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

Lindy_-_Loo

Weve been in our rented house for 4 years, a long term let, were not loooking to move. we have redecorated and bought a new double glazed door so we aint going anywhere!

Raining again, first day of school holidays and boys are playing lego in their room - not going out and havent spent any money. Going to a freinds to play tomorrow so another cheap day.

Just checked our balance on line and the cleared balance and last nights balance are £180 different although as far as I know there is nothing due out. Will have to wait for morning for a new figure and details - its not good FIL sent the boys £40 chq for their hols and that appears to have been swallowed up! Plus £50 chq for the two of them of their god father who always sends it on Ds2 birthday - cant see where that has gone either!

does anyone know if the weather is going to improve? Pontins next week, we did it in the rain last year but would really like to go to the beach without wellies and raincoats!

Re school uniform: I have bought the boys jumpers with logos on at £6.50 each but I refuse to buy the polo shirts and white pe tops as can get them cheaper elsewhere - to be honest the boys have never noticed that they havent got ones with logos, Ds1 has a plain sweatshirt from tesco for £1.75 which has lasted last year

gailey_2

just wanted to say not dissing anyone who does own that can be tought at times too as morgage payments if brought in boom high, interest rates will rise and you have repairs ect.

Its just a lot of pressure on younger generations as older generations like my mam say rentings dead money.

To be in good job most of time these days you have

to go uni-so tuition fees/student loan
driving tests/lessons very expensive, also buying and running of a car.
houses you need 25percent deposit and most lenders now only doing 3-4times income.
weddings dont come cheap although can be done on a budget ours was about 5grand and lovley.

Kids expensive in themselves with everything they need but biggest cost of all is childcare unless you get family to look after for free working becomes harder 800quid nursury fees for fulltime place and nursury maintaince grant when they 3 2.5hour sessions for chilmionder, nursury or preschool.

So when we try and emmulate our parents with

2cars
own house
holiday abroad once a year
pension
savings
kids
with addition of debts mostly though uni then perhaps not getting best paid graduate job its unachieviable.

re uniform wonder if fair trade uniform cheaper, could tell headteacher you principled and deck them out in fair trade tesco rather than official as you disagree with exploitation of workers and parents.

Nargleblast

Can I just clarify the issue re public service pensions? The so-called gold-plated ones refer to those lucky folks in top managerial positions on huge salaries (over £100,000 per year). The majority of public sector workers are on the avergae wage (around £25000 a year) or less, and any pension contributions they make are usually at around 5 - 6% of their monthly wage. In some public sector jobs the pensions package is part of the job's pay and conditions imposed by management in consultation with the unions. I read somewhere recently that the average nurse (and you are talking about earning £500 a week before tax, NI and pension deductions) retires after around 30-40 years service with a pension of about £5000 a year. Not exactly gold-plated, I think!

My OH was in the fire service years ago, and paid huge amounts into his pension out of his salary every month. Years ago, there was a big pension fund and the unions were telling the local authorities that they should invest the surplus and earn interest on it. Of course, this never happened, and as time went by the amount paid out to people retiring (whether on ill-health grounds or through reaching retirement age) eventually grew to be more than the contributions being paid in. That, plus the fact that people live longer now, has led to a pensions deficit, and I am sure similar is happening to other public service pension funds, hence the concern about what it is all costing.

I saw the Moneywatch programme last night and was amazed that the couple featured did not have a pension fund when he was apparently earning £70,000 a year - nearly 3 times the average wage!

I think it is true that whatever you earn, you always manage to spend up to that limit, and it takes falling on hard times to make people realise the value of money. I am sure many of us, looking back, wish we had made more sensible decisions about our money.

gailey_2

Nargleblast dident mean offence but compared to what me and hubby were offered through our work its more generous. shes lab technician earns 30is as she needs degree to do the job, her hubby is warehouse in nhs unskilled and is on 16grand as year much more than retail and is forever on paid sick.

