Backlash?

andromache_2

lilac_lady wrote: »

I hope many more youngsters join MSE because it's a great motivational tool to help avoid keeping up with the herd. Debt does not bring happiness to a person's life.

:T I really agree with this. I'm at uni now and the only debt I have is SLC debt (a fair bit of that though what with tuition fees etc!). This site has been AMAZING for me in the way it's affected my attitude to money. I see so many people frittering away their student loan then running to the bank of mum and dad for more halfway through term, which I'm horrified at. I also think it's helped me get some perspective on things, as well - you don't need all these expensive consumer goods. Lots of people I know are preparing to go to the City and earn megabucks but I feel more able to reject that and choose a job which will actually offer some kind of work-life balance and ultimately more happiness.

ZTD

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Different circumstances, I think. There was still rationing, a lot more houses and general infrastructure had been destroyed than in the 1st World War, and there was a focus on building the "New Jerusalem", AKA the Welfare State.

It happened in the 60s instead, "You've never had it so good".

So people spend to forget - but wait a couple of decades to do so?

bathgatebuyer

andromache wrote: »

Lots of people I know are preparing to go to the City and earn megabucks but I feel more able to reject that and choose a job which will actually offer some kind of work-life balance and ultimately more happiness.

A good choice. I passed over thoughts of doing the career I wanted to do to chase money. So, I've had a job I've not enjoyed (until recently it has to be said) and redundancy and temperamental job conditions leading to debts with long spells out of work. I have lots of regrets about my career decision, but I enjoy having my own home and independence too much to go back to Uni and restart my life again. Ironically, had I followed the career I originally wanted, I'd probably be earning more money by now!

rog2

ZTD wrote: »

So people spend to forget - but wait a couple of decades to do so?

Yes they do, Zed. Most peoples memories are 'selective' - the bad times are archived in the 'deleted items' part of memory.
After the war, there was not the manufacturing capacity, or the demand, for 'unnecessary' luxuries, as most of the surviving Industrial Capacity was directed at rebuilding both Country and Economy. As things improved, and people found that they started to have 'discretionary' disposable income, then markets for luxury/leisure items were created, using the Industrial capacity that was being freed from the 're-building' program.
People found that, not only could they 'afford' things like motor cars and televisions, but that, after two decades of virtual austerity, they actually enjoyed owning them and could, finally, put the past behind them.
Given that a car could last for up to 20 years, or a television for up to ten years, the manufacturing Industry had to look at ways to 'create' a need to replace, in order to continue in business - the profession of 'Marketing' was now evolving.
I've been there - I had four 7 series BMW's in eight years, and yes I fell hook, line and sinker for the marketing tactics of BMW - I did not 'need' to change my cars - they were all working well when I traded them in, and I'm sure they are still on the road, but I fell for the sales talk - trading in one of the cars purely to have the 'face-lift' version of exactly the same car. Hindsight, coupled with my current situation, has shown me what an absolute [EMAIL="'pr@t'"]'pr@t'[/EMAIL] I was - this 'desire' to keep up with the Jones's had actually cost me over £14,000.00 a year. (My dad's 1959 Rover 100 cost him £650, second hand in 1960, and he kept it way into the seventies, finally selling it for £1,000).
I did 'spend' because I convinced myself that I could 'afford to spend' after a very frugal childhood (fifties/early sixties) and I suppose I was guilty of 'spending to forget'.
These days I just 'forget to spend'.

Pobby

Great post Rog2.Like I have said,I have been involved with sales and marketing since the 70`s.Working for both large and small outfits.

It dawned on me in the 90`s that I wasn`t selling a product,I was selling a dream.For a long while I ran my own retail business.The amount of credit I was selling on behalf of finance companies was astounding.I do feel now some moral responsibility for that in an abstract way but as another poster said I certainly didn`t hold a gun to anybodies head.I remember one deal.It was for about £1200.The finance was with payment protection over 5 years.As well as making about £400 profit on the goods I also received the same amount in commission.

Most customers only had one aim.How much was the repayment costs so would often have the loans over quite a period of time and incurred a lot of interest but they seemed unaware of that.

At the start of the 90`s the companies were falling over themselves to lend,using very lax criteria.by the mid 90`s they really tightened up on who they would lend to.History repeating?

ltm07

Great thread this. Just yesterday i posted about learning to be happy & content with what i have. For years i bought very expensive designer clothes & always wanted a convertible car & house in a posher area. Now buy cheaper clothes,in fact the cheaper i pay for them the better i feel, have a lovely house & a reliable car(touch wood)! Also most importantly have a lovely Fiance & Daughter & we are all in good health. Of course there are days when we get down about our debts but we know once cleared we will never get in a mess again. Our spending habits have changed dramatically thanks to coming on here & on the whole we are happy & content with our lives.

boredofbeingathome

I wondered if anyone has read the research done by the BBC stating that we are less happier now than in the 50's- despite having more home comforts, holidays and better paid jobs? it is quite eye opening, the bits i have read which have been excerpts in magazines- Psychologies and health, are used to illustrate the current mind set of todays man. It also interestingly goes on to illustrate how we are genetically predisposed to acquire more - linked back to prehistoric mans need to survive and accumalte.
i think its the grass is greener on the other side metaphor- but so apt don't you think?

kel123_2

I find some of the posts quite sad with no hope. As an idividual/family I/we do things because we want to and at a time that suits us! I have said a number of times it's attitude of mind, i'll explain - I haven't had a new car for 5 years and yes I would like one! but untill I can I look and dream and think maybe tomorrow or maybe next year but I will. When we first got married we had a 10 year old mini and one xmas we were invited to a very posh institute dinner, on the car park was 5 Bentleys, 6 rolls and a mini!!!!!! and my wife said shouldn't we park round the back? I said no! If one of the posh (lol) cars come out and say why "whats that junk doing parked next to me" then they are prats and I don't want to be associated with them so sod them but they are more likely to say "remember when we had one of those".

You have to have somethink to look forward to or to aspire to or you stagnate and become borring.

Going back to the original post I have the Tv on the wall and enjoy watching HD films and listening to surround sound and yes it does increase your pleasure but we donot go down the pub! we do not spent money on preening products nor do we buy heat magazine (and et al). This is not a statement of "we are correct and you are wrong" It means we did what we wanted to at a time that was right for us. Not just because johnny and sally down the road has one!

OK we have a dmp now. Yes it was of our doing (sercumstanses ingnored) but one day this situation will change.

Attitude of mind - don't knock, begrudge or go into denile about what others have got just say maybe one day - SOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

Kel

Bismarck

Agree there does need to be a balance otherwise we live, we die and we didn't enjoy it....just a case of how disciplined we should be the get the most out of every penny we have and importantly, out of who we actually are so that we can derive as much happiness as we can for ourselves while we can. There are plenty of people in debt for what they would call the right reasons in the same way that there are plenty with loads of money for the wrong reasons (in others' eyes) - I could maybe have worked 70 hours a week and had no mortgage and still had the same family set up. But we wouldn't be the family they are if I'd done that.

All we should try and do is the best we can with what we've got AND aim higher to push ourselves to our full potential!

chimp_choker

Pobby wrote: »

OK,I have to admit I get very tempted at times.I said to my wife yesterday that I really fancied a Chrysler 300 which we could pay for in cash but I know if I did I really wouldn`t enjoy it as it would feel like wasted money.So my trusty y reg Omega is still parked outside.It seems the older I get the less I am sucked in by ``things``.

Keep the omega pobby, I have an O2 reg and it will never let you down..... 78000 miles so far and only £350 spent since new on repairs... but the petrol gets you...lol.