'Are you an financial optimist for 2012?' poll

Former_MSE_Penelope

Poll started 3 January 2012, click here to vote

Are you an financial optimist for 2012?

How do you view your (or your family's) personal finances for the year ahead?

Are things going to be better or worse for you by the end of 2012?

Choose an option according to your financial situation...

Your finances aren't great now

It'll be a little worse
It'll be worse
It'll be much worse
It'll be roughly the same
It'll be a little better
It'll be better
It'll be a lot better

Your finances are ok right now

It'll be much worse
It'll be worse
It'll be a little worse
It'll be roughly the same
It'll be a little better
It'll be better
It'll be a lot better

Your finances are strong right now

It'll be much worse
It'll be worse
It'll be a little worse
It'll be roughly the same
It'll be a little better
It'll be better
It'll be a lot better

torbrex

I have a strong financial base but I have not had permenant work since July 2011 and I have started to eat into my savings pot.
I had hoped for a few more strong earning years so that I could do some home improvements and buy a new car before retiring but everything is in a state of flux at the moment.

mdr86

I'm in my final year at university - I have no plans for after university yet, so I have no idea what things will be like at the end of 2012!

no1riggie

I'm a public sector worker, You know, one of those people who's sucking the lifeblood from the country with my (almost) £17,000 a year. I've no idea what will happen or if I'll even have a job!

jennmark

my finances are ok, but as i hope to be on maternity leave by the end of the year i will be a little worse off. we have planned and i have saved for my low pay and unpaid leave but when that is spent and we have full childcare costs again things will be a bit tighter.

hesperus_2

This year will be tougher than last. I am now retired and learning just how the Government treats pensioners! The level of tax rises as the council tax is unchanged despite my income dropping significantly. Worse yet the inflation figure used has been reduced to a figure even lower than before! I was well aware that RPI was usually understating inflation by about 0.5% but CPI increase that to around 2% on average!
How the public sector and the private sector workers are coping is difficult to comprehend. The rate of spending this year will fall significantly, and that can only cause longer term problems.
Overall I do not think we will be as well placed at the end of 2012 as at the beginning. :eek:

PipneyJane

I have to be a financial pessimist for 2012. My husband's job was terminated a week before Christmas. If he manages to find a job within 3 months, we'll be OK, otherwise the overdraft will get a hammering. If we're really lucky, he'll get a job that pays much more than the one just ended (which paid one-third of his previous salary).

"Plan for the worst, but hope for the best" is my motto.

VfM4meplse

torbrex wrote: »

I have a strong financial base but I have not had permenant work since July 2011 and I have started to eat into my savings pot.
I had hoped for a few more strong earning years so that I could do some home improvements and buy a new car before retiring but everything is in a state of flux at the moment.

It doesn't matter how much money you have in the bank, or how frugal you are with it - if you're not doing something gainful with your time (not necessarily something that pulls an income in) your financial situation will feel infinitely worse.

XRAT

jennmark wrote: »

my finances are ok, but as i hope to be on maternity leave by the end of the year i will be a little worse off. we have planned and i have saved for my low pay and unpaid leave but when that is spent and we have full childcare costs again things will be a bit tighter.

Hurrah for Jenmark, :T for restoring my faith that there are still people out there making financial plans before having children. What a great (and somewhat original) idea, planning to support yourself and your family.

Good luck with the birth, may they bring you much joy and happiness. (The bad news is, I'm afraid you didn't save enough, no matter how well you have done.., one never can!)

rinabean

How condescending.


Seems that people's voting is largely influenced by the state of their financial affairs at the moment. I'm interested in seeing the final results. I chose okay and a little better. I'm hoping, and it's a fairly reasonable hope, for a lot better, but things might stay the same, so I picked the average!

cat4772

I'm currently on mat leave with two daughters: a 6 month old and 2y9m old. When I return to work in 4 months, I'll have 80% of my wage going to childcare and as we are currently in debt our financial position will be much worse (if I didn't work, they'd be dire)... until September 2013 when childcare costs reduce as oldest starts nursery, and in September 2014 when she starts school. the picture improves in November 2014 when £400 mortgage is paid off and again in September 2015 when DD2 starts nursery. In January 2016 the car loan will have been paid off and then our financial picture starts to glow from September 2016 when youngest DD goes to school full time!

Tough times ahead; depressingly tough when I consider what the totals will be... BUT worth it in the end.

Cat.xx