How much to live on

Albermarle

Organgrinder said:

And you try and tell the young people of today that, and they won't believe you!

;-)

They are too busy eating out all the time, drinking cocktails and planning the next £1000 trip abroad/hen party/birthday party etc.
Oh and then complaining that they can't afford a mortgage /save for a deposit......

( Before anybody reacts it is just a tongue in cheek comment about the stereotype  )

Albermarle

Ordinary_Yet_Unique said:

However there are still millions of people of a certain age who are not affluent or comfortably retired.

Many people did not have easy access to pensions unless they were working in the public sector or the more  middle class professions. Auto enrolment was not available until comparatively recently when employers were finally forced to contribute to their employees pensions. Even today many of those employers try to contribute as little as possible.

Lots of older women have poor pension income because they did not have the necessary NI contributions and lower pensions than men as the result of unequal pay. 

Unfortunately since the early 1990s social mobility has gone backwards. Today many highly paid jobs and professions are once again dominated by the 5% of the privately educated. Higher education has become expensive for many. The waste of talent through lack of opportunity is horrendous.

It is shameful that for many young people today getting on the housing ladder ,for example, is extremely difficult unless they are given a step up through inheritances from wealthier 'Boomers'.

As per the comment in bold, I totally agree.
In my post I did say something similar, but in redrafting it a bit , it seems to have got lost. 

Ordinary_Yet_Unique

Albermarle said:

Organgrinder said:

And you try and tell the young people of today that, and they won't believe you!

;-)

They are too busy eating out all the time, drinking cocktails and planning the next £1000 trip abroad/hen party/birthday party etc.
Oh and then complaining that they can't afford a mortgage /save for a deposit......

( Before anybody reacts it is just a tongue in cheek comment about the stereotype  )

Yes, and some others use such phrases when condemning anyone receiving benefits or struggling to pay off debts brought about by curve balls life has thrown at them.
Perhaps some 'better off boomers' should visit the debt free wannabe and benefits sections of these forums to realise that many people of all ages are struggling to do their best against all the odds.

BrilliantButScary

This is what made a difference to many women and continues to do so. The ability of women to take control of their reproductive lives.
Both my partner and I are from large families and we are child free by choice. I didn't want the life that my Mum had.

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/business-39641856.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM=#amp_tf=From %1$s&aoh=17584758797011&csi=1&referrer=https://www.google.com&ampshare=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39641856

The young people that I have most empathy for are the ones that don't have the 'bank of Mum and Dad to fallback on'. Like them we didn't have driving lessons paid for us, or first cars bought, nor deposits on houses. It is difficult to be aspirational, if you have had limited exposure in your formative years, to lifestyles that are different to your own.

Ordinary_Yet_Unique

BrilliantButScary said:

This is what made a difference to many women and continues to do so. The ability of women to take control of their reproductive lives.
Both my partner and I are from large families and we are child free by choice. I didn't want the life that my Mum had.

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/business-39641856.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM=#amp_tf=From %1$s&aoh=17584758797011&csi=1&referrer=https://www.google.com&ampshare=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39641856

The young people that I have most empathy for are the ones that don't have the 'bank of Mum and Dad to fallback on'. Like them we didn't have driving lessons paid for us, or first cars bought, nor deposits on houses. It is difficult to be aspirational, if you have had limited exposure in your formative years, to lifestyles that are different to your own.

Totally agree with with what I have highlighted in bold.

helensbiggestfan

This boomer stopped visiting the debt free boards because she became somewhat disenchanted at the people who were going for the "final offer" schtick to reduce the amount they needed to pay back.  

When my husband got sick we ran up debts of £30k. No frivolous purchases, just surviving.  I paid back every penny.  I wouldn't have considered trying to weasel my way out of my commitments. . 

If you've spent someone else's money then you pay it back. At least if you have any integrity or sense of honour.  Anyone with a shred of decency or a conscience would pay back what they owed in full.  Because guess who loses in the end, not the banks.  They simply build in provision for loss in their charging structure.  It is other customers who lose out, having to pay inflated borrowing rates.  

uralmaid

Yes - she had help with her deposit but she has had part time jobs (sometimes more than one at the same time) since she was 14 years old and had managed to save a very substantial amount towards it herself. Anyway she acknowledges that she is lucky but will have to work hard to pay the mortgage.  With reference to my comment - you were casting doubt on what I said about having a modest upbringing.  Lets just agree to disagree. Your ideas of what is acceptable aren't the same as others necessarily.

Organgrinder

I bite my tongue a fair bit to be honest.

Especially about things where people are critical about what others post. 

I post things pertinent to the boards I post on. To the people who are like minded and appreciate anything I can add to help them. Sometimes I make mistakes. I did so recently on a flight delay discussion. I admitted it and we moved on.

What I'm not is a hypocrite. I don't pretend to know too much about debt. Hence I avoid the debt free section as I have nothing to add. I most certainly do not pry into other people's finances and then add nothing to help their situation. The forum is about sharing things that help each other where we can. 

I value the opinions of those who try to help me with my finances. I am as always grateful for their advice and of those who discuss things privately with me.

None of us are the Messiah....but some of us are probably very naughty boys. ;-)

uralmaid

   Well Said

Jimbobdibob

None of us are the Messiah....but some of us are probably very naughty boys. ;-)