7 million people face money woes(7 working million)

FTBFun

Here's the original Guardian story (I'm not a big fan of Yahoo news):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/18/working-britons-one-push-from-penury?newsfeed=true

It'd be nice if we could actually see the research so we could make up our own minds without journalistic spin but I suspect that's wishful thinking.

Mr._Pricklepants

moneyinmypocket wrote: »

Yet people still have sky tv, iPhones, beer money

Got a colleague who is moaning about not being able to get on the housing ladder, but yet she spends £60 a month on some iPhone contract ("but I get the latest model whenever they release one!"), groceries delivered by Tesco van ("can't be bothered to go food shopping!") and whenever the car valet is around at work, she's first in line for a £40 wash, wax and interior clean ("they do it so much better than I can!")

Unbelievable.

suburbanwifey

torbrex wrote: »

It is about time that people learned to adapt their lifestyle to their income rather than winge about how their income is not enough to support their lifestyle.
Smoking, drinking, holidays, X-box's etc are not essentials, they are luxuries that should only be indulged in if there is enough money left after real essentials.
I get fed up hearing about how poor a friend of mine claims to be but that does not stop her having the best smart phone, laptop, mp3 player and top of the range Kindle.

Maybe if the national minimum wage was risen to a liveable level, these basic things that are life in this decade would no longer be such a drain on society. I happen to think if you work full-time you should be able to afford a few luxuries as you call them. What else is the benefit of working your socks off if not to have some small luxuries in life? you think we should all work ourselves to the ground just to afford food, ridiculous tax deductions and National insurance contributions? sky high petrol prices (most of that goes to the Govt.) and all the other stealth taxes? So in your world view, we should all just make do with paying out most of our wages to the Govt. and power companies and most should do without those things you consider luxuries and I consider necessities of modern living?I personally wouldn't bother with working if all I had to show for it was paying out to the Govt. and a basic living with no treats.

suburbanwifey

Mr._Pricklepants wrote: »

Got a colleague who is moaning about not being able to get on the housing ladder, but yet she spends £60 a month on some iPhone contract ("but I get the latest model whenever they release one!"), groceries delivered by Tesco van ("can't be bothered to go food shopping!") and whenever the car valet is around at work, she's first in line for a £40 wash, wax and interior clean ("they do it so much better than I can!")

Unbelievable.

The money she pays for that iPhone is less than the Govt. take off her no? you feel she should just work to support the unemployed and the Govt.? Maybe she doesn't have time to go to Tesco as she spends so many hours working!

RenovationMan

Does anyone know what the sample base was for this? I don't know how experion get their data but I do know that the likes of Shelter get a small sample (from people who are paid less than minimal wage to do surveys on the internet) and then extrapolate it up to cover the entire country.

paulmapp8306

vivatifosi wrote: »

People who are profligate spenders clearly need to rein in their spending, I don't argue with that, but they aren't the only people affected.

Where I work I have taken an 8% pay cut. This doesn't affect me too much as I have other sources of income as I also run my own business. However for those who are there and many are on low wages (typically c£15-16k full time) that's a huge fall. It's tough when you can barely afford to run your car but you need it to get to work. So if it suddenly fails its MOT they will struggle to find hundreds of pounds to put things right. This scenario is being played out across the country.

You dont need a car to get to work.

You can (depending on distance/location):

Walk
Use public Transport
Ride a push bike
Get a small scooter

All are cheaper (possible exception public transport depending where) and just as viable as a car. Thats part of the issue - excpectation.

I agreee that the biggest rise has been on essentials - food/utilities etc, and I struggle along with most BUT I also think people thee days really dont know what essential is.

Im 99% sure, that if you spend your income on food (cook from scratch, no take outs or fast food or ready meals etc) while cutting back on "xtras", utilities (not including running multiple TVs, big screen TVs, PVRs, games consoles, mobile charges, laptops etc etc etc) and clothes (essemtial items - cheaply not branded). Cut out drinking, smoking, hobbies etc - even those on minimum wages would cope.

There are exceptions of course and its not easy - but life isnt. The last 30 years or so have seen an expanential rise in what peopl expect from life.

FTBFun

RenovationMan wrote: »

Does anyone know what the sample base was for this? I don't know how experion get their data but I do know that the likes of shelter get a small sample (from people who are paid less than minimal wage to do surveys on the internet) and then extrapolate it up to cover the entire country.

I have no idea - they haven't listed it on the article.

I take a lot of things the Guardian says with a pinch of salt lately.

paulmapp8306

suburbanwifey wrote: »

I happen to think if you work full-time you should be able to afford a few luxuries as you call them. What else is the benefit of working your socks off if not to have some small luxuries in life? .

Err - to survive. That is what there is to life. We are the only animals on thios planet that have luxuries. OK thats going a little far BUT you work to support you and your NEEDS. There is no right to luxuries just because you work full time. If you DO have money left after essentials fine - spend it on what you like BUT expecting some of lifes luxuries just because you work 37.5 hours a week - give me a break.

suburbanwifey

paulmapp8306 wrote: »

You dont need a car to get to work.

You can (depending on distance/location):

Walk
Use public Transport
Ride a push bike
Get a small scooter

All are cheaper (possible exception public transport depending where) and just as viable as a car. Thats part of the issue - excpectation.

I agreee that the biggest rise has been on essentials - food/utilities etc, and I struggle along with most BUT I also think people thee days really dont know what essential is.

Im 99% sure, that if you spend your income on food (cook from scratch, no take outs or fast food or ready meals etc) while cutting back on "xtras", utilities (not including running multiple TVs, big screen TVs, PVRs, games consoles, mobile charges, laptops etc etc etc) and clothes (essemtial items - cheaply not branded). Cut out drinking, smoking, hobbies etc - even those on minimum wages would cope.

There are exceptions of course and its not easy - but life isnt. The last 30 years or so have seen an expanential rise in what peopl expect from life.

Yep, sounds good! Cut out everything that makes life fun and then everyone could cope. Seriously? you think the population as a whole would cope just living hand to mouth to pay only basic necessities? no treats, no hobbies, sounds great fun! Get a situation like that and that's when riots start, as people do expect a little at least of what they earn to be able to be spent on making their lives fun. I don't smoke but it someone wants to, its a necessity to them, life is not all about work.

paulmapp8306

Your completely missing the poing.

Life is susstaining your needs - that it. Thats all there is. The reason you'd get riots is because people have com eot EXPECT thes things - which are luxuries.

Get real - life is dreery. you work to susstain life NOT to life it to the full. Before the welfare state - if you didnt work to feed yoursself you died. Simple. Thats basic life.

I agree its not nice, and not what people WANT, but that doesnt mean its not what they NEED. Your attitude basically sums up whatw wrong with this country and its attitudes in general.

FW, Im currently not working and get no benefits bar Child Tax credits. im on less than min wage and I manage. Me and the wife havent been out of the house except when we worked, shop and take kids to school. We took the kids TVs/Games consoles away when I left work. My hobbies and the wifes (guitars for me - fish for her) are in storage as we cant afford thepower to run them.

Despite this I dont have a sense of Entitlement - and if/when I get a job Ill be glad. If I still dont get LUXURIES (yes they are - they are NOT essensials of modern living) then fine. Me the wife and the kids will survive.