To think you're not poor...

[RunningjustasfastasIcan99]

AIBU to think you're not poor if you can afford SKY TV? Felt a bit irritated that on "rich house poor house" this week the "poor" family had massive Tv's in the kids bedrooms and sky tv. I know they didn't have a ton of money and were in the bottom 10 %. But really?

We just have Freeview , frequently visit friends who have Sky and just do not see the point of paying for even more, repetitive dull channels. Utter waste of money in our view and we could easily afford it. DH sometimes wants to watch major Rugby matches so buys one use subscriptions that he happily watches on his PC. We only have a 24” TV which probably makes us very deprived in some people’s ( goggle) eyes most of my watching is on my iPad on catch up.

Very clever marketing has normalised paying for TV content when it is still unnecessary for the major channels.

No judgment intended on how people spend their money, more a question of the term "poor" it's a relative term which will mean different things to different people. To me if you have money to pay an ongoing TV subscription you're not poor.

Where's Xenia and Boxsets when you need them? I'll never forget the classic suggestion that a single mum who couldn't afford to heat her home go out with her daughter and busk (never mind that they had no act and well, you need a license to do that in most councils) because it would give them exercise to keep them warm and earn them money.

Yep, that was fucking classic.

We'll soon have someone on here comparing the UK to Bangladesh and manage to fit in a pot shot at obesity, too.

They're attracted to threads like this like flies to shit ( maybe there is something in that).

We have a 'Very' account. We buy some stuff on tick.

We have sky tv...I got it in a deal for £40 a month with broadband and tv months ago when we had money.
We've just had to have a conversation with the older dc to explain that there won't be any activities next week as a few unexpected bills have come up so if it wasn't for the broadband they'd have nothing to keep them entertained. Yes I could cancel and get charged a huge cancellation fee or I can keep it and let the kids have something to do until we get back on our feet.

How do you get sky for 19 a mth!!

'No judgment intended on how people spend their money, more a question of the term "poor" it's a relative term which will mean different things to different people. '

And BINGO! Doesn't take long for a full house.

Of course there is no judgement intended . . . and I'm actually Meghan Markle, Windsor, whatever the fuck.

Plus also freeview etc requires a house ariel which can cost up to 200 to install which isn't always possible as an upfront layout

Errr, we don't have TVs in bedrooms,no Sky, and I drink and smoke like a lunatic.

Not sure what that says.

I wanted to get out of my bt contract last year, it only had 6 months left, the charge to leave was £200 I imagine it would be similar for sky. Things are not always simple are they? If they were tied into a contract what do people expect them to do? If they have little money where are they going to find the money to pay themselves out of the contract?

I bet they were wearing clothes and shoes too, weren't they? Probably more than one outfit each! How very dare they

I do think the programme is designed to show that the bottom 10% are irresponsible. In this one the 'rich ' boy was saying they (poor) were lucky to have a big tv in every room and games consoles as they didn't have things like that in their house. In a previous one it elbowed in the fact that the family were poor because they had fun up massive credit cards, so we're poor as a result of their own doing.

To me if you have money to pay an ongoing TV subscription you're not poor

If they cancelled their Sky, they'd become officially poor? They'd have earned their place in the lowest 10% of earners?

Scotland. If you eat 10 donuts a day and complain about being fat I think you should look at eating 10 donuts a day. If you eat 10 donuts a day and don't complain I don't care or judge. Subscribing to a TV service when so much Tv is free and then saying you struggle financially????

They aren't complaining, Running, just showing their lives.

Priorities I suppose. I haven’t had a TV package for years because we just don’t watch it so in turn I have £50 extra a month for going out and doing things.

Lastnightidreamtofpotatoes. I don't agree. One of the things I like about the programme is historically both sides have worked hard. They don't normally cover families with inherited money and it's been shocking to see how hard some people work and remain in the bottom 10%.

We have games consoles and a big TV... Nice smart phones. All second-hand or given through family members who no longer needed them.

We also had a holiday in Greece Didn't pay a penny towards it, it was a gift.

They're not really in the 10% though unless their goat has his own 55 inch plus SKY set up in his pen. Peasants.

Wtf is the big obsession with sky?

Unless you've waked a mile in someone's shoes... don't judge.

So they cut their Tv package and cut off their internet to save £50 a month then what ? They are still going to struggle

I don't think sky is that cheap as people are making out! £35 for sky tv, phone and imternet?! It was £80 when I looke d. I pay £35 just for internet and phone from talk talk

I am paying £60 a month for skyQ andInternet

lastnight I don't have a credit card but its easy to get into debt on essentials if you do.
E.g. I had to move house because my landlord sold up. I'm now 200 a month worse off due to the rent increase. I can't save because most of my disposable income has gone on rent.
My car breaks down and needs a 300 pound repair. I can't get rid of my car because I'm a carer, so I put the 300 pound repair bill on the card. Then I get my hours cut so I have to put food on the credit card.
I can only pay the minimum so interest racks up.
The above is hypothetical but its very easily done and its not necessarily reckless spending. Its a spiral.

I don't think sky is that cheap as people are making out! £35 for sky tv, phone and imternet?! It was £80 when I looke d. I pay £35 just for internet and phone from talk talk

People get fantastically cheap deals because they phone up and say they are leaving because it's too expensive (not how we got ours, they told us just to go ).