Old Style Skills

ab7

Downsizing__for_sanity wrote: »

And thanks in part to the decisions of the baby boomers and those they elected, we will work much longer for a lower pension, whilst they have avoided major war in their lifetimes, and reaped the benefits of a huge relative increase in house prices, and free degrees. We will be very lucky if we are able to pay off our student loans and have a mortgage on somewhere big enough for our family by the time we are 35.

(And - posters above - I can spell and use grammar correctly.)

DFS

I'm sure those lost in the falkland war and others would strongly disagree with you.
Actually your comment is unfair. You may end up better off than the majority of baby boomers as credit wont be as readily available. Take a look on the DFW boards and see how many need help. IMO the days that buying a new house and car defined who you are may be coming to a much needed end. Degrees are never free. Even in Scotland, there are loans that need to be repaid, never mind how many students are working and trying to study and taking out huge loans just to cover expenses.
What you are currently experiencing in Dodgy Dave is what Moody Margaret did to this country back in the 70/80's. Young people seem to forget how long and how deep the cuts in the country were when she was in power. Labour only came into power in 97. Grumpy Gordon only got 3 yrs then has to stand back and watch as Dodgy Dave steals his big idea! And dont get me started on what Moody Margaret did to the social housing. Its part of the reason why your generation expects to have their own house and then feel a failure when they dont get it, but cant even get a decent council house to live in!
Off my soap box now :rotfl:

Justamum

Downsizing__for_sanity wrote: »

Actually - the younger generation are not all incompetent in managing a home or a budget. Surely that's why we enjoy this forum? . . . Please don't patronise us or write us off. Remember, we are supposed to "have it all" and run a perfect home, have the perfect children and marriage, as well as holding down a wonderful career and making our own curtains. And who would go back to the glory days of the 1970's with power cuts, no central heating or double glazing in most houses? . . . and free degrees.

Nobody mentioned the younger generation. Nobody is being patronised. In fact there are quite a number of younger people on this forum.

I remember the days of no central heating - but my dad was always good at DIY and centrally heated every house we lived in. To be fair the power cuts didn't last all that long - it's not like the whole of the 1970s were subject to the 3 day week.

As for free degrees, in the past only a small percentage of people went to university, so it was affordable to allow them free degrees. Nowadays it seems all young people seem to think they will definitely be going off to 'uni' (awful word) so it's unaffordable to the taxpayer.

Justamum

ab7 wrote: »

Labour only come into power in 97.

And did a spectacular job in spending what they didn't have.

Anyway this is not the place for political unrest. We're here to help and advise each other.

ab7

Justamum wrote: »

And did a spectacular job in spending what they didn't have.

Anyway this is not the place for political unrest. We're here to help and advise each other.

Thank you for highlighting my dodgy spelling need coffee! I know they did, greedy like a kid left alone with their birthday cake A convo between my mum and I reminded me recently of how much the conversatives have been in power during my life time, almost 2/3!

I do actually agree with Molly, there should be a good balance of the younger generations helping the older with technology. There is a huge shift in media etc that leaves some of the older ones without this type of life line and I can see technology developing further e.g. like Squeaky put up a good thread for free kindle books. Next in community centres - swap cooking/sewing training for computer skills?

euronorris

Downsizing__for_sanity wrote: »

Please don't patronise us or write us off. Remember, we are supposed to "have it all" and run a perfect home, have the perfect children and marriage, as well as holding down a wonderful career and making our own curtains. And who would go back to the glory days of the 1970's with power cuts, no central heating or double glazing in most houses?

I didn't take this as patronising, being only 28 myself, but a reality for a large proportion of our generation.

I wish it wasn't true, but I see it in so many of my friends and colleagues (although less so in NL), and even out and about in general. That, however, does not mean that we cannot change things around, or that ALL of us are the same. Of course we can change things, and of course we are different. But I think those of us with these skills are the exception, rather than the rule sadly.

Certainly, with your list of impressive skills, you are a rarity IME. Especially being able to speak 4 languages! I'm still trying to master Dutch, and some days English! :rotfl::rotfl:And I am the odd one out amongst my British friends, as none of them know any other languages.

monnagran

Absolutely true CH: I had this conversation with my children who all got married expecting their first home to be equipped with washing machines, dishwashers, freezers etc. I told them that they wanted to start at a place it had taken me 30 years to get to. But if I'm honest it is all down to expectations. When I set up home no-one had WMs DWs etc and if we visited friends we were not suprised to be sitting in a deck chair because they were still saving up for a suite. Things are different now and expectations are higher. The difference is, that although it would be hard for everyone, the older generation have had to 'make do and mend' in hard times. I'm sure that if those times came again a lot of young peoople would knuckle down and learn how to cope. After all, why would they know how, if they've never had to?
IF anyone had offered me a freezer, washing machine, central heating and cheap ready to wear clothes when I set up home I'd have snatched their hand off.
The OS things I do now, I do mostly from choice. Don't worry, whatever the economic climate there will always be the copers and the non-copers.

euronorris

I have to say, although I HATE actually washing the dishes, I prefer it to the dishwasher. Only because the finish is always much, much better and glasses, mugs and plates don't end up looking so scratched and worn.

I noticed this whilst visiting my brother this past weekend, as they have a dishwasher. It's a great timesaver, but their glasses (in particular) have really suffered in the dishwasher and look very scratched around the top. Not to mention, it only takes a stray bit of food in the dishwasher to block the filter and ensure that they don't come out clean anyway and will need to be re-done.

Butterfly_Brain

I am with you on that euronorris, I have had a dishwasher and lost no end of roasting tins, glasses and cutlery and I hated the smelly thing, it has now long gone after catching fire:eek: and I swore that I would never have another one.
My diswasher(s) = DH, DD and DS:rotfl:

euronorris

Oh the OH is not allowed near the dishes! He's worse than the dishwasher, and might as well not bother. It doesn't matter how much I ask him, he never pays enough attention to whether the item is clean or not before placing it in the drying rack! Grrrrr. So he gets to wash the clothes instead, and hoover. I !!!!!!!g hate hoovering too!

Butterfly_Brain

Justamum wrote: »

Nobody mentioned the younger generation. Nobody is being patronised. In fact there are quite a number of younger people on this forum.

I remember the days of no central heating - but my dad was always good at DIY and centrally heated every house we lived in. To be fair the power cuts didn't last all that long - it's not like the whole of the 1970s were subject to the 3 day week.

As for free degrees, in the past only a small percentage of people went to university, so it was affordable to allow them free degrees. Nowadays it seems all young people seem to think they will definitely be going off to 'uni' (awful word) so it's unaffordable to the taxpayer.

Sadly we are not allowed to do that sort of thing anymore, nor put in double glazing ourselves and we are lucky that they still allow us to change a socket and light fitting without the council stazi getting involved