Renting in your 40's and staring into the abyss

ruggedtoast

CLAPTON wrote: »

one day, you will bitterly regret the lack of happy relations with your family.

I don't lack happy relations with my family. I bite my tongue and complain on the Internet.

Like you.

CLAPTON

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I don't lack happy relations with my family. I bite my tongue and complain on the Internet.

Like you.

remember it may be later than you think

so make it up with the older members of your family : they haven't really stolen your birth right

ruggedtoast

You may have no sympathy for Fiona, but her children deserve better.

From her blog.

It upsets me on another level. I feel my children are disadvantaged by the lack of care and attention paid to their placement in school. Why am I not allowed the same access to choice for education because of the fact I privately rent and that is likely to result in more frequent moves than a homeowner. I’d love it to be different but I have no control over that as I am simply unable to get a mortgage. I have to rent and I have to rent with the current set of rules and regulations which do not take full account of my needs in this tenure. Why are the decisions I did make about my children’s education and well-being on the explicit understanding that we were long-term tenants with a family, so easily smashed to pieces when the landlord changes his mind? His actions impacted dramatically on the lives of my children. Grades slipped; confidence fell; security was diminished. All of these factors could negatively influence their educational outcomes in the long run. Perhaps I should sue on their behalf for damages!

Mistermeaner

Instead of moaning she should do something about it. Like move and buy a house.

Sapphire

michaels wrote: »

I come in from further out, often get a seat on the way in for the 30 min journey, more than half the trains have AC. Then it is a 10 min tube ride, seldom crowded and most days I could get a seat if I wanted. Only about 1 in 4 of the tubes have AC but I could wait for one of those if it were to hot. I always get a train seat on the way home. Perhaps you just live in the wrong place?

No – I don't live in the 'wrong' place. Travel within London is unbearably crowded and hot – much worse now than it used to be due to overcrowding. There are simply too many people stuffed into London (same applies to hospital services and schools). In my last full-time job I had to travel to Edgware Road. I nearly always had to stand on the rail journey, which was absolutely stifling in hot weather (no AC), and the Tube to Edgware Road (no AC) was possibly the worst travel experience I've had in my life. Mostly due to the travel factor, I now work chiefly from home on a freelance basis, but still have to travel to central London sometimes in the rush hour. This serves as a good reminder of just how awful travelling within London really is.

You are lucky in having a pleasant journey that you seem to enjoy.:cool:

Generali

Sapphire wrote: »

No – I don't live in the 'wrong' place. Travel within London is unbearably crowded and hot – much worse now than it used to be due to overcrowding. There are simply too many people stuffed into London (same applies to hospital services and schools). In my last full-time job I had to travel to Edgware Road. I nearly always had to stand on the rail journey, which was absolutely stifling in hot weather (no AC), and the Tube to Edgware Road (no AC) was possibly the worst travel experience I've had in my life. Mostly due to the travel factor, I now work chiefly from home on a freelance basis, but still have to travel to central London sometimes in the rush hour. This serves as a good reminder of just how awful travelling within London really is.

You are lucky in having a pleasant journey that you seem to enjoy.:cool:

I used to get round the (c)rush hour problem by negotiating a very early start and finish. I was the first into the office, even at Goldman Sachs which takes some doing!

chucknorris

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I don't lack happy relations with my family. I bite my tongue and complain on the Internet.

Like you.

Clapton is still right, 'biting your tongue' doesn't exactly sound like mutual 'happy relations' to me, one day you will realise that although money is important, there are far more important things in life.

You genuinely wouldn't believe how much I would pay to buy my last dog's life back. My wife asked me the other day if I could have absolutely anything, what would it be, my answer was to have Mills (our last dog) back, even for just one day. This does not in anyway mean that I don't love Ozzie (our current dog).

lisyloo

There are ways round a terrible commute.
I've moved and also cycle which you refuse to even consider (not for hours but for the onward journey after you leave the railway).
Other people get up early and shift their hours, maybe 30 mins, maybe an hour.
If you really hate your situation you should change it - maybe get up earlier, learn to to ride a bike a few miles.
I have postural hypotension which means sometimes I pass out if I stand for too long. I get the bus instead of the tube. I almost always get a seat on buses at rush hour.
There are options available which you won't consider do don't expect sympathy. You certainly won't get it from people outside London who generally can't get buses and trains and have to spend a lot of private transport and can't park at work.

Everywhere is busy these days. My home is Wiltshire and sometimes people can't get a doctors appointment for 3 weeks. Their is a chronic lack of investment in infrastructure everywhere. My friends outside loaning are always moaning how much Money London gets for infrastructure. People outside London cannot often use public transport.

lisyloo

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Predictably, this forum just pours scorn on Fiona without considering any of her special challenges.

When you lot encounter an older renter you should think "There but for the grace of God go I". It is only a hair's breadth of chance that separates you from her.

Where are Fiona's special challenges described pleased? I haven't seen anything that describes her being disadvantaged except at her own hands.

I am grateful for having good health, but the rest I.e. deciding to buy a house a build a pension pot was down to me. If Fiona had other priorities the she is responsible for the consequences. Unfortunately her children are affected and from the little I've read she is not a good mother and has put her own priorities first before her children.

I am totally sympathetic to people who might be disadvantaged e.g. By ill health, but I haven't seen that in Fiona's case, only bad decisions from someone who took on the responsibility to be a parent.

I_have_spoken

Should have worked harder on keeping her marriage going.