Re: Rising cost of living
 

I'm sorry that you think I'm arguing for the sake of it, I just politely asked for a source as Dave's two links had shown 17%/18% and not 40%.

I don't think that's an unreasonable request to make but as Julian rightly says, "most people can't afford gold to invest so won't affect the vast majority as part of the thread title".

Re: Rising cost of living
 

The supermarkets are rightly being accused of not passing on the reduced cost of petrol/diesel.

LINKAGE

Both supermarkets locally are more expensive than small Texaco stations nearby by 3p - 4p a litre.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

But the figures I shown were almost 40% increase 31K to 47K is more than 18%

May 2019 and for a while before steady between 30 and 33K now 47K so it is now according to the google search of 33 to 47 percent change the answer it gave me was 42% so in 3 years and 3 months the price of gold has risen 42%

---------- Post added at 18:09 ---------- Previous post was at 18:03 ----------

and here is the maths to prove it https://coolconversion.com/math/perc...percent-change

Re: Rising cost of living
 

In April 2019 it was £970, in April 2022, it was £1525. Thats 57% in 3 years, even better than 40%.
If you bought in Sep 2018, and sold it now (3.9 years) you would have got a whopping 61%.
So fine, go with 3.9 years and 61%, since you want to be super pedantic over a few months.

Dont try and be clever Andrew, you just arent.
You didnt bother to check at all, so you're in no position to try suggest you had any clue.
You would have had to be super "unlucky" to get "only" 18% in the last 3 years (and even if you did, thats still a great return on 36 months).

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I don't know why this thing has gone down the rabbit hole it has, all I ever wanted was a link to the data you were using. I blame the weather. :D:Sun:

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Don't know why the three year thing is the issue, we didn't have it to sell three years ago :shrug:

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I asked a friend for a washing machine part for another neighbour. He works in a parts depot that imports direct from the manufacturers abroad.

He told me, "Parts from the Far East are only trickling-in due to factory closures during the pandemic, but also because of the lack of transport containers. Second, the transport costs are far higher, and third many manufacturers are now selling to more wholesalers and distributors who are adding their profits on at a high rate than ever before".

His bosses changed their business model from one where parts were sold at the price they paid, with a mark-up and VAT where applicable, to one where parts are being sold at 15% above the price they would have to pay to replace the item, then their mark-up and VAT as applicable.

He checked his listings, and the part which would have been around £12 +VAT 2 years ago, is now £38+VAT. He told me that they normally sell a few every week to repair companies.

I had already tried a few places online whilst waiting to see him. All were about the same price, and many were far higher and had large P+P costs added.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...years/#comment

I thought we 'took back control' ?
What went wrong? :confused:

Re: Rising cost of living
 

We have taken back control, but we've given it to a bunch of idiots who haven't got a clue and the only talent they have is incompetence. I wouldn't trust any of them to even run the milk club in the office and there's only 5 of us so it's not a real head scratcher and pretty much runs itself.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

My son rents in London where rental costs are rising 10+% with some reports over 20%. What I do not understand is that for more landlords who either own the properties outright or have fixed rate buy-to-let mortgages, what would merit these increases apart from greed & price gouging?

Re: Rising cost of living
 

To a certain extent they could point to maintenance costs they’re liable for, but I suspect that here as in many other places there’s a fair bit of opportunistic behaviour.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Whilst waiting for the missus, I nipped into a Spar that has reopened after a THREE YEAR REFIT.

I was gobsmacked by the prices.

250g of own brand butter £3.25!

A bog standard "cheapo" loaf of sliced bread £1.80!

A 4-pint bottle of skimmed milk £2.60!

Paracetamol 16 pack £1.20.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

It's a Spar... I'm not surprised , even before this they're one of the more expensive places to shop as you're paying for convenience/location

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I'm more intrigued about the three-year refit than the high prices that you get in convenience stores compared to supermarkets!

