The Real Cost of Living in Britain

drc

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Must admit, fish and chips around here do seem on the expensive side, £5.20 at my nearest, for normal cod and chips.

Unfortunately, they are not that nice either. Polystyrene boxes, no bits, and chips that have had absolutely no effort put into them. Batter on the fish appears to be a good half cm thick.

Nothing like up North, where fish cakes were proper hand made....layer of potato slices, then a layer of fish, then another layer of potato slices, covered in batter. Down here you get a deep fried frozen potato burger in breadcrumbs.

Up north, proper bits, down here, nope, nothing.

I used to love the paper sticking to the chips, but sadly, don't seem to get that as much down here. There are half decent places, but you have to drive a few miles to get to them. Polystyrene trays merely lend to creating pools of oil.

Always seem to cook to order too....so fish comes out of the oil straight onto your chips, REALLY annoys me!!!

The local chip shops to me do the stick-to-the-paper kind of thick old-style chips, not these weird thin American imposters. Fish and chips are one of the things I'd really miss if I left the UK. I once tried some in Germany - pah, they should stick to making bratwurst.

Cleaver

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Must admit, fish and chips around here do seem on the expensive side, £5.20 at my nearest, for normal cod and chips.

Unfortunately, they are not that nice either. Polystyrene boxes, no bits, and chips that have had absolutely no effort put into them. Batter on the fish appears to be a good half cm thick.

A fish and chip shop near us does a jumbo cod for £5.25 which is "over two foot long". Can't say I've ever ordered it, but stick it with a large chips for £2.10 and I reckon you could feed a family of four for £7.35, or just £1.83 each.

Graham_Devon

drc wrote: »

The local chip shops to me do the stick-to-the-paper kind of thick old-style chips, not these weird thin American imposters. Fish and chips are one of the things I'd really miss if I left the UK. I once tried some in Germany - pah, they should stick to making bratwurst.

It's about the only think I miss from living in Yorkshire!!

Ask for a fish barm cake here, and they will look at you wondering what on earth you are talking about.

Unfortunately, remember where you are and ask for a fish buttie, and you get the same response. It's fish and chips, or nothing! Can get some frozen onion rings though if you ask nicely.

The_White_Horse

Graham_Devon wrote: »

For instance, they have added up both running a car, and also a season travel pass for both the husband and wife. I have a car, therefore don't buy a season ticket buss pass! I can't see anyone having a car, and then buying 2x seasonal bus pass's for themselves. They'll either have a car (and 1 pass), or have no car and buy 2 passes. (IMO). Most likely, they'll just have a car and no passes.

if a couple live in the suburbs or home counties and both work in London they will need a car plus two season tickets to get into work. it is unheard of to drive into work in London.

Graham_Devon

The_White_Horse wrote: »

if a couple live in the suburbs or home counties and both work in London they will need a car plus two season tickets to get into work. it is unheard of to drive into work in London.

True.

But hardly an example of the average lifestyle!

PasturesNew

StevieJ wrote: »

I remember when the chippy was the cheap alternative

Back in about 1969 I remember queueing at the chippy with my mum on a Friday night. "Large portion of chips" was about 3-4 shovels, cost 2/6d and served 5 of us, with some bread/marg on the side. No fish/pies/etc, it was just chips and bread/marg. Friday night treat, but not every Friday.

2/6d according to http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/ is

Current data is only available till 2009. In 2009, the relative worth of £0 2s 6d from 1969 is:

£1.53 using the retail price index
£1.56 using the GDP deflator
£2.92 using the average earnings
£3.33 using the per capita GDP
£3.71 using the share of GDP

Chips, as an individual portion, in the mid 70s rocketed to 15p/bag when there was the potato shortage - and they never went back down in price.

In about 1980, I had a friend who worked at a chippy - she told me her boss had bought the (big) chippy she worked at for £80k and had paid it off entirely within 2 years. She'd know the figures because she was the Manager and was bright/switched on, so it was something she'd have had the facts for.

Loads of money in chips and fast food..... loads.

treliac

It's funny and I don't know why but the dearest fish 'n chip shop I know is in Devon right next to the sea, whilst my local inland shops are a fair bit cheaper. (Where's that shruggy shoulders smilie when I need him?)

ceridwen

PasturesNew wrote: »

Back in about 1969 I remember queueing at the chippy with my mum on a Friday night. "Large portion of chips" was about 3-4 shovels, cost 2/6d and served 5 of us, with some bread/marg on the side. No fish/pies/etc, it was just chips and bread/marg. Friday night treat, but not every Friday.

2/6d according to http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/ is

Current data is only available till 2009. In 2009, the relative worth of £0 2s 6d from 1969 is:

£1.53 using the retail price index
£1.56 using the GDP deflator
£2.92 using the average earnings
£3.33 using the per capita GDP
£3.71 using the share of GDP

Chips, as an individual portion, in the mid 70s rocketed to 15p/bag when there was the potato shortage - and they never went back down in price.

In about 1980, I had a friend who worked at a chippy - she told me her boss had bought the (big) chippy she worked at for £80k and had paid it off entirely within 2 years. She'd know the figures because she was the Manager and was bright/switched on, so it was something she'd have had the facts for.

Loads of money in chips and fast food..... loads.

Thats what I like - hard facts:D

Thanks for the calculator Pastures - I've been looking for a decent one:D

Reet - I've now proved to my own satisfaction that my mortgage payments (when first taken on) would have equated to 35% of my present net salary. The mortgage is now gone - but I wondered what percentage it would have been - after seeing that 35% is deemed unaffordably high for mortgage payments by whatever-respected-body-it-is. Mind you - my salary has gone down in real terms:mad: since then.....more calculations coming up....

stonethrower

Loads of money in food unless you have Gordon Ramsay's father in law as a partner.

StevieJ

PasturesNew wrote: »

Back in about 1969 I remember queueing at the chippy with my mum on a Friday night. "Large portion of chips" was about 3-4 shovels, cost 2/6d and served 5 of us, with some bread/marg on the side. No fish/pies/etc, it was just chips and bread/marg. Friday night treat, but not every Friday.

2/6d according to http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/ is

.

Thanks for that Pastures, amazing how much average earnings have outpaced RPI, especially when you consider that currently (and probably in the future) RPI would be considered a good pay rise.