Years gone by

lemonjelly

I was remeniscing this weekend about holidays as a child. I didn't understand household economics back then. Mom & Dad simply produced money for stuff. I started wondering how they managed to afford it. I know I moaned as a child, but on reflection, I never went without anything. I never needed more than I had. Perhaps I was just dissatisfied? I dunno.

Things were a great deal simpler then. Life was less instananeous. I didn't expect my parents to drop everything to give me lifts - one car means rationed use, & walking to places, or using my bike.

We had less consumerables. Was this better or worse? Not sure. It felt less hectic, what with no pc, no mobile phone, no bag full of stuff to carry everywhere. Felt a little more care-free in some respects.

I can't help but feel that we as a people were more into problem solving than we are now. Previously, if we didn't have something, or something broke, we would explore ways of fixing it. We would repair stuff, or look at other ways of acheiving what we wanted. Now it seems we go shopping.

I dunno is what I'm saying I guess...:o

StevieJ

Pobby wrote: »

Just thinking. In the 50`s, when I was a small child it was uncommon for Mothers to go out to work. Yet people were able to purchase a house on one income, have kids, a telly and a car. I had plenty like that in my family in the South East. Not grotty over priced studio flats, but decent senis and detached.

I think you must have been watching too many Hollywood soaps and sitcoms because that was not the position of the vast majority in the UK in the 50's.

StevieJ

Sorry for being a bit harsh there Pobby, memories of long ago can be a comfort to us all when we are not feeling on top of our game.

SingleSue

My parents bought in 1969, a 3 bed semi close to the seafront area. It was purchased on dad's income alone as mum was a stop at home mum and it was their first purchase.

They didn't receive help towards the deposit which was 10% of the purchase price (£3,900)

I was born in 1970 (in the front bedroom of the house) and my memories of early childhood are of doing without. Our clothes were from jumble sales or knitted by mum, our bread home made, our holidays simple...but then, a lot of that was due to dad falling off the bridge he was making and having to be in hospital for a very long time.

We finally got central heating approx mid to late 70's and had a good couple of holidays until the compensation from the accident ran out (they had also paid off their mortgage plus debts built up in the 2 years+ dad was unable to work). Even so, we always went away for a holiday in the summer, although albeit, it may have been to my paternal grandmother's in Sussex or my maternal grandmother in London on tighter years. Otherwise though, it was camping....at the cheapest sites mum could find.

They didn't have the latest electronics (still don't), we didn't have designer clothes and the idea of a dishwasher is so alien to my mum that they don't have ones of those either!

But we were happy and had an incredible childhood.

You couldn't buy their house on a single average salary now like they did, you would most def need two incomes to get the mortgage under the same terms my parents did.

N.B My mum has always been a stop at home mum, she gave up work the day after she got married....although I wasn't always in agreement with that (I was rather feminist back in the day :rotfl:)

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

wymondham wrote: »

excellent post. Can you see many people these days putting up with a cold house, 2nd hand clothes ... peoples expectations have risen sharply and so have the costs to fund these expectations.

get real! Take a look around...lots of people are living like this, lots of people homeless too.

treliac

maryotuam wrote: »

If we can encourage our youngsters not to make the mistakes we have been lured into making, then their life could be much richer and more fulfilling despite the recession.

That's not so easy when we are in the age of celebrity. Our youngsters don't feel 'whole' unless they are flawlessly attractive, kitted out in designer clothing, with all the latest consumer disposables to show off. And now, it appears, many of them hanker after cosmetic surgery before they are out of their teens.

Of course, there are some fantastic young people who don't get sucked into feelings of disatisfaction with themselves for just being normal, but many of the overwhelmingly depressing pressures on the young don't show signs of changing for the better. And that's leaving aside their economic prospects as things stand.

Excellent thread, btw, Pobby.

ash28

Pobby wrote: »

Just thinking. In the 50`s, when I was a small child it was uncommon for Mothers to go out to work. Yet people were able to purchase a house on one income, have kids, a telly and a car. I had plenty like that in my family in the South East. Not grotty over priced studio flats, but decent senis and detached.

My dear Dad bought a brand new car in 1965, however it was , I think, £700. When I was 25 ish, mid 70`s, I was earning £6k a year. My Mum was amazed. Tbh honest, Dad was a railway engineer, retired in 1975, and never earnt anything like that.

I rarely see this now. Just about everyone I know has both couples at work. Kids or not.