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I was starting to think it's my imagination that's Sainsburys is now cheaper than Morrisons but it's true...
https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/supe...n-aPpYp9j1MFin


The supermarkets take advantage of apathetic customers going to the same place every week. Miss a week and they panic and the offers roll in to the inbox....

Re: Rising cost of living
 

We are in control, leading the world again ;)

Re: Rising cost of living
 

In the way of 'he's playing all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order' kind of way ? :)

Re: Rising cost of living
 

We're certainly the leading worst economy in the G7.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Highest inflation of the G7 at the moment, but leading in being the first country to approve the Moderna vaccine.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

The previous franchisee left with large debts, including rent. The shop was stripped of stock and furniture a few days later. A sign went up "Closed During Renovations" and it stayed like that until this Spring when a team was seen working in there.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Wooo so expensive

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Yeah but there's only one 'local' shop in Cardiff so they can charge what they want :D

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Lol, the old closed for refurbishment, check back soon lark. :D

Convenience stores have generally performed quite well since Covid but I suspect we're all going to be shopping around a bit more carefully now and they could take a hit.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

They small or independents won't survive the energy crisis, that's what will do for them, not shopping around

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I hope this prediction does not come to pass! :shocked:

https://www.ft.com/content/778e65e1-...5-9d701eb29567

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Panic merchants in full flow.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Just like Project Fear and that was a load of... ooops it came true....

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I hope you're right although that's what Conservative supporters said about inflation reaching double digits this year and look where we are now.

If the government can ensure that energy prices for businesses and consumers don't rise above 5% in the next 12 months I'll feel a lot more confident on your pronouncement.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Except it didnt.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Top tip, buy your stamps now !
An industry source tells me RM are going to increase their charges massively in November due to 'unprecedented costs' . This is on top of their usual January increase.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Bear in mind that the "old" stamps without the QR code are invalid in the new year.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I've not used the Royal Mail for several years.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I only rely on the Royal Mail for my weekly TV magazine, which comes out every Tuesday.

Well, it’s Wednesday and it has still not arrived. This is not unusual. Sometimes it arrives on Friday. On occasions, it doesn’t arrive at all.

Shockingly bad service.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

If it's the one I think it is Aldi, Tesco Extra , B and M all with in a short distance . However it has an old person s complex near by , can't understand why it's prices are so high ,can you :confused: on a other note , technically Spar is the world biggest supermarket chain :D

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Can you not get that magazine from a local newsagent shop, OB?

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Yes, and it may come to that. My present arrangement enables me to get a discount on the magazine and an online copy as well.

Unfortunately, my local shop does not stock it, and in my view, the Radio Times is inferior and the layout not as pleasing to the eye.

Given the energy crisis, there is even more reason to keep to that arrangement because it avoids an unnecessary trip to the town.

I think everyone is going to have to think about the cheapest way of doing things over the next year or so. I will be turning the heating down by a few degrees this winter, as well as turning it off altogether if possible towards the middle of the day, and we will be watching more carefully how many lights we have on around the house.

Fortunately we are not in the position of having to think about whether to heat or eat and I pity people who find themselves in that position.

I am looking to Liz Truss to put some policies in place to ensure the situation does not get any worse. The proposal put forward by the Scottish Power energy company seems to be a substantial part of the answer, and with Truss’s tax reduction proposals, we might actually get there, with much less government expenditure than spendthrift Labour are proposing.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

https://inews.co.uk/news/liz-truss-t...arners-1809517

Yes, that £59 per year for those on the National Living Wage will make a large dent on the extra £4000 a year on their forecast Energy bills…

to be fair Whilst those on average salary (around £29k pa) will benefit by around £237 per year, or to put it another way, around 18 days worth of next year’s forecast Energy bill…

Re: Rising cost of living
 

That's the one, and a school behind it. It was Batemans greengrocers when I was a nipper, with the ironmonger next door, then the bakery, the milliners and the ladies' hairdresser.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I said the Scottish Power solution + tax reductions. Under that proposal, bills to consumers can stay where they are rather than increase.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Showing your age now Taf!:D:D:D

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I did notice that a premium butter in Sainsbury's was £3.50 for 250g.

