If you have not heard this interview it's worth a listen:
https://twitter.com/BootstrapCook/status/1484535653702455302?s=20
I've always had a soft spot for Jack since spending a few days in her company in 2013. Here she is what real-world economics is all about.
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I thought she was great – then I saw her in an appearance where she was obviously drunk – it was quite embarrassing actually and took me totally by surprised as up to then she was really eloquent.
It turned out she had a bit of drink problem but hopefully she will stay on the straight and narrow and return to her former glories. We need more people like her – and also be prepared to help if they get lost – I hope she got support when she needed it.
She admitted it
She’s hardly the first to have to address the issue
I didn’t say she was Richard. It just struck me as sad that’s all and I hoped that it was not as a consequence of becoming a public figure and all the other gubbins that goes with sticking your neck out.
I think she has said it was – and she has had to deal with it
Being a public figure is not easy
Some years ago, I think when he worked at Tullett Prebon, Tim Morgan who runs this blog
https://surplusenergyeconomics.wordpress.com/
Set up an essentials index, I’m not sure what happened to it but he does make a lot of points about ‘Prosperoty’ ie the difference betwen your income and what has to be spent on essentials
I have her cook book – it is very good.
What follows is a view from Belgium – but might apply to the UK. Our local supermarket is in a wealthy part of the country. Meat, fish and other produce are regularly marked down (approaching sell-by-date) by circa 40%. I only ever buy marked down produce. A friend who lives in the centre of Bruxelles (where many poor people live) noted that at her supermarket (same chain) almost nothing is ever marked down. A variation on the points that Jack has made?
Yes..
ONS annual Family Spending survey shows percent of spending on detailed items by decile income groups. That will reflect the trend in prices in cheapest vs average priced items – but obviously doesnt directly measure them.
And I dont think they produce trends over time by income groups, although maybe they will on request.
But the Monroe attempt to measure the distribution of prices for each item – ie ‘cheapest’ vs the average is obviously pertinent to the lived experience of low income households.
A bit out of date on this – not sure if there have been attempts to measure this on a consistent basis – technically difficult, but no less important to try.
Have always thought that absolute measures of ‘poverty’ was key . After the crash of 2008 I think ‘relative inequality’ went down but there were more people who couldnt afford the basics – food shelter fuel etc. – ‘absolute poverty’ went up.