Anyone felt the pinch yet?

Notice a good proportion of my hotels are quiet this week. But with the jubilee round the corner and pride the week after maybe folk are simply saving their trips for that.

Cant help but feel the media are driving a lot of it. They seem hell bent on us heading into a recession. Making people panic and stop spending.

They should be telling everyone its all gravy.

Only area Ive felt it is diesel. £154 to fill my van the other day. That's taking the piss.

4 minutes ago, little whitt said:

Ive Eaten out 3 nights this week 

All was Rammed 

Some you could not get in 

Unless you had Booked 

What Cost Of Living Crisis 

I suspect your sample size isn't large enough to portray an overall picture.

4 minutes ago, Cheese said:

I suspect your sample size isn't large enough to portray an overall picture.

i eat in places 

you can only dream off 

McDs KFC  DAUBHILL 

2 minutes ago, little whitt said:

i eat in places 

you can only dream off 

McDs KFC  DAUBHILL 

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s cheaper/roughly the same  to feed a family of 4 at McDonalds than it is to go to the shops and spend money on the food and cooking it.

And there’s the obvious ease.

it’s hardly a tasting menu at L’Enclume

6 minutes ago, Spider said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s cheaper/roughly the same  to feed a family of 4 at McDonalds than it is to go to the shops and spend money on the food and cooking it.

And there’s the obvious ease.

it’s hardly a tasting menu at L’Enclume

Much, much, cheaper to buy in and cook. And you are in control of the nutritional value.

2 minutes ago, Spider said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s cheaper/roughly the same  to feed a family of 4 at McDonalds than it is to go to the shops and spend money on the food and cooking it.

And there’s the obvious ease.

it’s hardly a tasting menu at L’Enclume

Daubhill 

you can get a indian for  £7

with rice or a nan

OK you will be on the Shitter till Tue and Lose 3 stone  

But its Better then Sliming World 

 

Sliming World 😁

 

I dread to think.......

13 hours ago, little whitt said:

Ive Eaten out 3 nights this week 

All was Rammed 

Some you could not get in 

Unless you had Booked 

What Cost Of Living Crisis 

Tried 5 restaraunts for saturday before we got a booking... check flights overseas over the next few months prices through the roof... folk using cost of living payments to have a good time methinks. 

My son’s ill and requested tomato soup for his lunch. Don’t buy it very often. £1.90 for a single tin of soup. Ouch

18 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Tried 5 restaraunts for saturday before we got a booking... check flights overseas over the next few months prices through the roof... folk using cost of living payments to have a good time methinks. 

I said that the other day, there are plenty (and I'm one of them) who are getting this extra cash towards heating bills who don't particularly need it.

Conversely there are some who are struggling, there definitely is an issue, our local foodbank have sadly had to extend their hours (I say sadly, as it's an outrage that a country like this needs them...)  -  Presumably, as is ever the case, it's those at the bottom who will be suffering most.

A few of the old duffers who usually drink in our village club have also stopped coming down every night of the week, and they reckon it's to try and save a bit of money, as things are getting a bit tight - On the plus side last Thursday the club opened during the day as a "warm bank" and provided a free hot meal and hot drinks for a couple of hours, and loads attended it apparently, so long may that continue.

1 minute ago, wiggy said:

My son’s ill and requested tomato soup for his lunch. Don’t buy it very often. £1.90 for a single tin of soup. Ouch

I've noticed a lot of things have started to go up in price recently. I suspect we'll really start to see things hit over the next 6-18 months as and when people start coming off their fixed deals on their mortgages. I know a couple of my mates are already looking at it and starting, not to worry, but to realise they may need to tighten their belts a bit 

11 minutes ago, wiggy said:

My son’s ill and requested tomato soup for his lunch. Don’t buy it very often. £1.90 for a single tin of soup. Ouch

B and M bargain. £5 for 6 I picked some up last week 

When the wholesale gas price drops start to filter through to customers, via the energy companies (where is the regulator?), then the bills will be more affordable, and the Offgem price cap should fall.

Inflation will drop quickly, especially as we get into mid spring, as it will be a year since the figures shot up.

Whether that will see some of the supermarket prices start to fall again later in the year..

10 minutes ago, Sweep said:

I've noticed a lot of things have started to go up in price recently. I suspect we'll really start to see things hit over the next 6-18 months as and when people start coming off their fixed deals on their mortgages. I know a couple of my mates are already looking at it and starting, not to worry, but to realise they may need to tighten their belts a bit 

Did a bit of baking with the youngest yesterday - bloody hell, no point (other than the nice time we had!) ingredients cost a pretty penny and could have got 4 massive blueberry muffins for £2! 

We now don't weekly shop in one supermarket but across a load to get the better deals - but then I was listening to More or Less last night and the Retail Price Index is a total load of bollocks which the ONS don't use and its the Consumer Price Index you should be looking at apparently (which is lower)

 

8 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

When the wholesale gas price drops start to filter through to customers, via the energy companies (where is the regulator?), then the bills will be more affordable, and the Offgem price cap should fall.

Inflation will drop quickly, especially as we get into mid spring, as it will be a year since the figures shot up.

Whether that will see some of the supermarket prices start to fall again later in the year..

Somebody I know who supplies to the Supermarkets has said that there are currently a whole raft of price increases about to hit, and they certainly won't be coming down anywhere near as quickly as they've gone up.

 

Talking of inflation, I was talking to somebody on Friday, who was adamant that inflation coming down means that everything gets cheaper - he couldn't understand, that if inflation is 10% today, and then it's 5% this time next year, that it means prices are still actually going up...

