O/T - Your Personal Finances?

[mickd1961]

How’s everyone coping?

I remember warning you all 18 months ago about how bad I thought things would get after I saw first hand what Covid did to my cost prices.

Things are much worse than I could’ve ever imagined though.

I’m not going to complain, I’m well off but I must admit I’m wincing at the petrol pump at the moment and keeping the car battery well charged up.

Commiserations to any of you who are finding it a real struggle at present.

[kettering_baggie]

Things could become a lot worse yet, we are though, victims of the global economy, although ‘victims’ is probably not the correct word; the people of Ukraine are victims. If someone told you that you had to get out in five minutes, what would you gather up to take with you? A horrifying situation. We are ok at the moment, if the financial situation worsens to the extent where we are short, we have a number of things that we can cut back on without seriously affecting our lifestyle. Wars, though, can have unexpected consequences for everyone and although we are comfortable now, that cannot be guaranteed in the future. Crazy times, thanks to one disgusting madman; our parents had to suffer the consequences of the previous disgusting madman, Adolf Hitler. Maybe reincarnation is a reality……..!

Football pales into insignificance compared to what is going on in Eastern Europe. Look after yourselves and all those close to you.

[viaductbaggies]

Luckily only got 3 more payments left on the mortgage just as well as had letter off British Gas today to say it’s going up 54%

[Dubbag]

I'm quite sure when/if things get worse....the Geoff Bezos the Richard Branson bill Gates et al......will all open their collective wallets and help the world.........
Seriously though........after a paltry 1.7% pay rise.........I think unless you have a decent buffer zone built in you are going to get squeezed.
The pandemic was a chance to change things. Great chance to recess what is really important in your life.....For most it turned out to be going on holidays...strange what people miss.....

But after only two weeks of war.....and this already has me thinking this is much much bigger then the pandemic.......because people can see the baddy instead of a non entity called a virus...
This is heralding in some very uncomfortable changes that people did not want to make brought by the virus......

So...the big bad wolf is now marauding through the world....INFLATION...sure to eat your money up quicker then anything else......
But change is coming and beginning to show itself in many ways........

[soulman101]

We are doing ok, house is paid and no debts.
But I worry about my nieces, they earn good money but are of a generation instead of saving, it's buy now pay later.
Our Mom and Dad didn't didn't have a lot of money, but were wise with it.
In the old days you had to be 21 to get HP or get your parents to sign for you.
My Mates all had cars on the knock, Dad wouldn't sign for me and said If you want something save up for it.
I have always followed his advice. Overtime money was bonus money to me, it never counted to how we lived. This allowed me to retire early
More should be taught at school on how to budget and live within your means.

[Dubbag]

We are doing ok, house is paid and no debts.
But I worry about my nieces, they earn good money but are of a generation instead of saving, it's buy now pay later.
Our Mom and Dad didn't didn't have a lot of money, but were wise with it.
In the old days you had to be 21 to get HP or get your parents to sign for you.
My Mates all had cars on the knock, Dad wouldn't sign for me and said If you want something save up for it.
I have always followed his advice. Overtime money was bonus money to me, it never counted to how we lived. This allowed me to retire early
More should be taught at school on how to budget and live within your means.

Very true Lloyd....many younger people are very use to low interest rates and easy money. Coming on the back of the banking crises, Brexit, the pandemic and now war....hard to imagine many people having time to get ready for where we are unless you had good parents who instilled into you the discipline of saving.....

[baggieal]

Money does not bring happiness as many families who are loaded are more miserable than many who have nothing.

Much of our money is ploughed into ensuring the kids have a great future. Apart from holidays in your sixties - why do you need money? Anyone who dies old with lots of cash is stupid in my book! Start taking luxury holidays or spoiling the kids if you have excess cash.

Money will also become irrelevant the way things are turning out in Ukraine! My view is we should protect the skies and stop mass murder. If buttons are then pressed and the world ends so be it! Too many - I’m ok Jack people around!!

[phild]

Why are we imposing such high costs on ourselves to rally to the defence of a country that we hadn’t troubled ourselves formally to ally with? Our Government is again doing severe harm to our economy which is still recovering after two years of extreme responses to covid. The cost of petrol/diesel will keep on going higher and electric/gas and that’s before Putin has followed through on his threat to cut off the gas. Is it a price worth paying?

[Barrera]

Why are we imposing such high costs on ourselves to rally to the defence of a country that we hadn’t troubled ourselves formally to ally with? Our Government is again doing severe harm to our economy which is still recovering after two years of extreme responses to covid. The cost of petrol/diesel will keep on going higher and electric/gas and that’s before Putin has followed through on his threat to cut off the gas. Is it a price worth paying?

I think it is worth it Phil ....as the saying hoes “our children will be next”.... I have huge sympathy with the innocent people of Ukraine .... being shellacked every day by Putin ....and the West imposes only sanctions (which makes Putin laugh in our faces) as we are too afraid to do .... anything else. ... appease a dictator and things will only get worse .... history tells us that ...

[baggieal]

I'm quite sure when/if things get worse....the Geoff Bezos the Richard Branson bill Gates et al......will all open their collective wallets and help the world.........
Seriously though........after a paltry 1.7% pay rise.........I think unless you have a decent buffer zone built in you are going to get squeezed.
The pandemic was a chance to change things. Great chance to recess what is really important in your life.....For most it turned out to be going on holidays...strange what people miss.....

But after only two weeks of war.....and this already has me thinking this is much much bigger then the pandemic.......because people can see the baddy instead of a non entity called a virus...
This is heralding in some very uncomfortable changes that people did not want to make brought by the virus......

So...the big bad wolf is now marauding through the world....INFLATION...sure to eat your money up quicker then anything else......
But change is coming and beginning to show itself in many ways........

Hospital staff Dubs in my opinion should have been rewarded with around 5% increases minimum - then there are moans too many are leaving the profession but do you blame them!

I would go one further and say that pay rises should be linked to inflation up to the higher tax bracket! Why should many elderly or those genuinely in poverty receive a paltry 1/2% then energy costs - food costs - fuel costs and yes the dear old council tax jumping on the band wagon with approx 4% all increasing!! Make employers pay if their profits exceed X amount as they can afford it!

Any news or thoughts on this new variant which is a mix of Delta/Omicron? Seems like Covid has disappeared with the atrocities in Ukraine but we all know different!