Retired people could work for pensions..

GeorgeHowell

PaulF81 wrote: »

Bit like the majority of your posts then me old mukka.

Na, na, na, na, na .............

ash28

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Was it better to be a middle income person in the 70s or a low income person now?

As far as stuff goes definitely better to be poor now - in 1970, fewer than one in three houses had central heating, just a third of people had a telephone and 65% of people had a washing machine. now it's something like, central heating in 96% of households, 87% of people owning a phone and almost all (96%) had a washing machine.

That wasn't because they were in short supply - people just couldn't afford them. Most towns had a launderette and they were well used.

Basic stuff like food was far more expensive than it is today with around 30% of the average income spent on food.

Clothing was more expensive - people generally bought only what they needed. There was no George or Fred & Florence or Primark etc.

People have far more disposable income income than they did then - even the poor ones.

There is absolutely no comparison in peoples' standard of living.

ruggedtoast

CLAPTON wrote: »

struggling to understand what you are saying.

all people have access to affordable education
housing is a problem now but it was even worse in the 70s
whilst at this particular time just after a recession, things may be a little bad, but lets remind ourselve that unemployment is lower now that in the 80s and the standard of living much higher for all the people.

basically it is must must better now than the 70s for virtually everyone.

It is if you're a boomer.

CLAPTON

ruggedtoast wrote: »

It is if you're a boomer.

and as I actually said

and the standard of living much higher for all the people.

but you don't actually believe that vast majority of people were better off in the 70s than the equivalent are today do you?

vivatifosi

GeorgeHowell wrote: »

Na, na, na, na, na .............

This clearly means different things to different people.

For my part, I now can't get Kylie Minogue out of my head.

GeorgeHowell

vivatifosi wrote: »

This clearly means different things to different people.

For my part, I now can't get Kylie Minogue out of my head.

Well I'm pleased to have provided that service. I won't be able to get her out of mine now either ....

PaulF81

I can't get her out of my bed.

GeorgeHowell

PaulF81 wrote: »

I can't get her out of my bed.

You should be so lucky ...

BobQ

ruggedtoast wrote: »

It is if you're a boomer.

Everyone is better off and to say its just boomers is plain wrong. In material terms we nearly all have things that were by no means common for lower earners in 1970 (CH, telephones, tumble dryers, hifi systems etc).

What has changed most in my view is opportunity. In 1970 unless you had parents who could subsidise your education costs you had little opportunity. A university education was not available unless you were lucky enough to be among the top 5% or so of educational ability and even then it relied on your parent's willingness to maintain you. Fall just outside this bracket tough, even if you were deserving your place might still go to someone from a better school/family who were able to guide your preparations. Today anyone who is a little above average can go to university. (I think many who choose to do so are misguided but they do have the opportunity.)

What has changed for the worse is that a lot more people now want things instantly. Many younger people have become accustomed to getting a car as soon as they reach 18, many want their own home and regard staying with their parents as demeaning, when they do they do not want second hand things only pristine new things will do, and they want lots of new clothes, gadgets, etc. If they can buy a house they want to live in a nice area, they are not content to do up a run down house its all got to be new. Of course not all young people have such an attitude, some are far more pragmatic and shown more patience of the kind many boomers showed through their lives. But this is not true of all boomers, the 1980s and 1990s saw some of them impatient to get the very best which is why some run up unmanageable debts, accepting that others did this for more understandable reasons like unemployment.

ukcarper

BobQ wrote: »

Everyone is better off and to say its just boomers is plain wrong. In material terms we nearly all have things that were by no means common for lower earners in 1970 (CH, telephones, tumble dryers, hifi systems etc).

What has changed most in my view is opportunity. In 1970 unless you had parents who could subsidise your education costs you had little opportunity. A university education was not available unless you were lucky enough to be among the top 5% or so of educational ability and even then it relied on your parent's willingness to maintain you. Fall just outside this bracket tough, even if you were deserving your place might still go to someone from a better school/family who were able to guide your preparations. Today anyone who is a little above average can go to university. (I think many who choose to do so are misguided but they do have the opportunity.)

What has changed for the worse is that a lot more people now want things instantly. Many younger people have become accustomed to getting a car as soon as they reach 18, many want their own home and regard staying with their parents as demeaning, when they do they do not want second hand things only pristine new things will do, and they want lots of new clothes, gadgets, etc. If they can buy a house they want to live in a nice area, they are not content to do up a run down house its all got to be new. Of course not all young people have such an attitude, some are far more pragmatic and shown more patience of the kind many boomers showed through their lives. But this is not true of all boomers, the 1980s and 1990s saw some of them impatient to get the very best which is why some run up unmanageable debts, accepting that others did this for more understandable reasons like unemployment.

I think one thing that was better in the 60s and 70s was that good jobs with training and prospects were available to people who did not have a degree. I'm not sure current apprenticeships are as good as those on offer in the 60s and 70s.