Another mates a primary school teacher she got better maternity and shocked me with teachers get paid sickleave up to a year then some can comeback for a week then have another years pay she says shes seen some people milk the system.
Not saying all teachers on the take just saying sometimes shocked by the madness in public secor unfortunatly worthwhile jobs like nurses do get rough ride whilst nhs managers get high salaries, pays and bonuses.

catznine

Hi folks! Just about to fasten my seatbelt - it's going to be a bumpy ride from now on! Dh is in the public sector and has been informed of huge cuts coming, he has been kept out of meetings and info loops and has been made subtly aware that his job is on the line.:( He has only been in post for 4 years so if he gets redundancy it won't be much!

We are not in too bad a position as he has a pension (not huge and he paid 11% into it) but enough to live on if we really cut back to the bone. Car would have to go as well! We still have a mortgage to pay down (endowment mortage:mad:) it needs to be re-negotiated next year and I dread what the interest rates could be by then. Looking into moving if all this comes to pass, we could get a similar or smaller house a couple of counties away and clear our mortgage totally, with a bit of luck. Shame though as I love where I live, great neighbours etc., I've put my name down for some part time work on a rota, not a lot but something maybe.

Thank goodness for this thread as I know I am not alone! Bless you!

Off to do another stocktake of the cupboards, thankfully my little stockpile will tide us over for quite a while.

(((hugs))) to others going through this!

Catz x

kezlou

silvercharming wrote: »

I think the problem is for many of us that we simply CANNOT afford to buy - full stop. If My OH and I were to buy the tiny one-and-a-half-bed bungalow we live in right now, we would need a mortgage SEVEN TIMES our combined salary,

I'm afraid to say that what happens to me in old age will happen. I have no control over it. Does that make me happy? No, of course not.

Unfortunately that's how life is sometimes.

so true silvercharming we can't to buy a house never mind rent a more expensive house. Unfortunately thats life, sadly. But were happy, the children love taking picnics out and going on mad excursions with me. My eldest sometimes complains about not being able to afford things and one day i lost my temper. I said well tough your spoiling our day out deal with it. WE also then went on to explain how some have expensive houses, Ds's etc and said those parents work day and night and don't get to take they swimming children because they can't afford the £2.50 because they have too many things on credit. Instead we have a cheaper house so can take you swimming once or twice a week. What would you rather have? He said swimming twice a week. Since then his attitude has changed and he's slowly learning to appreciate what we have instead of the have nots. He's only 10 so its hard to understand but he has to deal with life.

When i was growing we lived on a very rough council estate, the police wouldn't even venture over there, in case the squad car got nicked. But we had all the latest stuff etc,as well as debt collectors at the door harassing us for money. Now me and my OH have accucmalte debt but i'm pround to be paying it back, i'm pround not have people banging on my doors and thats how i like it. Sounds silly but i know a lot of people who have run away from they debts and it will come and bite them on the backside. Most of my family are on benefits (most of them too lazy too work :mad:)and live in council houses. Some have bought they own places and idea of buying your own property is still favoured. Me i'm come under a different section, hard to believe i know because:-
1)i moved out of the area
2)i'm in a private rented house
3) i went to university for two years (lost my funding in third but i WILL go back and finish)
4) My boys don't roam the streets
5) I'm political, while they not in the slightest
6) i tend to visit cultural exhibits.
7) My family call me a commie and middle class because i sit and read the guardian.

I know this is a rant but thats how a lot of people live, i could have taken the door to door loan sharks, but instead i got credit cards and overdrafts, stupidly, but its better than some dodgy bloke banging on my door. I for one was offered a house by the council, i took a look at it no roof, no literally i could see the sky. It was the day before bonfire night and said if you move in now it will be ready December. Eh no chance, another time they offered us a two bed flat surrounded by drug dealers. Eh nope, so its not just retired people its anyone really. so here i am still 6 years later in a private rented house, on the council list for 7 years, and i think i'm staying here for the next few years at least. I would love a garden, but i'm happy with my concrete yard and pots. We pay for decoration etc, we do the repairs if we can, but the landlord pays for the materials. Were putting in a new kitchen, but the landladies paying for it. We get a new kitchen, the house value goes up.

My MIL is pressuring us to buy a house with the equity in her current house. I'm saying no as i scared of whats going to happen in the future. She's amazing for offering it to us but what happens if my partners job fails. I'm not working at the moment, there's hardly any jobs where i am. childcare is stupidly expensive. So for me morally i can't do it. So instead i'm planning on paying my debts off and living my life week by week.

