To think that my benefits are helping to support local businessess and the wider economy?

[poshsinglemum]

Without them I would not be able to pay my childminder, use Tescos supermarket, support the multiple baby and child industries, attend baby groups, give money to charities such as the NCT or subscribe to internet and mobile phone providers. Not to mention the dozens of other industries I am indirectly supporting through my spending ''power''.

I'm pretty sure that without them the alchohol industry would go out of business!

Total tongue in cheek emoticom.

Is this a thread about a thread?

Anyway, YANBU

I wondered the same so pardon my ignorance if it is.

Yes, all money spent does that, regardless of how you earned it. YANBU.

You'd have to buy local alcohol though. All back to mine for a cider then

What you say is probably true, however it would be more efficient if the state were to give our (taxpayers) money directly to the people you mention and let you starve.

Oh we have the most fantastic local cider farm down our way!

TBH I am thinking of quitting booze.

I guess my point is that the economy is cyclical and although I strongly believe that benefits should be a lifestyle choice, they do prevent the economy grinding to a complete halt. Not sure how efficient they are in the long term though.

I'm not sure why anyone would actively choose to be on benefits long term anyways. i'd much rather have a fab job and pots of cash. Life just isn't always like that though is it?

You spend your benefits on alcohol I reckon comet would go out of business without all the flat screen tv buying

yanbu

When I grow all of my own food I won't starve though!

Npot sure how long I'd get on two tiny courgettes and a few rasberries. Would love to be self sufficient food wise but it's very difficult to achieve.

Tis impossible really PSM, I spent years on a wild and woolly smallholding trying it and it's very difficult.
However, courgette surprise did appear daily on the menu so you'd be OK for a bit.

I hardly drink at all. I'm trying to be funny. And failing I expect.

I am trying to get off benefits but so far havn't had much luck with job hunting. I have a job but no luck with my chosen field of teaching. More jobs come out later this year so fingers crossed.

our local dairy really only delivers to benefit claimants now ....the ones with milk tokens....they are a dying breed anyway with supermarkets as rivals

You can never be too rich or too thin

I was being trying to be funny too

When I was young and idealistic my dream was to live the good life and live on a commune growing my own food. Very difficult and have since realised that I don't really like living with others!

Lots of nice things grow very badly in England- can't exactly grow limes for my G&T here, so could never be truly self-sufficient.

the good life is haaaaaaard. and I imagine communes are truly horrid. I went the other way and became a bit of a hermit really
trillian, you could have gin and something else. gin and cider? gin and pear juice? gin and mead ?

Trillian, you could grow potatoes, sell them, and use the money to buy limes. I'd say counts as self sufficient

Hmmmm. Cider.

We used to love the idea of living on a commune, until we got a shared house as a kind of trial run.

Now enjoying our own house, just us four, and a couple of pots of carrots on the drive. We are not house sharing people...