Cost of living crisis - how are you all doing?

[I'm With Stupid]

Cities in general seem to become more affluent whilst towns decline. In my home village, we’ve gone from three pubs to one etc. Now in Prenton it’s dead whilst Liverpool is usually busy.

I’d argue lots of people flock to Manchester as everything is there. Shows to sport pretty much every weekend.

Yep, some of the high streets in smaller towns are horrendous, and they were already bad before covid. I went to Barrow last year, and the number of shops that were boarded up on a previously fairly busy shopping street was insane. In the last few years, Marks and Spencers has left after over 100 years in the town. Debenhams closed (everywhere to be fair) and they've struggled to find anyone to take over the store, so they're apparently going to convert it into offices.

Having said that, I was watching a video the other day about how a load of American candy stores had mysteriously popped up in Oxford Street in London, with insanely high prices and no customers. And it's basically that they're fronts for money laundering taking advantage of the low prices as landlords struggle to find businesses to lease their shops. So it's not just a small town thing. But certainly small towns have been hit the hardest.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

I only use my high street for Asda, the barbers and a very occasional purchase. There’s otherwise no shop I want to visit. Liverpool (apologies for the constant mention) is four stops on the Merseyrail and the tunnel bus is just one stop.

The pubs are a joke. A couple of gaffers have pretty much given up.

 

[Bluesince1979]

I live in a middle class area i guess with a population of about 12,000.demographically its a town with an oldish population.
We have 7 bars/pubs and a weatherspoons. A legion, working mens club a sports club and about 6/7 restaurants. 2/3 cafes

Mon-weds some are closed or pretty quiet but thurs/sun they are busy! The village high street is pretty tight and compact and if you walk down of an eveining thurs onwards there is always people in the bars/restaurants. Its a slightly older clientelle, which tells me they are the ones with spare cash.
The spoons is constantly rammed.

Reading in here that villages and towns are losing pubs, we seem to be gaining them!

 

[Coatigan]

Why are people still calling it the cost of living 'crisis'? Like it is something that will at some point pass.

It is now just the cost of living. It won't be coming down. We are all, and continue to be, complicit in sustaining that.

 

[BlueHammer85]

What a coincidence everyone goes out for their rare treat exact same time as I go for mine. And every time I just go out for a basic walk too.

No coincidence, some towns/areas are just so densely populated that it’s just packed and busy everywhere - despite rising costs.

 

[Palerider]

I live in, I think, a working class part of Manchester (terraced houses for £150,000, traditional semi for £250,000) and as far as I can see everyone is fine. Everyone can certainly afford a car(s) and holiday(s). I also live near Harpurhey which is one of the poorest areas in the country and therefore suffers from the benefits of immigration where all the poorest immigrants get put into the poorest areas whilst all the wealthier occupants do that 'white flight' thing. So basically the wealth of an area leaves and are replaced by much poorer immigrants. How an area can be anything but poor in those circumstances I will never know.

 

[Coatigan]

No coincidence, some towns/areas are just so densely populated that it’s just packed and busy everywhere - despite rising costs.

Exactly my point. They are not 'one offs'. And it is not a crisis any more, we have been sleepwalking into the new benchmark level of spending. That will only continue to go uo the way.

I 'supported' my local businesses, where I could, when they increased prices rapidly during brexit uncertainty. I supported them during covid uncertainty. I supported them during the brexit reality. And then again with the energy surge.

They continue to raise their prices, because, we have shown we will continue to pay them.

So I will stop. It won't make a difference, as many others will pay it without questioning it. If they come down even one step, I might ho back. Till then, I will try 'support' new energing businesses, offering thi gs at prices that don't take as much of a piss. When they start to go up, I will find others to give my money to.

If there are none, I'll simply stop any luxeries.

People that moan about the cost of living crises, while paying the prices to eat out, drink, stay in overpriced rooms, and shrug it off as simply supply and demand, and population density etc, ar4e as big a problem as all the other factors around it all.

edit, I am part of the problem too btw. I am just not pretending not to be.

 

[Kirkstall Blue]

Why are people still calling it the cost of living 'crisis'? Like it is something that will at some point pass.

It is now just the cost of living. It won't be coming down. We are all, and continue to be, complicit in sustaining that.

For some people it won’t pass.
It’s a cost of living crisis if you can’t put food on the table a roof over your head and heat your home or buy clothing and shoes, people live like that for them living is constantly a crisis.
Every town or City has areas of deprivation where it’s hard to stay alive that you won’t ever experience unless you are a social/welfare worker

 

[ob]

Just been to Lidl bought a few bits and put in little free food cupboard (like a mini foodbank) near us. There seem to be more and more of these springing up on estates around us in last few months.

 

[Coatigan]

For some people it won’t pass.
It’s a cost of living crisis if you can’t put food on the table a roof over your head and heat your home or buy clothing and shoes, people live like that for them living is constantly a crisis.
Every town or City has areas of deprivation where it’s hard to stay alive that you won’t ever experience unless you are a social/welfare worker

I know what a crisis is, thanks. And while everything you say is absolutely true, it is a bit away from the point i'm making.

There have always been big divides and those that struggle always feel it most. The level has definately changed and so many more are affected and much harder.

We have been calling it a cost of living crisis for nearly 3 years now though. And while we continue to treat it like some sudden temporary thing to get through that will magically pass on its own, zero effort is being made to bring prices of anything down. Hence they continue to rise, and people continue to pay them that can. And those that can't really suffer.