Has your cost of living risen?

[Borchester]

Have done some simple calculations.

If inflation were to continue at a rate of 10% for the next ten years, 24k today would only be worth about 8k in today's money after 10 years.

If pay rises were to average 4% a year over the same time period, a 24k salary today would only be worth about 13k in ten years.

Were we to get prolonged high inflation and piss poor pay rises that don't even come close to keeping pace, this is how much poorer we could become.

24k the equivalent of only 13k in ten years. 48k the equivalent of only 26k.

This is what we are staring in the face unless either inflation falls into line with average pay increases, or average pay increases match inflation. There is no sign of either right now.

All true, although using your figures for inflation and pay rises I reckon that in 10 years £24K would be worth £13.7K rather than £13K. So you are already £700 better off.

[srb7677]

Have done some simple calculations.

If inflation were to continue at a rate of 10% for the next ten years, 24k today would only be worth about 8k in today's money after 10 years.

If pay rises were to average 4% a year over the same time period, a 24k salary today would only be worth about 13k in ten years.

Were we to get prolonged high inflation and piss poor pay rises that don't even come close to keeping pace, this is how much poorer we could become.

24k the equivalent of only 13k in ten years. 48k the equivalent of only 26k.

This is what we are staring in the face unless either inflation falls into line with average pay increases, or average pay increases match inflation. There is no sign of either right now.

[Sampanviking]

Yes it hurts as my business took an absolute pounding as a result of all the lockdowns and a pointless change in the law that came into effect just a few months before that all kicked off

Desperately trying to rebuild my business with new clients and new activities, but its like trying to race the Seven Bore to shore. Its literally a struggle to keep my head above the water and my attitude towards the situation is little improved by the knowledge that the ftards that caused all this back in 2019 in the first place with an act of pointless and ineffective virtue signalling are now causing this as a matter of deliberate policy that only has the interests of a bunch of degenerate ideological lunatics across the pond at heart.

[johnofgwent]

It's noticeable that the food bill is soaring as is the energy company bill, water bill, rates and in fact just about bloody everything.

I am not reduced to food banks yet.

[srb7677]

I must admit that not yet being in that gilded class of people who no longer have to struggle for a living - aka pensioners - but being one of the struggling workers, I have noticed a severe impact upon my cost of living. My rent has increased by £25 a month, my fuel bill by about £80 a month, my gas and electricity by an extra £50 a month, my council tax by £9 a month, my broadband by a tenner a month,my car insurance by £20 a month, my food bill has also rocketed by at least an extra £80 a month.

In percentage terms these increases are...

Rent - 9%
Fuel  - 80%
Energy - 36%
Council Tax - 9%
Broadband - 14%
Car insurance - 40%
Food - about 25% in spite of shopping in cheaper stores.

My pay rise which I don't get until August? 5.8%

And I am one of the lucky ones. Most people are getting pay rises well below that level even as the official rate of inflation has now risen to 9.4%, even though this figure is kept artificially low by including lots of non-essential items, whose price is being kept down more by people having less cash to spend on such purchases. The essentials which most people are spending the bulk of their money on are increasing by vast percentages which are way outstripping the official rate of inflation, as my own examples illustrate

It seems to be that the ones who are really struggling are working people, the ones doing all the jobs that need doing and keeping society running, and funding everyone and everything else. And in all too many cases being leeched off to an excessive extent by some unproductive greedy landlord to boot.

[Borchester]

Well... They put up my energy DD up from £80 to £150 a month, but now I'm £330 in credit, so I think Scottish Power might have panicked a bit when they got us as new customers.
Then there's petrol, which has made a bit of a dent, but I'm down to about 6000 miles a year so I need about 100 gallons (450 litres) so £900 a year. So that's an increase of £300 a year, or £5 a week.
Food has gone up a bit, but my staple food, beer, seems to have stayed stable, so not much difference.

Then on the positive side, Rishi is sending me another £400 to help with my energy bill which adds to the credit on the energy bill.
I had new smart meters installed today, so that saves more (not!) so soon Scottish Power will be paying us.

I'm not feeling the pinch much at all.

The DD for the London flat is £331 a month, which is rubbish, but not something I can be arsed to argue about. As I have probably said before, British Gas is run by computers and not very good ones at that. So I will let my credits pile up and sort matters out in a few months.

I have no idea why, but even as a poor old pensioner, I seem to be better off.

[Barry]

Well... They put up my energy DD up from £80 to £150 a month, but now I'm £330 in credit, so I think Scottish Power might have panicked a bit when they got us as new customers.
Then there's petrol, which has made a bit of a dent, but I'm down to about 6000 miles a year so I need about 100 gallons (450 litres) so £900 a year. So that's an increase of £300 a year, or £5 a week.
Food has gone up a bit, but my staple food, beer, seems to have stayed stable, so not much difference. 

Then on the positive side, Rishi is sending me another £400 to help with my energy bill which adds to the credit on the energy bill.
I had new smart meters installed today, so that saves more (not!) so soon Scottish Power will be paying us.

I'm not feeling the pinch much at all.

[Borchester]

Mine hasn't. In fact it has probably fallen, due to me and mine being as cheap as chips. If we can't afford something we don't buy it. This is not as smug as it sounds. This electric internet thingy means that there is usually a bargain somewhere. Plus the mortgage is paid off and the kids launched. And it helps if the motor has a good wind behind it, but it will probably see us out. Power bills have gone through the roof, but the increases are livable.

Probably most of all, Madam and I are both pensioners. Not only do we get paid to stay alive, we have all the time in the world to find ways not to spend money.

As said, we are probably an un unusual case.

So how about you guys?