starting to think it wasn't worth it

illgetthere

Is it just me or am i starting to think i did it all wrong. I have been brought up to graft in work and invest in a house/save/ be prepared. I have a btl property too and now have new tenants, so i spoke to my old tenants who have told me that they have just moved into a council property.

Their rent is minimal/nominal, no council tax to pay, free nhs plus loads more. And just to top it off they had a new kitchen put in and got £200 of free painting vouchers through the post!!

Maybe i should bankrupt myself and live off the state. I am not rich but live well and wanted to use my btl as my pension in the future as i am self employed.

I think i played this all wrong... Rant over!

Thrugelmir

illgetthere wrote: »

, free nhs

That's a startling fact.

Maybe you stop paying for that private healthcare.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

What a load of balls

SingleSue

When we moved here, we had council tax to pay, our rent was not really minimal compared to the market at the time, we got given 3 pots of cheap paint to decorate with, our kitchen consisted of the sink unit and I thought we all received free NHS care.

We also worked hard, we had also saved, we had also purchased our home before.

Council properties or social housing is not just for those on benefits, there are an awful lot of people who also work full time but on low salaries who are offered them too...and those people will have to pay the rent, pay the council tax, pay for prescriptions etc just like they would have to in private rent.

illgetthere

Thrugelmir wrote: »

That's a startling fact.

Maybe you stop paying for that private healthcare.

sorry, meant prescriptions..

illgetthere

This isn't a hit on council tenants. Its a reflection of what is available in the form of benefits. If i stopped working/ became homeless with my family, then i could claim for so much more and be in a better position than i am in now.

morally i know its wrong but sometimes i feel it would be easier than working 15hr days..

No wonder this country is nearly bankrupt.

cgk1

And just to top it off they had a new kitchen put in

More than likely that was to bring it upto Standard.

Maybe i should bankrupt myself and live off the state.

You should do that and then report back here about what a great gravy train it is and how much fun you are having.

Graham_Devon

illgetthere wrote: »

This isn't a hit on council tenants. Its a reflection of what is available in the form of benefits. If i stopped working/ became homeless with my family, then i could claim for so much more and be in a better position than i am in now.

morally i know its wrong but sometimes i feel it would be easier than working 15hr days..

No wonder this country is nearly bankrupt.

Although I get the angle you are coming from...

If you did all that, you wouldn't have a BTL. Therefore, you wouldn't have a chance at a half decent standard of living in your old age.

I'm bitter over benefits too, I'll freely admit it. But I'll also freely admit that working for a living brings me so many more opportunities, and wealth, than benefits do....free prescriptions or not.

SingleSue

illgetthere wrote: »

This isn't a hit on council tenants. Its a reflection of what is available in the form of benefits. If i stopped working/ became homeless with my family, then i could claim for so much more and be in a better position than i am in now.

morally i know its wrong but sometimes i feel it would be easier than working 15hr days..

No wonder this country is nearly bankrupt.

Believe you me, it is not quite the easy life you believe it to be.

We always used to say the same thing as a married, dual income family looking in from the outside at a few of our friends who relied solely on benefits but we also had choice, choice to spend as we wished, choice to work a few extra hours to afford bits and pieces extra (luxuries) but the biggest thing was we had pride.

Being on benefits against your will and if you are a workaholic, is demeaning, it is soul destroying. You feel like the lowest of the low and there is no choice, you can't work a few hours overtime to cover a holiday or a new appliance for example, you cannot get credit if your cooker breaks down (apart from going cap in hand for a social fund loan....makes you feel extra demeaned).

It is not normal life, yes ok you may receive a similar amount in benefits (not in my case, the income has at least halved on benefits) but with that comes strict moral rules about how you spend them...you feel like you are having to answer to everyone if you so much as buy a normal household item.

Thrugelmir

illgetthere wrote: »

morally i know its wrong but sometimes i feel it would be easier than working 15hr days..

Surely you have no need to work such long hours with a BTL?

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Surely you have no need to work such long hours with a BTL?

Its like painting the Forth Bridge.

You get to hour 15 & the mold starts coming back in the area where you painted in hour one.