Living without Life’s Little Luxuries

With the cost-of-living crisis still squeezing household budgets, life’s little luxuries are becoming harder to afford, with the impact also being felt by high-street businesses. Panorama meets families counting every penny on rare days out and business owners fighting to stay afloat as rising prices, wages and higher taxes push them to the brink.

The prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said that 2026 would be the year that more people would begin to feel positive change, but independent experts say we may have to wait a little longer before we notice a few extra pounds in our pockets. From coffee shops and play centres to nights out, reporter Colletta Smith investigates the rising cost-of-living consequences for communities, jobs and everyday life.