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

gailey_2

Sorry to be all doom and gloom but yesterday on news

LLoyds group made a profit lots of other banks are too.
But the point made was most uk banks still being propped up by cheap money from bank of england think borrowing 0.05percent to banks and banks then lending at 5percent above to customers so huge profit margin.

With a lot of borrowing the bank keeping interest rates very low does not always get passed onto consumere as lots of borrowing including morgages not linked to base rate and tracker morgages non existant at the moment.

Banks still not lending to small businesses and personal credit harder to get.
During the crunch hubby got letter from egg saying he was no longer desirable customer despite not missing a payment.

I understand banks have to be cautious and keep aside a certain amount of capital but they cant say that as an excuse at same time offering obscene bonuses.

I do aknowledge finacial sector huge part of economy feel so sad when so many local branches shut and counter staff lose their jobs.

The merger between LLoyds and hbos should never of gone ahead that was blatent but they allowed it anyway resulting in job losses.
Fred shread personal freind of borown and he couldent influence him.

What baffled us at time of bailout deal was darling did seem reasonably intelligant and cautious, he must have team of advisors and lawyers at hand to give him expert advice why when he came the banks money were their not airtight contracts with conditions attached and these monitored and if broken bank has to pay back what they owe.
They just said ahh we very angry with banks but cant do anything.
They couldent do anything until rest of world decides.

Instead that awful woman from banking association defends the banks and its business as usual.

The recent crisis in europe has forced the governement to make deeper cuts as if we dont and we end up like greece then the public sector workers will realise whats on offer now is better than what could have been.

I think sometimes uk does not realise how lucky were are in terms of generous benefits system and free education/healthcare ect, we never look at other countries in great detail.

A lot of public sector is admin or quangos. council salaries have risen too high.
Does anyone understand some of the job titles in the guardian.

I fear the printing money will come back to bite us.
dying to see a solution and what uk will be like by next election hopefully a fairer soceity.

crickett1234

Perhaps I should not have come "out" as a public sector employee?!

I have been in the public sector for 11 years now, and I am still waiting for this so-called "public sector gravy train". I haven't found it yet. And believe me, I have been looking! I have a professional qualification, a university degree and 10 years experience. I get paid LESS than the average in the private sector. There is still no security in my employment, and there never has been any. My pension (assuming I get it!) will be better than the average, but I reckon they will change the rules before I get a chance to retire and I will kiss goodbye to all the money I have paid in.

I agree there are too many Quangos and I think there is probably some spare capacity in some back office areas. I also agree that in the Labour years there was a lot of job creation for job creations sake. There needs to be a correction. But that means that front line services are going to affected and people are not going to like that at all.

As for OS'ing it, having had a think about it, in previous generations we were pretty much as broke as we are now as a nation... so perhaps we need another solution entirely. I am thinking anarchy is an interesting possibility ?!

lambanana

I work in the public sector as well earning well below the "average" UK wage I also have a degree and a post-graduate qualification. I work really hard for my pittance of a salary and haven't a hope of any progression or a pay rise of any sort and there are so few jobs out there I feel completely stuck where I am. It doesn't feel like a "gravy train" to me.

Lindy_-_Loo

got my tesco vouchers today so going to plan what to turn into the voucher rewards.

Sold two more items from ebay - used some of the money to get the boys an xmas present each of ebay and they arrived today.

Cheap morning out visitng friends, the boys get to play and I get some adult chat!

Weather cant make its mind up, bit of sun, then rain, than cloud! Had the washing doing the hokey kokey in and out on the line!

I too am enjoying watching the Amish docu on Ch4. i love anything like that - im generally nosey - but in a good way! Love looking at peoples photos on facebook!

mardatha

Yaaaay anarchy ! Gimme a barricade and a machine gun ! :j:j

lauren_1

If planning laws were not so stupidly strict I could happily rent a field off my farmer friend and live in a yurt or 'dreaming' a AIRSTREAM.

http://www.yurtsdirect.com/gallery_painted_yurts.html

He would of charged me £150 a month, £450 less than I pay now!

Simple living really appeals to me.

katiegizmo

I saw a really good thread on here ages ago all about the Winter of Discontent and what it was like during strikes etc and all the little things that were awful like rubbish collections being stopped (not a little thing really) and 3 day weeks. For someone who hasn't lived through that it was such an eye opener and made really interesting reading - does anyone have a clue how I can find the thread again?

Wee_Jo

Katiegizmo, I would be really interested to read about that too. I'm also not old enough to remember the strikes so I would be fascinated to hear what they were like - if the news is to be believed we could be in for some in the next year or two. It would be good to know what we might be in for.

katiegizmo

I'm looking for it... just I'm a bit slow as sneaking on here and there at work....
...if anyone is a whizz at finding threads it'd really be appreciated!!! It might have been on another board than OS even, maybe in the economy thread?

katiegizmo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1481427

It might have been this one.... on having a search it seems there's many!