Things I have learnt since becoming rich (a.k.a. fuck you: Nigella and Jamie)

[TheAutumnHere]

1. Having an oven that holds temperature stops cakes falling
2. A stand mixer simplifies baking by a factor of at least 4, and improves the results
3. Branded vacuum cleaners actually remove dirt from the floor
4. Le Creuset pans don't stick, and just wipe clean
5. Baking with children is delightful japes, when timed the morning before the cleaner comes
6. Corn fed chicken is the bomb

Just leaving a note to my past self - who never cut herself any slack and thought she was a slattern and a crap cook.

No of course not, but just own it. You want to make money off the back of those that don't have that privilege or opportunity.

BTL for council tenants is not making money off people who don't have privilege or opportunity.

They're getting their rent paid for them by the tax payer.

My first house (not owned that I rented) was an absolute tip on a council estate. I rented a room with four other housemates, who pinched my food out of the fridge, because I couldn't afford anything more if I wanted to save for a deposit to buy my own home. Everyone has opportunity. I could have rented a whole house because it would have been immediately nicer for me and then as a consequence, not been able to save, and called that "no opportunity to buy my own." And that would have been a lie. People have too much entitlement. We've had council tenants actually turn down a property because "Ew, it's got brown carpets." Apologies if the free house paid for the rest of us, does not meet your design requirements madam

To me a 4 bedroom house is not a "bog-standard family home" - it's somebody doing rather well for themselves

The average family house size is 3-4 beds, that was the point. It doesn’t mean everyone has one, any more than everyone has 2.5 kids or a dog.

In the SE the average family home is too pricey for average earners.

Um, council tenants don't get their rent paid by the tax payer - they pay rent.

Buy-to-lets shouldn't be for council tenants - the councils ought to have a supply of affordable housing (that hasn't all been bought up.

If you invest in BTL you're making houseprices rise

The house price pressure in this country is much more fundamental than BTLs.

It’s much easier to get any kind of mortgage here, not specifically BTLs, than in Europe - France or Italy for example - where the banks are responsible if you default. They give them out sparingly. As a small island we have major issues with demand/supply.

And you're using your money to make the situation worse.

I'll keep enjoying my stand mixer and baking tins & baking my PTA cupcakes. At least I'm turning my advantage into something nice.

Um, council tenants don't get their rent paid by the tax payer - they pay rent.

Some do. Most don't. They get it paid. All of ours are fully funded by the council. As are the three my parents have. And my cousin's one.

That's why it's such a safe bet. You get paid directly from the council. Much less than if you let to private tenants, yes, but it's guaranteed. £500 a month without fail is preferable to chasing £750 a month and then having the place trashed because the audacity of you being forced to serve an eviction notice. The council don't default on you. And they cover all damages every time a tenant changes.

Equity trading is the bread and butter of the sector that caused the financial crisis. There is no clean money.

The idea that stocks and shares are morally superior to bricks and mortar is hilarious.

As I pointed out it’s the finance sector that repackages mortgages.

Everyone has opportunity

Really? Does everyone have a trust fund? And if they don't they are feckless & it's their own fault I assume?

You either can't afford to buy in the area you want (in which case, you can afford a property, just not the one you want) or you're doing something spectacularly wrong with your income if there's two of you with no dependants and can't afford anything. Not being able to afford what you would like to own is not being unable to get on the property ladder

Yep all Londoners should leave London, we don't need police, nurses & teachers here.

Everybody who can't afford to buy in their area should buy elsewhere & rent that out cause that won't push the problem into other areas 🙄

The contempt you hold for your tenants is disgusting.

The idea that stocks and shares are morally superior to bricks and mortar is hilarious.

Quite! I spent 8yrs immersed in the world of trading, through the partner I was with. The people are a different level ruthless, predominantly very toxic, and this flowed through to their personal lives as well. They had no true friends, everyone was so disposable and fickle to one another.

To get back to the thread though. With their holiday homes in Mustique, fleets of sports cars, helicopters, they were "rich". Just like me and my bought outright Dyson.

Or you're funding the massive fuck off bonuses given to bankers who knowingly shafted, and still shaft, the world economy, specifically by shafting those at the poor end of the mortgage market.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/52342612?search_identifier=8fe49f3f4b0bdd3e458f1a3d41ebe97e

And there are others in the same price bracket, not just that one. The direct train to London takes

I remember another one M&S socks!

I’d stuck with ASDA uniforms etc - and my daughter cried many mornings about her socks being bumpy.

Finally I cracked and bought a whole pile of socks for her to try on. M&S ultimate comfort don’t make her cry (and their school shirts are not scratchy).

So now my kid isn’t trotting into school with red rimmed eyes half the time.

Yeah - even old me could have probably stretched to M&S socks to fix this I guess. Another thing I should have been sharper on. But now I feel like a more competent parent - we’re spending to walk to school having nice chats rather than me hissing at her through gritted teeth to stop making such a fuss about needing to wear socks and uniforms.

Really? Does everyone have a trust fund?

Alas, sorry to rain on the parade, but as explained previously, I don't right now. I mean, I will have in the future, as will DS, but to date, I've had zero from it. No "privilege" to hide behind there I'm afraid. It's like having a bloody great inheritance. All well and good when I'm 70 and get it. Sadly, I've just worked hard and made sacrifices, not excuses.

