Definition of being broke..... whinge

MouldyOldDough

What's the definition of being broke?

It is NOT "Not having sufficient funds to keep the up with the Jones's"

ie) Not being able to upgrade to the latest iPhone or Electric Vehicle

I heard a kid (aged about 10, complaining to his friend in a local shop, yesterday "My Dad has refused to buy a new iPhone because he's not got enough money, but I NEED a new one"

I get fed up with people who dont understand how money works and how necessary it is for survival

But, nobody actually "Starves to death" nowadays, unless there is another problem (ie health or mental)

In the 19th century, things were far worse - there was no welfare state at all to fall back on - the best that a destitute person could expect was the workhouse, where you had to work, for example breaking rocks or picking oakam to earn your bowl of gruel - you would have slept in a bed, possibly its last resident died the previous day under the same sack blanket...........

Consider yourselves lucky that there is a health service (which on the whole is pretty good and THERE FOR YOU in an emergency). And a welfare state that stops you from having to pick oakam

Zanderman

Ok, I'll rise to that, at least for now:

It's not the 19th century you should be comparing to, it's the latter half of the 20th - when, for example, the NHS really was there for you in an emergency (i.e ambulances didn't take 10 hours to arrive like many do these days) and when social security, whilst not perfect, was more reliable than now. And I suspect some people do still, in effect, starve to death, not least via malnutrition causing illness.

Grumbling about people's understanding of money is another matter entirely.

baser999

Ambulances take that long because the system is being clogged up and gradually taken down by people that simply don’t appreciate that an ambulance is for an emergency. It’s not a taxi because “the parkings difficult at A&E”, it’s not there for a child that’s got a cold, a runny nose or sore arm after their jab, people that ‘don’t feel well after a skinful’ . . . how much longer do we have here?

eskbanker

Threads like this don't make any meaningful contribution to the subject of budgeting and bank accounts, so would be better posted where vents are more acceptable:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/praise-vent-warnings

[Deleted User]

Is a 10 year old really going to understand financial decisions? Surely the fault is with the parents for not setting boundaries and expectations? A kid whinging about not having the latest phone isn't the same as the millions of people choosing between heating and eating. Or the millions of retirees who are paper rich, with a home bought for 50p 50 years ago that is worth £1m but only have a weekly state pension to live on?

Mnoee

The 19th century was luxury! Back in the stone age my ancestors were fighting off predators with their bare hands, before walking miles, uphill both ways, to forage for food. They were lucky to have the pelts of the animals they killed for warmth, they'd have dreamed of having a sack blanket! 

eskbanker

Mnoee said:

The 19th century was luxury! Back in the stone age my ancestors were fighting off predators with their bare hands, before walking miles, uphill both ways, to forage for food. They were lucky to have the pelts of the animals they killed for warmth, they'd have dreamed of having a sack blanket! 

Was that hot or cold gravel?

Pollycat

baser999 said:

Ambulances take that long because the system is being clogged up and gradually taken down by people that simply don’t appreciate that an ambulance is for an emergency. It’s not a taxi because “the parkings difficult at A&E”, it’s not there for a child that’s got a cold, a runny nose or sore arm after their jab, people that ‘don’t feel well after a skinful’ . . . how much longer do we have here?

And because A&E is clogged up with people who don't have an emergency or have had an accident because GPs don't seem to want to see people.
A friend of mine got an ear bud stuck in his ear.
GP surgery wouldn't deal with him and told him to go to A&E.
Not an accident.
Not an emergency

Pollycat

Deleted_User said:

Is a 10 year old really going to understand financial decisions? Surely the fault is with the parents for not setting boundaries and expectations? A kid whinging about not having the latest phone isn't the same as the millions of people choosing between heating and eating. Or the millions of retirees who are paper rich, with a home bought for 50p 50 years ago that is worth £1m but only have a weekly state pension to live on?

The fault is definitely with the parents

They need to educate their offspring to understand the difference between 'need' and 'want'.
. When these children grow up, they'll expect everything given to them on a plate.

elsien

Kids have been whingeing that their friends have got things that they haven’t as long as kids have existed. The fact they’re now whingeing about more expensive toys because they’re more available isn’t particularly relevant
It’s just that children of their age don’t  understand just how much they do  cost Comparison to other things. 

Back in Victorian times it was probably the kids complaining that they’ve  only got a ragdoll and next door have got a proper china  headed one and “it snot fair”. 
Such is life. 

sheramber

My 10 year old grandson wants the latestI I phone.

He ain't getting one but it doesn't stop him wanting one.