the snap general election thread

Herzlos

michaels wrote: »

'blaming austerity'? Suppose there were two petrol stations next to wach orher. One charges 5p more per litre because it pays its staff more - which will most people buy petrol from?

Most people will go with the cheapest, driving the price of the other one down and generating a level playing field.

Most public sector workers move up their pay bands each year even within the same job so a 1% pay rise still means they have 4-5% more take home pay each year which means they are not auffering the fall in real incomes that private sector workers are.

I've never heard of that, and all of my family are public sector. Teachers, Nurses, Police, Admin staff don't go up a pay band every year (or they'd all be Directors within 10 years). Some will get a pay rise above the 1% cap if promoted into a new band, but for most that's something that only happens every few years. Maybe you've got experience of senior management that are finding ways round the cap, but for most of the normal people it's a real-world pay cut every year.

Conrad

Joeskeppi wrote: »

It's a good job you're here to supply the official stats such as "eating out is more popular than ever".

Seeing as common knowledge has passed some by, here's one of many links on how we spend more eating out than ever (mmm, I thought we were getting poorer)


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=72597498


From fast-food to sit down restaurants, a survey tracking spending on cards shows we are spending more than ever on restaurant food.

A_Medium_Size_Jock

Joeskeppi wrote: »

It's a good job you're here to supply the official stats such as "eating out is more popular than ever".

Use your eyes.
Who needs official stats when you can see what is happening around you, the current proclivity for nail bars and hand car wash outlets being obvious examples.

Not that I personally am one for having coloured nails any more than I am averse to washing my own car BTW.

Conrad

We're getting poorer;


The latest figures suggest that Brits spent a record-breaking £7.16bn on their animals in 2015 as pet pampering became ever-more prevalent, a growth of 25% since 2010.


http://www.totallymoney.com/press-centre/furry-finances-average-cost-raising-pet-10975/

Herzlos

Conrad wrote: »

How do you square this getting poorer with;


Nail bars, permanent makeup bars, botox services, beauty shops, teeth whitening, spray tan shops etc etc - far far more prevalent than 10 years ago.

People who have lost jobs trying to branch out on their own? I don't see many of these places actually busy.

Gym membership / personal trainers etc - much more prevalent now

Does this fit in with the explosion of low-cost gyms that didn't exist 10 years ago? I can join a gym for £10 a month now, which I don't think I could previously.

The rise and rise of coffee shops and costly takeaways such as Dominoes?

Have they risen? There are more coffee shops, because the demographic seems to be moving there for pubs/clubs (so coffee shops mean spending *less* money).

Eating out is more popular than ever

Have you got a citation for that? Eating out seems to be getting more convient, with more food court style places, but I'm not sure people are eating out any more than before.

I do, but it's usually a cheap lunch somewhere with the offsprings at the weekend.

People have more gadgets than 10 years ago, and all manner of new expectations such as a nice new car, someone to wash their car, someone to walk their dogs etc etc

gadgets are cheaper than 10 years ago, as is car finance. I know very few people who pay someone to wash their personal car, or walk their dogs.


All of the points you've made may point to an increase in spending by the older middle classes that you seem to think are representative of the population as a whole*. For most of the working-class and young population, most of the above is a very rare event (gym memberships, coffee shops, eating out in nice places).

There are all sorts of other factors too - if you've given up on the idea of being able to afford a house, you may as well treat yourself to a coffee or a nice meal.

*But if that's who you interact with, it's fair enough. We all have our own confirmation biases. My world view seems to be wildly different from yours.

Herzlos

Conrad wrote: »

Seeing as common knowledge has passed some by, here's one of many links on how we spend more eating out than ever (mmm, I thought we were getting poorer)


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=72597498


From fast-food to sit down restaurants, a survey tracking spending on cards shows we are spending more than ever on restaurant food.

What survey?

Conrad

10 years ago I only knew the odd person that bought a car for their 17/18 y/o child.


Now it seems the complete norm right across the south east (talking to people from Berks, Herts, Surrey and up to Suffolk, across to Oxford etc etc)


Also my teen Sons and their friends all think it's normal to get cabs everywhere, whereas I rarely did that as a youngster


We're all getting poorer though.............

westernpromise

I want a lot of stuff but I want other people to pay for it all for me so I needn't.

Which party shall I vote for?

Conrad

Herzlos wrote: »

People who have lost jobs trying to branch out on their own? I don't see many of these places actually busy.

.

What!!!!!


Do you not see the world around you?
So many now have had costly treatments done that were not nearly as common 10 years ago. Everyone knows this surely?Look a few nails later on today!


If you don't even recognise this, then truly you are utterly disconnected from reality.


Try watching a bit of TV on ordinary women and girls tonight or pick up some mags.


Hardly anyone had teeth whitened 10 years ago, but now every other woman I know has, and a lot of blokes. That's one tiny example of the grooming boom. Not a sign of us getting poorer.

Conrad

We're getting poorer;


Botox and fillers are the most popular non-surgical treatments in the UK and are said to be soaring among millennials.


Social media, selfies and reality TV celebrities are among the influences driving millennials to use Botox, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. It’s being dubbed ‘The Kardashian effect’ and ‘Selfie Mania’.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/075551b0-d866-45db-ab6a-149ce182d741