Can't afford a pension

PeacefulWaters

No brainer.

Eat economy rice and rejoin at the earliest opportunity.

Review phone contracts, TV packages, mortgage deals, leisure spend. Get your hair cut less often. Trade down the car. Shop at Aldi.

GunJack

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Shop at Aldi.

Lidl is better

Spidernick

GunJack wrote: »

Lidl is better

Nah - Aldi has a much better beer selection!

System

sandsy wrote: »

Irrelevant and judgemental.

All the posts here are judgemental. That's the point of advice - it suggests other choices, options, lifestyles, aims and invites the enquirer to consider these seriously.

bigfreddiel

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

No brainer.

Eat economy rice and rejoin at the earliest opportunity.

Review phone contracts, TV packages, mortgage deals, leisure spend. Get your hair cut less often. Trade down the car. Shop at Aldi.

I said all the above right at the start of this thread, but it's such good advice it's worth repeating fj

HappyMJ

Of course the posts are judgemental. My advice is to spend every penny you possibly can on your children whilst you can and spend as much time as you can with them. I would spend time and money taking them away on holidays and day trips teaching them about the world they live in and expanding their knowledge. Of course you could save everything you can into a pension and live on value rice and hope the school they attend does that for you whilst you're hard at work saving for your pension. If that means not working when they're at home and you get into debt doing it then that's my opinion. That's what I would do. When they reach an age that they can leave home, working and supporting themselves you can start thinking about yourself and save for a pension then. For the moment...forget it. Although I do think the pension in question in this thread is well worth considering but if you can't afford do contribute then don't worry about it.

edinburgher

HappyMJ wrote: »

Of course the posts are judgemental. My advice is to spend every penny you possibly can on your children whilst you can and spend as much time as you can with them. I would spend time and money taking them away on holidays and day trips teaching them about the world they live in and expanding their knowledge. Of course you could save everything you can into a pension and live on value rice and hope the school they attend does that for you whilst you're hard at work saving for your pension. If that means not working when they're at home and you get into debt doing it then that's my opinion. That's what I would do. When they reach an age that they can leave home, working and supporting themselves you can start thinking about yourself and save for a pension then. For the moment...forget it. Although I do think the pension in question in this thread is well worth considering but if you can't afford do contribute then don't worry about it.

May I ask if you have children? Because I consider securing the future prosperity of my wife and I as being just as important as lavishing our child with trips, travel and 'learning experiences'.

I actually have relatives practicing what you preach and unfortunately they face a financial 'crisis' every few months because of this shortsighted attitude

If there's always another crisis, there's always another excuse and personally I'd be ashamed to expect my children to end up tidying up my mess in 50 years time.

There's a middle ground.

AnotherJoe

HappyMJ wrote: »

My advice is to spend every penny you possibly can on your children whilst you can and spend as much time as you can with them. I would spend time and money taking them away on holidays and day trips teaching them about the world they live in and expanding their knowledge.

Of course you could save everything you can into a pension and live on value rice and hope the school they attend does that for you whilst you're hard at work saving for your pension. If that means not working when they're at home and you get into debt doing it then that's my opinion. That's what I would do. When they reach an age that they can leave home, working and supporting themselves you can start thinking about yourself and save for a pension then.

It will be way too late then and the OP will be scr*w*d. Indeed I'm not even sure if that post wasn't very tongue-in-cheek ?

What year did it happen that kids became the be all and end all and parents weren't allowed to do things for themselves, such as save for their future and old age? The above sounds more like a recipe for creating entitled selfish kids than well rounded individuals. Why is it necessary to take them on expensive holidays (at the cost of your long term future in old age no less) ?

"When they reach an age that they can leave home, working and supporting themselves" the most likely option is they will disappear into the distance leaving the OP to a life of penury, having been taught that spending like its going out of fashion and not saving for the future is the way to go. They will probably suggest parents downsize their home so they can afford to buy a nice one themselves since parents have had a lifetime of sacrificing themselves. Like I say I'm still not sure it wasn't all deeply ironic.

System

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Like I say I'm still not sure it wasn't all deeply ironic.

Yes, I think this sentence is the give-away;
"Of course you could save everything you can into a pension and live on value rice and hope the school they attend does that for you whilst you're hard at work saving for your pension."

For more irony how about:
"Have as many children as possible and encourage them to get well-paid jobs so that they can support you in old age"

RickyB2000

justme111 wrote: »

Eh? Op started talking about it so she obviously considered it relevant. I supported her decision in not to go full time and reassured it would be right one in my opinion anyway , it is the opposite of judgemental.

I think they mean that you are being judgemental of those who choose to go back to work for £12000 a year extra. It didn't really come across like that but maybe they themselves made this choice and felt like you were having an indirect go.