‘We’ve Cut Back On Everything But The Essentials’: How Grazia Readers Are Coping With The Cost Of Living Crisis

The cost of living crisis is hitting us all – hard. Heating, electricity, and water bills are rising, food prices have soared, National Insurance contributions increased, Council Tax costs went up, travelling is drastically more expensive (and unreliable) and broadband, mobile and TV companies have also hiked their prices.

Around the dinner table, in group chats, on online forums, there are concerned discussions about how to cope with the price of simply existing. And, according to new research conducted among Grazia readers, the answer is overwhelmingly the same: cut out the fun.

91% of people who took part in our survey said that they had begun to feel the pinch of rising prices and, to cope, 78% of people have adjusted their spending habits in a bid to save much needed cash.

The top 'treats' that readers have cut down on are:

Meanwhile, less extravagant expenseS also getting cut from people's routines are:

One participant revealed: ‘We’ve cut back on everything but the essentials,’ and, as many people have pointed out on Twitter, this means that lot of us aren’t really living but just fighting to get by.

‘The thing that really pisses me off about the cost of living is that it seems like people shouldn’t get to enjoy life if they’re not rich,’ wrote one user. ‘Work more hours, eat the bare minimum, basic food. We shouldn’t be forcing people just to survive.’

A typical household’s income will fall by about £1,000 this year, estimates the think tank the Resolution foundation, while one in five people are expected to fall into serious debt in 2022, according to a YouGov polling by StepChange Debt Charity.

And according to Grazia’s money columnist Laura Whateley, the best six ways to get through the crisis are: to give yourself a financial health check, make sure you’re claiming on childcare, communicate with your energy company, weight up the cost of a new mortgage, try and get a safety cushion ready and never ever be embarrassed to seek help for financial support or debt management.

**‘**This is going to be a tough few months for a lot of people,’ she says. ‘You don’t need to face financial difficulties alone.’

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