Easier to be OS in the olden days?

kboss2010

lessonlearned wrote: »

Don't worry we had greedy corrupt politicians in the 60's :rotfl:

I don't know if anyone has been watching it but there has been an excellent documentary series on the 60's - not sure which channel. BBC 4 maybe. It's often repeated a couple of times each week, so lots of chances to watch it.

It covers everything, the way we lived, music, fashions, politics, Vietnam, civil rights, women's and gay rights, the green movement.

As Hartley said in his book "the Go between". - "The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there".

It was a different world....;)

Yep, they're all getting caught and sent to prison lately for the corruption of the 60's and 70's. I definitely don't regret missing out on the sexism, racism and homophobia of that era. Where was Gene Hunt when you needed him, eh?

lessonlearned

Gene Hunt rotfl::rotfl:

Your point about consumer culture being born in the 60's.

Nah it goes back much further than that. Conspicuous consumption, keeping up with the Jones etc goes back into the mists of time.

It's the driver of progress and invention. Without it we'd still be living in caves.

Gigervamp

lessonlearned wrote: »

I don't know if anyone has been watching it but there has been an excellent documentary series on the 60's - not sure which channel. BBC 4 maybe. It's often repeated a couple of times each week, so lots of chances to watch it.

It covers everything, the way we lived, music, fashions, politics, Vietnam, civil rights, women's and gay rights, the green movement.

Is it Britain on Film? We love watching those, they're really interesting.

lessonlearned

Not sure, I'll see if I can find it and I'll post details.

moments_of_sanity

I was born in 1972 and finished my GCSE's early 1988 (we were the first year to be changed over to GCSE's) and even then it was expected you went out to work and not higher education. I got a job at a plumbing company, in the office, and my salary was £250 per month, £125 of which went to my parents for 'keep'. I bought my first house in 1991 for £41,000 as the housing market was on the way down then but this was 3.5x mine and my ex's salary (that was difficult to get), by this time I was working for a bank so it made it a little easier. My ex was a self employed crash repairer and used to travel to and from Ruislip every day, 6 days a week and earnt very little too.

We lived in that house for 10 years due to prices falling very low, it made it impossible for us to sell due to negative equity but eventually we did manage to move to the house I am living in now. I remember it being incredibly hard work trying to find cash to pay for car service/mot/tax, all household bills and when my children were born I could only take the minimum of 12 weeks maternity leave as we couldn't afford for me to not work (the maternity laws weren't what they are now).

Now.....We still have to be careful with our money as due to ill health I can no longer work so just DH's salary coming, he s made redundant from a purchasing job in the NHS which he had held for 10 years and I do understand what you mean about 'lack of experience', even after working for them for 10 years it was impossible for him To find another job in the same field (different qualifications needed etc as well) so he decided to change what he wanted to do. He wanted to drive for a living, again no experience so very difficult to get a permanent job but he stuck at it and signed on with an agency........he was made redundant in 2011 and has only now been offered a permanent job. Things take time, nothing is going to change overnight and maybe you need to look at finding 'other' ways into the employement field you want?

My eldest DD has just started Uni and is doing a 5 year degree to become a Vet. Before taking this course, she look at employment statistics, universities, how much debt she would get and finally settled on the Royal Veterinary College in London as this is the only Uni which allows you to work abroad without doing another degree in her chosen country (should she decide to travel), her debt will be approximately £100k by the time she finishes but the world will be her oyster and she absolutely loves the degree she is taking. Youngest DD is so painfully shy it almost brings me to tears to see and she can't face the idea of going to Uni so we are currently in discussion with her as to what she wants to do. Yes, it will be difficult for her to find employement, I doubt she will ever earn anywhere close to her Sister but she will find something that she wants to do and that makes her happy, no matter how much she earns.

[Deleted User]

Kboss whilst I feel for you in your dilemma I feel that the original posters question has been forgotten in the last few pages of chat and I think that it would be polite to bring the thread back on line to the original purpose so I wish you well in your life but feel that you need to perhaps start another thread dedicated to your own quest and questions as we need to continue the discussion here regarding Old Style matters.

