Pfft. Young people. I’m nearing 30 and I’m struggling to afford to go out. A night out for me and the SO used to cost like 50 quid between us. It’s 80 quid now just for a bender at the pub.
We have elected to focus on getting a car now. Not because it cheaper but because we would eager make memories with our dog outdoor than waste money doing stuff.
In some sense that’s probably good for our health but all the expenses we would have spent doing bowling, cinema, pub drinking dinner we aren’t. Probably going to cost people jobs.
Well, there’s this thing called the internet now.
For better or worse, many zoomers are using this fantastic invention and building their social spaces and scenes there. In fact, many of them even prefer it to the type of socialization I did when I was 20, and I think I understand why now that I’m almost 30 and have not had to be around people for a while.
There was also a little situation where the entire world filled it’s pants and shut down societies for almost 2 years because of something that slips my mind now. I think it used to be in the news.
I used to live in the UK, I live in Canada now.
I came back last week to visit, and not much has changed in the last 4 years since I left. If anything it has gotten worse.
“Social lives” in the UK disproportionately gravitate around the pub or alcohol, and I am not surprised that young people are not going anywhere near them as much.
But in the UK there is a sorely lacking space of affordable things to do, beyond the pub.
The culture of Canada is more athletic, more outdoorsy, and I never find this with the UK. There’s no proper investment in swimming pools, rock climbing, camping, or even less outdoorsy activities like games.
Am I wrong?
Amended for clarity: “How the cost of living crisis is destroying people’s lives”
Hasn’t that been the cost of going out for decades anyway.
Pubs are expensive, largely because of the taxes levied on beer. So people just started getting the tax-free beer from supermarkets and “stayed in”.
> Anna deleted all the dating apps from her phone in January after an unsuccessful date cost her more than £100 in drinks alone.
If you’re binge drinking on a first date I don’t think it’s the apps that are the problem.
Im fortunate to have friends who are all genuinely happy to just hang out and dont need to get pissed or drugged up to enjoy the time together. Saves a lot of money.
Young people? It will affect , and is doing already, anyone’s social life, if their social life involves spending money.
I feel liked I naturally aged out of the boozy, performative socialising of my twenties (moving out of the city killed any residue!) so I’ve been insulated from *that* loss but the covid restrictions, then exorbitant cost of petrol, and inflation hamstrung my social life too, and I’m in my mid-thirties.
Can’t justify a membership to my climbing gym, which is the only one in the area and now £80 and month – that used to be my primary exercise and social outlet. Hillwalking with friends is another one that’s suffered mostly because the cost of petrol makes driving to actual hills a largely unjustifiable luxury now. Now we pretty much just meet up for coffee/homemade food/board games and I am glad we have those options but it doesn’t stop me feeling the loss of others. I feel for the younger folk who’ve been shunted even further against their wills.
My social life has vastly improved since all my mates are now too poor to go spend it in the pub. We play board games with a bottle of whisky and a takeaway.
I understand that it is, but it doesn’t need to.
It’s way cheaper to play some cards around a table with a 6-pack you picked up on the way over than it is to sit in the pub, chatting, and just as social.
There are ways around it.
The obvious solution is to fix the root cause of the problem, i.e. the cost of living crisis, but since Truss seems intent on leaving the UK economy a smoldering wreck, your best bet would be to find alternatives before the Purge begins.
Ha. Young people. Who gives a shit?
(Coming from a young person).
I can attest to this. I’d love to go out more, get back into some hobbies and meet new people but I simply can’t afford to.
There’s simply no way to go out and socialise without spending money on something, usually needlessly.
The pubs were expensive AF anyway, going for a paddle to have a piss and the chances of encountering a dickhead at some point has never been that appealing to me.
I’ve always prefered just having someone/people round have a laugh maybe play games. If we’re drinking it’s a ton cheaper, worst case is occasionally someone has a bit too much and passes out so you just leave them where they are till morning.
Downsides are if you wanted the random encounters I suppose.
27 and I stopped going to cafés several months ago. Cold turkey on Nero completely. Pub visits have plummeted to maybe once or twice a month and I’m having more instant noodle days. Oh god I miss extra virgin olive oil so much.
