Where is the cost of living crisis exactly?

OK, so you are arguing that on average a FTB is better off financially than an existing homeowner.

There is simply no data at all that exists on this earth that backs you up on that one.

Why? It appears to be a sellers market out there now with high demand for houses. Most people with families are happy to have a home (not sell) but the option to sell is there if say they want to downsize or move down the country. Its also peace of mind to have somewhere to live after retirement.

What do you propose as a better alternative?

Why is this a problem?

What do you propose as an alternative?

I have but I'm still not clear what the alternative is or why the ability to sell and buy other properties is an issue?

If there were better options people would choose them instead but they don't for the most part. Therefore they strive to buy a place of their own.

I have been living overseas for a while and I feel day to day spending in places like coffeeshops is pretty low in Ireland. People really don't dine out much and very few places are busy. Some pubs busy on weekends but many have closed. For a country with a large number of jobs and immigrants its quite subdued and very different from the celtic tiger days. Luxury cars are few and far between.

Checking figures for retail backs up my hunches.

Hotels and b&bs doing well as people seem to splurge on that, and there are lots of tourists , but people seem to be cutting back on other discretionary spending.

There are certain sectors doing extremely well like dairy farmers and IT folks and property developers and agents, but its patchy enough.

There is no recession here but it is very far from booming either. The immigrants that come here are also not spending a whole lot either. Many seem to be in cost saving mode and watch that accelerate goong into Winter.

Must say id disagree on this. Spent alot of time in Dublin over the past fortnight and it was packed. One particular Brazilian restaurant seemed full all the time (and it's not cheap), pubs are full, getting a taxi is hard etc. Couldn't believe how busy it was. People everywhere!

Ops got no kids and works from home lol.

My UK energy bill is headed for £3k and predictions are the price cap is rising to £4k in January. We'll be alright (might have to put holiday plans on hold) but I'd have genuine concerns for low income houses and pensioners. There will have to some significant government intervention (when there eventually is one) before there is civil unrest

I would dispute this.

Firslt, despite what some say - you dont have the mad, mad disparity of wealth in Ireland that you have elsewhere. There are heaps of super rich in London and there are heaps of sports cars in London. But there are lots and lots of poor areas in the UK, way moreso than here. In fact, a trip across the border makes that evident pretty quickly.

Second, we just dont have the roads for - or the culture of - luxury cars.

I was in Sweden not so long ago, undeniably in the category of 'wealthy' country, and didnt see that many luxury cars there either.

Where you really see the splurge is in property, in home renovations and so on.

Having said that, inflation here to your point is imported and not demand led locally - and for sure lots of people, e.g. anyone in Public Service - are being hit very very hard by it this year.

Swedes buy sensible cars, Irish buy SUVs even when they don't really need an SUV because they're fashionable, to put one up on the neighbours, but kitted out poverty-spec - no extras.

Fur coat, no knickers, like most things here.

I agree with you on the growing up in the 70s and 80s - where the net curtains were frozen onto the inside of the window in the mornings! And that makes me sound like we were destitute, but we were not. That was just a lot of housing during those times. I grew up in Dublin, private school, but we were always minding money and the house was often baltic. I could probably afford to heat my home like a sauna, but why would I be so wasteful? We heat to 20 degrees then let it cool and the bedrooms are better cool at night. Just as well i'm used to that, because I won't be able to afford that kind of heating this winter! I am definitely feeling the pinch with fuel and groceries but the electric bills are the ones giving me the horrors. I feel as though i'm already baulking at paying them and surely they will only be worse come winter .. I have the greatest respect for those managing on less than my own humble funds. I think the OP must be trolling.