I don't think we had choice but to live old style in decades past, I've watched the world change and become a very much more complex place and realise that although on the face of things we have more choices we still, many of us, don't in reality have that much choice because of our circumstances in life. The illusion of choice belongs to those who can afford to make those choices the reality of life for most of us is that we choose to live within our means and that reduces our actual choices dramatically. To live like we used to in the 1950s is being forced on many families these days as the prices of energy, food , clothing, footwear, transport and housing have spiralled out of reach for so many of us. It is do-able but when the illusion is that of gaiety and sparkle and plenty for everyone but us it's easy to feel resentment. I actually enjoy making my means stretch as far as I can with the skills and knowledge I've gained over the years and feel great satisfaction on each day we choose not to use the central heating or manage to put something completely home produced on the table for supper. I don't need the glitz, I don't envy those who have all, I respect those of us who live a good and productive life on what we have and make up to our means what we find in life!

kboss2010

Yup, it's the kids doing undergrads now I feel most sorry for. So much debt and so little opportunity!

I do regret doing the subject I enjoyed over something vocational though. It's fine people saying study what you love but when you can't get employment using your degree it's a bit of a waste of time and money.

I hope your daughters find jobs that makes them happy


MrsL, you're right about living costs spiralling. It's obvious to see that, where once people turned their noses up at places like Lidl and Aldi, they've become the new popular places. I remember so many refusing to shop in those supermarkets in the 90's.

Same for energy although falling oil prices should help a little bit. The only concern is if Russia decides to turn off the gas taps.

It's sad to see profits being protected over people with wage freezes everywhere. I don't see it returning to normal anytime soon.

moments_of_sanity

kboss2010 wrote: »

Yup, it's the kids doing undergrads now I feel most sorry for. So much debt and so little opportunity!

I do regret doing the subject I enjoyed over something vocational though. It's fine people saying study what you love but when you can't get employment using your degree it's a bit of a waste of time and money.

I hope your daughters find jobs that makes them happy


MrsL, you're right about living costs spiralling. It's obvious to see that, where once people turned their noses up at places like Lidl and Aldi, they've become the new popular places. I remember so many refusing to shop in those supermarkets in the 90's.

Same for energy although falling oil prices should help a little bit. The only concern is if Russia decides to turn off the gas taps.

It's sad to see profits being protected over people with wage freezes everywhere. I don't see it returning to normal anytime soon.

The worrying thing for me is that the students of today don't worry at all about the debt, it's just seen as the norm. Owing £100k on student loans would devastate me but they work it out on how much time they have to pay it back and at what percentage, for example my eldest DD will have to earn £50k from the get go to pay the debt back over the 30 yr period. Her starting salary is going to be approximately £25k so she knows she won't have to pay it all back before it is written off by the Government, the system makes no sense, why make them pay for an education knowing the vast majority won't ever be paying it back!

lessonlearned

Another great post there Mrs L which sums everything up so beautifully.

It's the glitz and sparkle that can dazzle us and lead us astray, especially when we are Young. The world of media, advertising, etc fuels the want/need for ever higher consumption. I stopped reading glossy mags a long time ago. Same old stuff month after month, buy this or that and you will have a perfect life......;)

Like you I actually relish the challenge of making those pennies stretch. I am a creative and skilled with my hands. I look at something I fancy and immediately think can I make this or adapt something I already own.

I actually spend little . I live simply but well. I don't care to be cold because it affects my joints. My late husband swore I had some lizard dna because I can't get moving if I'm not warm.

I've been doing some serious decluttering lately. It feels great to free up space and embrace a simple minimalist lifestyle. It has made me realise that I have probably spent a small fortune on "stuff" in the past...

When I look at the amount of toys, gadgets, gizmos, clothes etc that the average person buys these days it truly astonishes me. No one really needs to buy all this. The amount of money people spend on children is particularly disturbing.

lessonlearned

The point about profits is that it isn't simple. A business that doesn't make profits doesn't stay in business, it goes bust. So then even more people are thrown out of work. So it's either a wage freeze or nothing.

Yes I understand the argument about fat cats but realistically they are only found in the huge corporations, many of which are in public ownership anyway.

The backbone of Britain Plc is made up of small companies employing less than 25 people. They are the ones who really have to keep tight margins if they are to survive. It's the same principle as managing a household budget. It's all about cash flow. If we pay ourselves too much we go bust.