OMG - cost rises

[hippy-chick]

watching bbc news, food is up by 20%.

So thats
petrol
electricity
gas
food

If people have no disposable income.....how are we going to survive?

The BBC expert says it will take 2 years!!!!

What changes have you made as a family and as a business?

On food, I have gone back to aldi for shopping rather than tesco. I spent £64 last week and £74 this week. I generally top up in the co-op approx £10 a week. That does include about 3 bottles of wine, but its still a lot.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Eep not good is it? Also a lot of things that can be done to try and economise on things like fuel etc would require a greater outlay initially too, like installing solar water heating to cut down on the gas bill, or getting a conversion done to run a diesel car on veg oil. Neither of which I can realistically afford at the moment.

Still, I managed to save about £200 on our house insurance yesterday by switching providers, so that will help...

 

[Bagpuss]

I am sure i read somewhere that America is starting to get better and we will follow suit....???

Mortgage's are starting to get more competitive again, which is good.

I think the media do a great job of scaring people into thinking things are worse than they really are.

Food shopping ... make a list of what you NEED and stick to it...or do it online cos that way you don't have the option to brouse.....never do the food shopping while you are hungry...:lol:

 

[dee]

yep i agree with bagpuss , i always shop cheaper if i do it online , went to tescos the other day and spent £120 god knows what on coz there was no booze or loads of junk food ,

 

[VillageNails]

Money Saving Expert: Consumer Revenge - Credit Cards, Shopping, Bank Charges, Cheap Flights and more is a super website - but if you get addicted on there as well as here..................lol

 

[Lynne Baker]

I think the media has a lot to answer for. Who on earth does it serve scaring the bejeesus out of the public other than itself!
Yes, people will trade down during these times, but as a client said to me yesterday, "I'm NOT giving up my monthly beauty treatment, otherwise I will feel like I'm purely existing, not living. Life is enough of a hamster wheel as it is"
A few weeks ago I overheard a conversation where a woman was grumbling that her husband had said they couldn't afford to go to the Maldives as planned, so she was darn well going to look as if she'd been away so had booked a fake tan.
Maybe there will be more business for us as people give up the more expensive luxuries and indulge themselves at our doors!

 

[Ruth Mills]

I think the media has a lot to answer for. Who on earth does it serve scaring the bejeesus out of the public other than itself!
Yes, people will trade down during these times, but as a client said to me yesterday, "I'm NOT giving up my monthly beauty treatment, otherwise I will feel like I'm purely existing, not living. Life is enough of a hamster wheel as it is"
A few weeks ago I overheard a conversation where a woman was grumbling that her husband had said they couldn't afford to go to the Maldives as planned, so she was darn well going to look as if she'd been away so had booked a fake tan.
Maybe there will be more business for us as people give up the more expensive luxuries and indulge themselves at our doors!

Oh yes definitely! I'm not giving up my wax, I hate feeling really hairy!

 

[Hope]

I am guessing though that we all will have to adjust.

Food has gone up,
Petrol has gone up (although it is going back down)
Gas and Electricity have gone up...by LOADS

So while I agree that the Media don't help with all the hype, esp where house prices/mortgages are concerned, you can't ignore the facts that it is true all of these things DO cost more now.

I haven't yet had any clients start hinting that they won't be able to afford their treatments, and tbh don't expect it in the near future. But as a family we are having to look at ways of reducing costs, although my hubby is such a money watcher we always have done :lol:

We are cutting out the non-essentials already, Coke, Biscuits, Treats etc etc. I haven't yet changed to cheaper brands but if the time comes that I need to then I guess I will. Although in all fairness I have cut these out because of all the hype and not out of necessity.....yet

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Just this morning on BBC news they were talking about how sales in organic food have dropped because people can't afford to buy it. £158 for half dozen free range eggs as opposed to £2.12 for organic.

Yes, I do care about where my chicken comes from and how it is treated, but I simply can't afford the extra.

 

[Hope]

Just this morning on BBC news they were talking about how sales in organic food have dropped because people can't afford to buy it. £158 for half dozen free range eggs as opposed to £2.12 for organic.

Yes, I do care about where my chicken comes from and how it is treated, but I simply can't afford the extra.

Good God now that is a price rise :lol: :hug:

Only joking Hun, I total agree with you and while I understand that Organic food is going to cost more if you haven't got the money to buy it, you can't......saying that although I can't afford to buy it for the whole family, my little baby ONLY has organic food but that is more to do with how he is really.

 

[Blue Rose]

I think a lot of it is down to scare mongering by the press - they have to write about something!

We've certainly not seen any loss of business & if anything this has been one of our best years for a long time.

A lot of clients have said that because of the doom & gloom, they are having MORE treatments to cheer themselves up. They'll cut back on the food shop & get cheaper brands but will not give up their 'me' time.

As long as therapists you stay positive, clients will keep coming in to see you. However if you get on the doom & gloom bandwagon & come across as being miserable to your clients it will more than likely be that that is off putting for them.

The other point is that not everybody is affected by the economy. If you have a more affluent clientelle already, these clients will be least affected.

 

[pure]

Well we sold our lovely Saab convertable a couple of months ago because it was costing soooo much to fill it in petrol.:cry: But I think other than that we are doing what most others are, only buying if we really need it, looking for bargains etc.

I do worry about the business and how that will be affected, but so far business is still good and I'm still getting a regular flow of new clients too, but I still worry!

 

[hippy-chick]

sorry guys, I think the wine had kicked in and paranoia followed.

I was sitting there watching the news, and my jaw was dropping lower and lower.

I agree with you all, its scaremongering and the media have been wetting themselves about this for a good few months now. I don't usually succumb to it, but my guard was down last night and I had a mini panic attack.

I have noticed a few clients have eeked their treatments to an extra week so instead of booking every 4 weeks they book on the 5th week instead, but majority are steady.

just off to slap myself around the face for becoming hysterical. Normality has fallen once again on the Chick household.

 

[Blue Rose]

Well we sold our lovely Saab convertable a couple of months ago because it was costing soooo much to fill it in petrol.:cry: But I think other than that we are doing what most others are, only buying if we really need it, looking for bargains etc.

I do worry about the business and how that will be affected, but so far business is still good and I'm still getting a regular flow of new clients too, but I still worry!

I've had my salon nearly 17 years & still worry, don't think that's something that ever disappears.

Bit like having children in a way, the worrying thing