Great 'what do you pay more for if you're poor?' Hunt

sweetilemon

If you don't have the internet you should check out your local library for free access. I don't have a phone line or internet but get free phone internet on my virgin £22pm but not a contract so can cancel anytime if i cant manage to pay it the following month. I use the library for free internet for things i cannot do on my phone. Hope this helps.

MSE_Martin

Thank you very much for this folks - it'll be really useful for our work with Save the children.

AnonymousForObviousReason

There is help out there for people living on the poverty line. There are a number of benefits available and companies do offer cheap products/services (e.g. offering basic phone packages at reduced fee), however they generally aren't well advertised and often rely on luck to be found.

One of the big ones not mentioned is Education. Being able to afford to let a child go to college/Uni would mean such a lot to a whole generation, income wise.

minuettoallegretto

Just found another from personal experience. The washing machine's just died, and can't afford to buy one - so we've had to go to Littlewoods, who charge more, and put it on Buy Now Pay Later, costing more again (although planning to pay in full before it's due). We'll be paying £400 for a machine that would cost at least £100 less elsewhere - but we just can't afford it!

jimjames

elbeie wrote: »

Anything from the supermarket. There is no way that you can afford to bulk buy and take advantage of big-buy-bargains. You end up paying for 3 small packets of food / washing powder (everything really!) rather than one big one which is a smaller cost. You can't take large 'bulk' amounts on the bus.
.

INteresting one in Which magazine recently that I've also spotted myself - big packets are not always cheaper so maybe its not losing out as much as you'd expect. 24 loo rolls for £9.50 or 12 for £4, "big pack better value" I don't think so!!

kymie

We are a working family, but we are barely keeping our heads above water. We dont drink, dont smoke, and dont have days/nights out, kids dont have any paid for after school clubs (luckily the schools have their own free clubs for them to go to once a week) and we dont have regular holidays (last holiday was 2007). I think some people see poverty as those not working and on full benefits, but actually I think its the low income families who suffer more. I havent had a new pair of glasses for 5 years (even though I now desperately need them). Also I have been poorly for a few weeks now but cant afford to get a prescription (and cant get over the counter as Im still feeding my youngest). Both those examples are usually free if you are on benefits. Also school trips! I know the schools try hard for the children these days but if you have more than one or two children at school the trips you are expected to pay for can be crippling, and if you are seen to be a working family you are not offered help! I also agree with all the posts mentioned above.

billydo

having to use puplic transport as had to sale car.(to expensive to run)
taking clothes to launerette.
Not being able to buy nice clothing.
having to purchase cheap cuts of meat, (What we eat now, last year I was buying for the dog)
Most- what is really annoying -no longer can afford botox/derma fillers,

Having to be careful with heating,water,electric, sit with water bottle and blanket in the evenings,so I don't have to put heating on.


billydo

Tupperware_Queen

having recently moved into a rented home with a prepayment meter I have found that they are up to half as much again to what I was paying before. I entered the amounts from my old bills and looked up prepayment tariffs on moneysupermarket and uswitch, and even the cheapest was going to be £30 per month more!!

Also, not being able to use bank cards, I went into the postoffice, and was shocked at the cost of a postal order these days!! last time I got one it was 25p!! now it's 10% of the face value

Swampmonster

Definatley bus travel £20 for four of us to go into the nearest town and as said before inflated prices at local shops.

I too have been really ill and not been able to afford the prescription charge. i was ill so long in the end I passed the bug on to the rest of the family.

dorset76_2

I would add that if you are a single person, you get penalised all over again - you have to pay 'supplements' to have a room to yourself if you need to stay in hotels and an awful lot of deals are aimed at two people - ie. buy one meal, get one free - or families.

Any kind of social event that carries an expectation that you have to 'join in' costs more if you are poor - weddings and hen nights are the things that have nearly reduced me to bankruptcy - especially hen nights, however hard you try to say 'Please can we not do rounds? etc etc', there is always someone who says 'If everyone puts in £20, we can buy champagne!! etc etc... '