Cost Of Living Crisis (COLC) - How fucked are ye?

[shoulders]

We have had a few threads with comments skirting around this topic so I thought it might be useful to for the conversation to have a focal point.

Recession on the way, energy bills nearly quadrupling from 2021, inflation 13%+, interest rates going up (slightly). No help on the way except random arbitrary amounts the government shits out like constipated pellets trying to kill a vampire squid with the ammo of a spud gun.

Tories only answer is slash taxes, sell more shit UK plc owns.

Never mind regaining control of vital infrastructure and pricing, never mind recouping massive profits and tax evasion. Which Labour won't do anyway. So buckle up folks.

Winter of discontent incoming with mass nonpayment of bills via Dont Pay and strikes across multiple sectors due to opportunist attempts at changing working terms and conditions, above all under inflation pay.

How fucked are ye? I'm extremely concerned for others, but there's a bit of a buffer from personal fuckdown. If my partner or I were to lose our jobs that may change.

[TrenterPercenter]

Looks like we'll need to cut back on the condor egg omelettes.

In all seriousness I am very concerned for others some people are going to be utterly fucked.  We've upped the food bank collection and have a few things planned community wise to try and help people out but it is going to be brutal I fear.  The Tories need to be gotten rid of asap, no ifs, no buts, at very least a change of government is a shot across the bow for the continuation of this Tory Party.  It is completely no sensical at this stage to not vote tactically.

[M-CORP]

I'm a student living in rented accommodation, bills included thanks to a contract we signed with a 3rd party. Some of my flatmates didn't want to pay bills direct, partly because it would be more expensive, but also they think bill inclusivity will be simpler. So all utilities, plus Wi-fi and TV licence, are all sorted out for us, one payment of £89 per person per month. (My maintenance loan is about £300 a month, and half of that goes on food and uni resource stuff.)

We signed up before they put their prices up in April. I should be alright compared to a lot of other people, but there is that worry of what happens if and when our 3rd party goes bust. At which point we just have to pay bills directly anyway. That'd be hilarious.

But yeah, even with the 3rd party not telling us we have a top-up meter (and yes, I only found out when the power went, and have no prior experience of such a setup, so that wasn't great), I'm very aware that my household is probably in a better position than most. TrenterPercenter summed it up nicely - crazy how prominent the food banks have become, just in the last two years.

[Butchers Blind]

Dead soon.

[jobotic]

If we would just allow the government to decrease the staff to child rotas in nurseries and close railway ticket offices I believe this could all be avoided.

[Zetetic]

Fine, unless a couple of several hundred fairly unlikely things happen, which of course they might well do.

[Psybro]

Graduated in the last crash and had to graft for 9 years to end up on a graduate salary, should be alright now, working from home savings a tremendous help but I guess the heating costs will now overtake the season ticket cost.

As depressing and totally ignored the youth unemployment crisis then was, I guess people could move back in with their parents more easily if their parents weren't getting evicted.

The excitement of 'something has to change politically, society won't bear this' is of course out of kilter with the same feeling in 2008 which actually resulted in things continually getting even worse.

[Poisson Du Jour]

We'll be fine, as others are saying, earning an average salary pays the mortgage and allows some luxuries. But I too feel really bad for poor people.

[Fr.Bigley]

Pretty much fucked if the missus loses her job which has been mentioned recently.

Massive loans and a mortgage and a deficit now creeping in. Only just getting by upto now. No relatives to lend/move in with so can't get any assistance if it goes tits up. 

See you at the salvation army in a few months lads. That's if I haven't gone for a swim in the canal by then.

Seriously though, I'm fucking shitting myself.

[sevendaughters]

Not majorly fucked but in a constant state of dread because every time one of us takes a forward step career-wise things just get more expensive and the added demands of a commensurate lifestyle kick in.

I'm nearly 40 and through my own choice of fucking around in my 20s and getting to a career with limited opportunites only recently, I'm really stretched: renting in two cities (one of which is eye-wateringly expensive) so I can be near work and so my partner doesn't get turfed out at 'home' and can stay in her job. This is sapping half my wages so saving for our own gaff is out of the window just as soon as I make enough to do so. Irony, etc.

The added rent does save on travel, I don't drive, don't have any expensive or habitual vices, only subscribed to two montly things, phone paid off and low data tariff, but food and energy just rising like a motherfucker. But this not got a house issue is properly tearing us apart - I can't settle anywhere and I have nothing to contribute to a deposit, so we're just in this rentier limbo. We don't have a shite life or anything, we get away now and then, but we have no stability.

I've just put in for a job that would see me nearer home and a lot happier and comfortable. I've lived like a student dosser since 16 so am ok toughing this out for as long as it takes, but I don't think Mrs 7D can go childless and houseless much longer. tbqfh.

[Twit 2]

Don't have an 8th daughter!

Fucked until I get new job. Ditched my career for 16k pay drop and no work stability right before crisis, great timing. Dead/psych ward soon!

[shoulders]

Fucked until I get new job. Ditched my career for 16k pay drop and no work stability right before crisis, great timing. Dead/psych ward soon!

Sounded like a psych ward job if you'd stayed on.

Good news is that the council will be hiring people to hoist frozen lepers off laybys by February, it'll pay well.

