What’s a recession indicator that you’ve noticed lately in your everyday life?

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pixieorfae@reddit

So many pseudo-vegetarians in my friend group (including myself and my partner) because meat is so expensive.

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TellMeManyStories@reddit

Switch to raw chicken from lidl/aldi... Still about £4/kg.

It's just the processed/ready to eat stuff which is expensive.

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We eat almost 100% non UPF and still can’t afford meat most weeks. Sometimes we will buy a whole chicken or some wings/thighs but it’s incredibly expensive compared to say lentils which get you three or four meals for pennies.

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the_night_max@reddit

I had really cut down eating meat for several years, and completely stopped about 18 months ago. Although finance wasn't a factor I was shocked at the different just from cutting out 1-2 times a week. I also never bought processed meat, and have always bought a huge range of veggies, pulses etc. meat is just really pricey!

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LunaValley@reddit

Any good lentil meal ideas?

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Huge_Horse_8945@reddit

Chilli con lentils/lentil cottage pie/lentil bolognaise

Chickpeas are a good one also

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LunaValley@reddit

Thanks ☺️

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LonelyArmpit@reddit

It feels a bit wrong, but maple syrup goes amazingly in a lentil cottage pie

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ChanceHovercraft1754@reddit

Stores feeling the need to lock up more and more basic household items behind anti-theft protection.

Like shoplifting in general isn't a great indicator as it comes and goes in waves due to public peception of penalties, risk etc.

But locking up basic goods like coffee, healthcare items, baby products. That's always a bit of a giveaway shits going bad.

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bars_and_plates@reddit

I don't really think that's a recession indicator to be honest, we have had recessions in the past without that happening.

I think it's less linked to economic factors and more to a general decline in respect for authority. Probably because the authority, well, isn't there a lot of the time, compared to when I was a child the threat of being nicked is basically non existent.

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Hellsbells130@reddit

Nah mate, it only started happening when a tub of coffee started costing stupid amounts.

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tmr89@reddit

Steaks, salmon, chocolate bars and spirits are “basic household items”?

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ChanceHovercraft1754@reddit

Yes because when I said basic household items I meant steaks and spirits and not the toothpaste, detergents, baby wipes etc.

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randomentity12@reddit

No that is an indication of increasing diversity, not recession.

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Pyjama365@reddit

Yeah, the individual chocolate bars for the meal deal being behind perspex covers that you have to manoeuvre to take one out, so that you can't just grab a handful and dash, really made me start yesterday. It was the first time I'd seen that, in a part of town where maybe there's a little more casual theft (I don't actually know though), but seems flippin grim.

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lostandfawnd@reddit

Scanning receipts to leave the checkout area.

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fgalv@reddit

Especially when the self service machines tell you receipts are optional!

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lostandfawnd@reddit

Which is why you make it as frustrating as possible for the staff to print one off, to be able to check your purchase, negating the whole point of self service

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VardaElentari86@reddit

That winds me up. If I need it, then don't give me a choice in taking it!

(Same applies to toilet codes having been on the bottom of receipts, but now you don't get one in coffee places, you have to hover around the till until someone's free and ask for it)

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Money-Pen8242@reddit

This is my red line. I will not take a bit of paper I don’t need to escape a hostage situation in a supermarket when I’m already doing the work myself. Looking at you, Sainsbury’s. If it’s not open, I’m breaking right through it.

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hydrora31@reddit

Cost of a freddo chocolate bar. used to be 6p when i was young.

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One_Meat_2568@reddit

Everyone brings their own lunch box from home while before most people bought takeaway or had working lunch in restaurants

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ThreeFiddy2203@reddit

The amount of 30+ year old people working in supermarkets, fast food restaurants, primark/h&m etc.

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theartofnocode@reddit

That's not a recession indicator, that's an indicator of millions of adults have no skills

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Cheshirefarm@reddit

Coffee shops. Who can afford em

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Philluminati@reddit

Started talking to people about Vinted and everyone tells me they're already using it for both buying and selling regularly.

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coolsimon123@reddit

Everyone posting about recession indicators

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bishibashi@reddit

I believe the technical definition of a recession is two successive quarters of every other fucking post on this sub being someone whining about not being able to afford something as easily as they remember being able to at some point in the past.

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coolsimon123@reddit

Have you noticed certain foods in the supermarket have gotten smaller recently, like a 6 pack turning in to a 5 pack? They should come up with a name for it

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BigMagic88@reddit

They have. Shrinkflation. 🤪 was your sarcasm lost on me here? 😂

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lasarus29@reddit

A paupers half-dozen?

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gander8622@reddit

My son said a catchy name for this in school and his teacher told him there was no such thing.

True story.

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bishibashi@reddit

I hear that it’s got ridiculous now. whatever it is.

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OrganizationStill135@reddit

Made me chuckle

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Regular_Zombie@reddit

I'm sure it's area specific. Nothing near me screams recession. Pubs are busy, restaurants of any standard require bookings, centre sufficiently crowded that people are complaining...

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Zealousideal-Habit82@reddit

I finished work on Friday (made redundant after 21 years) and retired early. Went to Tesco to get a bottle of Champagne to celebrate and they had maybe 10 bottles left and I did think to myself clearly things aren't as bad it's made out to be.

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itstabitha@reddit

I’ve been to a few major film releases recently and the cinema is almost entirely empty every time

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

Not so long ago I was literal moments away from having an impromptu private screening of a film... with moments to spare a whopping three other people filtered in. They were not together and clearly didn't know each other.

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ButchersBoy@reddit

Cinema has been dead for years tbh.

