tightening our belts

A great post Oldnproud and so wise.
I had been thinking along the same lines as Wendy up thread who has noticed queues at air and sea ports and seeing people carrying on having their expensive holidays as though nothing has changed. The same with cars. I never understood why every household has to have multiple cars. What happened to sharing?

My DGC won't even share a bedroom. When we were children we shared a bed.
However that line of thought has been done to death

Thank goodness for all the kind souls quite a few on here who give to foodbanks, who take in Refugees, who do not judge others and who are modest with it. I wish I could be more like you.

You would really think they would have a list of "dont say this" words.

I can only assume it is deliberate, to widen that chasm between the worthy and unworthy.

Grantanow

Truss's ally Mordaunt has said Truss has 'not ruled out' handouts. That's typical weasel talk. Truss will be bad news for anyone struggling to pay bills. If Truss, Sunak and Starmer are the creme de la creme of our political class then we are in deep dodo with no sign of a ladder to climb out.

... "handouts".

Subtle but meaningful choice of phrase.

Truss could have used a different terminology - "financial support", or even "aid".

The former implies that people are holding out their hands for free money. The latter, that they are in need of help.

I'm quite sure it's deliberate. It most definitely appeals to the traditional Tory voter in leafy Surrey or the 'shires.

I've just heard, earlier this morning, two Tory ladies in our quaintest Cotswolds coffee shop discuss such handouts, bemoaning the fact that "people today" don't work hard enough to "put something by". I was tempted to tell them that in a low-wage economy, some "people" will never earn enough to do anything other than make one end meet the other, no matter how hard they work. And now, they won't even be able to make those ends meet.

But I didn't say anything. Just left and have felt despondent ever since. We live in the same country - but in different worlds.

dodos in doodoo !

Truss's ally Mordaunt has said Truss has 'not ruled out' handouts. That's typical weasel talk. Truss will be bad news for anyone struggling to pay bills. If Truss, Sunak and Starmer are the creme de la creme of our political class then we are in deep dodo with no sign of a ladder to climb out.

Some people seem to think that “going without” is in some way virtuous. The vast majority of people only fo so because there’s no other choice. Of course we’ve all heard about the frugal millionaires and I do know a couple who’s are comfortably off but spend almost nothing. No one wants to see a return to the poverty of years ago although I think we may do soon. Also no one wants to return to the strict old fashioned upbringing that many of us had. My father had a good job and the bills were paid quite easily but there wasn’t any fun in my childhood. I rejoice when I see the happiness of my grandchildren.

Thank you for all your thoughts. True that we should not judge others. Only use a lot of common sense to sort yourself out. Good luck everyone xx

A great post oldnporoud, you’ve summed the situation up perfectly.

What a lovely post oldnproud.

However old or young people are, there will always be inequalities in ability to cope with an economic crisis, based on many different things.

Where one lives, rural or urban, makes a big difference in the chances of taking on extra jobs, because travel to where those jobs are is likely to be costly, unreliable, expensive, or quite simply impossible.

Family situation. Some people have readily available help available for free childminding. Others have none, so could not possibly take on a second job, even if one was available.
Some adult children get frequent handouts from parents when needed - we read a lot of that here on Gransnet, with lots of grandparents regularly buying things like school uniform and shoes for their grandchildren, even in 'normal' times. Others have nothing of the sort.

Health and fitness. Some are healthy and full of energy, even in retirement. Others are not, whatever their age, and could not possibly work longer hours than they already do.

Some of us are born with a 'careful' nature and can scrape by well on very little (but still can't magic up enough to live if 'very little' ceases to cover the most basic, essential outgoings). Others are not born that way. They are more likely to take risks with money. I'm certainly not knocking them, because they are probably the ones who throughout history have driven us forward, creating jobs and contributing most to a country's wealth in normal times, through risking what they have to start businesses or other new ventures in ways that we careful folk might never dare to do!

