discontent : Most liked Posts

I’m sure I’m going to sound very entitled here, but I filled in one of those online ONS tools that tells you where you sit in terms of household income in the UK. My husband and I earn £64k between us, with two relatively decent jobs, and the tool said we are on the 81st centile for household income. We are in the 9th richest decile in the UK. We have just bought a small house, talked about it on here already, for £205k which is a 3 bed terrace and it’s absolutely tiny. I work from home so need a desk really and there is no space for one so I’ll be working at the kitchen table on my laptop, no space for a desktop set up which for full time home working is fairly essential. In an ideal world I’d like a fourth bedroom so that I could have a tiny office room. The bedrooms are so small that my kids couldn’t share, there’s no space for a bed and a cot. All the 4 bed houses within a 40 mile radius start at £300k, which we cannot afford. How can we be in the 9th richest decile, an average family, earning a decent amount and not be able to afford a house big enough? I’m not wanting a mansion here just to have a bit of space for us all to be comfortable. That is the entitled bit, I’m sure I’ll get all the stories of people back in the 50s having 13 kids in one room etc, but I don’t see why I shouldn’t be able to afford what I’m looking for on what we earn. And that was before interest rates hit 5/6%- any higher than that and we wouldn’t be able to afford the house we are currently buying. And to not be able to buy a tiny 3 bed house for 200k when both of us work full time is insane.

So I came downstairs with my two year old as are both I’ll, bit nippy so I put our electric fire , stupidly I fell asleep with it on we were down here since 2am so yea indeed silly it’s been on for 4 and a half hours but look at the cost!!!!!
Wont be doing that again

I feel like we are playing right into their hands by being like 'you shouldn't be buying a takeaway your supposed to be skint.'
I can only afford my daughters hobby (which is technically none essential but I deem essential for her enjoyment of life!) because I am in debt for everything else, putting her clothes and shoes on a catalogue etc .
That takeaway might be the one treat that is getting a working family through the week.
We shouldn't be racing each other to the bottom. We should be angry on each others behalf!

Whether we are down to our last five pounds or having to start cutting back, it sucks that after 2.5 years of shit times we look to be in for another shit year or two. Collectively, our mental health and actual health will be taking a massive blow. We need some good news. And everyone has the right to moan.

Edited to add:

Hard choices are having to be made, lives on hold because of affordability, people working too many hours just to cover rent and bills. This isn't about avocados and coffee. This is stagnant wages not covering the essentials and leaving people with no buffer or chance of building up a buffer. I already work full time 40 hours and my mental health would not take doing any more on top of that, just to scrape by. Many people are already doing 60+ hours and barely scraping by for their families. It's a crisis, for sure.

For me, there are some things I prefer not to compromise on - good hair products, nice soap, good coffee, my favourite fragrance. Other stuff, I’m happy to buy value ranges, but little treats and favourite things are important. So I’ve bought enough on sale to last me through the winter. I also have all the ingredients for my Xmas cake and other festive baking, and a turkey in the freezer, an M&S yellow sticker bargain.
I’m getting out the nice crockery and cutlery to use over the winter - even bangers & mash is a treat served on granny’s plates- and gathering sloes, damsons and blackberries to make flavoured gin for gifts while listening to festive music. The poster who reminded us of the importance of taking pleasure in small things is so right, it’s easy to get bogged down in gloom.

Striking is never mandatory

Also, striking is usually the only way for workers to fight for their rights. Workers wouldn't have to strike if they were treated respectfully and paid accordingly.

It is so important to keep in mind that most of our basic rights as workers were gained by striking. None of us want to go back to working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in hazardous conditions for peanuts.

on Tesco you can add your last order to basket by clicking a button so I checked mine.
It was ordered 12th Oct & cost £135.71 Today it'll cost £152.26!

WilmaHun said:

I dunno about anyone else but it makes me really sad when I read about the changes people are being forced to make. I know things like Netflix/Disney+ are considered a luxury, but it just seems absolutely ridiculous to me that people are having to give up a £7.99 subscription just to ensure they have enough to pay for food and energy bills. In 2022 it feels really sad that people literally have so little left at the end of the month they can't even afford themselves small little luxuries

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Absolutely, its a great stick for the media to bash people with. Used to be smoking/wide screen tvs.

Tv license costs more than say Netflix but thats never mentioned that people should give that up

Seems to be that if youre struggling to make ends meet you should have no joys in life, nothing enjoyable at all and live a shit basic existance.

I dont want to hear about the 70s and how people lived on nothing but porridge oats and candle light. Its 50 years on, people in work should be able to live life with a few luxuries/home comforts. Especially when most family homes have 2 working adults. Not just one wage coming in.