I buy the Tesco sea salt one for £2.10 for 250g.

Not only that, but I am going to buy a load of chips as they are expected to hit the roof, due to poor harvest and weather.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Saddling future generations with worse economic conditions. The 1980s called and want their failed macroeconomic policies back.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Also, if like me (I have easy access to Asda, Tesco & Sainsbury's), I compare proses to the same products and buy from the cheapest.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Re: Rising cost of living
 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-62645441

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Something has to be done about it. If predictions come true my energy bills will literally be over half my total income. If it was not for the £400 from October my bills would be a 1/3 of my total income. I have been in what they call energy poverty since they coined the name.

If it was not for the fact the DWP make it nigh on impossible to claim PIP I would but there is no way I could handle the stress of the claim

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Maybe……don’t believe the predictions.

Remember, over the last 3 ( or more) years, who has been feeding you that information and then consider how many of those predictions over that time have come to pass………………………..

Re: Rising cost of living
 

:rofl:

I hope Pierre's energy provider takes payment in tin foil he has left over from making hats.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

The last one Martin Lewis gave was pretty close

Re: Rising cost of living
 

The Telegraph's boomers are unrepentant. Not paid for anything their entire lives why should they start now.

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%...op-dead-day%2F

:rofl:

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Same here mate, I've kept a generation in luxury.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Don't be ridiculous, jfman. Most of the baby boomers have worked hard all their lives and paid their taxes, unlike many of the younger generation, who seem to be content doing their own thing and claiming benefits. Not to mention claiming wads from the Bank of Mum and Dad.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

:rofl:

Yet despite all this tax paid, windfalls of privatisation, oil, the national debt shows no evidence that previous generations did anything other than squander it all and rack up £2 trillion of debt.

No surplus of all those pension pots sitting waiting to be extracted at retirement. We just have debt piling on to the young you are so dismissive of. Your contempt for them perhaps explains your acceptance that they should pay for you.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

If the next rounds of increases in energy works the same as the last with the standing charge being a large component even the most careful user is going to see big bill rises.


My wife and I just miss out on being boomers (officially) but we too have worked, paid our taxes, paid into pensions, lived within our means. The only loans we had were mortgage and a short term interest free loan from a friend to buy a car until endowments paid up (4-5 months).

Re: Rising cost of living
 

That standing charge is there to pay for the energy providers that went to the wall due to the Government's poor energy strategy and poor regulation.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

My new fix starts today - standing charge goes from £51 to £365 a year. Totally unlinked to the cost of providing energy at my address. But hey, go free market!

Re: Rising cost of living
 

With the state pension, you didn't pay into it but paid for the retirees then. This model is obviously unequal if the 'boomers' paid for a much smaller number of retirees than exists now.

But the real problem with generational inequality is housing. Housing is a much bigger expense for younger people now than it was 20/30 years ago and this is a huge driver of the economic insecurity younger people feel, more money goes on rent and fewer people can afford to buy. The average age of a homeowner keeps increasing. This also means younger people face a more uncertain retirement as they can afford to put less into private pension and they'll have fewer assets when they retire. Their assets are currently going to landlords.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

An ongoing charge for a poor energy strategy. Related to the implications of supplying you with incompetent governance more than supplying you with energy.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

is that standing charge rise for both fuels combined? it is currently 72p per day combined

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Pretty sure the standing charge varies across the country, it's not a fixed amount nationwide. ;)

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Whilst some of that standing charge is for distribution (and costs vary for this regionally) the increased amount which everyone will now bear regardless of location is due to failed energy providers, not increased distribution costs.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Speaking of distribution costs, Western Power Distribution is being acquired by National Grid from September.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Yes we have already paying an uplift for the administration of failed providers since April. This will continue and doubtless rise.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Ok so I should have said mine is but it is not a £1 a day yet. Is yours?

