Bench post

Posted on July 3, 2023July 3, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bench, Cost, Expensive, Garden Centre, Help, inflation, Time, unaffordable, wooden2 Comments

We were thinking of replacing a garden bench with a new one. The seat has rotted through because we didn’t use wood preservatives and there were a few ones for sale at a garden centre we visited at the weekend. But I gasped when I saw the prices! This one was almost £500! I used to pay less than that for a few nights holiday accommodation, although I can’t see us having a holiday this year. Everything has got too expensive.

At least we have some money to spare, but only because of cutting back. It meant we could afford the vet bill today. I’d rather do that than buy clothes or shoes. Life is crazy, but I’m not going to complain, a lot of people have it far worse than us. I think we have to learn to be kinder to each other…. (and not buy benches…)

Question

Posted on April 19, 2023April 19, 2023 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Architecture, Art, cost of living, Design, economy, inflation, Learning, Life, Music, Painting, Question, World4 Comments

Is the cost of living crisis affecting whether you buy or collect art?

As a small time seller of art I’m interested in how the rises in inflation and reduction in pay rises is affecting the Art economy. I’m sure decisions are being made that people either put off buying, or don’t buy art at all.

Art is everywhere, in designs of clothes, furniture, architecture, advertising, maps, car design, and even the Art in people’s walls. The Art economy is worth Billions to the economy as a whole, but I think it is under recognised. We like to be surrounded by visual and auditory stimulation, but do people even notice it’s there. Do you notice a painting on a restaurant wall? Or classical music played in a supermarket. I wonder how things will work out?

Trying to save money

Posted on September 14, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Charity, giving, inflation, Poem, Poetry, Sad, Sadness, Thinking, Words, WorldLeave a comment

My tickets have been cancelled

I can’t afford to pay

The prices just keep going up

By day and day and day.

I want to give to charity

I want to share my funds

But if I don’t reduce my costs

There just won’t be enough.

So small cut here and over there

It won’t save very much

But one day things will be better

Then I will resume my trust

I worry if I don’t save costs

I will go totally bust!

New Prime minister

Posted on September 6, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cost of living, Crime?, Environment, inflation, national health service, People, policy, political parties, Politics, Serious, social care, ThinkingLeave a comment

Our new Prime minister is a woman. She is choosing her cabinet at the moment which is very diverse. That’s great, but most of them are her supporters. Where are the people to quietly tell her that her ideas may be wrong? Sycophantic behaviour is not good for running a country. There are dictators who have yes men telling them their ideas are wonderful. But at this time of crisis we need people who are serious about changing things, taking sensible decisions rather than populist policies that grab headlines. I know I’m being political, but sometimes you have to say something.

Things she needs to deal with: inflation, cost of living, the environment, national health service, climate change, social care, crime. Who would want the job?

Fuel price cap

Posted on August 25, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged conservatives, electricity meter, Fuel, Gas, Government, inflation, Life, Oil, Poverty, Sketching4 Comments

Later today the United Kingdom is going to be told the new price cap for Gas and Electricity which will affect the cost of bills. The price is set to skyrocket to about £2300 a year in October but then £4200? Per year in January! Bills are going to be unaffordable for the poorest in society and the question of whether to heat or eat becomes very bad if all you can afford to buy is cheap tinned food but you can’t heat it up.

The UK is supposed to be the sixth richest nation in the world but we seem more interested in giving the fuel companies shareholders masses of money instead of supporting our citizens. Our government is currently deciding who will replace Boris Johnson by letting 160,000 members of the British Conservative party choose the next prime minister instead of doing something about the cost of living crisis. Note to Liz Truss who is likely to win. If you cut taxes that’s fine for the rich, but a lot of people don’t pay them because their incomes are already too low. A 1% cut of nothing is nothing.

Whoopee! Five pence off a litre!

Posted on March 23, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cost, cost of living, diesel, Fuel, inflation, Life, percentage, Petrol, taxes, TimeLeave a comment

Our wonderful Chancellor has today reduced the cost of fuel at the pumps by five pence. That works out at around .33% off the price or one third of one percent! Given that petrol and diesel prices have recently gone up by 50%. This does not seem like an overly generous cut! Given other taxes are going up I wonder what they would like us to think about this? The cost of living and inflation is increasing. Living standards are falling.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: inflation