The Winter Forecast

ghoulfinger

Are we in for a stormy winter? I mean metaphorically speaking, with all the forecast of other woes to substitute the receding Covid misery. It was pretty inevitable that our economy etc would be affected, how could it be otherwise.

Apart from having a climate crisis on hand, we now have the dearth of microchips to put in cars, phones and everything else that makes our lives go. We have rising/fluctuating prices, a continuing using housing crisis, Sláinte Care stalled, people who seemingly don’t want to go back to work cos it’s not quite worth it (especially hospitality sector) or people who don’t want to commute any more. That said, the roads are as busy if not busier than ever, with people coming and going goodness knows where. Communication lines on radio keep going down, the capital’s city centre having become almost a no-go area or antisocial at best, there’s less planes flying aloft to bring us to a bit of escapism, and that is looking set to become more like the relative luxury it was pre 1990s.

Like many of my ilk, I progressed through decades of high taxes 70s & 80s austerity to come to a very nice comfy place in life and now I have to find a new kind of contentment to weather the dark stormy post-Covid nights ahead.

Any thoughts on how it will all pan out?

☔️☔️☔️

buried

International shipping costs have risen astronomically within the last year. The mark-up percentage will be added to everything. Its not going to be pretty.

ghoulfinger

There seems to be this idea… and I count myself among the folk at fault here… that we can just keep on ordering and consuming stuff at an ever increasing rate. Doing all your ordering online makes it seem very simple and easy, like everything will appear for you like magic in a few days or a week or two, at no cost other than to one’s own pocket. We are now so entrenched in consumerism that it will be a shock to the system if/when we find we are being curbed by finances, availability or eco taxes.

Fandymo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058208820/the-winter-forecast

No

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117892011#Comment_117892011

I know like God forbid we try and live in a more sustainable manner and don't have to order clothes and rubbish off Ali Baba etc all the time. I would imagine prices are going to keep going up for the foreseeable and all resources will become harder to acquire. The Earth isn't finite but the economic models we are slaves to treat it like it is.

ghoulfinger

Already on Claire Byrne, a guest speaker in consumer affairs urging us to hurry up and order for Christmas as there will be linited availability of items. That kind of pressure is the stuff that creates consumer panic and contributes to it all. Claire suggested maybe to locally-source locally-produced goods, and there was a weak “afterthought” agreement by the guest speaker.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117894020#Comment_117894020

Given our joke of a government declared a "climate emergency" should they not be advising us not to get caught up in the Christmas wave of buying cheap Chinese tat and perhaps having a more holistic approach towards Christmas?

TheValeyard

It's going to be sh1te.

Bob Harris

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117894020#Comment_117894020

Everyone is getting a voucher from me this year. I could not be arsed thinking of what to get and where to get it.

ghoulfinger

I hate the cycle of present-giving at Christmas. There is a particular family I like to be generous to at Christmas because of their particular circumstances. Any other time they would be the same, but another connected family then tries to “compensate” me by equalising it when I don’t want that and have no need of it as they are already kind on other others. The pressure of consumerism in Ireland at Christmas is astounding. I like small thoughtful tokens which I exchange with neighbours, friends etc. I was particularly amused to have been given a pocket comb, which was most appropriate considering my hair is so often wind-blown (the person knows I have a sense of humour)!