It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

mardatha

Nobody here has mentioned the landlords who are making thousands in rent . How the hell does a landlord get to charge £1000 a week for a house anyway ? Maybe we should look at the ones who are making the money out of the system instead of the poor sods at the bottom of the pile in council houses?
Council houses were built for people who could not afford to buy. It was a good system. Those who had the means could choose their own house in a nice area with a nice school etc, and buy it. Those who would never earn enough would put their names on the council waiting list. And yes, anybody can qualify for a council house - money isnt involved.
You all forget that some people , the unskilled manual workers like office cleaners and shop workers, could work really hard all hours and STILL not earn enough to pay a mortgage. Look at the people on the DFW boards - they found this out the hard way.
So it isn't ALWAYS a question of lazy grabbing council tenants all sitting back laughing at you.

grandma247

Hello I have been trying to catch up after finding you all but I have 20 pages to go yet.
I know for a fact that certain landlords in my area milk the housing benefit system and so inflated the rents. They know exactly what the top limit of hb is and they pitch their rents a bit higher than that because they know that many many of their tenants get hb. So they get top whack hb from most and a bit on the top off the tenant. A few rents have come down a little recently because the council has tightened up a bit.

kezlou

Council housing originally was there to provide housing for people who could afford to buy a house. My grandmother in the early 70's (my adopted mum) used to live in grotty 2 bed(i.e 2 up, 2 down house) in a very bad area surrounded by the lowest of the low. The toilet was outside, any washing hung out would be stolen. It was really especially when it was her, my grandfather and seven children. Eventually after a number of the years,and a very violent riot happened outside her door, she managed to get a council house. She moved into a four bed council house with a garden. It was like a dream come true. Fast forward 20 years, the house is in pristine condition, her husband has died and its only me and her (her 8th adopted child). My mother downsized to a 2 bed house on the same street. The estate itself is appalling, crime and drugs rampant. Basically its like Beirut (policeman's words), cars being set on fire,houses burnt out, needles everywhere. Fast forward 15 years , i got a chance of a house, bearing in mind 8 months pregnant and about to pop. I said no chance, so moved to a better area, still got my smashed in 2 weeks after giving birth. I complained to the council, they couldn't do anything at all. So three years later i moved into private rented accommodation and i have not regretted my decision. I had to get out of there for the sake of my child. But going back to my former childhood estate and it is "looking" better, some of the really bad families have been kicked out. I am even considering moving back there, even it is considered a really bad area.

The reason why bad families can stay within the council safeguard is because they are seen as vulnerable and needing assistance. Which is also one of the rules / qualifications of being giving a council house. I.e Losing your home, private landlord selling the house your living in etc Unfortunately this also means hardworking people end up living near unrespectable members of society. Not everyone on council estates are lazy doleites in fact generally its quite the opposite, my uncle bought his old council house and works very veyr hard as a bus driver, and would never want to leave the estate as he's loves it to bits.

Toilet rolls, well i used to buy the cheapest 69p for 6 out of wilko's. but then ii noticed we ended up using the cheap stuff more than the expensive. So my partner bought some from farmfoods, think its call nicky, and its cheap but very good quality, made from recycled paper and soft.

On the growing front, we have had tons of raspberries, salad leaves are coming up. No courgettes yet, but the tomato plants have tiny itsy bitsy green toms on them . So i'm very pleased considering i haven't been able to do any major sowing / planting.

gailey_2

Ahh if only we all lived closer we could start up oldstyle commune cheap communal lovley housing and huge storecupboard/veg patch:rotfl:.

Anyway a couple of families on private quite pricey estate we rent on have slightly different approach.
I guess it works as their houses fairly large but in other cultures its common thorough choice not money for extended familes .

The large asian house the grandparents and grown up children still live their possibly some grandkids too.

The chinese family have grandparents living there.

Another thing to consider which is now quite common through hard times, relationship breakup is the boomerang child.
Pre meeting me at age 30 my husband has moved back home twice 1st time after breakup annd housesale during 90,s recession, 2nd time private rental too high by himself so moved back to save moeny.

According to papers this seems very common that older kids after uni moving back as no graduate jobs ect.
Reading on dfw some people chose to move back home.
Lots of familes would rather elderly relatives lived with them than go into a home.

My mates on financial trouble if they could have sold flat she and her husband would have moved 20miles back home to her mums and commuted to work.

When building our dream house we moved in with my nan she lived in 3story terraced house was huge I had my own room on top floor so did nan.
nan had best front room in middle all to herself.
Kitchen was tiny no washing machine so we had to go launderette and in winter we used to fill washing up bowl and wash infront of fire hubby seems horrified but we were so happy nan appreciated help with garden and cleaning, childcare never an issue when mum worked part time, garden was huge so had place to play .
I used to spend most time with na think its why I like murder she wrote/columbo so much and favour c4 news.

our family quarters was downstairs in lounge/diner, the back end of room which had dining table had double bed where parents and sister slept.

My cousins nan had her own annex built onto house with bedroom, lounge, bathroom and kitchen.

Mil says she never wants to live with us but shes little bit odd to say least.

I understand young people and some teen mums are keen to have their own space but maybe they should live at home longer until they can really afford their own space as many including sister seem shocked at cost of living ie bills and food ontop of rent, some lack cooking skills eat badly and lets face it if mum does washing and ironing they got it made.

Not sure what official figures there are for single occupancy.
As much as mam drives me mad i would have her to live with me rather than pute her in a home.

my nan had her sisters brother to live with her when he got very old to manage by himself maybe ist rather oldfashioned idea.
dads sister still lives with nan and granddad she brought their council house but think she regrets it now as theys truggle if she hadent nan and grandda would ahve been eligable for housing benefit.