The point is, we are all different and our circumstances are all different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to coping when things get tough. It's unrealistic to think that there is, and to assume that everyone can/should do what comes so easily to us personally.

Couldn’t agree more. I think there are posters on here who were born at 25 ie, they never had a youth.

Younger fitter people can always get themselves some kind of side hustle to add to the family income.

Comforting thought for an older person, but not true all the same, some may be, but all definitely not. Especially as high inflation and increased unemployment often go hand in hand.

*37biglouis
The people I really feel for are pensioners and the disabled on a fixed income. Younger fitter people can always get themselves some kind of side hustle to add to the family income. This avenue may not be open to older people and those with mobility issues.*

I'm on crutches and live only on the state pension and I pay a considerable portion of my rent out of it. I don't run a car but my bus pass takes me to amazing places. I don't have luxury holidays but don't mind that. After my outgoings I have over £200 spare each month. I'm so grateful for the government pension and housing benefit which enable me to live a good life. Don't feel sorry for me!

Exactly doodledog

Young people always want to look good, by the standards of their day. Nowadays they get nails done and eyebrows shaped, I used to get spiral perms and my mum and grandmother both got their hair shampooed and set every Friday. I don’t see the difference, and I’m another who can’t understand the moral outrage at mobile phones or other screens. We managed without them because they hadn’t been invented! I wouldn’t give up any of my devices now they have been, and everyone on here is using one, too.

Hithere

I wonder what older generations thought of the spending of posters judging newer generations

Hopefully they wouldn’t have come across as gleeful as some posts here do about their children and grandchildren struggling.

Galaxy

Yes I have no idea why people are weird about having mobile phones, frequently much cheaper than landlines and much more useful. You never hear anyone say bet they all have landlines.

Why? Because some people think that the working poor or poor shouldn’t have nice things. They should just be miserable while they pull themselves up from their bootstraps

Hithere

I wonder what older generations thought of the spending of posters judging newer generations

I can’t remember our parents being at all surprised by what I think was our fairly typical lifestyle as a young family. But then with rare nights out, a modest wedding at the local church after a hen and stag night round the local pubs, one family holiday a year, one car between us, no takeaways or online shopping, I think our life style had more in common with our parents’ than it has with our ACs’.

Saying that, I don’t begrudge the younger generation a thing. Surely everyone wants their children to have a good life. But the harsh reality for all age groups is that even those who’ve enjoyed comfortable lifestyles are now having to decide which extras to cut. Those who’ve been just managing are looking at serious choices re heating and eating. And the poorest in our society are going to need a lot of help just to stay afloat - I just hope it’s forthcoming.

Hithere

I wonder what older generations thought of the spending of posters judging newer generations

I don't see this as judging. We are all entitled to make an observation on how we view the spending habits of the younger folk because they do spend their money on different things to us.

MissAdventure

most amusing...

I don't even have a belt to tighten.
A piece of string does me just fine.

I wonder what older generations thought of the spending of posters judging newer generations

It's some of the young parents moaning how hard life is to manage but have lips, eyebrows,nails done with arms and bodies displaying such ugly tattoos.Wait til they get older and skin wrinkles,tattoos will not look anything like first etched.
My DC think nothing of coffees and snacks out.Dread to think how much they spend.Buying work coffees and lunches must cost a fortune.But they are my DC and although I tried must have failed miserably in their teaching of finance and probably have over indulged them during our later affluent years.They now have more income than we are ever going to have and as pensioners beginning to feel the crunch.

Shinamae

Chestnut

Sinamae I just checked my old finances and in 1996 you could buy 200 cigarettes for £12.50 so that's £1.25 for 20. The main salary we had was about £1,200 per month. I wonder how that compares to the proportion of a normal salary today? I'm pretty sure we would not have been able to afford the equivalent of £330 per week for 20 per day which is what it is now.

????.. so glad I stopped ??

Sorry, mistake. It's £330 per month not per week! Still a huge amount though.

lolajoy, they are in the live now pay later brigade and by golly they will pay, they will learn the hard way