Concerns among shoppers around price rises in cost of living crisis
It is becoming a time to look at costs and tighten the belts for some people as the cost of living crisis continues to pinch.
The current crisis has been affecting households across the region, with many people reporting increased spending on fuel costs, food and drink.
On top of this, the rate of inflation has seen food prices rise to levels not seen since the 1970s, with a 19.1 per cent increase year-on-year, with bread, cereals and fruit prices among those rising sharply.
Additionally, clothing and footwear prices have risen by 7.2 per cent and people looking to eat out or stay in a hotel are seeing 11.3 per cent rises.
In Wolverhampton, people were out and about shopping, enjoying a lunch break and meeting friends in the city centre.
Many of those out and about said they were dealing ok for now with the cost of living crisis, but were becoming increasingly concerned about rising prices as they saw their bills going up.
Diane Spencer was out with her granddaughter Chloe on a day trip from Sedgley and the 69-year-old said that things for her weren't too bad, but she was trying to be more careful.
She said: "It's not been too bad, but I've had to be careful at home and when I'm out, becoming more conscious of when to put the heating on and looking at the reduced prices on food and trying to make sensible choices.
"The rise in inflation isn't hitting me too badly, but I'm conscious of the people struggling out there and there is an awful lot more that can be done as people should be able to get the fundamentals for their homes.
"I volunteer for a scheme called Oneo, which distributes waste food at the end of the day from supermarkets, and I hear from people who are trying to get to pay day and have literally no food in the house, which is just awful."
Marius Ciocan was in the city centre with his family and the 45-year-old from Chapel Ash said he was finding the bills more of a shock each month.
He said: "It's getting a bit more difficult for certain things like gas and electric and it's not nice to see the bills going up each month.
"We are lucky in that we are not struggling for food, but I do see the difference in the bare essentials from last year to this year.
"To me, the government should do more to drop the prices of gas and electric and do more to lower the bills for food as my bills keep going up."
Raphael Amoaning was out talking to people about saving money on their broadband and the 19-year-old from Birmingham said his generation was getting used to the crisis and felt more should be done to educate people.
He said: "Because of my age, I'm actually growing up in the age where we are getting used to it all because we've been brought up where the costs are already high and we were never used to things being cheaper.
"That means it's not as hard for us, but we find we are having to work harder to get to that state of living where we can live comfortably and you do notice things like a drink in the corner shop costing £1 rather than 50p.
"I think there should be a curriculum taught to people about money management, rather than subjects that people don't really need, as it would help people to learn how to cope with the cost of living."
The cost of living crisis has been one which has affected people of all ages, with sisters Christine Poole, Ann Tresler and Janet Snape among those feeling the pinch as older people and worrying about others.
Janet, 72 from Oldbury, said: "It's quite difficult at the moment trying to manage your pension and you do wonder how you're going to get the money from."
Christine, 76 from Oldbury, said: "We're ok at the moment, but we do think about families who are struggling and it's young families who are struggling the most."
Ann, also 76 from Oldbury, said: "The government could do more to help with the bills at the moment, but you have to wonder where they're going to get the money from to fund something like this, although they could stop funding some of the unnecessary things they are right now."
