pedrobedro
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We bought a new washing machine a couple of years ago and it was cheaper than the original automatic we bought 40+ years ago.
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ajlelectronics
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Come on, isn't anyone going to ask?
brightspark
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that's because of mass production
brightspark
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Wiltshire farm foods advertising on the telly
must be selling loads of spuds
8ob
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Fluctuating currency exchange rates determine goods prices but not immediately because of holding stock.As the pound has gone up against the Euro in recent months anything purchased from across the Channel should in theory be cheaper to buy. Against the Yen its dropped so Jap stuff will be dearer, pound vs Yuan has been yo yoing erratically so that will have an effect. Whats not really happened is a decent sized wage hike for the last ten years while goods prices have all steadily increased.
Bob
Bob
Munkul
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some things are cheaper - technology, for example.
Stephen Fry's excellent podcast "great leap years" was interesting - one view of Moore's law (number of transistors on a computer chip doubles every 18–24 months) was that actually, the cost of semiconductors halved every 24 months.
Thus, what was supercomputer performance like a Cray or ASCII turned into mere gaming console level stuff a few years later.
Thinking along those lines, the scales involved in information technology has affected some things but not others. Computing has never been cheaper. Amazon's next day delivery service - would you have imagined how cheap it could be, 20 years ago??
But the cost of milk and eggs hasn't changed all that much.
Stephen Fry's excellent podcast "great leap years" was interesting - one view of Moore's law (number of transistors on a computer chip doubles every 18–24 months) was that actually, the cost of semiconductors halved every 24 months.
Thus, what was supercomputer performance like a Cray or ASCII turned into mere gaming console level stuff a few years later.
Thinking along those lines, the scales involved in information technology has affected some things but not others. Computing has never been cheaper. Amazon's next day delivery service - would you have imagined how cheap it could be, 20 years ago??
But the cost of milk and eggs hasn't changed all that much.
ajlelectronics
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Wiltshire farm foods advertising on the telly
Nope!
Ashley Burton
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Shame most companies don't paying the living wage rather than the minimum wage. Then we might be able to afford these over inflated prices
julianf
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The argument is that increasing wages just pushes on inflation - in the absence of all other factors, this is entirely absolute.
However things are never that simple. Generally when people talk about increasing "living wage" they are not looking at it that simplistically. What theyre really talking about is wealth distribution. You know, politics of envy and all that.
This is an interesting load of statistics, involving america, although probably very similar here -
Like i say, politics of envy and all that....
Ashley Burton
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I can feed myself for an entire week for less than that by shopping at Lidl and Aldi, and I don't buy "basic" ranges of food either. Me and OH very rarely have a takeaway these days, it's as as quick if not quicker to cook it ourselves, and we know exactly what's gone into it.
I've just stopped for a break at Washington services on the A1M near Newcastle and used the food vouchers I get from filling up with BP diesel to get a pastry and a coffee from the Costa place. If I hadn't had the vouchers, there's no way on God's green earth would I have parted with £7 of my own money for that!
I reckon the likes of Costa, Starbucks, Gregg's, et al, are taking advantage of the fact that large swathes of the population have more money than sense these days. £7 for a coffee and a bun
???. But invariably, the people who use these outlets on a daily basis are the first to complain about not having any money...
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pedrobedro
Man at Matalan
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Our Aldi tally came to £35 yesterday for wife and I. £12 of that was beer and wine
. Our chippie does a meal deal, small fish, chips and peas or curry sauce on a tray for £2.80 each or the Chinese across the road Chow mein and chips for £6.20 and it's enough for two (normal size) people. Friday night treat every few weeks, us pensioners have to be careful
Ashley Burton
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I was in one at Stockton not long back, and while it was pleasant enough, what it cost would more than pay for me to bake a large fruit loaf which would last me all week.
No offence is intended towards anyone who frequents said establishments, but I genuinely believe that a lot of folk have an "easy come, easy go" attitude towards money, which is why the likes of Gregg's are so successful. I had that attitude but no longer do, thanks to coming out of a divorce some years back that left me on the bones of my a**e with practically just the clothes I was wearing to my name. Yorkshire stereotype aside
, I can't justify spending upwards of £5 on a drink and a pastry, when for less than that I can bake a box full of tasty goodies that will last me all week.
Bullet2012
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no, not interested
Bullet2012
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I was in one at Stockton not long back, and while it was pleasant enough, what it cost would more than pay for me to bake a large fruit loaf which would last me all week.
No offence is intended towards anyone who frequents said establishments, but I genuinely believe that a lot of folk have an "easy come, easy go" attitude towards money, which is why the likes of Gregg's are so successful. I had that attitude but no longer do, thanks to coming out of a divorce some years back that left me on the bones of my a**e with practically just the clothes I was wearing to my name. Yorkshire stereotype aside
agree 100%
eLuSiVeMiTe
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Always get heartburn from pastry at places like this. Dunno what they use that does it
eLuSiVeMiTe
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I don't shop in Aldi anymore after the store manager did this to me.
Left the trolley and went to Morrison's for better service that day.
Left the trolley and went to Morrison's for better service that day.
gaz1
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brightspark
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every time I go to greggs to get a couple of pasties I get a dry bred bun as well 
sit outside with the window open and hold my hand out with a bit of the bun . the stinker starlings come and sit on the rear view mirror or on your hand and take some
sit outside with the window open and hold my hand out with a bit of the bun . the stinker starlings come and sit on the rear view mirror or on your hand and take some 