It might be diverse in nationalities, but I bet the income of most people on this site is well above the average. We're all invested in our hobbies otherwise why hang out / stick around on a specialized gaming website. Many here are multiple console owners and or own a fancy gaming PC. Many here either have extensive physical or digital collections, used to spending $1000+ a year on gaming.

Here it's mostly, wait for a sale, to mitigate the rising costs of living. Plus since it's the favorite hobby around here, it will be the last to cut back on.

I've been buying less meat rather than fewer games / systems. For example a package of 8 frozen burgers (1.13kg) has more than doubled in price here. It used to be $9 before the pandemic, currently $19 for the same thing. Chicken breasts from $12 to $26. Basically just buy what's on sale.

And yeah going out for dinner, we did that once since the pandemic. Prices are crazy. Almost $150 just for the 2 of us, only main course and a drink. At least you got to keep the video games you bought ;) We used to get fancy coffee and fast food regularly before the pandemic, now it feels like highway robbery. I guess the silver lining is that we eat a lot healthier nowadays lol. Subway we used to get 3 for $26, now it's almost $20 for one sandwich, I'll make my own.

Damn, if I had a family I don't know what I'd do. I'd have to give up gaming entirely. 

I'm surprised by this thread. I read so many Youtube comments and X posts complaining about the cost of living in some form or another and their money woes or countries economic situation and way more now in the last two weeks and increasing, esspecially in posts about Switch 2 and how people can't afford food let alone a luxury console. People even saying they know an economic contraction is coming and are fearful. I'm surprised It hasn't seeped in here, I thought this place was diverse in nationalities.

Anyway, I'm starting to get very worried. I went in to a cheap clothes shop here called Primark and I was in a month ago and the price increase is insane, I have never seen the place so expensive. I bought a pair of breathable fabric shoes a bit over a month ago for one job I do once a week and they went up to 18 euro from 10 a month back, I wish I had taken more note of other prices but that place is now a premium store by 2020 standards. I'd hate to see what the expensive stores are like. A sandwich now costs the price of a big freshly cooked dinner in a deli in 2020 and Covid already fucked that. A pack of biscuits is near 5 euro sometimes for brand name stuff. Feeding cats with the good stuff, Whiskas which they seem to be addicted to and I can't wean them off of it onto cheap stiff, is costing so fucking much. Electricity is just sucking money out the bank account into a black hole in the wall. I'm very worried and it just keeps getting worse and worse. I got used to the Covid bumps but this feels different, it feels like it's getting exponential... it feels anyway. I spent 130 euro on video games this week and I feel absolutely horrible about it like I commmited a crime or something. This is the world we live in now, huh. Fuck.