Cost of Living
Childcare, and the wage it takes before you earn anything
For parents of young children, a large part of a salary can be spoken for before the first bill. That changes which jobs are worth…
Cost of Living
What a wage buys, where it goes and how that has changed.
21 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 2 of 2
Cost of Living
Why the second wage in a household is worth less than it looks
The first salary in a household covers the costs that exist anyway. The second arrives on top of them and is judged against what it…
Cost of Living
Why your own inflation is not the headline rate
The published figure describes an average basket bought by an average household. Your basket is a different shape, and it usually…
Cost of Living
The pay freeze, and the cut it is in everything but name
Holding salaries still is presented as a neutral act. Against rising prices it is a reduction that requires no announcement and no…
Cost of Living
The marginal hour, and why more work sometimes adds so little
The last hour of the week is not paid at the same effective rate as the first. Withdrawal of support and stepped costs do most of…
Cost of Living
One wage or two: the fixed costs that do not halve
Two people living together do not spend twice what one does, and one person alone does not spend half. Household size changes what…
Cost of Living
Standing charges, and the bills you cannot use less of
Part of a utility bill is charged for being connected rather than for anything you consume. On a small bill that part dominates.
Cost of Living
Do pay rises cause inflation? The argument, honestly stated
The claim is made confidently in both directions and the evidence is genuinely contested. Understanding the mechanism matters more…
Cost of Living
A better-paid job an hour further away: doing the sums
A higher salary at a greater distance is a trade of money for time and cost. The trade is often worse than the headline difference…