'The Credit Crunch' A self-fulfilling prophecy?

[Ruth Mills]

£52 it cost me to fill my car this week!!
I drive in "sports mode" though....I have no idea what it means but it uses more petrol.
It's my brothers fault he told me to do it!
Serves me right for buying a mid life crisis sports car I suppose:lol:
I may be skint but I still look cool eh?

Well I used to have a Subaru estate car that did around 25 mpg (petrol), ended up selling it on eBay to some boy racers from Scarborough and got a Ford Focus diesel instead. Even when petrol was cheaper, the Subaru often cost around 17 to 18p per litre but then I did used to belt it rather a lot lol...

 

[Marlise]

Correction, driving past Sainsbury's this morning, the price of diesel is now 125.9 per litre !!!

Gone up with 3p in a week !!!!!!!!!!

Marlise

 

[Lynne Baker]

I think we have to be more careful than of late, find savings where we can, but most of all we have to hold our nerve.

 

[Marlise]

I'm probably going to get shot down for this, but I do think "non essential services" will start taking a knock with everything getting more expensive.

By non-essential services I mean for instance beauty treatments, hair, gym memberships etc.

We went to Wales over the weekend and I actually saw one of the big name gyms offering a select amount (I think it was 150) £10 a month gym membership fees. I went in and had a chat with the guy (out of curiosty) and asked them why they had the offer on and he said because they have taken a real hit with people cancelling / not renewing their memberships and not getting any new people in the door. I think when the big gyms start doing that, it doesn't look good.

I understand that there are some die hard people out there that would rather go without food than not have their nails or hair done, but I do think they are the exception on the rule.

Perhaps if you have a big client base and half of your clients decided they can't come as regularly as they used to or whatever, and the other half still come on a regular basis, it's possible that things won't be too bad for you.

But if you have a smaller client base, or just starting out, I do think people will find it much harder.

I have do admit, for the first time in 8 years I bought a home dye kit for my hair over the weekend. I love going to my hairdresser and having her do my hair and being pampered for those two hours that I'm there, but I can't afford the £45 it costs me every 4 weeks anymore. I felt quite sad having to take that decision over the weekend :cry:

But, I have to make a choice, either put fuel in my car / pay the rent / put food on my table or have my hair done at £45..... This isn't the only cut back I've had to make in my life by the way.

I also thought over the weekend that we were "competing" with the NSS salons when times were good... will this get worse now that people have to tighten their belts ?

I realise we provide a much better service etc, but will people consider this if they've never done it before and now see full sets for £15 being advertised ?

I don't want to be a prophet of doom and gloom, but I think that some people will be OK through this and others will not come out of it so well...


Marlise