Yeah that’s more what I mean. At first, fair enough, costs went up. But after a bit it starts looking less like necessity and more like they realised they could charge more and no one was going to stop them.

Yeah that’s exactly it. That feeling of getting home, looking in the bag, and thinking how on earth has that cost that much. It’s become weirdly normal and it really shouldn’t be.

Think loads of people have already cut back as far as they can, that’s the thing. It’s always “tighten your belt” but a lot of belts are on the last notch already. We barely use the car now unless we have to, don’t get takeaway much, barely buy anything random, and it still feels tight half the time. That can’t be the grand solution forever……

Some of it is bigger than us though, oil especially. Not really like that bit’s getting fixed overnight. Doesn’t make it any less painful when you’re filling up, but still.

What does annoy me is how quick everything goes up and how slow any drop is. If there even is one. That part never seems accidental somehow.

Lot of companies took the absolute piss with it if you ask me. First it was higher costs, fair enough maybe, then after a while it just became the standard excuse for charging more. And once it’s up, that’s it, never seeing that come back down are you. Especially on stuff people can’t really avoid paying for.

Petrol’s the one that does me in. Food I can sort of juggle a bit, buy cheaper stuff, leave a few things out. Fuel’s different. Need the car for work and that’s that. Every time it goes up you feel it straight away. Then a week later everything else seems to have mysteriously gone up as well. Funny that.

hmmm well that’s the problem with these figures though. Inflation slowing isn’t the same as prices actually coming back down, and that’s why it annoys people. It gets presented like things are properly improving when really it just means stuff’s still going up, only not quite as fast.

So yeah, it looks better on paper. Doesn’t mean it feels bet…Read More

ugh yeh just tell me about it! Energy coming down a bit did help us, I’ll say that much, but it never feels like you get ahead. You just stop drowning for five minutes. Then council tax, food, petrol, something else. There’s always something… I’m not even terrible with money and I still feel like I’m constantly shuffling things about waiting for payday.

That’s basically it. I don’t care what the number is if the shop’s still more every week. Did one midweek top-up yesterday and somehow walked out nearly thirty quid down with not much to show for it. Not even treats, just bits you run out of. Toilet roll, milk, something for tea, couple of lunch things. It all adds up stupidly fast now :/

Right im going to ring 101 tonight. worst that happens they say its nothing. ill update u 🤞

Rachel that’s… actually what I was worried about. still not sure what to do.

sorry whats this about? i only just logged on. is there a creepy van? oh my old neighbour used to say vans like that are for burglars casing the street. they sit for days watching who comes and goes then rob the empty houses. he was a bit odd but he swore blind he saw it happen once. never found out if it was true. could be something like that…

Cos i can be. this isnt a serious issue. man sees van. van stays still. man panics. get a life 🤙

Mark youre a ray of sunshine. why u even on this thread?

And then what? “thank you for your report we will add it to our files.” waste of time 🥱

Yeah ring 101. they wont send anyone unless urgent but theyll log it. If the plates are off they might take it more serious.

dont do that they not real. just ring the police. They can check the reg proper.

Did you try running the reg threw one of them online checkers? not sure if there legal but can see if its been nicked or anything.

Id look at the tyres. if theyre flat or the ground underneath is clean it been there a while. but you said no dust – so been there but cleaned? weird 🤨