Short of Cash?

[Win2Win]

I'm not skint, but even I've tightened up on a few things....making sure some lecky things are turned off, going a bit easier with the fuel....even looking for a new vehicle with much better mileage....that's economics & intelligence driving that though, not any crap Green issues the government have come out with.

My missus eats fish every day, and at the moment Gold is cheaper per kilo :yikes:

I know a number of my mates back in 'Pool are struggling, so I've sent them a batch of radio's :rolleyes:

[mathare]

I've stopped going out as much as I used to a couple of years back and that has had a massive benefit to my finances. The gambling ain't going as well as I would have liked at this stage of my career but never mind. I'm not (directly) affected by fuel prices as I don't own a car - never needed one. I have a good job that pays well and between me and this missus we are making a serious dent in the mortgage so I would have to sya money is OK for me at the moment.

[presto]

fuel and food prices rocketing yet apparently inflation is only around 2.5% according to CPI - is it just me or do the sums just not add up :doh

[bigcumba]

fuel and food prices rocketing yet apparently inflation is only around 2.5% according to CPI - is it just me or do the sums just not add up :doh

Problem is that the calculation for overall inflation includes things that might be dropping in price... such as houses, and isn't weighted in the way we actually spend our money.. mostly on food, utilities, petrol etc that are all increasing in price hugely.

We're struggling at the moment, and having just had another big bill on stuff for the bike (£571 for 2 new tyres, chain and sprocket set and full service). Our typical shopping bill has gone up from arounf £70-80 a week at this time last year to around £100... Petrol obviously affects us as I commute on the bike and my wife drives for her job. Our 7 year fixed rate mortgage deal runs out this year, and we could see it shooting up £200 or more (guess who we're with... yep bloody Northern Rock!) particularly now we amost certainly no longer have a top credit score. Our gas/electric direct debit hasn't gone up yet, but I'm sure that'll happen later in the year. I've taken to flogging my vinyl record collection - been doing a stall at the Brighton record fair every couple of months, and we do the odd car boot through the summer. We've cut out some insurances we reckon we don't really need as well, and changed as many others as we could. All in all it's going to be a bit of a tough ride for us in the coming year or so...

[Win2Win]

fuel and food prices rocketing yet apparently inflation is only around 2.5% according to CPI - is it just me or do the sums just not add up :doh
I just had that argument with a guy on the Filipino forum, you'd think he was a government minister the figures he was spinning :icon_tong

[scoobydoo]

Inflation at 2.5% my :butthead:...Ive never really much noticed food going up in price before but just now its so obvious...its starting to hurt a little! As bigc has said...I am waiting for the elec/gas to go up again...how many rises have we had now! I dont own a car so fuel not bothering me but I was only have a discussion about it today with a neighbour...I think the whole situation is affecting loads of people.

[tophatter]

I would not say I was skint as I have been in that boat before in the early 90's when I absolutley had no money to buy food at the end of some months.

What I would say is Ive started to lok at how much money I waste and cut some things out. Ive saved about £50 a month and with the 22% tax rate coming down to 20% i take home an extra £18 per month.

Ive figured with all the talk about the economy now is as good as time as any to get back into the black and with the budget Ive worked out I should have my credit card and overdraft wiped out by next June.

So although not skint im a little shorter of cash because I have decided to pay off things that I bought over the past couple of years.

[Jonny2621]

the price rises for basic commodities (excluding food) have only just begun, Raw materials such as paper, board, metals and plastic etc are rocketing in China particulalrly, up 30% or more since Xmas.

In additon the Chinese minimum wage is also pushing up prices considerably, as are Chinese Govt attempts ( under pressure from the US) to clamp down on and close factories that use forced labour etc and flout safety and environmental rules. The legit factories have more scope now to raise prices due to shortages of supply of many components such as paint, chemicals, plastic etc. None of this is necessarily a bad thing in terms of raising living standards from pitiful levels but the effect on prices of manufactured goods is startling.

In addition sea freight rates for shipping containers ex Far East are rising on the back of oil prices and that will affect the cost of goods also.

I'm afraid its going to get worse before it gets better :mad:

[piggy]

real inflation is runing at about 11.5% not that you'll get the govt. to agree to it ;fire just got my 2.5% rise whoopeee, but i'm actually doing allright as my local pub has closed down so i'm staying in much more than i used to so i'm quite a bit better off , mind you smirnoff's share prices have increased dramatically :D

[vegyjones]

Got a job that finally has given me some motivation to get out of bed in the morning.
However, due to being so eager to get the job, I was shafted wage wise, so remain
as poor and skint as I ever was due to being a one income family and several misdemeanours in my youth!

[tophatter]

The plain fact is that we in the west have for many years beneffited from having the money to hog the world resources, whilst many many more people have remained in poverty worldwide and have not used as much per head.

This is a new era we are entering, with countries like India and China embarking on economic revolutions and that means the demand for those resources will get stretched. Food and fuel will become more expensive as it is shared more equally.

It might make some western countries a little poorer but the world will be a better place for it. People might stop wasting as much food as we scandalously waste at the moment and might stop burning fuel without thinking do they really need to.

This is a global market now and if you believe that capitalism works then that can only be a good thing... can't it?

[counterfeit]

We're in an odd position in that my gambling has paid off to the extent that my wife has decided she doesn't need to work any more and wants to give up her £65k per year job.

I am really reluctant to put all our eggs in one basket because gambling has some big troughs as well as all the highs and she doesn't seem to have grasped that.

Fortunately, we are guaranteed another 6 months of her salary as she has just been put out on a secondment.

Our money situation is great but the economy seems to be in freefall - our mortgage has gone from £670 pm to £1160 pm in the space of 2 years, the price of food is obscene and as for petrol - it's insane. I'm just concerned that losing a big salary will have a much bigger effect than my wife thinks.

[TheOldhamWhisper]

...and wants to give up her £65k per year job.

...

Did i read that right?? For a minute I thought it said £65k a year.

If I did read it right, and you think you might be struggling at any point in the future, I think the rest of us might as well head off to the poor houses now! :yikes:

[Win2Win]

I'll borrow his wife! :doh

[wb]

counterfeit, if your wife is earning that kind of money, I think she'd be mad to risk it.

Also, with all respect, you are presuming that you can continue to churn what seems to be very decent profits. What if you start to struggle sometime in the future? How will this affect your relationship? I don't think it's fair to place all the pressure on your shoulders. Not when that type of wage is at stake.

[peza2605]

if i wasnt in debt id be larfing.... mind you if i wasnt in debt id be working a lot less. 30 months to go, will i survive? anyway any extra cash i make goes off the debt.

[Win2Win]

if i wasnt in debt id be larfing.... mind you if i wasnt in debt id be working a lot less. 30 months to go, will i survive? anyway any extra cash i make goes off the debt.
If all English folk worked as hard as you, the economy would be the best in the world. :thumbs

[peza2605]

If all English folk worked as hard as you, the economy would be the best in the world. :thumbs

brought a tear to my eye that did..thank you.:)

[Win2Win]

brought a tear to my eye that did..thank you.:)
I'll get rid of it for you then....

Chelsea :goal :icon_win:

[barrelmaniac]

How are my finances?

The truth is i dont know. For the first time in my life i have a half decent paid, all year round job (i.e not seasonal) so im in the best situation that ive ever been in finacially.

However I still cant afford to but a house and i dont spend much money at all because i dont feel like i have much money to spare as everything seems to be getting more and more expensive. Im trying to save for a decent deposit if house prices crash but its slow going.


So am I doing well or not? I just dont know:lickme