Just for reference the Price Cap does limit the standing charges also ;)

current leccy max price is Unit rate: 28.11p per kWh Standing charge: 50.27p per day

current gas Unit rate: 7.37p per kWh Standing charge: 27.22p per day

Predicted leccy Unit rate: 52.09p per kWh Standing charge: 46p per day

Predicted Gas Unit rate: 28.34p per kWh Standing charge: 45.34p per day

The gas standing charge is taking the hit in October

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Looked up my current charges for Bulb Energy at my post code paying via Direct Debit.

Gas
Gas Unit rate 7.3437p per kWh
Standing charge 27.2192p per day (£99.35 per year)

Elecy
Electricity Unit rate 29.2394p per kWh
Standing Charge 37.9176p per day (£138.40 per year)

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I can't see why others should cover for the failed retailers. You choose a smaller/cheaper deal, it fails, tough you bear the costs. You are quite willing to take the benefits but not the risks.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

No one would take Bulb's customers - it was effectively another Lloyds bank - too big to be allowed to fail.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I took a fix at about 50p each per day in anticipation that it'll go there in October anyway. If the announcement tomorrow changes that there's no exit fee.

---------- Post added at 12:36 ---------- Previous post was at 12:33 ----------

Privatising profits and nationalising losses. The lazy young people that OB loathes so much are paying thousands in tax to subsidise failing private enterprise, interest on £2 trillion of debt they didn't rack up and for pensions today for pensioners who didn't pay in enough.

All before a single penny is spent on public services today.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

If this happens mortgages could rise in the Spring
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ets-prove-true

Re: Rising cost of living
 

That's generally what happens when interest rates go up.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

What generally happens is that it then gets passed on to savers but seeing as that's not happened why should the borrowing rate go up

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Saving rates are never as high as borrowing rates, but my savings account rates have risen each time interest rates have gone up (with a slight lag). Not that I have much in them, but I do get the notifications.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Banks are just not as interested in customer deposits as they were 20 years ago either so the rates don't go as high as they were then.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Yet they're making billions in interest by depositing them with the BoE, shysters, why do we let them get away with it

Re: Rising cost of living
 

'Middle earners', which the Torygraph and Chancellor define as those earning a measly £45,000 , need urgent help.

Poor souls, let's hope they survive....

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...is-chancellor/

Re: Rising cost of living
 

In fairness, I welcome his acknowledgment the free market has failed for even above average earners. You’ve got to remember, £45 000 of purchasing power today might only be worth £35 000 in 2024 at this rate. If your energy company is rinsing you for £6 000 and your mortgage is up £2 500 there will be a big queue for those high wage, his skilled jobs we have been promised. That’s 45k before you get taxed to pay off interest on 2 trillion of debt and into the pensioner Ponzi scheme.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

One would imagine there is a lot more head room for someone to adapt on 45K to the new cost of living than it is from someone who has to live off 7K now

Re: Rising cost of living
 

They will most likely have higher energy usage, and higher general living costs (and rent/mortgage costs).
People on 35k/40k/45k are not super rich, living some kind of life of luxury, especially in some areas (like the south east).

Fuel poverty is apparently defined as spending more than 10% of income on energy/fuel, for someone on 45K, thats more about £230 a month.
They are almost certainly paying more than that already, and just like everyone else, whatever they are paying will increase by about 80% in October.

This is not just biting at low earners, its biting middle earners as well.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Less than what a tube driver earns

Re: Rising cost of living
 

More than a bus driver earns

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Indeed. And drivers on national rail routes are all on at least £50k, with some on more than £70k. Many of them have been on strike over pay recently and are due to do so again.

The idea that everyone on £45k can easily just cancel a couple of streaming tv subscriptions and ride it out is mule-headed classism. A great many people in this bracket are stuck in expensive rented accommodation because the last financial crisis in this country more or less permanently ended their hopes of ever getting a mortgage. Those who do have mortgages are finding them rapidly becoming expensive, with worse to come.

