Doing Alright?

I know that we're always hearing in the news nowadays about prices going up and the credit crunch etc.
Statistically, inflation has been quite low over recent years though, and if anyone had asked me how my disposable income had fared over the last couple of years then I would have said that I was about the same now as then.
I thought I was doing alright.
But then this week I noticed my new direct debit ammount for gas. It had just gone up from £67 per month to a whopping £97 per month!
So, for curiosity I looked back to two years ago to see what it was then and was shocked to see just £45 per month!
So, I sat down and checked up all of my direct debits from two years ago and compared them to now.
I was shocked.
Monthly it worked out so:-
Gas up £52
Mortgage up £13
Electric up £32
Phone No Change
Insurances up £9
TV License No Change
Council Tax No Change
Then, using the internet (great research tool) I worked out the following monthlies..
Food up £48
Diesel up £12
Now, during this period I've had a pay rise that ammounts to £48 per month take home. My wife has had a similar rise also, but I reckon her rise has been more than taken up by the rise in price of so called 'luxury' goods such as broadband, satellite TV, alcohol, holidays, clothes (not a luxury at all really), cd's, books etc etc etc.
I've probably left some stuff out, but by my reckoning I'm about £120 a month worse off!!!
Wow!
There are probably lots of people out there who, like me (a bloody mug, so it seems), were chugging along thinking that they were probably 'getting somewhere' or at the very least breaking even.
But just have a close look, think again, and remember - it can only get worse!