4 minutes ago, Not in Crawley said:

Did a bit of baking with the youngest yesterday - bloody hell, no point (other than the nice time we had!) ingredients cost a pretty penny and could have got 4 massive blueberry muffins for £2! 

 

 

There are certainly plenty of things that it's cheaper to buy "ready made" - but a shit load of stuff, if you've got the discipline, that's cheaper to make yourself, especially if you batch cook (I must admit, I never do this, and probably should)

33 minutes ago, Not in Crawley said:

Did a bit of baking with the youngest yesterday - bloody hell, no point (other than the nice time we had!) ingredients cost a pretty penny and could have got 4 massive blueberry muffins for £2! 

We now don't weekly shop in one supermarket but across a load to get the better deals - but then I was listening to More or Less last night and the Retail Price Index is a total load of bollocks which the ONS don't use and its the Consumer Price Index you should be looking at apparently (which is lower)

 

Of course, there is no such thing as RPI or CPI, they are just measures of a common basket. Everyone has there own personal rate of inflation.

1 minute ago, globaldiver said:

Of course, there is no such thing as RPI or CPI, they are just measures of a common basket. Everyone has there own personal rate of inflation.

Quite - but then they do effect things - the Treasury still uses the RPI for social housing rent increases for example.

This october because it was linked to the RPI increase was 12% which means rent increses of 2-3% more. So it does have  real bearing. And most life insurance policies (as an exmaple they were using) which means the increase you are paying each year is a nonsense.

Anyway, thought it was interesting the mix and match and how when you hear people quoting the RPI, its a nonsense.

43 minutes ago, Sweep said:

There are certainly plenty of things that it's cheaper to buy "ready made" - but a shit load of stuff, if you've got the discipline, that's cheaper to make yourself, especially if you batch cook (I must admit, I never do this, and probably should)

Therein lies an issue, which goes back further than someone just shouting, 'cook for yourself' you lazy ingrate. 

I'm sure Kent has seen it, people dropping off the social scale and not actually being quipped in the basics of preparing meals. The causes? Many and numerous, but it is a problem.

We only batch cook for the 'slog' food (half term is coming up and family are visitng so did all the cooking for the lunch meals yesterday - Chilli, Lasagne, Soups, Parmigiana veg bakes etc etc - the basic stuff) and also we are working and in the office more so saves us money than giving it to Pret - but then again, we have one whole bookcase in our house just for cookbooks, it's not just a shove something down for us, its part of what we like to do, a hobby for the nice meals and getting the kids involved in trying new things etc Its not always that easy for some.

Edited January 30, 20233 yr by Not in Crawley

2 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

When the wholesale gas price drops start to filter through to customers, via the energy companies (where is the regulator?), then the bills will be more affordable, and the Offgem price cap should fall.

Inflation will drop quickly, especially as we get into mid spring, as it will be a year since the figures shot up.

Whether that will see some of the supermarket prices start to fall again later in the year..

Energy prices reducing just in time for summer.

The more cynical amongst us might assume it’s deliberate 

2 hours ago, Sweep said:

Somebody I know who supplies to the Supermarkets has said that there are currently a whole raft of price increases about to hit, and they certainly won't be coming down anywhere near as quickly as they've gone up.

 

Talking of inflation, I was talking to somebody on Friday, who was adamant that inflation coming down means that everything gets cheaper - he couldn't understand, that if inflation is 10% today, and then it's 5% this time next year, that it means prices are still actually going up...

Maybe Rishi has a point about extra maths....

I batch cooked a big pon'o lobby (with carrots)on Sunday 5 meals there, dinner a week at work.

8 hours ago, wiggy said:

My son’s ill and requested tomato soup for his lunch. Don’t buy it very often. £1.90 for a single tin of soup. Ouch

At the other end of the scale I was in wholefood shop in Newport IOW Saturday where they have these massive drums of powdery things and cereals etc. Had tomato soup powder with big scoops sold by the 100g. Wasn’t tempted I have to say. Hope your lad get better. 

 

8 hours ago, Sweep said:

Talking of inflation, I was talking to somebody on Friday, who was adamant that inflation coming down means that everything gets cheaper - he couldn't understand, that if inflation is 10% today, and then it's 5% this time next year, that it means prices are still actually going up...

Was it a govt minister?

8 hours ago, Sweep said:

Somebody I know who supplies to the Supermarkets has said that there are currently a whole raft of price increases about to hit, and they certainly won't be coming down anywhere near as quickly as they've gone up.

 

Talking of inflation, I was talking to somebody on Friday, who was adamant that inflation coming down means that everything gets cheaper - he couldn't understand, that if inflation is 10% today, and then it's 5% this time next year, that it means prices are still actually going up...

After a year the price increases are indeed baked in. The last two months we've figures for show a drop in inflation of 0.4%: unless there was a drop in the equivalent months in 2021, then it should mean a slight drop in the "shopping basket" cost. Buggered if I know where- fuel has come down so that might be it- but other stuff still seems very high.

5 hours ago, Spider said:

Energy prices reducing just in time for summer.

The more cynical amongst us might assume it’s deliberate 

You know full well that energy companies buy in advance, and many have bought plenty at a high price to ensure supply. It's going to take a while to filter through, but that is where offgem must do their bit to ensure prices come down when they should.

Petrol and diesel have already, but I don't think that it is bought in the same way as wholesale gas, and rises and falls quicker.