'"You've never had it so good?" True for a few' blog discussion

Former_MSE_Penelope

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's ""You've never had it so good?" True for a few" Blog.

Please click 'post reply' to discuss below.

katmcleod

Other than it costing more to fill up the car these days I have to say we haven't really noticed any change at all. I'm a student, my husband works for the government but we think he'll be safe from the cuts. We don't earn enough to be effected by any of the child benefits cuts, and we've been so used to living on a tight budget that nothing really has changed.
I should be working finally by the summer so we're going to be hitting our financial high point this year Definately different for everyone.

fleagle21

katmcleod wrote: »

Other than it costing more to fill up the car these days I have to say we haven't really noticed any change at all. I'm a student, my husband works for the government but we think he'll be safe from the cuts. We don't earn enough to be effected by any of the child benefits cuts, and we've been so used to living on a tight budget that nothing really has changed.
I should be working finally by the summer so we're going to be hitting our financial high point this year Definately different for everyone.

I'm totally with you on the car thing, grr!

Financially we're better off - don't get me wrong, we've still got a bit of CC debt, but are some of the lucky ones that 'won the mortgage lottery'. We got a mortgage just before everything went wrong, rates were around 7% ish, all of our friends and family were telling us to fix... but, us being us, didn't listen! Thank god, because we got a lifetime tracker at 0.85% above base rate - happy days!! :j

wendywife

in a good place right now - husband and I both work - although I am in the public sector (education) so do not know what my long term position may be - but we can afford to live - paying extra off our mortgage every month - and also saving some cash. What I want to know is how can we try to help others, not by giving our cash away ( I do contribute monthly to Save the Children) but where to spend and save my pennies to help keep our economy as well as I can - we don't have thousands so know that I cannot fix much - but as my mother always said pennies make pounds. I have been searching the net looking for gifts for Christmas (immediate family only as voted on for poll) and as I search I am watching the news and seeing how upset some people in Ireland are about the state of their economy and I realised that I could actually be about to spend money abroad and not even know about it when our neighbours are sinking further into debts that I do not understand. When shopping it is so hard to tell which brands actually benefit the UK/Ireland the most, which gifts would make a difference and which banks are actually based in the UK and contributing something for the people in the UK. I hope I do not sound too naive but what happened to the old cry of buy British and keep the money at home? Any advice would be appreciated and I am sure that I am not the only one to feel like this - and about to spend hard earned cash ....

Mobeer

Quote:
"For the vast majority of people in the country today, they have never had it so good ever since this recession, this so-called recession, started"


If he had said that there exists a minority of people who are doing better than they have done previously, he would have been fine. But saying that a majority of people have never have it so good seems unsupportable.

The real mistake was to make a comparison to Harold "Most of our people have never had it so good" McMillan, and show himself as out of touch. David Cameron, son of a stockbroker, public schoolboy, Oxford student, could never support Lord Young without sounding out of touch himself.

adwat

I agree with Lord Young, although I think he was insensitive in the way he said it. This recession feels different to previous ones, for example, the 80's. This time interest rates are low so people are not being forced to sell homes or be repossesed - in the 80's interest rates went through the roof remember. Also, unemployment is nowhere near as high as in the 80's so again people can afford to meet there mortgage payments and have money to spend because of the low rates. If you've lost your job then it's a different story and I feel sorry for anyone in that position. As for the future, things could change because of the budget cuts and don't forget the whole Ireland/Greece/Portugal etc. situation could flare up, so I think financial caution would be well advised. Certainly it is a good time to get your finances in order and identify possible savings with a view to the possibilty of any change in circumstances - but then I guess that's true at anytime. In summary, yes, I think he was right but put it across badly...

BettyCash

For someone who's got thru 2 years of unpaid internships, temping and postgrad studies, my first full-time permanent job has me rolling in cash. You have to count your blessings, especially if you have been eating dahl and baked beans for ... basically... two years!

MadMom

We're really fortunate to be on an interest only tracker mortgage and since the recession hit, we've been paying about a quarter on our mortgage than we'd be paying if we were renting our home - so we ain't complaining!

robann

Martin, you are a lone voice of reason in a sound-bite world. What you said is entirely true but I'm sure you'll get shouted down.

BobbinAlong

what happened to the old cry of buy British and keep the money at home?

Hear Hear!

Please can we have more promotion of British goods in our shops.

P__G

Here Here - I really want to buy British and help the local economy, whilst reduced my Co2 emissions - it is just the right thing to do.

http://www.buybritish.com/