It is fine talking about the average wage but I know lots that are no where near it.

I was , I think, 25 when we bought our first semi. Inflation, including wage inflation, just took the debt away. I see inflation at a point that is not fully taken in to account by the government. To leave the massive HPI out of the equation, to me, is almost criminal.

0.5% is not about the economy doing well. It is about financial survival. Even so, the banks are having a field day. Not paying savers but shafting people who borrow.

I can see what it has done to savings and pensions.

Here is a baby boomer that says the old days were far better.

I wouldn't go back to the "good old days" for all the tea in China - life may have been kind to you but it wasn't to everyone.

I was born in 1955, my father had a good job, we had a nice little semi, my mother didn't work - but I guess with 4 children under the age of 6 it would have been difficult.

When I was about 5 my father became ill, seriously ill, he was off work, for I think about 12 months during that time he lost his job and we lost our home.We moved in with my maternal grandparents, the 6 of us shared one room for about 2 years - the length of time it took my father to recover - though he was never the man he was prior to his illness. And on top of that my grandfather was slowly dying from pitman's lung.

When I was about 7 or 8 we left my grandparent's house and moved into rented - my father moved to the midlands for work and sent money home every week for rent and bills and to feed us my mother had to go out to work

It was a nightmare and one which I will never forget - though it was during his time in the midlands that my father developed a love for rugby league - his treat was to go to a match once a fortnight - he came home once a month - it was all he could afford.

Most people I knew rented a tv - the kind with a slot on the back where you put your money - it was emptied every week. Clothes were bought on "tick".

We (OH and I) were eventually able to buy a house when we were in our late 20s and interest rates were 12% and consumer electronics and other household goods were as out out of reach to us as they had been to my parents. And we both worked - although we had children I worked part time.

OH's experience is pretty much like mine - though it was an accident not illness that caused his father to lose his job and pretty much everything else.

I think what happened to our respective families when we were young had a big influence on our choices as we became older - we were focused well and truly on safe guarding our future - it influenced our choices of work and risk taking. It's interesting that our own children who had a very comfortable upbringing don't have that same focus.

I guess not all of us had such a good experience as you did - mine was frankly awful.

This is one baby boomer who hopes we never go back to the "good old days". We are early retired and comfortable - we've worked hard and saved hard - I just wish my parent's were here to share a bit of it.

ladylouise62

I was just talking about this sort of thing today.
I remember the first time I got a new dress rather than a hand-me-down (and not even from my own family as my siblings were brothers). I was 10/11 and was so proud. I have a shot that a neighbour took of me and it looked terrible because it was overly large so that I could grow into it.. but I LOVED it because I chose it :-) One of the main things I see better then than now is how, having to wait or work for things, we really appreciated anything we got. I see my nieces/nephews who have shedloads of stuff, but don't ever have that feeling of achievement because it so easy to get so much.

treliac

ash28 wrote: »

This is one baby boomer who hopes we never go back to the "good old days". We are early retired and comfortable - we've worked hard and saved hard - I just wish my parent's were here to share a bit of it.

Thanks, ash28, for portraying a broader picture. What all these people who generalise about baby boomers, or any other generation, forget is that there are widely varying discrepancies between different people, their fortunes, attitudes and lifestyles.

I will generalise, though, as far as to say that expectations are massively higher nowadays and that people are often less happy with their lives... probably because of all the things they think they could/should have, but cannot.

Davesnave

treliac wrote: »

That's not so easy when we are in the age of celebrity. Our youngsters don't feel 'whole' unless they are flawlessly attractive, kitted out in designer clothing, with all the latest consumer disposables to show off. And now, it appears, many of them hanker after cosmetic surgery before they are out of their teens.

I wonder if that aspect of teenage life is so very different?

I remember being a Mod, and although my own wardrobe was a bit limited, much of that scene was having the right gear to look smart, the new records as they were released and the money to spend in discos.:cool:

My wealthier (or working) friends rode scooters bedecked with totally useless chrome lights, mirrors, aerials and flags, all expensive stuff, paid for on the never-never. Poverty stricken sixth formers, like me, just prayed there would be enough free pillion space at weekends!

Naturally, we looked down upon the very uncool Greasers, with their oily motor bikes and unfashionable clothes; more like those of their Dad or Mum! They were most definitely yesterday's people....

Oh yes, we were very full of ourselves! :rotfl: