Cost of living squeeze in 2022, 23 & 24 (Vol. 2)

Car insurance company I've been with for decades decided to quote a renewal for more than twice I paid the previous year.

Normally it's a small rise and a phone call gets it back down again.

This time the previous £450 is now £890. They got it down to £750 despite me telling them that nearly all the companies on Meerkats were quoting less than £400.

Now with Aviva for £335.

So if I've understood you correctly then; no water was being used in the house (or if there was, it was a tiny amount). So you'd most likely just be paying the standing charge. And now, you are using the house again, and so using water?

Maybe that is why your bill has gone up ?

The RAC has also been pulling that stunt for years as well. Several years ago they whacked mine right up, when I complained and said I'd be cancelling, they offered to reduce it. I'd already signed up with GEM, so I told them if that's the way they do business, then they can defiantly poke it.

Had haggled my Virgin Media down to something more reasonable not long ago (given we only get internet off them and nothing else) and already it's gone shooting straight back up with the usual April price rises.

I just wish there were other options. If you want decent internet round here it's Virgin or nothing. I think instead of the vast sums spent on HS2 they should have been looking at plumbing the country for connectivity. It's a crime somewhere as small as we are has such poor infrastructure when it comes to internet connectivity, especially as doing things online becomes more and more intertwined with life and thus more and more important.

some of us live in the rest of the country

It’ll spread I’m sure.

Same here down on the riviera.

London wasn’t the first place to get it either

Had the renewal through for Cat number 2's insurance today. It was £301 per year and it's going up to £391. We haven't claimed on the policy so I'm not sure how it's fair that it's going up by 30%.

Cat number 1's insurance went from £414.88 to £531.05 in January also.

I'm not even sure they will negotiate the premiums as they know they basically have us locked in until the pets die. But I can't see taking year on year 30% rises, we simply won't be able to afford it. What then? They go out of business when everyone cancels? Seems like a dumb move.

My youngest, she's 25 has been driving since 18, zero claims, zero points, her car insurance has just gone up to £70 pm from £32 pm, she shopped around and couldn't get it any less, the renewal was £70 pm with a minimum £550 excess, she went with someone else for the same monthlies but they would do a £250 excess.

I'd imagine the trade margin is exceptionally poor on Guinness 0% compared to a pint of pre-mix Coke / Lemonade.
I don't blame them really, hard enough making profit from wet led sales.
No point having a full Pub making no margin

The Guinness is very good BTW, easily the best 0%