Recession, what recession...Isn't it great??

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

!!!!!!? wrote: »

Yes - and that illustrates the problem.

As a society we are doing too little real productive work to justify our higher standard of living whilst the people of the East have been working their butts off and living in relative poverty.

Indeed, since the Chinese (and the Arabs with their oil money) have been supporting the US Dollar you could say that the people of the east haven't just been working themselves to the bone, they've loaned the West a lot of their savings too to enable our lifestyle, up til now.


There will have to be a process of Wealth realignment and I think it's just begun.

Speak for yourself !!!!!!?. Most people I know work their a$$ off. Indeed, my father says he's never known a generation to work as hard as his kids generation.

Most people I know are shattered and would love their work life to slow down.

fc123

piggeh wrote: »

People may think there are lots of 'bargains' at the moment but only because we've been conned previously. How comes they were able to knock £200 off a washing machine overnight without much hesitation? The same goes for many items, retailers able to knock silly amounts off because they made silly amounts in the first place.

In the clothing sector (chains/supermarkets), possible markdowns are factored into the 1st selling price.....just in case the garment turns out to be an unpopular style, colour etc.

Vertically, integrated companies get the best margin overall. No middle men to pay all the way through the process. Gap or Zara are a good example.

Many, even at 70% off, still make the same margin as an independent retailer does selling at ''Full Price''.

Don't be conned by all the sale signs plastered all over the windows.
Modern EPOS till systems track sales plus just in time ordering processes; whereby the supplier holds most of the risk coupled with what you see and think you are getting, it's all not what it seems.


And this has led to 'Discount outlets' or clearance stores as suppliers then need somewhere legitemate to offload stock.

It's all controlled and managed by the big guys tho' Ebay is a bit of a thorn in their sides.

themanbearpig

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

Speak for yourself !!!!!!?. Most people I know work their a$$ off. Indeed, my father says he's never known a generation to work as hard as his kids generation.

Most people I know are shattered and would love their work life to slow down.

You have obviously led a very sheltered life. Go see how hard people have to work in other parts of the world for very little money.
Social securities have allowed a large proportion of the younger generation to relax, and has created a major attitude problem.
There are loads of international students at my university, and can tell you that they have a much MUCH higher work ethic that us.

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

themanbearpig wrote: »

You have obviously led a very sheltered life. Go see how hard people have to work in other parts of the world for very little money.
Social securities have allowed a large proportion of the younger generation to relax, and has created a major attitude problem.
There are loads of international students at my university, and can tell you that they have a much MUCH higher work ethic that us.

I don't lead a sheltered life my friend - very far from it. And most of the people I know DO work extremely hard. We certainly don't have an attitude problem.

If you are at Uni then I am alot older than you. Some Unis were always full of lazy peeps.

I can't understand why any student would be lazy now. Getting a graduate job is going to be really tough over the next few years.

treliac

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

I can't understand why any student would be lazy now. Getting a graduate job is going to be really tough over the next few years.

Think a great many have been lulled into a false sense of security though. Reality has yet to seep through for lots.

In fact, there seems an ever growing divide between those at one end who are working exceptionally hard to keep afloat and those at the other who haven't subscribed to the work ethic at all.

dad-of-4

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

Speak for yourself !!!!!!?. Most people I know work their a$$ off. Indeed, my father says he's never known a generation to work as hard as his kids generation.

Most people I know are shattered and would love their work life to slow down.

personaly i think weve become qute lazy (as a nation) or have certainly adopted a lazy attitude, it all seems a little to much maximum gain - minimum effort, and i want it now.

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

dad-of-4 wrote: »

personaly i think weve become qute lazy (as a nation) or have certainly adopted a lazy attitude, it all seems a little to much maximum gain - minimum effort, and i want it now.

We'll have to agree to disagree then;) I can only speak-as-I-find

themanbearpig

treliac wrote: »

Think a great many have been lulled into a false sense of security though. Reality has yet to seep through for lots.

In fact, there seems an ever growing divide between those at one end who are working exceptionally hard to keep afloat and those at the other who haven't subscribed to the work ethic at all.

That's right, kind of. I do a pretty challenging course (Economics Bsc at Nottingham university), and the majority of the people on the course are top students (need AAA to get onto the course), yet I've found that a lot of last years graduates are living on the dole, as they can't secure graduate placements. The ones that have good jobs are the toffs with parents that are directors of the big firms.
I hate to think how hard it is for the ones that go to mediocre unis You might as well not even bother now unless you're at a top university, and have the contacts to get you in.

swiss69

Some good and some bad for me

Good....My tracker mortgage at 2.45% excellent. Paying less now on a mortgage 4 x the size of the one I had 20 years ago when I earned 4 x less! If I could fix at that rate I would be laughing!!

Good....House prices tumbling. Mine is tumbling but the 4 bed one I'll buy next is tumbling more so good news! Plus when my Kid needs one in four or five years time they should be back to bargain basement again.

Good....Got made redundant and got another job straight away so cash in the bank.

Good...Sold my bank shares at a tenner now a fiver.

Good...Sales galore at xmas so saving 20-25% on every present I buy

Bad...New job bit insecure as I'm last in and you know how the saying goes...

Bad... Bought some RBS shares at £2.50 now 66p...Not a good decision!

Bad...It never stops raining in this country....

Bad...The exchange rate is crap and that will cost me on next years holiday.

Overall more good than bad at the moment.....but that could change!!

mewbie_2

I have drawn up a list of points.
1. So very glad for mitchaa that all is well. (And to think I never thought he'd amount to anything!)
2. Scared about the recession.
3. er.
4. That's it.