intelligent guy, do you always make silly assumptions about peoples earnings based on what, if any forums they peruse? Or was it a Tory-esque arrogant post deliberately looking for a rise from those (like myself I'm not ashamed to admit) who are working class.

I normally have time for your posts but the above one seems to come across as either desperate or obtusely arrogant, Pete

I would normally expect better of you and am a little disappointed.

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

Nope, not "hurting" me at the moment. I pay my mortgage, run my car, spend what I like and still save a little All is good

Saint AAI

My pay increases over the last two years have gone a long way to offset to increase of everything else, so not affected me that much. Buying a house has though, all my spare cash goes on things fot it.

Miniman

iTrader: (2)

Well I'd say we were in the upper middle income and tbh it's actually gotten easier in the last year.

I've had a pay rise this year and the wife's now working. While I'm not going to directly attribute these to any government initiatives, I do know under the last government I received no pay rise for 2 years. So if we say that none of this (current pay/income) was due to the standing government, then I have to look at other initiatives that the latest lot have done and I rather like what they are doing.

Has other Condem changes made an impact - yes (in a good way), is it hurting - no, is it likely to - maybe but we cannot predict other changes in the future (pay rises back on, bonuses etc) either.

However I'm not so shallow to simple blame our government for everything or simply hate the Condems just because they are conservative led. Which certain people on SN have a want to do.

LEO-RS

What's a middle income?
What's an upper middle income?
What's a high income?

Fuel and food costs are bonkers for everyone so people that say they are not feeling it are simply lying unless they live a mile from work and grow their own food. My fuel bill is around £500pm now, this time last year, it was around £400pm, used to set aside £250pm for food, now its more like £300-350pm

That's £200pm or so that I need to find, my pay award increased my take home pay by around £100pm meaning I'm £100pm worse off.

There does appear to be less traffic on the road though which is a good thing for those commuters.

CREWJ

After finally getting a decent job this year after finishing university, I'm still getting used to having money. I still notice the rise in costs but have significantly more money than basically nothing has meant it hasn't really affected me.

dpb

What is this , fooking National Statistics calling ?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Not hurting me a single bit. If it did I wouldn't be driving a 24mpg car. (although that is 3mpg better than the Impreza was)

If it did hurt. I'd buy another £200 banger to drive about in and maybe sell some stuff and work a bit harder. At the moment I'm ticking along; I'm earning more than I'm spending overall so essentially I'm just sustaining my current non-excessive lifestyle (i.e living within my own means ).

The only thing that really narks me is the stupidly low interest rates. When are we going to get rate over 7% rate like we had in the 1980's and early 1990s....you know when we actually rewarded people for still having some money in a bank account without some stupid capping like Brown's stupidly overcomplex ISAs (seriously, I've lost count of how many ISAs I've had, because as soon as I turn my back they drop the interest to 0.5% forcing me to transfer the ISA elsewhere).

It would actually be nice to have savings accounts that actually covers inflation that is not a Bond/investment or ISA

Leslie

I remember a time when my father was supporting our family on just over £3 a week. I found a 10 shilling note on the floor outside once and when the police returned it after 3 months when it was unclaimed, it bought a week's groceries for the family.

Of course we were very poor in those days but we managed by skilful manipulation of the money.

Those were the days of real austerity and if they ever came back, everyone would wonder how they could possibly manage. shouting about food and fuel price increases now is a bagatelle compared with how people existed in those dark days.

Things will doubtless get worse, recovering from the shameful financial mess which the last lot of plonkers engineered for this country will take time and we can only expect cuts, just as even NL admitted were necessary. They of course are still trying to make political capital out of a situation which was all their fault. Their irresponsible spending spree on useless items and their total lack of financial regulation as well as the little matter of the PFI interest which is considerable has created a debt which our grandchildren will be landed with!

No point in whining about cuts, they are going to be a part of life for some time.

Les

Mifo

iTrader: (10)

Getting *** raped every time I visit the shell garage - that hurts.

davyboy

Yes, I will only be going skiing once next winter.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Yes and no really.
Moved into our first house 6 months ago and then found out the mrs was pregnant.
So things are definitely now being sqeezed what with the price of fuel as well as spending lot's and lot's on baby stuff. Had two pay rises and two bonuses in the last 2 years though so can't complain too much.
I really wanted another scooby a few months back but after doing the somes, it was a luxery too far. Just got to save a bit more and work a bit harder.

As others have said though, it's just life.

pslewis

I'm glad it's not generally affecting SN Membership ... it is as I would have thought.

It actually goes to prove what I have long suspected .. we can get this over within 2 years if the cuts and hike in taxes really started hurting the likes of us - wouldn't that be better for everyone in the long run?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Technically, it does effect me. But mot me personally.

If it really hurt me I wouldn't be here as ;

a) I'd be too busy working my **** off.
b) I couldn't afford a high speed/bandwidth quota internet connection.

However family/work stuff brings with it complications.....

Its a matter in point that it is very easy to plead poverty and hardship, and no doubt some people are really suffering. BUT whilst they are paying more for goods and services, what personal cuts have they taken? Mobile phone? Smartphone/iPhone? Car? Sky/Virgin TV? ****? Booze? Ready meals? Take-aways/Meals out? Heating timer set wrong? Hot water set at 80 degrees? Paying standard rates for gas/leccy. It maybe £20 here and there, but it quickly mounts up, and over a year that can run into thousands. Or even tens of thousands.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Completely agree. Need to look at few of these thing myself. I have been trying to get on the internet billing deal with EDF, however, their poxy website keeps saying the system is being upgraded......and has been in the process of for 6 months!

Saying that, our gas and electric are only £100 combined.
I am paying £30 odd a month for my mobile phone whcih come september, I will go on a sim only deal for £10 a month.
I wear contact lenses and have recently switched from the daily ones from spec savers (£22 per a month) to an internet supplier and am now only paying £9.95 per month.
Sky is next to sort out when our contract is up come Septmeber. All my old tv series that I used to follow on Sky 1 have now all finished or about to. £60 a month now, so should reduce to around £20-£25 a month.

That's around £60-£70 a month a saving for sarificing very little.
Although, try telling the mrs that!

Ant

I started to feel it but then asked my butler to take another gold bar out the safe, normality has now been restored