Nargleblast

No offence taken, gailey, just wanted to clarify things. You hear so many cliches spouted in the media and by politicians, and when you examine the case from the other point of view there is always more to it than meets the eye. I feel for those public sector workers further down the payscales, the hospital porters and cleaners, the care home workers, the teaching assistants, the council maintenance workers, all people to whom the £25k average wage is but a dream. I know that compared to some jobs in the private sector the public sector has quite good terms and conditions - I had 2 jobs in the private sector years ago, one in banking (boo hiss!) and one in a factory, and I chose to pay into the pension schemes for both those jobs because I reckoned then that no one could guarantee there being such a thing as a state pension by the time I hit retirement age. When I went into the public sector I used those pensions to buy more years in my public sector pension. I still think that you cannot rely on having a decent state pension when you retire. It amazes me that the Government is prepared to meet some of the costs of keeping someone in a care home(in certain cases) and yet they pay out a quarter of that amount as a state pension to someone living in their own home having to buy their own food, do their own laundry, meet their own bills etc! And it's not as if care home workers are paid bucketloads of cash either!

With all the talk of prices rising, taxes rising, benefits falling etc etc I feel as if it's the working classes that are suffering the most. The huge earners, especially those in business, often have accountants to manage their finances and make sure they claim every tax saving available, the ones at the bottom of the pile are funded by the state (I am not saying for a minute that it is a cushy number living on benefits, just that some seem to get help with almost everything and manage to lead a comfortable life) and those in the middle are doing all the work, paying all the taxes through PAYE/VAT/other taxes and duties and don't qualify for much in the way of benefits.

Anyway, come the revolution - who's first up against the wall? Answers please on a postcard....if you can afford a postage stamp, that is, another thing that keeps going up along with everything else.......

sparrer

If I may jump in and reply to some comments...way back (this forum moves so fast!) someone said it is personal choice to rent or buy - not everyone has a choice, life's circumstances dictate a lot about where we live. My post #609 is just one example

I have a beautiful little HA property, it may not be 'mine' as such but my small HA deems it my home, they respect my tenancy and appreciate my choosing them over other landlords, treating me accordingly. I don't and never will have to leave to move into smaller accom - unless I choose to do so.

Like a lot of people I believed there was a stigma re renting but I think that's more among the older generation, there are much wiser investments for ones money today but I wouldn't criticise anyone who buys if that's their preference.

Re the question of paying rent in retirement, I worked from 15 to 58, saved and paid into my company pension. This money is for my retirement however I choose to use it, rent, holidays, whatever. I don't play bingo, smoke or drink but know a lot of tenants and mortgagees alike who do. Admittedly my income doesn't cover my expenditure and I do have a small amount of help toward my rent, about 20%, which I'm very grateful for, I never expected anyone to keep me. I see my rent as a service charge, I don't pay for structural maintenance, repairs or upkeep, making me no better or worse off than any other tenant or mortgagee.

It's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other..we do what we can, or have to within our means and circumstances.

gailey_2

kezlou wrote: »

so true silvercharming we can't to buy a house never mind rent a more expensive house. Unfortunately thats life, sadly. But were happy, the children love taking picnics out and going on mad excursions with me. My eldest sometimes complains about not being able to afford things and one day i lost my temper. I said well tough your spoiling our day out deal with it. WE also then went on to explain how some have expensive houses, Ds's etc and said those parents work day and night and don't get to take they swimming children because they can't afford the £2.50 because they have too many things on credit. Instead we have a cheaper house so can take you swimming once or twice a week. What would you rather have? He said swimming twice a week. Since then his attitude has changed and he's slowly learning to appreciate what we have instead of the have nots. He's only 10 so its hard to understand but he has to deal with life.

