Is it really that expensive?

Charlton_Taz

Cardew - agree with everything you say! Not that I am a complete youngster (in my mid 30s now!)...so I feel in many ways I've been lucky...was able to benefit from a university education (before fees) and buy a small house in 2000 (before prices went completely crazy).I feel sorry for how things have changed for people in their 20's.

And of course you are right about governments...I guess that the problem with democracies, we don't want to vote for doom and gloom do we!! I don't particularly want to vote for any of the parties at the moment due to their policies as I don't think any of them are being realistic about want we need to do as a country in the world we are currently in....maybe I should start the 'none of the above' party!

Trebor16

Charlton_Taz wrote: »

Who the heck is Polly Southend?? I live on this planet and I don't think its a widely unfair thing to say that we tend to vote for governments that promise lower taxes / better services / better benefit and pensions than those who would state the reality which is as a country we have overspent for years, we are still overspending and, to put it simply, we can't afford it! Government do things for the short-term i.e. spend money (and put off difficult decisions like decent pension reform etc) because they want to get voted in next time.

Is it only now that it has got so bad (the financial crisis was the massive wake-up call to the Western world where we all thought we had these great living standards etc - but the reality is a lot of this was all an illusion as we just borrowed to pay for it all) that the chickens have come home to roost and its the younger generation that are going to have to suffer.

And you think this is a new phenomena? Hardly. But when you say people have been stupid in who they vote for you don't do yourself any favours.

lstar337

sheffield_lad wrote: »

Sounds like you need to think about a career change or a bit of re education IE distance learning degree. It can make a huge difference to your living standards but requires a bit of graft and loss of watching TV with your feet up.

I know as I did it

What a disgustingly judgemental post. :mad::mad:

Where do you get off assuming that I sit around watching TV all day, or that I am uneducated?

I have worked at least a 45hour week (for 2 years a 63hour week) since I was 16, and did 8 years of day release at college to earn my Higher National Diploma in Electronic Engineering.

I decided to stop before doing a BEng as it is not available day release and I would have lost my job.

I am not a lazy person as you have branded me, I work damn hard to provide for my OH and our 4 year old.

Sadly, I am in a position where I love my job, even though it pays badly. Sometimes I think about leaving, but where I live there are not many (if any) jobs like it, and I would probably end up in a manual job that I hate everyday,and be in it just for the money.

An apology would be nice, but this being the internet where it is easy to hide, I doubt I will get one.

PollySouthend

Meow this has escalated. I see little point in talking with people that are going to put words in my mouth and name call.

Baby boomers are taking more out of the system than they put in, they had cheap houses, free education, a plentiful job market, massive consumers and so on. It is the young now that will end up paying for these lifestyles. These are facts, don't take it personally but try not to take it out on me for telling home truths.

Baby boomers: powerful and selfish
We've had the best of times. Now we're using our voting muscle to ensure our children inherit a far harsher world

'I am part of the most selfish generation in history and we should be ashamed of our legacy,' says Jeremy Paxman

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jul/05/baby-boomers-voting-muscle

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

PollySouthend wrote: »

Meow this has escalated. I see little point in talking with people that are going to put words in my mouth and name call.

Baby boomers are taking more out of the system than they put in, they had cheap houses, free education, a plentiful job market, massive consumers and so on. It is the young now that will end up paying for these lifestyles. These are facts, don't take it personally but try not to take it out on me for telling home truths.



http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jul/05/baby-boomers-voting-muscle

These are not facts. They are opinion and conjecture.

Even your grauniad link is from the commentisfree section!!

chirpchirp

I'm struggling to understand the issues that people have with baby boomers. Both my parents if they were both alive would be 77. I saw them scrimp and save through out the 1980s. We didn't have holidays, we didn't have the latest gadgets all so they could provide a decent home and pay into a pension. There were some that mocked my Dad saying the state would provide so why was he bothering and what was wrong with a council house.

My parents went without as did many baby boomers - many have built up income or equity in homes which if they get ill, which is quite likely with life expectancy rate increasing all the time, will be used to fund their care.

