Photo by Yijia Wu
From travel, presents, celebratory parties and family visits, Christmas is often an expensive time of year.
Research by PayPal shows that 60 per cent of people are worried and concerned about whether they can afford Christmas dinner this year given the cost of living crisis.
The annual rate of inflation reached 11.1 per cent in October 2022, a 41-year high, affecting the affordability of goods and services for households, according to UK parliament.
Credit: UK Parliament
The average wage today is no higher than it was before the 2008 financial crisis, i.e., a loss of £9,200 per year, as per a research team based in LSE.
A vox pop was therefore conducted to gather ideas about people’s Christmas plan and whether it is affected by the current economic climate. People with various occupations and nationalities living in London participated in this interview.
Rob Weinberg, Radio and podcast producer
“My father is turning 90 years old, and I am goanna to spend time with him in Canterbury. I have been thinking about what we are spending during this living crisis, I go to cheap supermarkets for food, and I never went to Waitrose.”
Hitomi, an MA student from Queen Mary
“I will be studying during the Christmas holiday. I don’t usually spend too much money on entertainment, but I feel it is rising these days when I paid living costs for my landlord.”
Amrita, Ph.D. candidate
“I still remember the cost level in 2020. Now the cost of food, accommodation, and transportation is rising a lot, though I got the scholarship. If I plan to go out on Christmas night, I have to reduce a lot otherwise I have to cook myself in the following days.”
Milena, a Psychology researcher
“I am from the US; I plan to go back the US to spend time with my family. The plan won’t be changed at Christmas anyway, but we have been changing our habits in our daily life, such as eating.”
Mark, didn’t want to show pic
“I am going to spend Christmas in my sister’s house. We normally buy the same food every year. It is a tradition for our family. But this year we can’t afford the same turkey as before.”
Diya, a BA student from Goldsmiths
“I don’t have plan for Christmas actually, but I also adjusted my budget of the gifts for my parents and friends.”
Pics Credit of Subjests from Yijia Wu