Yet another middle class family in a money saving show

Tojo_Ralph

Leviathan2009 wrote: »

Perhaps next time he does a money saving show he could get a hard pressed family / individual - might be more of a challenge for him.

If you select a family who have already cut the fat out of their expenditure, the show doesn't work.

Thus you have to pick families with no brainer cost cutting potential, which kinda makes the whole thing a farce, but it makes for cheap TV for broadcasters.

brightonman123

i guess 'richer' famiies have more MSE potential.. (and eye candy for tv viewers- woo, look atthem, they saved £££)

when you're broke, not much further down to go..?

duchy

Surely the point is that everyone will see *something* they can use in their own budgets. Just because you don't follow exactly the same menus or have exactly the same income doesn't mean you can't cherrypick the relevant parts.

purt

KimYeovil wrote: »

It's horrible the way the comfortably-off squander their wealth. They earned it and are free to spend how they like but why?

That's life. I'd probably fit into the 'comfortably off' category. I work hard for my dosh. I worked my !!! off for years in school to get to university and get a degree. I came from a working class background and worked countless hours in my part-time job to put myself through university. Why shouldn't I spend my cash as I please? I've earned it.

Coincidentally, my part-time job involved working in a supermarket on the checkouts. I saw at first hand what the less well off spent their cash on. Their kids appeared to be fed a diet of fish fingers, fizzy pop and copious bags of crisps. There was rarely a piece of fruit or veg in their trollies. I'll refuse to entertain the argument that, in this day and age, the less well off can't afford to provide their kids with a decent meal. Fruit and veg is just as cheap as bags of crisps and fizzy pop and it doesn't boil down to buying own brand labels over branded products.

Then there's those who spent a fortune on cigarettes, alcohol and the lottery. They were so poor that they put those over their kids' diets when drawing up their order of preference.

It really irritates me when people go on about the less well off struggling. You reap what you sow in life. I came from a background where my parents struggled to make ends meet. But, through sheer hard work and determination, I created a better life for myself and it wasn't through any government handouts.

margaretclare

It really irritates me when people go on about the less well off struggling. You reap what you sow in life. I came from a background where my parents struggled to make ends meet. But, through sheer hard work and determination, I created a better life for myself and it wasn't through any government handouts.

I agree. I and my DH too.

The only 'government handout' I had was a student grant. But I did work for 14 weeks every summer for those 3 years, night shifts in a maternity unit. I couldn't have made ends meet otherwise.

MSE_Martin

While I agree to an extent with the original poster I think you're missing the point somewhat

Tonight on Friday nights does softer more watchable programmes; and this was meant to be an interesting look at money savings without preaching though you seem to think I did... (incidentally my message isn't "use cheap brands" its "try cheaper brands" to see if there's a difference). This was meant to be a easy watch friday night programme between two big coronation streets; on friday night people don't want hardcore recession type programming (tonight does its more hardcore programmes on Mondays)

My aim isn't to focus on any group - though certainly to do a 'double downshift' programme you need to be able to drop two brand levels in the first place - or the whole things impossible. The family who did this were lovely, I think you underestimate how difficult it is on a short turn around Television programme to find a family willing to do this kind of secret filming and we were very lucky to get such an accomodating and pleasant family, who I believe made the whole thing interesting and fun.

Yet to say yet another "middle class family on a money saving programme" is a rather strange comment; personally I don't consider class in that way. If I look back at the Tonights I've done over the years, we've had a mix of people from the pretty affluent; to those in severe debts on very low incomes; those who've lived permanently on benefits benefits reclaiming bank charges and more. We are always reliant on the people who volunteer to be included though.

The point is all types of people want MoneySaving help (and many dont want it at all regardless of their class). In my work I try and ensure we cater for as many eventualities as possible - so at the moment we're preparing a guide on the state pension - both looking at the ensuring you claim pension credit but also how to boost your pension by buying NICs which tends to hit slightly wealthier.

Yet of course the figures you can save people on very low incomes are much smaller as the basis is smaller to begin with. And at the lower end of the scale, both the site and in my work, there are less things catering for the financially disenfranchised, those without bank accounts, living off absolute no income.

Its not my expertise particularly, not that it isn't important, its just not what I do. I've always been upfront that I am about "cutting bills without cutting back" and in the last few years we've added "financial justice campaigns" to that. Yet in reality my work focuses on what I call 'playing the system' and for those at the bottom end who are outside the system, this is of course very difficult.

It is something I'd like to expand upon; and recently we've started work on Basic Bank Accounts, Doorstep lending, and there's the mental health guide (which of course crosses all classes but can leave some on hideously low incomes) but it is a gradual expansion from my core remit so I want to do it slowly, and do it right.

Martin

purt

Martin, your work is invaluable and in recent months I've grown to love your forum/site more and more. Don't be detracted by the negative comments. You can't please everyone, as I'm sure you're only too aware.

OrkneyStar

What saddens me on this thread seems to be the assumption from some posters that those from low income families are unintelligent, don't work hard and buy rubbish, and that those on higher incomes are intelligent, work hard and buy better quality rubbish!
Please don't assume that you are able to make a judgement on ANY other family based on what they might buy on one trip to the supermarket, their job (or OH's job) or qualifications.
For the record I did work hard, did go to Uni, did have numerous part time jobs, however I married someone on a lower income and am now a full-time mum to DS, so money is not exactly flowing!. Nevertheless I can cook pretty well, and as a result we eat well (healthily most of the time, and of course some treats ).
I enjoyed the programme and think that the family featured in it were interesting to watch and I applaud them for being guinea pigs!

Bulliebaby46

It really irritates me when people go on about the less well off struggling. You reap what you sow in life. I came from a background where my parents struggled to make ends meet. But, through sheer hard work and determination, I created a better life for myself and it wasn't through any government handouts.

Just because families find themselves on a low income (myself included) doesn't mean that they are reaping what they have sown. Thats a really narrow minded comment, you might find yourself in a different position one day that has nothing to do with how hard you have worked!
And PS i've used my government handout to buy vegetables today! Maybe I should take them back and swap them for fish fingers and fags so I fit the stereotype!

purt

OrkneyStar wrote: »

What saddens me on this thread seems to be the assumption from some posters that those from low income families are unintelligent, don't work hard and buy rubbish, and that those on higher incomes are intelligent, work hard and buy better quality rubbish!
Please don't assume that you are able to make a judgement on ANY other family based on what they might buy on one trip to the supermarket, their job (or OH's job) or qualifications.

I was merely responding to someone who had made an assumption that those who were 'comfortably better off' squandered what they earned. Not all of us do, least of all me.

My comments were premised on a general observation. Life dictates that we're all different. Never in a million years would I make a generalisation and pretend that it was true of everyone.

bulliebaby46 wrote: »

Just because families find themselves on a low income (myself included) doesn't mean that they are reaping what they have sown. Thats a really narrow minded comment, you might find yourself in a different position one day that has nothing to do with how hard you have worked!
And PS i've used my government handout to buy vegetables today! Maybe I should take them back and swap them for fish fingers and fags so I fit the stereotype!

I've already found myself in that position. I was made redundant a few years back and had to fend for myself for a considerable period of time without any help from the Government or anyone else. There are ways and means of improving our lives. Not everyone has the work ethic or the strength of character to pursue them, sadly.