As for pensions, many have faced pension funds not being governed properly, think back to around 1991 when The Mirror employees lost out. They've also faced issues of misselling with interest only mortgages and not all were lucky enough to be compensated adequately for this. On top of this was the huge interest rates faced in the 80s and early 90s.

Rather than blame baby boomers blame should be levied at the Conservative government of the 80's which sold off council housing without replacing it. This led to a BTL culture which has fuelled housing prices.

Those who are whining now about the baby boomers would do well to ask whether they may actually inherit from a baby boomer and if not why not? Perhaps your family lived for the moment rather than planning for the future? Or perhaps it's gone on care home fees already? Each generation will have different trials to face regarding the economy, look at the 1930s and the serious depression and war.

givememoney

Having seen this today

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2480664/The-phoney-ordinary-folk-Labours-TV-broadcast-Millionaire-restaurateur-Guardian-journalist-interviewees-saying-afford-fuel-bills.html

is our PollySouthend the very same Jack Monroe? I see Jack lives in Southend.

If they are the same person it answers a lot.

I see Polly likes to quote the guardian.

sheffield_lad

lstar337 wrote: »

What a disgustingly judgemental post. :mad::mad:

Where do you get off assuming that I sit around watching TV all day, or that I am uneducated?

I have worked at least a 45hour week (for 2 years a 63hour week) since I was 16, and did 8 years of day release at college to earn my Higher National Diploma in Electronic Engineering.

I decided to stop before doing a BEng as it is not available day release and I would have lost my job.

I am not a lazy person as you have branded me, I work damn hard to provide for my OH and our 4 year old.

Sadly, I am in a position where I love my job, even though it pays badly. Sometimes I think about leaving, but where I live there are not many (if any) jobs like it, and I would probably end up in a manual job that I hate everyday,and be in it just for the money.

An apology would be nice, but this being the internet where it is easy to hide, I doubt I will get one.

Oh dear, you seem to assume that I have assumed things about you but this is not the case.

I was only trying to suggest there are ways of improving job prospects and life as many (not necessarily you), seem to think that if they are in a low paid job say at a checkout they have to remain there.

The purpose of the post was to suggest you can still study without it getting in the way of work but it may infringe on your free time (IE TV at night).

It can also be financed at a later stage via a career development loan which you pay back once your salary increases. As it said on my post I know as I did it.

I meet too many folk who are always cup half empty, nobody is going to make life easier for them they have to be the ones to kick start it but these also tend to be the folk who whinge that they are in low paid jobs.

Again this is not aimed at you.

lstar337

sheffield_lad wrote: »

Oh dear, you seem to assume that I have assumed things about you but this is not the case.

I was only trying to suggest there are ways of improving job prospects and life as many (not necessarily you), seem to think that if they are in a low paid job say at a checkout they have to remain there.

The purpose of the post was to suggest you can still study without it getting in the way of work but it may infringe on your free time (IE TV at night).

It can also be financed at a later stage via a career development loan which you pay back once your salary increases. As it said on my post I know as I did it.

I meet too many folk who are always cup half empty, nobody is going to make life easier for them they have to be the ones to kick start it but these also tend to be the folk who whinge that they are in low paid jobs.

Again this is not aimed at you.

Sorry, but even if I wanted a degree (I have seen so many of my friends get degrees that lead to no work, or to unrelated work, so I feel they are a waste of time/money), I work 9hours a day then I come home, help my OH finish cooking dinner, then help my daughter learn her school work, then read bedtime stories, then I prepare my lunch for the next day, then shower, then I spend about an hour talking with my OH about her day and relaxing with some TV, then I go to bed!

Not much time for learning any more. I remember my HND being pretty intense near the end, some of the maths would scare me now!

Either way, I wasn't really even complaining in my initial post, though I am aware that I do complain. I was really just replying to the poster who said that getting their house was a struggle , as if I just expected it to be handed to me. At the end of the day, I struggle just as much, and I will have nothing to show for it.

Hopefully one day I will have a better paid job, but I enjoy this one so much, that I don't want to leave it. I guess I am my own worst enemy in that respect.

givememoney

Where's Polly she has been eerily quiet since I suggested she may be Jack Monroe?

Come on Polly, is it you?