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racsssss@reddit

Fullest cinema I've seen in years was for a lotr anniversary release

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Theunluckyone7@reddit

I'm not sure if these responses match what i'm seeing in real life. I see cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, shopping centres totally rammed to the point I can't get a parking space.

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

One angle I have is that people know it's becoming unaffordable, so it's all about getting in that last hurrah while you still can.

I've actually been buying some non perishable items more than before recently, as I believe this summer is going to see some serious price increases.

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Theunluckyone7@reddit

May be true for some people, for others like myself (i am fortunate obviously) we just have enough disposable income to enjoy these things

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arabidopsis@reddit

People more supportive of extreme ideas that punish others more harshly.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

Mods, ban this guy

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Yesterbly@reddit

The skip index. As the bloke on radio 4 more or less says, preceding/during a recession you see fewer skips in residential areas than in times strong economic growth.

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

That's a really good point

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D0wnb0at@reddit

£2.75 for a 180g bag of Doritos in Tesco Express. It’s £2.50 in big Tesco and it’s still stupid. Pringles are about the same.

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

It's great, really, because no one on earth needs them, they aren't good for you , and I used to eat far too many before the prices went mad.

Thanks, Doritos manufacturer, for encouraging me to be more healthy!

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brizzle9293@reddit

£5 for crisps and dip is my biggest WTF thing I see in shops

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Fraggle_ninja@reddit

According to my gym changing rooms there is defo no recession, no war and the world isn’t world is doing well.

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

Gym changing rooms have positive vibes - everyone is there to grow themselves!

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Happy_Chief@reddit

The number of baristas in the coffee shops, particularly chains where profit margin MUST (/s) be maintained.

There are fewer and fewer, I presume this is because fewer people are buying coffee.

Ergo, recession.

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PastLanguage4066@reddit

Coffee shops boomed in the ‘08 crisis - feels like value compared to other out and about/social activities.

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Happy_Chief@reddit

Yup, and starbs/nero/Costa popped up everywhere. People were getting 3 coffees a day, now there's so few visitors, they're cutting staff.

Recession.

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

To be fair, Sbx, Costa , and Nero have sort of priced themselves into the 'a recession will expose us very badly' territory.

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Theunluckyone7@reddit

Not sure where you live but coffee shops near me are far from empty

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

My local coffee shop put the price up past £4 - on the other hand, most of their audience is likely retired and reasonably well off.

These group seems generally resistant to the cost of living crisis.

My own parents now seem to go out for coffees and meals than ever before- but I don't blame them, they recently got their pensions and may as well enjoy it while it lasts.

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Necessary_Doubt_9762@reddit

I don’t meet friends out for food anywhere near as much as I used to. I have a few friends who I see every couple of months and have done for years. We always used to go out for food and a few drinks. This has subtly moved to dinners at each others homes or just a coffee and a walk. We’ve never talked about it, it just happened. I don’t mind as money is tight but it’s an interesting thing because we’ve always met in restaurants and bars.

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bishibashi@reddit

Age is also a factor in not being arsed to go out as much, tbf

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

Not to mention that as you slowly get better at cooking, the appeal of just ok food for ££ loses its luster.

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BoopingBurrito@reddit

Also life situations move on. A few years ago I'd go out to a cafe every Saturday morning for lunch, usually meeting friends there - often that cafe breakfast would lead to a few pints with other friends, or going to a movie. These days I don't do that. Its not a money thing, its just that I enjoy spending my saturday mornings quietly at home with my partner now. I'm just at a different place in my life.

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Regular_Zombie@reddit

I eat out less now but it's not to do with finances. The quality is so unpredictable that I'd rather just cook myself most of the time.

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No_Camp_7@reddit

Restaurant food quality is in decline, or at the very least massively feels that way with the availability of good raw ingredients and readily available recipients that are easy to make at home.

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skkkrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr@reddit

Also the service sucks. And now all restaurants expect a 12% service charge and maybe a tip too.

It’s just BS

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ResponsibilityOld372@reddit

That's my main gripe and why I don't go to restaurants nearly as much now.

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

Actually, none in real life. Anti theft in shops, maybe, but I don't know if that's so much a recession thing or more complex factors.

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GeoAnchoa@reddit

Saw scaffolders doing a podcast

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Open-Trip@reddit

Polecast

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Inner-Abalone-5799@reddit

lol fuck off

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Must-obey@reddit

Every man and his dog talking about a recession….

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Loveyourwifenow@reddit

We've gone vegetarian as meat is pretty much off the menu for us due the increasing price. I cant live the life I had pre covid, not even close.

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iasagnacat@reddit

The fridge at work is always full

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FirmDingo8@reddit

I heard that the first £10 pint had been spotted in London. I've still not got over it being £5....

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Best_Needleworker530@reddit

My friend paid £9 for a local brewery one and I made sure twice he’s seen the price per pint (they were showing prices per 1/3 I think!)

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shitthrower@reddit

From working in the public sector; way more applicants for roles where the private sector typically pays more.

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Dramyre92@reddit

Work in the third sector, have done some recruitment recently were getting at least 5x the applications we did previously.

Many applicants also way over qualified.

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Claire4Win@reddit

Lack of cars on the roads during peak times.

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alfienicho@reddit

The parking spaces I'm able to get in usually busy car parks are getting better and better. Shopping centers, town centres, retail parks etc.

Might just be luck.

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heartpassenger@reddit

Every shop and pub is understaffed. Everyone’s trading crypto or gambling. Niche mortgage offers becoming available on smaller and smaller deposits (or more flexible lending criteria). Cheese being locked up in shops. 500+ applicants for retail jobs. Nobody hiring. Enshittification of products. Shrinkflation.

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