Things like bills/food going up, that's only indirectly related to the credit crunch - that's far more to do with basic inflation. Food costs & bill costs rise every year, it's not unexpected.
tbh. I'm getting rather sick of hearing about the credit crunch. Yes, it's bad. Yes, it's worrying. But srsly? People need to be told to borrow reasonably? And need to be told to look for special offers in the supermarket? And to look for clothes in Oxfam, or even - oh my lord! - just keep the clothes they have?
I'm not affected, really, at all. The business my mum works for did lay some people off, but they all got jobs in the same field in a different company within the next few months. Dad's business is slow, but they've got customers, and they're getting money. The company I work for is a-ok, although I'm leaving soon. There are jobs available in York, both within retail and other sorts of work (i.e. telephone researching).
It annoys me how much people panic about the recession, and with tabloid headlines like "worst recession ever!"
It's just a case of being sensible with your money and saving when you can, in case something like this turns up.
And if you get unemployed - retrain! Try going into something different. It's not difficult. Just because you've worked in retail for ten years doesn't mean that retail is the only option open to you.
But yeah, like Claire I'm finding my savings are getting ****-all interest, which is really rather annoying. Talk about penalising the savers for the borrowers faults :P
I dont work, I was in the middle of looking for a part-time job when this hit.
And today, i'm going to pick up an application for the one place I swore I would never work... Primark ={
plus, my dad has been working 3 and a half days a week since christmas, instead of five plus overtime, so we've lost a lot of money there. And we find out monday if he has lost his job permenantly.
We've had to give up obedience training lessons for our dogs, as they are non-essential, we also walk round tesco calculating the value of everything
I no longer ask my parents for money for anything, as they would still give it to me and i feel bad knowing they can't afford it
Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind.
To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse.
To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.
To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better.
I work part time for Jessops, which was looking really bad, they closed 17stores in Scotland a couple of months ago (they did buy 36 random individual stores up there two years previously mind) and closed one store in York, but they did open a massively big one in London, and last week Sunderland City Council gave me an order for over £30,000 worth of stuff, so my store in itself is doing aright for the time being as we're the most profitable in the north east (owning the building out right helps with this, as every other store rents the space).
But my freelance work, has gone down dramatically, not many people are wanting to get married atm with prices, so I'm limited to functions and model portfolios and such which dont pay as much!
on the brighter side, I bought my new camera, Canon 450D and Canon 50mm lens last year, camera less than £400, lens less than £70, now the camera i like £519 and the lens is £99, so I can point and laugh :) plus prices are expected to go up again with the pound being worth so little.
Amazingly though, we still have a good run of customers buying cameras etc, and more and more money coming in from companies like Canon, Nikon, Lowepro for merchandising.
The news doesnt help with OMG WE R IN A RECESSION!!111 all the time, panicking people.
Our food bill hasnt increased because we now buy cheaper versions of food, for example we now buy the basic pure orange juice rather than the branded version. They taste the same, but it saves money!
More people would save money if they took a little extra time to see what's cheaper or on special offer.
I have 6% interest on my ISA, quite lucky really. I took out the ISA when the rate was 6% and it's fixed for a year.
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
I agree Sarah with the shopping around. Sure it's a hassle but better that than be in debt.
To be honest the whole talk about the credit crunch makes me massively anxious. I'm paranoid about money anyway, always squirrelling bits away in my savings and not spending anymore than I have to. I'm moving house shortly and every time I hear about bills going up and stuff it panics me. Logically I know I can afford it even without dipping in to my savings, but part of me still worries about it. I don't even have a credit card for fear of getting in to debt. I really fail to understand how some people can live so wildly beyond their means without the issue of the debt they are building up worrying them all the time. But then again I know a fair few people like that so it does happen.
im really lucky because people are still willing to pay for stuff they enjoy if its a once a year/once in a life time thing. the live music industry is abolutely booming and weve all been given payrises and bonuses and stuff.
We have switched some things when we go shopping for example instead of buying Heinz ketchup we buy Sainsburys own make but we did switch to Sainsburys own Baked beans but they tasted ****! so we switched back to heinz baked beans. We buy Morning fresh washing up liquid instead of Fairy. We tried there own spaghetti to and that was disgusting to. Iv never tried Sainsburys basic stuff i dread to think of what it tastes like if Sainsburys own make beans were horrible. I kind of agree. Its easier said than done for the people who earn a low wage and dont get help from the council/goverment.
I guess people are anxious because they are noticing the effects of it, like my parents. I think people have every right to be anxious about it, especially when many people back home are losing jobs, their businesses are falling apart...
Also with food bills, that is all and well if you live near a tesco or an asda or whatever shop you decide to go to. I personally am limited to Waitrose,Sainsburys a tiny Iceland and a Lidl. The latter two arent as cheap for many things as a tesco/ asda.
For my parents they would lose the house, the business and the fact that they would have lost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Even when they place does sell they wouldnt have the money for a deposit on a house and plus the fact they would be unemployed would mean they would not get a morgage.( thankfully now the bank have said they wont take it off us, but will not help out with an overdraft so my parents dont even have the money to go to the cash and carry for supplies, or for oil to heat the place!)
I think if you have been affected by the whole thing you wont understand the true extent of how bad things are in some places. Im actual;ly quite hurt by some of the comments in this thread. sorry
I moved into my own place june last year n since then all ive done for work is a temping job over xmas. My fiance has only just got a (temporary) job and bills are terrible! Credit crunch = sucks. Im trying to get a job so i can do my college apprenticeship but cant get one so cant even train!!!
We couldn't have gone on in the economy we had, though. It was so overinflated, it was only going to result in a pop at some point.
My point is not that everybody who is out of a job/struggling, deserves to be - but just that there are jobs out there, it's not like the British economy is collapsing. It annoys me when people say "I can't get a job because of the recession" - yes, it means that potentially there are less jobs out there, but that's not to say that it's actually impossible get a job. It may just mean moving down the job-ladder a few rungs, or, if you're used to working in a shop, perhaps try a coffee shop or restaurant.
It's a nasty thing, but it's about rolling with the punches, making sacrifices - and bearing in mind that things like food prices go up every year anyway, regardless of a recession.
my dads buisness is doing better than last year i think.. its weird but like apparently people still wanna pay out money for kids parties.. and so do schools.. all good for me.. cos he pays me if i go.. i need to look for a job but im guessing that now its gunna be even harder cos no one wants any staf.. great "/
smile, your beautiful
if someone hates you, be proud that youve done something worthwhile enough for them to disaprove of
Only thing I've done is cut back on stuff I don't really need. Such as, I don't buy magazines or newspapers anymore and I don't buy biscuits and cakes. I haven't switched food brands or anything. I'm fussy and I'll only eat certain brands/foods.
=]
"How can I be a gynecologist? I can barely look a woman in the eye!"
♥
Location: Spain... but would rather be in England at home :)
I am currently:
The biggest way it has affected me is the weakness of the pound. I'm on a year abroad in Spain and so need Euros. And everything in Spain is increasing in price too!
