£1m house but “on the breadline”.

lostinrates

LydiaJ wrote: »

I agree. To me they seem cold and hard and unwelcoming. But I'm with lostinrates in accepting that many people like them.

It's strange: I'm quite happy living in a 1960s house, and have no particular desire for a "character" house, but I do like "character" furnishing and fittings and am generally not interested in "new build" kitchens and furniture.



Did you mean "wouldn't"???

Yes, that one......:D

Nikkster

LydiaJ wrote: »

The Mail's circulation figures suggest that it knows very well what appeals to its readership. People all over the country are rather enjoying thinking or saying criticisms of this woman rather like the ones on this thread. Some of them are paying for the privilege by buying the paper; others are clicking on the web page and generating advertising revenue for the Mail. In order to provide fodder for this kind of entertainment, she has been paid by the Mail to allow herself to be held up to ridicule. She needs the money and will never meet most of the people who are currently despising her, and they'll have forgotten her in a week or two, so I hope she thinks it's worth it.

My priorities are different. I wouldn't spend money on many of the things she has spent hers on, but I'd have to be literally starving in a gutter before I'd consent to be the subject of an article like that.

Exactly. There is an article along these lines once every couple of weeks on the DM website. For example, google 'Shona Sibary' and see the DM articles that come up (other search engines are available).

wymondham

I do have sympathy for people in this position, as its one an increasing number of 'normal' homeowners will find themselves in if prices continue to rise. Your house goes up in price regardless of your income, so its quite likely you could be in an expensive house and be skint....

Generali

wymondham wrote: »

I do have sympathy for people in this position, as its one an increasing number of 'normal' homeowners will find themselves in if prices continue to rise. Your house goes up in price regardless of your income, so its quite likely you could be in an expensive house and be skint....

It'd be even more of a problem if there was a wealth tax as in France. You buy a grotty place in Brixton and 30 years later the area becomes edgy and trendy and you have to sell up because you can't afford the taxes.

michaels

4.5k for bifold doors is a bit of a bargain tbh although it depends how wide they are - ours have 5 sections and were more than that.

kinger101

Typical click-bait story. The Mail and Guardian love these. If she's on the bread line, why doesn't she bake her own in one of her four ovens.

CKhalvashi

Generali wrote: »

It'd be even more of a problem if there was a wealth tax as in France. You buy a grotty place in Brixton and 30 years later the area becomes edgy and trendy and you have to sell up because you can't afford the taxes.

In Georgia, the property tax is 1% of the purchase price of the property, which is many cases is 1 lari per year (minimum), as properties haven't been sold since 1990.

Our Georgian property was passed through inheritance, so the minimum still remains.

I agree with wealth tax, but only under circumstances like this, rather than estimate of the new property value.

moneyistooshorttomention

Mixed feelings here.

Her house does look pretty luxurious to me and having 4 children (rather than 2) is definitely a luxury thing to do.

Every single time I read that someone has 4 children (possibly 3 - but quite definitely if its 4) I instantly can tell what sort of lifestyle they have/expect, because poorer people that want children usually have 1 or 2 (or absolute loads). So much so that I've begun to think having 4 children exactly is done as a Status Symbol look (ie look at me = I'm upper middle class or just plain rich).

The point where I do have sympathy is "Why cant I have what my parents have?" and I certainly sympathise with that (if for very different reasons, as the main reason I've had a lot worse housing than my parents had is because of being single). If I'd been married all along, then I would have climbed the housing ladder (just as anticipated) and long ago been sitting in the detached house/with garden/in decent area - and it would have been in my home area (rather than the other side of Britain).

So....that was THE big point where I was actually sympathising personally (ie the "Why cant I have as much as my own parents had?"). Whatever your own parents had/have is "the norm" in your own mind (even if it's more than some others have as their "norm").

So...yes....her lifestyle is a good bit more luxurious than I or my parents have/had on the one hand, but I can sympathise with her to some extent.

.....and...yep....there are people starving in some parts of the World and I know this is, accordingly, a First World Problem.

Well....I did say I have mixed feelings...:rotfl:

Prudent

I agree with Generali that reducing your lifestyle can feel a wrench. I didn't feel the wrench for myself, but for my child. I grew up in a nice house, I had private education and ponies. I married a gambler (although I didn't know that at the time) and my daughter's early years were spent in cheap housing in dubious neighbourhoods. When the marriage split I bought a house in very poor condition, but in a better area. To do it up, I spent years shopping in charity shops and living on yellow sticker food. My daughter by then early teens still felt a better neighbourhood was a good decision.

Then I discovered MSE and began to live well on little. Even better I truly enjoyed the challenge and it has no left me a relatively good position. Last year I tried to change my frugal ways a little as I recognised they were not needed to the same degree. The habit was too ingrained by then and I did miss that challenge. I am now back to frugal.

I have only one sense of loss. I miss having a horse or pony. I find them hugely therapeutic and nothing else has replaced that relationship for me. I compensate by that by routing my walks around places there are horses and maybe one day it will be possible. However I feel no sense of deprivation. I am one of the privileged who has been able to enjoy ponies at some stage of my life.

lisyloo

I miss having a horse or pony.

I am sure there are plenty of people who would be prepared to "share" their pony in return of course for some of the mucking out type of jobs.
There was a piece on TV a few nights ago about the sharing economy where people share dogs, accomodation etc.