What standard of living are we happy with/entitled to?

ukonlineshopping

What standard of living are we happy with/ASPIRING to?

As the economy tightens many if us are having to make sacrifices ie. less treats, no holidays, make do and mend etc.

In normal times, what things do we expect to have in life to live a happy average life in the UK?

I'll start off with what I think an average UK householder would expect to be able to afford each year:

- A holiday abroad a year
- To have a car and do our daily activities without petrol worries
- To have the heating on when we are cold and not worry about the bill
- To buy a few new items of clothing a season
- To go grocery shopping and buy what we need/want without worry
- To have no personal debt except car & mortgage
- To have a couple of months wage in savings
- To be able to rent/own a house that is suitable for our family needs

I have very few of the above but was wondering to myself what standard I should be happy with and aspiring to.

More suggestions for what a comfortable living life should be please?

paulmapp8306

WE dont have an entitlement to ANY standard of living. TBH that statement shows one of the problems with our society - particularly the younger. They seem to think they are ENTITLED to live a certain way - to have certain things. Were not.

As to your list.

Holiday abroad ?? havent had one EVER. Have a week in the UK IF we can afford it (4 of the last 1o years). Certainly we shouldt expect it.
Car? again not an expectation - its a luxury if you can afford to run it. More expected than a holiday though.
Heating - yes
Clothing - Yes. BUT not "labels". Nothing wrong with mending how many do that theres days?), or buying used, or buying cheaper no named clothes. More than that is a luxury.
Food - what we need yes - what we want no. That shouldnt be expected.
debt? that can be done already provided you spend on what you need not what you want.
savings? nice to have but its not an expectation for the majority.
Home - yes you should be expect to have access to a home thats suitable. Define suitable though. Two beds? all kids living in one adults in the other? Three beds - one for boys one for girls one for adults? Living room & kitchen only? or dining, study, utility etc?


I guess - comfortable living - isnt something that should be an expectation. When in history have the majority lived in comfort? pretty much never up to the last 20 years or so when it seems to be seen as a right. You should expect to be able to survive. Being comfortable is an aspiration but in truth is rarely achieved.

annie_tanks

Living on the SS Entreprise would suit me..with a holo-deck for all holidays and experiences..a replicator for all drinks and food.. comfie surroundings and work nearby..and no money exchanges hands as every-one works for good of the community.. si fi is not all fiction..I would like to sign up now..

gailey_2

I have a problem with the title.

maybe what uk people aspire to not entitled to.

All those things would be lovley but very hard to get everything off list ticked off.

I think living standards un uk, europe and us are falling due to bad economic situation we face now.

high unemployment, high inflation, no payrises.fuel poverty, rising taxes, cuts in benefits, restricted credit ect.

havent been abroad since 2006 as cant afford it

would love to have all debts paid off-am trying

would love to save-once debts clear

would love to buy-pipe dream right now.

Bigger house be nice but we chose to have 3kids in 3bed new build but its in nice area and eldests in good school.

would love not to worry about what supermarket bill we forever cutting back but even value stuff on rise.

car-nessecity for hubbys work. I would like to drive but cant afford it right now.

energy-we try and be careful if we owned I would love a woodburning stove!

clothes-essential but mostly brought cheap or 2nd hand.

very rare we go out

Lifes a series of comprimises and hard work.
sometimes timings an issue too right place right time.

Im not sure if anyone expects all these thing right now but guess they would like them.

PasturesNew

ukonlineshopping wrote: »

...what I think an average UK householder would expect to be able to afford each year:

- A holiday abroad a year - I've never been abroad and not had a holiday since 1993/94 or so (a week in a cheap flat in the UK)
- To have a car and do our daily activities without petrol worries - need to do this because daily activities are mostly commuting and getting food in.
- To have the heating on when we are cold and not worry about the bill - never achieved this, I skimp and freeze and spend most of the winter under blankets/duvets.
- To buy a few new items of clothing a season - never done this.
- To go grocery shopping and buy what we need/want without worry - never done this.
- To have no personal debt except car & mortgage - it's how I live as debt is scarey. Do without...
- To have a couple of months wage in savings - never had that until I landed in a lucky job where there was a lot of overtime in the year I was there.
- To be able to rent/own a house that is suitable for our family needs - never managed this until I was about 40...

Dunno what I'd add ... if I already had the above I'm sure I could think of something.

OptionARMAGEDDON

Noone is entitled to anything. Period.

ukonlineshopping

Forgive my title, I don't think we are entitled to anything either and are each accountable for ourselves - should have phrased that better. Lets go with "What standard of living are we happy with/aspiring to?

gailey_2

ukonlineshopping wrote: »

Forgive my title, I don't think we are entitled to anything either and are each accountable for ourselves - should have phrased that better. Lets go with "What standard of living are we happy with/aspiring to?

yep entitlements like a swear word these days.

closly linked to anyone on benefits being spongers
anyone who rents being mugs
any young people with i phones thinking they entitled to get on property ladder!

For me as a kid i imagined have most of these things by time I hit 30 now I revised it to 40 and hubbys revised it to 50:rotfl:

We just glad for what we got right now

dibuzz

I've had one holiday in the last 10 years (probably longer) and have never been abroad, no savings, never go out but that's partly anxiety as well as money, we rarely use the heating and fight over who the dog sits with in winter
I have a car wich I feel is a necessity as I can't use public transport plus my kids play rugby so I need to get them to matches/training.
My 3 boys have shared one bedroom for years and the kitchen is probably older than me.
I'd love to have lots of money, posh house and nice car but what money I do have goes on the kids and I wouldn't have it any other way.

reweird

Everyone is entitled to shelter. That is a basic human right. What is not a right is home-ownership. That's always been and always rightfully will be for the privileged.

System

ukonlineshopping wrote: »

What standard of living are we happy with/ASPIRING to?

As the economy tightens many if us are having to make sacrifices ie. less treats, no holidays, make do and mend etc.

In normal times, what things do we expect to have in life to live a happy average life in the UK?

I'll start off with what I think an average UK householder would expect to be able to afford each year:

- A holiday abroad a year
never had don't expect to in the foreseeable future occasional short trip in uk
- To have a car and do our daily activities without petrol worries
- To have the heating on when we are cold and not worry about the bill ive gone without to maintain my £101 fuel direct debit and go into winter with £286 credit
- To buy a few new items of clothing a season
i buy when i really have to not because the season has changed
- To go grocery shopping and b
i only buy what we need/want without worry what we need , need + want are two separate issues
- To have no personal debt except car & mortgage
- To have a couple of months wage in savings
- To be able to rent/own a house that is suitable for our family needs

I have very few of the above but was wondering to myself what standard I should be happy with and aspiring to.

More suggestions for what a comfortable living life should be please?

if people worked out what they needed and not wanted they would be a lot happier