Cost of Living #6

[NotASlayer]

My supermarket spending looks to be up 50-100%. And I am not getting anything more for that money. Less in, some cases, thanks to shrinkflation. Which is most noticeable on my chocolate bars. Or perhaps that is just where I notice it most?

And the jobs I can find that I have experience in pay so low it’s criminal.

They wanted to hire me at the performing arts center as a manager for $10/hr. I have five years of experience and a degree in the field.

Here, that may even be literally criminal. That is certainly below the national living wage. I do not know if there are circumstances where employers are legally allowed to pay less than that if you qualify for it.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

My supermarket spending looks to be up 50-100%. And I am not getting anything more for that money. Less in, some cases, thanks to shrinkflation. Which is most noticeable on my chocolate bars. Or perhaps that is just where I notice it most?

I notice if a lot in packaged foods for sure - soda bottles aren’t even full!

I try to not buy stuff like that though. I stick with the staples: eggs, basic canned goods, bread, produce, rice, etc that I can make a lot with. If I get a treat, it’s usually soda or chips.

Here, that may even be literally criminal. That is certainly below the national living wage. I do not know if there are circumstances where employers are legally allowed to pay less than that if you qualify for it.

Well, sadly it’s not illegal to pay under the living wage, which is actually $19 (for 1 adult, no child) for this area. It’s only illegal to pay under the minimum wage, which is $7.25 here. Absurdly low, I know but it is what it is. I’m going to reapply in the fall and ask for $15.

Don’t get me started on my soapbox about how the minimum wage should be a living wage…

 

[November]

Joan the Vampire Slayer What kind of car?

2004 ford falcon wagon. Common, so parts are easy to get. The engine should be ok because my ex blew a head gasket in it so it had a lot of work done then, and I keep it serviced every 5000-10,000kms. Im only doing about 10,000kms a year in it so at this rate it should go another 3 -5 years before I hit 300,000 on the clock. The car is my biggest worry, I have no idea how youre managing to cope without one! I just couldn't.

My supermarket spending looks to be up 50

Yeah mine is too. But I have been buying a lot more stuff that I know I can live without. Its just nice not to be on the bare minimum for a while. I never used to buy things like coke, but I did this week.

 

[NotASlayer]

I notice if a lot in packaged foods for sure - soda bottles aren’t even full!

I did notice that with something recently, where I thought that it was not full. I cannot remember what it was, though!

Well, sadly it’s not illegal to pay under the living wage, which is actually $19 (for 1 adult, no child) for this area. It’s only illegal to pay under the minimum wage, which is $7.25 here. Absurdly low, I know but it is what it is. I’m going to reapply in the fall and ask for $15.

Don’t get me started on my soapbox about how the minimum wage should be a living wage…

We have a national minimum wage and a national living wage. There is also an apprentice wage. There are people exempt from the minimum wage, but the typical pay by the hour job does not look to be.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

2004 ford falcon wagon. Common, so parts are easy to get. The engine should be ok because my ex blew a head gasket in it so it had a lot of work done then, and I keep it serviced every 5000-10,000kms. Im only doing about 10,000kms a year in it so at this rate it should go another 3 -5 years before I hit 300,000 on the clock. The car is my biggest worry, I have no idea how youre managing to cope without one! I just couldn't.

Oh, nice! I used to have a 2004 Ford Focus. I loved it, it was a great little car - and a manual!

It’s been incredibly difficult! Thankfully, thanks to some generous friends who have gifted me money, I almost have enough to buy a used truck.

Post automatically merged: Jul 28, 2024

I did notice that with something recently, where I thought that it was not full. I cannot remember what it was, though!



We have a national minimum wage and a national living wage. There is also an apprentice wage. There are people exempt from the minimum wage, but the typical pay by the hour job does not look to be.

I’m curious - in your country, how much of a difference is there between the living and minimum wage?

Post automatically merged: Jul 28, 2024

The news keeps talking about gas prices going down, but not by much here. At least they're under $5 a gallon again. The economists wonder why the populace isn't happier about inflation being down "except food and gas." What do they think we buy, and therefore notice, every week?

Yeah. Gas is cheap here but since I don’t drive now it doesn’t really affect me…

The things I wish would go down in price are not gas and food honestly…I wish taxes, plane tickets and my utilities would. I have not noticed anything being lower at all. What are they claiming is lower?

 

[NotASlayer]

I’m curious - in your country, how much of a difference is there between the living and minimum wage?

It is entirely dependent on age. 21+ gets £11.44, 18-20 gets £8.60 and apprentice/under 18 gets £6.40.

The things I wish would go down in price are not gas and food honestly…I wish taxes, plane tickets and my utilities would. I have not noticed anything being lower at all. What are they claiming is lower?

The problem is that inflation going down does not mean things are getting cheaper; it means they are getting more expensive at a slower rate. Something that it seems is never really pointed out.

 

[nightshade]

Where I live Morrisons has the main petrol station, and its about 10p/l more expensive than the Morrisons daily one 8 miles up the road.

I must check my food delivery order tomorrow as its due Friday.

 

[November]

I have to be more careful about the lifestyle slip. I have been using the heater and eating hot meals every day. I cant let myself get used to such luxury, it could so quickly be taken away again.

There is a smashed up house for sale two streets away. Advertised for $200,000 and already under offer within 2 days! Insane. No one would have touched that house a couple years ago, certainly no one would have paid that much for it, with a history of being a homeswest place (social housing/meth house). Crazy days.

The over 80's are only just now realising how much their groceries have gone up. I said years ago that IGA was a rip off, and now they are really seeing it. Many have shares in it but I never joined because the fee was too high for me, never seemed worth it. And none want to use the coles delivery because its too complicated for them and they are scared to even use smart phones at risk of being scammed. The 3G network will be turned off shortly so they've all had to upgrade their phones causing a great deal of stress. Cant wait for this world to be over.

 

[NotASlayer]

The over 80's are only just now realising how much their groceries have gone up. I said years ago that IGA was a rip off, and now they are really seeing it. Many have shares in it but I never joined because the fee was too high for me, never seemed worth it. And none want to use the coles delivery because its too complicated for them and they are scared to even use smart phones at risk of being scammed. The 3G network will be turned off shortly so they've all had to upgrade their phones causing a great deal of stress. Cant wait for this world to be over.

The older population is having a serious problem when it comes to the internet except for the really tech savvy. Everything is being made a lot harder for them, especially as more and more necessary sites are being made app only. It can be almost impossible to find an actual human being for them to talk to.

 

[nightshade]

Octopus (my energy supplier) is doing a free electricity session tomorrow, but it's between 1-2pm when I'm at work. Its only free if you use more than you would normally, so no good to me.
Hopefully they'll do some on my day off and I can make use of them.

 

[November]

My electricity bill was double what it usually is. Ate that credit right up! But, still was cheaper than firewood. I have been using the heater more than I would if I was trying to be frugal with it, but I'm not.

I have also been getting three deliveries a week lately because I cant get everything I need now in the two orders so I'd rather add a third for fresh stuff than get a big load with two days on the use by dates. I cancel the third if i need to and if i remember to!

 

[NotASlayer]

On top of the shrinkflation the chocolate bars I buy underwent they have now gone for plain old inflation. The bars now cost 25% more for 20-25% less chocolate than they did.

 

[November]

Yeah I was pretty shocked at the prices in the pet shops today. They didnt even have my normal 2kilo bag of dog biscuits, only the 800gm for the same price the 2 kilo bag used to be. Greenies are up by $20! I might look more to supermarket specials instead of small business now. The problem is, if we're all doing that there is no competition left!

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

Don't want to get political, but the cost of living is fast becoming a crisis in this country and is just not sustainable!
Housing prices are skyrocketing! Rental rates are soaring! Car prices have been high! Now the price of food is getting out of hand!
The top 10-20% in this country have like 80% of the wealth! You have to make nearly 100K to even consider buying a house anymore!
Things will have to change, or they will almost assuredly collapse! We've done it before (early 20th century) & thus could do it again.
The question is: will we have the leadership & willingness to make the necessary changes to do what needs to be done?

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Governments around the world want a long steady pull of inflation regardless of what they say to the public. If you have a large amount of debt, you want inflation because if you have to pay the money back, it is paid at par in dollars (or whatever the currency is) even though the value of the currency is steadily decreasing.

When the Federal Reserve Bank paid out a thousand dollars in, say, 2010 and the government pays back with interest an amount equal to $1200 dollars, the devaluation of the dollar is what pays the debt. When the Fed raises the interest rate to "control inflation", the government has to borrow enough to pay the interest. Thus, the interest that supposedly limits inflation becomes the inflation. This feeds all kinds of economic instability. The only stable currency is either tied to a precious metal value (like the gold standard) or lent at zero interest.

 

[nightshade]

The energy price cap is going up again in October, and it's still really high now.

I've sorted out a few bits to sell, just need to decide where and how much to sell for.

 

[NotASlayer]

Great, they put it down in summer when the weather is warmer when heating is less important then up again in autumn when it starts to cool and people use heating.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

The energy price cap is going up again in October, and it's still really high now.

I've sorted out a few bits to sell, just need to decide where and how much to sell for.

Go to work for an energy company. The money has to go somewhere.

 

[NotASlayer]

Go to work for an energy company. The money has to go somewhere.

Somehow I doubt it goes to the average employee.

 

[Nix]

The energy price cap is going up again in October, and it's still really high now.

I've sorted out a few bits to sell, just need to decide where and how much to sell for.

Yeah I heard that too and yes I need to sell stuff too. Going to pop mine on Vinted and whatevers left can go to the charity shop but yeah need doshy.