[Emma Raducanu]

The rising cost of energy is stressful. I've always been good at saving money each month but haven't managed a penny the past few and things are just going to get worse so I suppose I'm going to start losing money which will be interesting. I keep having a recurring thought that as times get harder and harder for people, will we see a spike in crime levels. I'm sure for some people life must be absolutely fucking shit right now.

[idunnosomename]

dunno i barely earn a living as it is. anyway now the most sensible liberal voices have finally got rid of Boris I expect things will only get better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pink Gregory]

Got a healthyish amount of savings between us, rent's already gone up since June and the energy dd just went up a bit, of course broadband is going to go up, though fuel is coming back down a tiny bit.

Fortunately Ms. Gregory is going back full time after being half the year part time due to an injury, and I've still got two (modest) pay increments left coming to me in the next two years, so I can only hope that it just all just about covers rising prices.  Luckily we don't have any dependents or debts.

Of course, if our housemate decides to leave, we is boned.

Remember being born into the 'End of History', eh?

[Twit 2]

The rising cost of energy is stressful. I've always been good at saving money each month but haven't managed a penny the past few and things are just going to get worse so I suppose I'm going to start losing money which will be interesting. I keep having a recurring thought that as times get harder and harder for people, will we see a spike in crime levels. I'm sure for some people life must be absolutely fucking shit right now.

Oh yes, absolutely. Ticking time bombs.

[mjwilson]

Got an offer to fix my gas price at a little under twice my current bill: at first I thought that might be a good idea with the increases we're expecting, but then I figured, why would they be offering it unless they thought they would do well out of it?

[H-O-W-L]

I'm on Universal Credit disability.

So, fucked.

[Buelligan]

Use bottled gas for cooking (and have about a year's supply/one bottle).  Don't have heating.  And I don't live in the UK, so, even though I'm poor as arse, I feel reasonably positive.  Never a day goes by when I don't bless the day I left shitty island, feel very sorry for all who're stuck there.  I am not even lying.

[Wonderful Butternut]

Luckily I'm not fucked yet cos through fortuitous timing, my housing costs are low.

Give it a while though. It now costs €130 to fill my car with precious fossil fuel instead of €80, so I'd quite like remote or blended working to come in soon so I'm not commuting 5 days a week.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Pretty shite, although as of next month I will probably be doing a little better, as I will be cheating my way out of the various rentier/season ticket dogshit markets via the poncey middle class avenue of moving back in with my parents

[the science eel]

Use bottled gas for cooking (and have about a year's supply/one bottle).  Don't have heating.  And I don't live in the UK, so, even though I'm poor as arse, I feel reasonably positive.  Never a day goes by when I don't bless the day I left shitty island, feel very sorry for all who're stuck there.  I am not even lying.

Yeah. I'd leave too (I lived abroad for 25 years) but can't get work now without visas, which take months to process. Fucked, then.

[Jerrykeshton]

Personally not too bad, we could just about manage on my salary alone. My big concern is my gas bill.

Just to recommend that if you have a smart meter get the Loop app for your phone and monitor the wastage.

The company I work for does a lot of government stuff, so likely to benefit if civil service starts getting screwed. I work from home.

Our house has a relatively small mortgage 18 months into a 5 year fix (living near Birmingham has some advantages) The growth in house prices should let me go up a few levels in loan to value by time we renew

If I'm honest I'm a bit of a pessimist. When my self employment started to look shakey, I manoeuvred myself into working in the private sector on government contracts as it seemed the least likely area to be cut.

I also had a feeling that inflation was going to run away. You can't print money forever, like we have done since 2008, without inflating the economy eventually. As the borrowed money remains the same even as the property increases in value, inflation is going to make that debt cheaper. I'm betting my job is going to keep up with the cost of living. They usually do eventually.

I think the revolution is coming,. The middle class are pissed off. Feel sorry for people who are getting severely hit by this though.

[Dex Sawash]

I've got a rifle so I can go out and hunt for rutabaga or top myself.

[Fr.Bigley]

Really grim this shit. Like someone noted, I graduated during the last recession and it took years to find my way to "stable" life. The last few years been shakey, now its registering hard on the richter scale and if my earnings don't meet the effects of inflation I seriously think I'll lose the lot.

This isn't a recession, its looking like a full scale depression.

[MrMrs]

Should be alright bar a crisis (inside a crisis)

[Sex Wax]

-

[Ferris]

Don't have an 8th daughter!

Fucked until I get new job. Ditched my career for 16k pay drop and no work stability right before crisis, great timing. Dead/psych ward soon!

As someone who recently ditched a career to have another go at uni, is that an option? just pick something you might be halfway interested in, do an MA nights/weekends (or even fulltime) and see where that gets you? you could do one of them professional job-guaranteed type ones

You could even go back to the old gig and say "yeah id like to give it another try" for a year or two, save like mad, then peace back out.

I don't know your situation obviously and i'm a clueless twat at the best of times (i'm half-drunk on the day i forgot i have to write an exam and am furiously typing some old shite so i dont lose my scholarship lmao), but using uni as a crutch to reorient my life in a direction that is more positive has done wonders for me.

Happy to chat by PM if that's helpful, or you can tell me to fuck off like the presumptious twat I might be coming across as.

[Fabian Thomsett]

Let's hope Putin drops his nukes on us next so we don't have to deal with this.

[madhair60]

i like the cost of living crisis, honestly don't have a problem with it. Not sure why this place has to be so fucking negative all the time to be honest.