What's wrong with people.

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  • JohnRo
    JohnRo Posts: 2,887 Forumite
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    It's my opinion, controversial no doubt, people who are struggling simply choose to make bad financial decisions and don't seem to have the capacity to recognise as much or more importantly the desire to seek help and/or mend their ways. Everything that's wrong is someone else's fault.

    Being frugal is not cool.

    One thing that stuck with me after watching one of those nasty poverty !!!!!! TV programs years ago which paradoxically I object to and typically avoid...

    This glamorous young thing, caked in makeup, nice hair do, thousands in debt, living with parents and struggling to make ends meet day to day speaks into the camera,

    'Just because I'm on low pay why shouldn't I have nice things.'
    'We don't need to be smarter than the rest; we need to be more disciplined than the rest.' - WB
  • ChesterDog
    ChesterDog Posts: 1,112 Forumite
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    JohnRo wrote: »
    It's my opinion, controversial no doubt, people who are struggling simply choose to make bad financial decisions and don't seem to have the capacity to recognise as much or more importantly the desire to seek help and/or mend their ways. Everything that's wrong is someone else's fault.

    Being frugal is not cool.

    One thing that stuck with me after watching one of those nasty poverty !!!!!! TV programs years ago which paradoxically I object to and typically avoid...

    This glamorous young thing, caked in makeup, nice hair do, thousands in debt, living with parents and struggling to make ends meet day to day speaks into the camera,

    'Just because I'm on low pay why shouldn't I have nice things.'

    Reminds me of a tenant who was renting my dad's house for a while. He said to me once "We always try to punch above our weight financially".

    It didn't end well...
    I am one of the Dogs of the Index.
  • BLB53
    BLB53 Posts: 1,583 Forumite
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    I think its a combination of lack of financial education...parents/school; mass media advertising which converts wants into needs very successfully; a culture where debt becomes the norm and starts with student loans; a government which continues to live well beyond its means and a Bank of England which refuses to reward savers as it may upset too many borrowers....all very depressing.
  • strongboes
    strongboes Posts: 107 Forumite
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    what is big money exactly?

    some people want nice cars, houses, and have families, maybe they are happy. how do you know others financial position anyhow? sounds like you just want a pat on the back tbh
  • talexuser
    talexuser Posts: 3,499 Forumite
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    Down to upbringing and education? As a child relatives started off savings accounts, and any birthday and xmas money was always encouraged to be saved at least partly for a special day or treat, and not all spent straight away. That lesson stayed with me.
  • Crashy_Time
    Crashy_Time Posts: 13,386 Forumite
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    Glen_Clark wrote: »
    Its often due to the high cost of rent and commuting.
    You have obviously managed to avoid that and should think yourself lucky.
    Some salaried professionals in London are reduced to going to foodbanks :(



    ..and massively inflated house prices due to the credit bubble that all these debt junkies were encouraged into by the banks....
  • Crashy_Time
    Crashy_Time Posts: 13,386 Forumite
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    strongboes wrote: »
    what is big money exactly?

    some people want nice cars, houses, and have families, maybe they are happy. how do you know others financial position anyhow? sounds like you just want a pat on the back tbh



    I think it is just common knowledge that a large proportion of people are in eye watering debt, whether it be the massive mortgage or the debt to finance the bling lifestyle, cars on monthly payments etc.?
  • somethingcorporate
    somethingcorporate Posts: 9,449 Forumite
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    It's a bit hypocritical to say we only live for now and criticise people maximising their current enjoyment of life (whether or not they can afford them)...it's just as easy to say they have "seen the light" about maximising their enjoyment of today without worrying about how they will pay for it tomorrow (because they may not be here).
    Thinking critically since 1996....
  • Barny1979
    Barny1979 Posts: 7,921 Forumite
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    Well a small inheritence is more than some people have, also though you may have more than £200k saved, do you live life? Have you seen far off places, or new interesting places? What is your aim in life, is it to be retired by a set time or just build up money?
  • Seabee42
    Seabee42 Posts: 448 Forumite
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    We have a social welfare system that discourages saving. If you do not have much you might as well spend it all. What are they going to do take the crap you bought back?


    Debt is someone else making money out of you and if you cannot afford it today having less tomorrow does not make sense to me. Each person has a choice in life and if that's how they choose to do it good luck to them.
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