When Times are Tough: Tracking household spending and debt through diaries - interim findings

The financial crisis and recession have highlighted the unsustainable nature of the economic growth that went before. While there is much discussion around the recession, global capitalism and what principles will underpin economic recovery, ippr has been exploring the particular impacts on families as part of a ground-breaking project on consumer spending and debt. Through this innovative research - which looks at households' circumstances in great detail - we are gaining an understanding of people's daily expenditure.

This briefing presents the interim findings from our research, undertaken over four months with low-income families across the UK, which aims to produce in-depth understanding of the dynamics between spending, saving and debt. It provides fresh insight into the impact of the recession on the daily realities of people's lives.