When i was growing we lived on a very rough council estate, the police wouldn't even venture over there, in case the squad car got nicked. But we had all the latest stuff etc,as well as debt collectors at the door harassing us for money. Now me and my OH have accucmalte debt but i'm pround to be paying it back, i'm pround not have people banging on my doors and thats how i like it. Sounds silly but i know a lot of people who have run away from they debts and it will come and bite them on the backside. Most of my family are on benefits (most of them too lazy too work :mad:)and live in council houses. Some have bought they own places and idea of buying your own property is still favoured. Me i'm come under a different section, hard to believe i know because:-
1)i moved out of the area
2)i'm in a private rented house
3) i went to university for two years (lost my funding in third but i WILL go back and finish)
4) My boys don't roam the streets
5) I'm political, while they not in the slightest
6) i tend to visit cultural exhibits.
7) My family call me a commie and middle class because i sit and read the guardian.

I know this is a rant but thats how a lot of people live, i could have taken the door to door loan sharks, but instead i got credit cards and overdrafts, stupidly, but its better than some dodgy bloke banging on my door. I for one was offered a house by the council, i took a look at it no roof, no literally i could see the sky. It was the day before bonfire night and said if you move in now it will be ready December. Eh no chance, another time they offered us a two bed flat surrounded by drug dealers. Eh nope, so its not just retired people its anyone really. so here i am still 6 years later in a private rented house, on the council list for 7 years, and i think i'm staying here for the next few years at least. I would love a garden, but i'm happy with my concrete yard and pots. We pay for decoration etc, we do the repairs if we can, but the landlord pays for the materials. Were putting in a new kitchen, but the landladies paying for it. We get a new kitchen, the house value goes up.

My MIL is pressuring us to buy a house with the equity in her current house. I'm saying no as i scared of whats going to happen in the future. She's amazing for offering it to us but what happens if my partners job fails. I'm not working at the moment, there's hardly any jobs where i am. childcare is stupidly expensive. So for me morally i can't do it. So instead i'm planning on paying my debts off and living my life week by week.

You doing a fab job, its hard sometimes to do diffrent to family.
Was on on pmqs yesterday social mobility and child povery has increased these last few years.

My mams like you never see many council houses without sat dish.
Stepson lives on roughish ha estate , his mam and stepdad work but bosted by benefits so they have more disposable income than us. They have lots takeaway and go on hols 3times a year, I suspect they might have debt dont know, but son moans when he comes to ours but think he recognises we live in safe nice area, no burnt our cars and shocking primary that failed him.
Hes struggling in secondary as years behind and im worried as hes no ambition to do anything he might leave school at 16 no qualifications, trouble getting work and end up on estate for life.

When they young they dont always appreciate money side we try and explian that we can do endless day trips in hols and buy lots junkfood.

You cant control what people spend their money on hence why child poverty not a black and white issue.

My mam no interest in politics, do wish she stop reading daily mail, rarly watches news and be shocked if she could name the cabinet she does not realise how she could be affected.

Hope you get to finish final year tesco clubcard were doing ou vouchers but think they changed it to 1st year of course.

I want to go back and study to get better job but cant afford it at moment if you on jsa or income supoort then education costs much
cheaper.

I Regret the debt most was necessity to pay bills once daughter came along.

Money saving been real education learnt so much last few years but cant go back must stay positive and look fowards, everyone things grass is greener.

If I can teach kids what I know now they hopefully be millionaires and wont have to worry about my old age:rotfl:

jackieglasgow

Well, from my side of things, I won't bore you with the details of how and why we got here, but we rent now. Its a new build 3 bedroomed Housing Association house, we chose the kitchen etc oourselves before we moved in, and as far as I am concerned its our house for life. OH wants to get back on the property ladder but I will take a lot of persuasion. Last year he barely worked, and if we had still owned at that poing we would have in all likeliehood have lost our home. That scares me too much to even think about buying agan before the kids are up. There may be a possibility we can buy this house in two years, but I don't really think that will happen, I think the HA will ask for a block on purchasing, which doesn't bother me atm, however we are saving hoping to be able to afford it if the situation changes. We can do pretty much anything to this house we want, we have a large garden, and it will be even bigger soon, as they are transferring some spare ground behind the houses to us as well. To buy the same house built by the same builder the previous year in the next street, I would be payng a mortgage of about £900 - £1000 a month. Our rent is about £360. That's a no brainer atm.