And yes. You absolutely should live in a house you can afford in an area you can afford. It's called living within your means and more people should try it instead of whining that they can't buy a central London property on their £30k salary, because well, that's where they choose to work so there.

It doesn't work like that. Live where you can afford and stop acting like it's everyone else's fault that you can't afford the most expensive postcodes because it's where your definition of acceptable work catchment is.

DH and I are looking at moving right now. More DC on the way. Bigger house required, and we want a big garden for them. Not need. Not entitled too. We want.

A big house with a big garden within budget means a 45 min commute for DH. Now. Do we cry that we can't get on the property ladder or do we stop making excuses and go and view the house we want in the location we can afford.

We could get a mid terrace for the same money where DH works. Technically we'd all fit. It's not how we want to live. But it's an option. We choose not to take it. Not act like we physically can't.

You must wonder how we have these problems. Especially when we've got a matching kettle to go with the smeg toaster.

Yes. It’s all about making good choices.

The more you post OP the more I think your just an insecure person. Money hasn't changed that, you've just bought yourself a branded security blanket.

@Courtney555 but it's not as simple as "live where you can afford" as everywhere still needs low paid workers cleaners, waiting staff, retail staff. Including places in central London. Even living further out will still be more than those workers can afford and they will likely be renting with top ups from housing benefit, with no hope of ever buying. Somebody has to do the low paid jobs in the City!

Choices to some extent, and more importantly, compromises and sacrifices (instead of excuses why you can't, when actually it's more you just don't want too) because the early sacrifices and looking at the bigger picture is what then gives a longer term life benefit.

I'm all for frugal living. Irrespective of my financial situation. Because it makes me happy to live that way. I will always be happier saving £10 than spending it.

Quality does not always come at a premium price. So I don't agree that being "rich" in the terms of what OP describes is necessary to enjoy quality.

As a direct example, OP is pleased about affording M&S uniform. Going there and buying more comfortable clothing because her DD used to cry at how uncomfortable supermarket uniform was.

I agree. M&S uniform is loads more comfy. I bought DS, 7 of their long sleeve shirts. Off eBay. Absolutely pristine. £3.80 the lot. In comparison, far less than OP paid for one pack of socks.

Quality, yes. Dirt cheap, yes. Necessity to be as "rich" as OP to do this? Zero.

The more you post OP the more I think your just an insecure person. Money hasn't changed that, you've just bought yourself a branded security blanket.

I agree.

Not only that but you are using this thread to give yourself a sense of security in superiority over posters who HAVE to buy their cookware and their childs socks from ASDA

This thread is so much more insidious than the OP pretends it is that it's a wonder it js still standing

My original point was that I’d blamed myself for my cakes being crap - and then discovered that with good kit my cakes were good.

@Courtney555 contribution is that I should also be blaming myself for not finding sensory friendly socks on eBay. Because it turns out that if you’re sharp enough and organised enough, you can get the better socks cheaper than the scratchy socks.

I always knew it was my fault for not trying hard enough.

@VanyaHargreeves - @Courtney555 just explained how no one has to suffer ASDA socks - and many Pp have explained how wonderful cakes can be turned our with a plastic bowl and wooden spoon.

Why would anyone leave this thread feeling discouraged?

I have already told you that given the choice I would probably buy expensive prestige things

What I would not do is start a thread about how I'M CONSIDERABLY RICHER THAN YOU like a Harry Enfield sketch

Why?

Because it's vulgar, frankly

Correct. You didn't try hard enough. Because your whole stance is that now you're so "rich" you have removed the barrier from accessing quality items. And now, what a better life because of it.

Whereas the reality is, you need very little money to access the things you have bought with your riches. I, and many others, are living proof of that.

What you now think is down to a little bit more disposable cash, was never the barrier. You could have had all of those things before if you were willing to buy smarter or secondhand.

All this "I can go into John Lewis if I want and blow £60 on a pan in my lunch hour now I'm rich and this means I can cook nice crêpes" is so cringeworthy.

*In the book of Jamie’s that requires a mixer, he suggests that if you don’t have one then you can chop it all up very finely instead

Or how much getting three different packets of fresh herbs and a packet of bloody pine nuts costs?*

I think that before they start preaching to the masses about how easy and quick and simple cooking is, these TV chefs should be made to go to some of these 'ordinary folks' (cringe) home towns, shop on ordinary budgets and be forced to use cheap utensils and rubbish equipment in galley kitchens or the corner of a bedsit. Then they can see how well their 30-minute time limits stand up.

BTW I seem to remember articles about Nigella, roundabout when she divorced Saatchi, that (mean-spiritedly) pointed out that she was actually more than a bit scatty in the kitchen and that her 'domestic goddess' image depended on rather a lot of staff. I didn't much care. I thought the media took it far more seriously than she did.

Slight derail, but:
Big packs of fresh herbs are 39p a pop in Lidl.
I mean, I don't see how that's extortion. Grown, picked, washed, transported, packaged and on the shelf for 39p.

Or, 85p in Sainsbury's. Or £1.50 in Waitrose.

It's a bunch of flat leaf parsley. It tastes the same. And lasts for days in the fridge.