Ellen Auckland’s tummy grumbled as she sipped her fifth cup of tea of the day. The 25-year-old from Barnsley had missed breakfast as part of her and fiancé Adam Gibbens’ new budget-cutting regimen.
Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, delivered a stark warning this week that Britain is facing “apocalyptic” food price spikes and fuel bill shocks.
Brits like Ellen are already grappling with rising living costs. We reported last month that when the economic crisis strikes, buyers may expect to pay up to 60% more for goods.
Ellen, a part-time service adviser at a car dealership, expressed that she and Adam are already living on one meal a day. She revealed that she currently skips breakfast every morning and avoids lunch if possible, rather drinking loads of tea. People at work reacted to her rumbling stomach and asked whether she was hungry, and she answered ‘Yes!’
She continued saying that last year, they spent £50 a week on food without giving it much thought, yet in the last few weeks, that expenditure has skyrocketed to close to £100, so they had to make significant changes.
They used to be able to obtain a bottle of fresh orange juice for 99p, but it’s now £1.40, so they are unable to afford it. A kilogram of rice has risen from 30p to 70p — the list goes on and on, and it all adds up.
She added that if anything, the price increases have outpaced inflation, yet neither Adam nor she have received a raise this year. When the couple moved into their residence in 2019, their expenditures were around 50% of their income. They are now just breaking even.
Ellen claims that they only go grocery shopping every other week, spending roughly £60, and that they eat less for supper so that they have leftovers for the following week. She expressed that they used to buy a chicken to roast and utilize it for two dinners. They’ve realized they’ll have to make three or four dinners out of it.
She always tries to go to Tesco in the evening to purchase the discounted yellow-stickered items. So frequently, it’s food that’s just great yet can be bought for pennies.
They constantly make sure Lily, their one-year-old daughter, receives enough food. She’s their number one concern. They give up their meals for her. It’s difficult with a tiny kid and always feeling hungry, but she understands some have it worse. Their automobile is the one expense they’ve been able to eliminate.
Ellen adds that she had a diesel Ford Cougar, which she sold last year when second-hand car prices were high, and purchased an all-electric Nissan Leaf. She feels at least she does not pay road tax and charges it for free when she drives to Tesco for her weekly shop.
To alleviate the load, the pair has given up pleasures they used to enjoy and is reducing their energy use at home.
Ellen adds that they used to eat takeout once a week, but that’s gone now. They’re doing less clothing washes and filling the washing machine to save power. Their fixed contract expired in October. Previously, when they paid a £70 direct debit, they ended themselves in credit. Now they pay £140 each month and are already £120 in debt!
She honestly doesn’t know how they’ll manage when gas and electricity rates rise again in October. They haven’t turned on their radiators since the price increase in mid-March.
Prices for ordinary commodities such as fish, fruit, pasta, and bread have risen so substantially in the last year that battles are breaking out in the aisles over discounted foods, and poor families can’t even afford to cook their meals due to skyrocketing energy expenses.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that one in every seven individuals lives in a family where people miss meals, eat fewer meals, or go hungry since they can’t afford or get food.
The UK GDP has shrunk by 0.1 percent as worries grow that the country may enter a recession as a result of the debilitating cost of living problem.
Boris Johnson said there will be “greater support” for people affected by crushing price increases, but he cautioned that he will not continue to write checks that leave Britain in terrible debt.
