FAMILY INCOME – DO FAMILIES HAVE LESS TO SPEND?

There is no question in regard to family income – British families have less to spend than before with an increased amount of it going on rent and energy bills and yet a report came out today saying that retailers have already noticed a 10 % rise in West End Christmas shopping. Really? It certainly seems that way if you look at the crowds – I guess the discounts help – but who is spending the money? I bet there are lots of people from overseas causing a spike in spending. Surely it can’t really be signs of an improved economy? There are many that are gravely in debt with credit card bills escalating and nearly everyone I know is taking out additional loans to cover bigger expenses. I imagine this is why not many of us are particularly noticing any improvement in the the economy with inflation outrunning rises in salary for most of us.

So what will we do this Christmas? Cut our cloth accordingly or splash out as usual on a huge amount of material stuff for our kids? Really we should all be making gifts for Christmas……perhaps I’ll have a go at quickly turning this blog into a how to make marmalade and fudge blog. I bet we don’t. I bet we go out and spend ridiculous amounts of money anyway….because for some reason we are being told the economy is on the mend.

I am not convinced. I really do worry about What is going to happen (no doubt just after the next election) when interest rates go up and suddenly we can’t afford to pay our mortgages or indeed our debt in general again?

Oh and my little black Emo tree is up again – which really makes me look like the doom and gloom of Christmas past and present – children are mortified. Suitably austere for the occasion I feel:-