Was it the "Nice Decade"?

LillyJ

mitchaa wrote: »

High borrowing = As in the amounts, not the interest rates.

My parents bought their home back in the late 80's for around £25k, the house is now worth well in excess of £350k.

Nothing special, 3 bedreoom semi detached home in a decent area. They have just finished paying it off but they were paying something daft like £85pm.

They do not realise how much they would have to pay for the house now if they were to buy it today and start off from scratch again. They would never be able to afford it now if they had to do so. (How many people would)

That's the position the young generation find themselves in now hence the last decade for us hasn't been so good.

The older generation have no concept on how much housing costs nowadays. My mum about fell out her chair when i told her how much a £176k mortgage cost me, but yet her own home is worth double the amount mine is.

Well if they bought in the late 80's wouldn't they have been hit by the last crash which people tell us was so terrible?

In my opinion the last decade for young people wasn't THAT bad. People on here keep telling me how renting isn't so awful so what is the issue?
I am overcoming difficulties by working hard and getting myself a good education and a good job and my life is about more than money (thank god). I am healthy, I have a wonderful partner, and my life is happy.
Yes house prices are high and they were lower, but there were other things that weren't so good back then. For example women didn't have such easy access to some jobs, moving from social classes wasn't as easy as it is now, there was not internet to see when the housing market was about to crash;) .

PasturesNew

globalds wrote: »

... Deciding that maybe I was Jinxing Asia I thought I'd better relocate again .
I couldn't believe how cheap property prices were and how easy credit was .I had a deal for a mortgage 3 months after touching down and was in my own home before 5 months had passed .
My children went to the local primary that unbeknown to me had failed it's Ofsted .... I have undoubtedly missed far more opportunities than I have grasped at .But I am enjoying where I am at the moment .

More luck than Judgement .

Good post imho. More luck than judgement. And in my experience that is how a lot of us bumble along.

You just sort of follow your nose and sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not.

There's a lot of people posting here often suggesting all of their "luck" was down to their own hard work. But maybe they aren't recognising a lot of it was luck too.

My current situation is entirely due to luck. I was lucky to fall into IT. I was lucky to get one particular job with one particular good boss who saw my potential. I was lucky he took me on as a contractor after I was laid off (company bought out), so I luckily found my niche and contracting. I was lucky to contract for just 18 short months of my life. I was lucky to buy a house (any house, even though it was in the wrong place). I was lucky that house happened to be somewhere that rich people wanted to move to, pushing up prices to stupid amounts. I was lucky to decide I wanted out of the house/area at a time when I guessed prices were about to drop like stones. I was lucky to find a buyer. I was lucky they could complete.

I am now lucky to be able to do bog all all day except sit and type my opinion on forums

LUCK! It plays a bigger part in all your lives than a lot of people realise.

Phirefly

PasturesNew wrote: »

Jersey, for example, I could work in banking/IT, or in offices temping/typing.
Scillies, for example, there are no such jobs. Just tourism/seasonal/split shift jobs on minimum wage.

Jersey, for example, I can get back to England main airports easier/cheaper than travelling from the Scillies. Jersey you can take your car; Scillies you can't. Jersey, for example, you have a choice of activities/places to go; Scillies are very limited beyond sitting on the beach or walking round the island. Jersey could keep somebody amused, entertained, employed and housed in the longer-term. The Scillies is a very short-term and limited opportunity.

sounds to me like you're talking yourself into it gowarn you know you want to

PasturesNew

Phirefly wrote: »

sounds to me like you're talking yourself into it gowarn you know you want to

Trying to ... takes a lot as I have to thoroughly investigate every aspect of it first. Full research project underway. Made first phone call last night.

My aunt/cousin were in that show. Just the once mind! Not famous or anything!

Phirefly

Well I'm very glad to hear it. And would definitley like to visit... you can't beat Channel Island Brie you know!

PasturesNew

Phirefly wrote: »

Well I'm very glad to hear it. And would definitley like to visit... you can't beat Channel Island Brie you know!

eugh ... squidgy cheese is yukky. It scares me as it's all squidgy and doesn't brie have blue bits in it? ... well, they're mouldy. So eugh.

I'm a right wuss about food ... and squidgy cheese.

SingleSue

Half and half for me...start of the last decade saw me back into work after taking time off for kiddies and hubby finally earning more like he was due. We have had some great holidays (although never on the level as others with their £2k+ ones) and having money left at the end of the month.

Second half of the decade has been a downer, off work with severe depression for a time, 2 kids diagnosed with lifelong disabilities and finally hubby leaving the marital home for the arms of my best friend. This meant that I had to give up my job (which I loved) as childcare for the children was an impossibilty with their needs and my hours (believe me I tried), and subsequently it has meant a real tightening of belts with a few shocks along the way.

Now despite the crunch occuring and budgets becoming tighter, I am actually optimistic. The kids are getting older and thus easier for people to deal with in a child care situation (I hope!), I am easing my way back into employment by gaining experience in the field I have always wanted to work in (on a voluntary basis) and I am taking courses in computers as a back up in case I do return to the office (so much changes so quickly in an office based job)....oh and I have realised that I am way better off without hubby!

olly300

PasturesNew wrote: »

All of which will be over-subscribed by people younger than me and with experience. The younger bit is important as they can pay them a lower minimum wage. The experience bit is important too.

Young people generally like towns and cities where they can go out rather than remote pretty places.

PasturesNew wrote: »

Most employers would rather hire seasonal staff aged 19-21 who have done the job before, than middle-aged women who haven't.

They may prefer to pay less but lots of employers rather have someone who can actually do the job.

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd not get the art gallery job, no matter what it is, because I don't know the first thing about art. "It's a picture. Blimey, HOW MUCH??!!" is about all I could say about art.

The reality, as ever, would be: inundated with applicants, mostly with experience, all young and chirpy and happy to do whatever.

Countryfile had something on the Isles of Scilly and lots of the employers there were hiring Eastern Europeans who only came back the year afterwards if they liked it. However as the pound has got weaker against the Euro they may not come back.

PasturesNew wrote: »

I wonder how they do the hiring. Just guessing, but they must do their hiring without meeting the people.... because you can't get to the islands just for an interview, it's not practical/costs a lot.

You will probably have a telephone interview. The advantage of a telephone interview is they can't see whether you look old or young for your age.

Riq

I was in full time education for the last decade so I would say yeah it was nice!

morg_monster

LillyJ, just to point out, i do know that here in the UK we are bloody lucky relatively speaking compared to other countries, and that I am lucky compared to many people in this country. I'm not stupid.
But I really hate it when people say that as if it precludes us from moaning about anything at all! The only people I have spoken to about what I wrote in that post is my OH and now in this forum... its not as if I go around whinging about it to all and sundry! I just thought I would say honestly how I felt about this particular situation, right at that point, even if it wasn't all sweetness and light, I just wanted to be honest. That was what the OP was about, wasn't it? Sorry if it makes me sound ungrateful.