What is £1 worth to you?

Basic_Samwell · 10 July 2016 at 4:03PM

Been reading through loads of posts on here for past 30 mins or so and it's horrible to hear of people in varying degrees of debt. I read a post from 2015, I think, to do with a person who had children and had gotten themselves into about 20k of debt. Without sounding unreasonable, it was the usual story of realisation, cancel everything, sell everything, not gaining enough and expressing desperation on a forum and ultimately asking for money. It's hard and I'm sure there are many people up and down the country in similar positions. Anyway, I digress. What really bothered me were the comments from other users that followed, e.g. "I'll give you all the advice you want but I won't pay you a penny" and other posts of the same view. Now, I understand that people need to learn lessons and they got themselves into that position in the first place, but come on, it's and easy mistake to make. I think most people have made it in one way or another. I just don't understand why people won't help one another. Everyone donates and runs for charities, some big name charities, and lets face it they're big business; I don't trust them. A certain chief Exec of a very well known charity earning a salary of just under a quarter of a million pounds, think about it.

I would donate £1 no problems to elevate someones debt. Would you? I'm just curious to know peoples opinions on the matter. There are hundreds, if not thousands of users on this forum alone. If everyone was of the same opinion think of the good things that could be done.

I know i'm opening a can of worms here! And I'm expecting a grilling! lol. And no, I am not in debt.

:beer:

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!
[purplesignup][/purplesignup]

patchwork_cat · 10 July 2016 at 4:38PM

Have you not heard the expression give a man a fish and he'll feed himself for a day , teach a man to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime. There are a lot of chancers on MSE and other forums and I would never give / donate although plenty do, as it may well not be true. I will happily show them where they can print coupons, glitch, matched bet to save a lot more than £1 though.

There, I bit!

Karonher · 10 July 2016 at 5:13PM

Most of the people on here are because they are in debt so how would they help pay off someone else's debt?

A personal view is that I would not do this for a stranger who could be earning more than me and spending every penny on enjoying themselves when I am limiting my spending and saving for the future. There are plenty of charities to give to when there is extra money available.

I have helped friends out - mainly loans as they have been good friends and insisted on paying it back not just spending it leaving me in the lurch.

If there were 1000 on the Forum that is £1000 which would not touch the problem. Also, every £1 some people gave to help another person is £1 less they can pay off their own debt.

Hermia · 10 July 2016 at 5:20PM

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Have you not heard the expression give a man a fish and he'll feed himself for a day , teach a man to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime. There are a lot of chancers on MSE and other forums and I would never give / donate although plenty do, as it may well not be true. I will happily show them where they can print coupons, glitch, matched bet to save a lot more than £1 though.

There, I bit!

I agree. I would say a big chunk of the people I know who have been helped out of debt have got into more debt. Not everyone, of course.

I would never give money to a random person online. Look at the amount of GofundMe accounts that have turned out to be dodgy. If MSE allowed people to ask for money I expect the forum would be full of dodgy sob stories in no time! And how would you know whether the person has really done everything they can to help themselves. I have seen so many people online asking for money and then I have noticed that they still have all their luxury possessions that have a good secondhand value. I saw a vlogger ask for money once and yet she would not sell her collection of barely-used designer handbags. I saw a blogger who also asked for cash who had a huge collection of rare vinyl LPs. If a friend asked me for money and was refusing to sell their toys I would not be impressed!

[Deleted User] · 10 July 2016 at 5:28PM

Sorry I think it is against forum rules to offer money - I only found this out well, well after I signed up though and had done it myself!

I think I've seen people played on empathy too, you only have to see the threads were no update is made.

Do people worry about losing others their jobs when they claim compo - bet not. That's not why I'm here but for some it is.
Even some charities do not allow precious given funds to be spent on debt repayments. It's why we have the likes of Iceland where just as tasty food items can be priced at £1 and cheapest.
I used to think it was awful not to have a higher paid position of employment but now I know it is to my detriment. (let someone else have it, who needs it I say)

Lastly (anyway I was of the payday loan borrower ilk and after actually paying had to go broke so I don't go well down on here whilst claiming every penny in compo is acceptable it seems when a sorry is sometimes all that is needed) I'm a believer sometimes you have to help yourself up whilst picking battles very wisely.
I can remember posting for help over an energy bill where the energy provider happily added an additional charge and being told I should give up whatever gadget I was posting off, nice. The energy company probably gave that charge paid to help someone else I'm sure.

marleyboy · 10 July 2016 at 5:33PM

£1 is worth about a quid to me. Short of a family member being strapped for a quid, it would be used to either offset my debts or saved with the other quids to pay for a holiday next year.

Am happy to give free advice to those with debts, but am not a charity that helps towards paying it off.

January2015 · 10 July 2016 at 5:49PM

I cannot ever remember reading a post on DFW asking for money. All the posts I have read from new members are seeking advice and support - and that is always given by so many experienced members of the forum - who have, more often than not, been in the same position themselves.

As you can see by my signature, I do not have £1 to give to someone else in debt....I need that £1 for my own creditors

fatbelly · 10 July 2016 at 6:18PM

You'd be surprised how often the best way out of debt has nothing to do with paying it off.

There are many potential strategies and the posters on this board are very generous with their time, and their sharing of experiences.

Your statement 'I just don't understand why people won't help one another' is totally out of place on this board. In fact it's hard to think that you could have posted it anywhere where it was less true.

takman · 10 July 2016 at 6:44PM

Without trying to offend anyone, the large majority of people are in debt due to poor financial planning and overspending. So like other posters have said paying off their debt is not really helping them at all!.

You would be much better off paying that £1 to a scheme that aims to teach people financial management from a young age. If everyone on here had started budgeting and saving from the first time they were paid and made sure they had an emergency fund to cover 6+ months of expenses plus had a plan to cut down on expenses if income dropped there would be very few posters on this board.

Bouncybubbles · 10 July 2016 at 6:49PM

100 penny sweets

no wonder I am chubby!

In all honesty though I have had the bank of mum and husband loan me so much money it is eye watering. And now what? I am on an official DMP because for the hundredth time I got myself in to debt. So as someone else mentioned regarding the fish etc I don't believe it will prevent them doing it again. It is a hard lesson to learn but as I have discovered by having to pay it all back it makes you much less likely to do it again and makes you more money savvy therefor making the £1 in question much more valuable.

JessyRM · 10 July 2016 at 8:05PM

I disagree with the idea that handing over your money is the best way to help someone in debt. It might make things easier in the short term but we are all responsible for our own mistakes and need to learn from them. The advice on this forum is much more valuable in the long run.

I hate seeing sob stories and begging on the internet, especially when the majority of posters have possessions they could sell if they were really desperate. I would never hand over my hard earned cash to someone who I know nothing about. If someone I knew in person was having a difficult time I would certainly help them out.

I also wanted to say I work for a very small disability charity on a modest wage, not all charities have millionaire CEO's. I donate to several other small local charities but more valuable than that is the time I give up volunteer

What is £1 worth to you?

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