WhiteFlorals said:

Those who are in receipt of Furlough state benefits may not have cared. I remember saying to someone at the time that the smug furlough lot who were annoying her and showing off to her - would not be laughing in the long term and those who showed off to those who got none or a week like her husband who worked throughout would have to deal with resentment (because propaganda) when the consequences and bill needed paying. I said to my family recently that those requesting a pointless wage spiral will receive the same attitude.

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As someone who is a public sector worker and worked throughout the pandemic it pisses me off when people who happily took furlough say we’re greedy for wanting a payrise because it’s costs taxpayer money.
they had no concerns about taxpayer money while they chilled at home getting 80% pay for nothing and I put myself at risk every day to keep the country moving

I will be really hit hard. Single parent on £40k had a car, still struggling but managed etc Covid hit. Lost job, care engine blew up. No car no job. Mum has passed away and ex partner not around nor sending money for two teenagers. I managed to get another job after lockdown but was let go when the second one started. I’m overqualified for some jobs I’m applying for I’ve gone for less money and I’m still not getting anywhere because I’ve now been out of work for over a year and a half. I literally cried last week when my daughter bent over in school and her trousers split because the universal credit doesn’t cover everything and it was an expense I can’t afford. I’ve cancelled sky, my phone is now pay as you go, I don’t smoke, don’t drink, (not that you are less entitled if you do) I have one pair of trainers and one pair of jeans that fit as haven’t bought myself anything since March 2020. I’ve sold my jewellery. I’m not sleeping at night worrying about Christmas and my 13 years olds birthday in November. I feel like a failure and can feel I’m losing myself trying to feed my kids and get them what they need never mind what they want.

£20 is nothing to Some but everything to others I feel so ashamed that humans can begrudge it to people who need it. I need it and I really will be swapping heat for food and going without. It’s criminal to give and then take back. I live in the borough for the highest council tax and council tax support doesn’t even cover it. I owe thousands to Thames water as it’s a bill I can’t afford. I pay gas and electricity which will increase. I’m dying to work and applying and applying. Food going up. THESE BASTARDS DONT EVEN PAY FOR THEIR HOMES AND BREAKFAST FFS I did (as a taxpayer since I was 16 years old until 2020)!

sorry to be so negative but this is reality for a lot of people not just me and I know some have it worse so you just get on with it somehow but this is going to kill people and I don’t know how our government can get away with it?!

Mail online in response to someone saying they can't afford a home, boomers gonna boom

Unpopular opinion but this extra payment doesn’t solve anything. We need to fix the crisis full stop rather than giving out money. It is a little plaster over the top of a pouring bucket.

I’ve spent this evening helping a 61 year old single woman with no family who has been ‘let go’ by her hospitality employer (oh, sorry, but don’t worry, because there are plenty of vacancies in hospitality - just not if you’re 61) to complete a benefit claim online, as she has no computer, no computer skills, no broadband. (She’s a brilliant cook, though!). I am honestly bloody furious. Could they MAKE it any more difficult or bureaucratic or hard to understand? We should be marching on Westminster in our millions. Good, honest, hardworking people will die of poverty this winter while corporates guzzle away at the trough. It’s absolutely disgusting. First it’ll be ‘warm hubs’ - next it’ll make sense to reinstate the workhouse. FFS let’s wake up and feel the RAGE.

I’m going down the ignorance is bliss route. I realised I’ve made myself unwell worrying about one thing after another the past few months and listening to the media scaremongering does no good. The bills will be paid regardless and the food shop done so I can’t see the point in thinking about it anymore. It’s a massive drain on your mental health when you can’t change it anyway.

This was shared on memes and made me

Speaking of cars..
Every single day my 32 year old friend complains that they can’t afford to move out of their parents house. They don’t have any bills other than their phone and car insurance/car tax and they don’t contribute towards any of their parents bills or pay rent to live there.. They’ve just dropped 32k cash on a second car. At one point they had owned 3 cars. Why one person needs 3 cars I will never know but it’s crazy to me that they constantly go on about not being able to afford to live. Stop buying cars then

It's mad that we basically have to be a mathematician to put the heating on or make a cup of tea nowadays. What a time to barely be alive.

coconochanel said:

This may sound like a stupid question but why are the government letting us live like this?

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Because they're Tories and it won't affect them or their pals.

I thought he was too busy fucking 20 year olds to give a fuck about anything else.

maharini said:

Is it me, though, or are vet fees criminal? £32 for 7 liquid doses of a common antibiotic?

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This is a RANT