Right more important LOOROLLS

we getting through tonnes and want to know should i switch brands.
we currently get sainburys basics 12pack was 1.02 now 1.36 sustainable forests:D

But is this false economy cant belive im getting so tight over bog roll.

With my ex we used to shop in large tesco would pick up cheaper toilet roll and sout is this ok hun or will it chaff your bum he used to get so embaressed but he could be total snob and shopping with his mam was hell.

im tempted to go asda as got flyer haagan daz 1.50:D
also huge box wetwipes 5quid.got big box washing powder from there and hubby was so chuffed e gets exited about odd things.
We dont push much powder in draw and big box lasts ages.
You can often get freebie samples too which I collect.
even sainsburys basic/tesco value powder not too bad.
Pundstretcher quite competative over big box once upon a time pre kids we used tablets and liqui tabs we laugh now.

Once out of debt im convinced we be rich as we live frugal and can save often very wealthy people are wealthy as they dont spend like phychos and look a bits cruffy but secret millionaires.

still not sure what to stockpile on dont think choc last long unless hidden and forgotton.
coffee definate I guess I alwasy get sainsburys/tesco gold as value coffee is grim and we dont drink tea visitors get basic.
wish herbal teas not so pricey as stepson likes them.

made lovley crumbles last night plum and had 1 and froze one.
Need to do a bit today as stuff to use up.
Now stepson coming over tonight for wek its one more mouth to feed worried about making it stretch.
Promised dad some treats tommorow so have to do some chutney and pick more plums for him.

Larumbelle

mardatha wrote: »

You all forget that some people , the unskilled manual workers like office cleaners and shop workers, could work really hard all hours and STILL not earn enough to pay a mortgage. Look at the people on the DFW boards - they found this out the hard way.
So it isn't ALWAYS a question of lazy grabbing council tenants all sitting back laughing at you.

I don't forget it at all Mardatha - I can't afford a mortgage! Not without saving for five years, hoping that house prices haven't risen in that time, that I'm still with OH and that we are both still in work and haven't accidentally started a family... and that someone will lend irresponsibly.

gailey_2

MMMMMM Just had a thourght but not sure how would work in principle.

shopping with 1 other person you know or maybe more.
Bulk buying maybe in cash and carry or splitting the bogoffs in supermarket.
Wonder if money to be saved that way.

lidls ok for some things but mines oppiosite sainsburys and next to morrisions so i know whats cheaper elsewhere as often basics brands cheaper.
Aldis nice but pricey.
farmfood -wrong side of town thorght mostly frozen and iceland quite expensive.

alec_eiffel

gailey wrote: »

Once out of debt im convinced we be rich as we live frugal and can save often very wealthy people are wealthy as they dont spend like phychos and look a bits cruffy but secret millionaires.

Hi Gailey,

It can be done, when you're out of debt start using that cash you've been paying out and make it work for you and you'll start to see that wealth build. You're developing that sense of what you want/need and what is important, when you get to the point where you just do not care a jot what other people think then you'll be well on your way!

It's really a good day when you notice you can admire things without desiring them, it's like another lightbulb moment, it's not a matter of thinking you can do without it's that you can appreciate why people would want a certain thing but it's kind of an emotion free thing - not that you don't see the point of it and not that there's a desire for it, it's just stuff that's "there".

Not really making much sense this morning. Maybe it's coffee time.

Oh and on the subject of toilet paper, I only ever buy Nouvelle, it's generally on offer every 3 months so I buy a few packs when it is and it lasts until the next offer comes round. And I have kept a note of how long a roll lasts *blush*

annie123

The history of council housing:

http://environment.uwe.ac.uk/video/cd_new_demo/conweb/house_ages/council_housing/print.htm

Whilst the housing situation is far from ideal at the mo, we should all remember that we are all a lot better off where ever we live, than many millions of others on this planet who live in appalling conditions and have lives far far worse than we can or would want to imagine.


Many people in the slums in London didn't want to move at the turn of the last century, they had lived there for years and built up close knit communities, but it was better for the health of them individually, their children and the nation.
If this change hadn't happened many would still be living in those conditions today, so changes made now may, or may not benefit those who are alive now, but it may benefit your children, grandchildren and great grand children.

As the saying goes....If we carry on doing what we've always done, then we get what we've always got.
If we never tried to do something different we will never find better ways of doing thing things.


So whilst things are tough here, they could have been a lot lot worse for all of us.
Great great grandparents may not have made it to adult hood, so many of us may not have been born:eek:

Could you imagine life here on old style with out our Mardatha:eek::eek::eek:

gailey_2

Right shall we all buy 12pack on same day and see who runs out first.
That was its scientific experiment to see if my family are greedy paper stealerers or perhaps eating it.
From tonight got extra bum to feed as stepson over for week.

eiffel lots of wants but rarly buy.I changed so much.

grandma247

gailey wrote: »

often very wealthy people are wealthy as they dont spend like phychos and look a bits cruffy but secret millionaires.

I watched kilroy a few years ago and the audience was asked to see if they could spot the millionaire in the room. None of the audience did but I did. He was wearing jeans and a leather jacket. I could see the leather was good and the cut of the jacket was very good.

In the readers digest many decades ago there was a little piece in there about people who had lots of money and it said that many of those with lots of money have it because they do not splash it around, those with big flashy cars and houses are generally up to their eyes in debt.