15 comments
Pfft. Young people. I’m nearing 30 and I’m struggling to afford to go out. A night out for me and the SO used to cost like 50 quid between us. It’s 80 quid now just for a bender at the pub.
We have elected to focus on getting a car now. Not because it cheaper but because we would eager make memories with our dog outdoor than waste money doing stuff.
In some sense that’s probably good for our health but all the expenses we would have spent doing bowling, cinema, pub drinking dinner we aren’t. Probably going to cost people jobs.
Well, there’s this thing called the internet now.
For better or worse, many zoomers are using this fantastic invention and building their social spaces and scenes there. In fact, many of them even prefer it to the type of socialization I did when I was 20, and I think I understand why now that I’m almost 30 and have not had to be around people for a while.
There was also a little situation where the entire world filled it’s pants and shut down societies for almost 2 years because of something that slips my mind now. I think it used to be in the news.
I used to live in the UK, I live in Canada now.
I came back last week to visit, and not much has changed in the last 4 years since I left. If anything it has gotten worse.
“Social lives” in the UK disproportionately gravitate around the pub or alcohol, and I am not surprised that young people are not going anywhere near them as much.
But in the UK there is a sorely lacking space of affordable things to do, beyond the pub.
The culture of Canada is more athletic, more outdoorsy, and I never find this with the UK. There’s no proper investment in swimming pools, rock climbing, camping, or even less outdoorsy activities like games.
Am I wrong?
Amended for clarity: “How the cost of living crisis is destroying people’s lives”
Hasn’t that been the cost of going out for decades anyway.
Pubs are expensive, largely because of the taxes levied on beer. So people just started getting the tax-free beer from supermarkets and “stayed in”.
> Anna deleted all the dating apps from her phone in January after an unsuccessful date cost her more than £100 in drinks alone.
If you’re binge drinking on a first date I don’t think it’s the apps that are the problem.
Im fortunate to have friends who are all genuinely happy to just hang out and dont need to get pissed or drugged up to enjoy the time together. Saves a lot of money.
Young people? It will affect , and is doing already, anyone’s social life, if their social life involves spending money.
I feel liked I naturally aged out of the boozy, performative socialising of my twenties (moving out of the city killed any residue!) so I’ve been insulated from *that* loss but the covid restrictions, then exorbitant cost of petrol, and inflation hamstrung my social life too, and I’m in my mid-thirties.
Can’t justify a membership to my climbing gym, which is the only one in the area and now £80 and month – that used to be my primary exercise and social outlet. Hillwalking with friends is another one that’s suffered mostly because the cost of petrol makes driving to actual hills a largely unjustifiable luxury now. Now we pretty much just meet up for coffee/homemade food/board games and I am glad we have those options but it doesn’t stop me feeling the loss of others. I feel for the younger folk who’ve been shunted even further against their wills.
My social life has vastly improved since all my mates are now too poor to go spend it in the pub. We play board games with a bottle of whisky and a takeaway.
I understand that it is, but it doesn’t need to.
It’s way cheaper to play some cards around a table with a 6-pack you picked up on the way over than it is to sit in the pub, chatting, and just as social.
There are ways around it.
The obvious solution is to fix the root cause of the problem, i.e. the cost of living crisis, but since Truss seems intent on leaving the UK economy a smoldering wreck, your best bet would be to find alternatives before the Purge begins.
Ha. Young people. Who gives a shit?
(Coming from a young person).
I can attest to this. I’d love to go out more, get back into some hobbies and meet new people but I simply can’t afford to.
There’s simply no way to go out and socialise without spending money on something, usually needlessly.
The pubs were expensive AF anyway, going for a paddle to have a piss and the chances of encountering a dickhead at some point has never been that appealing to me.
I’ve always prefered just having someone/people round have a laugh maybe play games. If we’re drinking it’s a ton cheaper, worst case is occasionally someone has a bit too much and passes out so you just leave them where they are till morning.
Downsides are if you wanted the random encounters I suppose.
27 and I stopped going to cafés several months ago. Cold turkey on Nero completely. Pub visits have plummeted to maybe once or twice a month and I’m having more instant noodle days. Oh god I miss extra virgin olive oil so much.