Yes. It has gone up. I am seeing more and more people on wages that, 20 years ago they would have been flush.

The thing for me is, yes its more expensive now, but I have always been poor. Many of us old poor, are seeing a lot of new poor. So for those who have comfortable afforded things I would think a luxury it's even more of a smack in the face with the cost of living.

I work part time while being a full time carer for my disabled adult child. Things we have never had and would never have, is a car, holidays (even in the uk...we just do day trips) and if we have a meal out it very much is only on special occasions. I don't drink, don't smoke and we are very frugal but this comes from 20+ years of being old poor.

Food prices are the big one, I have seen a lot more of our money go on groceries and we just buy the basics. We still reach the end of the month and am lucky to have £2 left but now we have less to show for it. However, and this is the big thing, we are very fortunate to live in social housing, so have much lower rents than others.

Per month with my wage included the household income including my adult child's disability payments, is 2.3k a month. I can say, having lived with a lot less, it feels exactly like the 1k from 10 years ago...if anything, a little less. I used to top up my electric with £10 a week now its £20-£30. Its lots of small things that soon add up.

But that said, and likely because I spent a long time being very poor, we're comfortable. We have food and bills are paid but we do not have a lot of expenses others need to live, such as a car etc and our rent is a lot lower than many others. If we were not in social housing to support my disabled daughter, I do not even know how we would survive having looked at the rent prices in our area. Our rent is £535 a month. A friend pays £900 a month for a house the same size.

My mobile phone is second hand and I bought in 8 years ago. I do not have a contract. Gifgaf £8 a month. Our internet is the basic with home phone line and is I think (its just gone up) £38. Council tax our bill increased by 400 this year but get money off due to daughters disability and pay £15 a week. Water is £32 a month when it used to be £24 not to long ago. Gas is £35 a month in winter. Less in summer. Gone up by around £8 ish. We use a lot less heating in winter.

Food is the biggest. Now. in 2017 I would never spend more than £40 a week on myself and my daughter. Now its closer to £80. Not every week as I do budget. But the price of things has almost doubled. A prime example I remember when the bag of pasta would cost 45p and now is closer to 1 pound.

But, perhaps its just from having lived poor for a long time now, in some ways I am more comfortable. Cupboards never run out. Bills are always paid. But, for example, we're planning a day trip next month, which is going to cost £90 and i know next month, it will be a struggle for certain things as a result. There does feel a lot more balancing now.

But as I said, we live in social housing and if we did not, we would be destitute. I can only imagine how hard it is for those, who have to pay the insane rents landlords charge.