UK Cost of Living

[Drax]

Good news : Item on the UK telly this morning that Libraries are going to open their doors and act as warm shelters to the vast numbers of people who cannot afford to heat their homes this winter.  People can go in, sit and read a book all day.

Better news is libraries won't be serving cheap food & drink or have TV on, so Wetherspoons have nothing to worry about. 

[Judi_bk]

 

[Drax]

It's a serious news item, just the people in charge don't have a clue about the real world.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/20/libraries-and-museums-to-be-warm-havens-for-people-struggling-with-energy-bills

Back in February we called into Wetherspoons for a coffee whilst out shopping, chap sat there alone with his coffee reading a book. We did more shopping, went back for lunch a couple of hours later. When we left he's still sat there, same coffee cup, 3/4 way through his book... and the Libraries want "MORE FUNDING PLEASE" so they can stay open/warm. 

[frankie]

When I first moved here the winter was bitterly cold and I struggled to heat the uninsulated house above about 15C - Inside!  I had no electric and relied on a a diesel generator.  When I complained to the Mayor about the time it was taking for all us Camposinos to get the electric laid on, he suggested I go down to the big hotel in Olula, take a book and sit in the comfy armchairs, with a coffee in the afternoon.  I'd never even been in there but when I realised it had central heating, I did just that.  The girls in the coffee bar (it's a different set up now) got to know me and why I was there so often and no one minded.

[Drax]

Most of the point I was making is they all stand there with hands held out to the government, "we can provide blah blah but we need extra funds"
It's become an "I want, I want" society, I suggest they plant a few money trees.

[Roscoe]

When inflation was running at 15% in the 70's there no handouts.  In my opinion we all knew how to budget, make ends meet and knew how to cook and make nutritional meals with cheap cuts.  Scrag end of beef with loads of veg made a filling and nutritional meal.  No takeaways, no Iceland, chicken was a luxury, but a pound of mince went a long way and was versatile.  Today's generation have never had it so good.  Listening to the dock workers today, who were offered,8% pay rise and 500£ bonus, no they decided they want more.  I bet the poorest would love half of that!

[frankie]

Along with the Barristers offered an 11% rise who have called an indefinite strike (I think from September?).  Pity Govt. couldn't offer 11% to NHS workers...

[jimmymac]

Well I personally think that life for many people in the UK is going to be very difficult this winter and possibly into the New Year with these threatened energy price rises, unless there is major government intervention! If people don't have the basic money to heat their homes then no amount of budgeting or belt tightening is going to help them.

[Judi_bk]

I think the cost of housing now makes the big difference from the 70s.  The sort of people who would have had council housing are now with private landlords and rents are very high.  Barristers would accept 11% if it didn't just apply to new cases.  The backlog is such that they wouldn't get the 11% for 2 maybe 3 years. 

[frankie]

Just heard energy price rise for average household will rise to roughly 300 pound per month!!!  How on this earth can an average household afford that every month???  Unless salaries having risen astronomically since I left, that cannot be viable, surely.  Thn it ill be going up again next year.
My complaining about the local bar putting price of a coffee up from 1euro to 1.20  puts things into perspective...

[jimmymac]

Not really Frankie 1.20 for a coffee that's a 20% increase.

[frankie]

Hey, put that way, I am within my rights to complain....