A repossession/homelessness crisis with the inevitable knock-on effects on the state benefits bill profits nobody.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

It’s almost as if there’s a common enemy further up the line…

Zahawi raises an interesting point - they oppose adjusting the price cap because people who could afford it would also benefit.

Now if someone could devise a system where those who could least afford it pay least, those would could afford it pay a bit more. You could set thresholds and percentages to pay around salary levels or household income levels, ensuring the worst off aren’t hardest hit but “middle earners” also benefit.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

What, like selling your house?

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Free market, innit? If you can’t afford your house, move. If it happens enough house prices fall.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

You’re all heart, jfman.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Not entirely. You appear to have missed his subtle sense of irony.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Shop at Aldi
I do not know always being being on a low income but one would think someone on 45K would have more spare income that goes on shopping/luxuries and someone on 10K or less. My Dad is on a final salary pension and and gets 28K a year + 2x state pension than lives an extremely comfortable life. Yeah his mortgage is paid but it was never over 10K a year. I can see some will be but they get a damn site better chance of weathering the storm than someone already 10 years into fuel poverty

The estimated price cap for April next year (I hope and pray is wrong) is 500 quid more than I get a year. Thankfully I do not use the average but it is close. Without the help already given this winter my energy bill would be at least £200 a month and that is without using any gas for heating this winter 37.4% of my total income over 10% is fuel poverty

Re: Rising cost of living
 

No one doubts your financial troubles related to this.

However, the simple assertion that someone earning more will have no issues is just wrong. A few may well be fine, many others will not.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I said will have more headroom not no issues I believe

Re: Rising cost of living
 

In fairness I think Jaymoss is aiming for the more nuanced point than saying none. A person earning 45k is more likely to have some scope than someone earning the national average or on benefits but agreed that doesn’t mean they all will (or everyone in the latter groups aren’t in a position to).

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Thats the same thing, if you have "headroom", then you dont have any issues. When you run out of headroom, you have an issue.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Semantics Paul come on. If you have a little headroom and jump you bang your head if the ceiling is 2 foot above your head you are less likely to

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Indeed, easy access to cheap credit, savings, remortgaging etc the struggle will be different in a lot of cases

Re: Rising cost of living
 

The headroom is selling your home. £45,000 pa sounds a lot to many people but if you can barely afford your mortgage, you are in the same state as every one else.

The grass always seems greener on the other side, dunnit?

Re: Rising cost of living
 

I know people live by their means but with more funds there are more things you can tighten your belt on. Simply by changing shopping or buying less clothes or cheaper ones. I would put money on someone on min wage showing full expenditure and someone on 45K showing theirs that it would be a hell of a lot easier to free up a grand on theirs rather than those on min wage. I would bet a good few of them could cover the bills alone by not going on holiday abroad for example

Re: Rising cost of living
 

Interesting.

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...postcount=4138

Could it be that 45 grand, about 1.5 times the average salary, buys you a seemingly miserable existence is the reason for low productivity in the UK?

Re: Rising cost of living
 

It is not clear what your point is. I dare say that those earning £45 grand are not the ones creating our low productivity levels. You have to work pretty hard to get to that salary level, as a general rule.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

They’re working hard for their Dickensian existence comparable with those on half their salary, and on benefits? :rofl:

Can you point me to this “general rule” you speak of? Or are you making baseless assumptions, another of the sweeping generalisations that are a staple of your decreasingly credible posts?

A Tube driver gets 50 and doesn’t even have to steer.

My money is on (as a general rule, indeed) the grass being more often greener for people on 45 grand than 25 grand, just as it is for those on 25 compared to those on 15.

Re: Rising cost of living
 

It sounds to me that you begrudge the train drivers their higher salaries than you are getting, although I note that you are not yourself a train driver. I wonder why not? Too much responsibility? Too many unsocial hours? Lack of concentration?

We can both do insults, jfman. Let’s try to debate the actual subject … if you dare!