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?

@Alevel I said for a country like that...not in our country

Oh ffs it's about the poorest 10% of people in the country. Mrs is yet another person who doesn't understand poverty in the U.K. today.

They lived in wooden shacks. The size of a single garage if they were lucky with at least one family if not more. They slept on the floor and worked hard for little money. If you don’t think that’s poor try living like that.

if you can afford the monthly luxury expense of Sky then you obviously can afford food and clothes and bills...if not then you would just be bad at budgeting...hence in my eyes, those people aren't poor

Why are you assuming that the people who put £35 by to pay for their tv/internet package are not buying their food first?

When you are poor you budget all your money
I was poor in the early 90s
Pick up my money on Monday from the post office.
Whilst I was at the post office I would buy £5. Electric, £5 Gas, £5 telephone stamps (people like the OP considered that a luxury), £5 TV licence stamps (also considered a luxury).
I would buy £10 worth of food
£5 on nappies (they were more expensive then)
The next day I would pay my rent, rates and nursery fees.
That would leave me with £5 for the rest of the week.

So I had food, a flat, a tv, phone.
You going to tell me I wasn't poor?

And hark the fuck at you saying that people living in Malaysia have their priorities wrong. You are hilarious.

Have you been to Malaysia? No idea what you mean by country like that. There were millionaires living streets away from these shacks.

Sky TV/Virgin/Netflix are an excellent cost effective form of entertainment. I would love to go to live gigs or theatre but it is so far out of my means. TV offers a full range of programming, something for everyone and at a fraction of the price.
Sad to read this post. Some folk really have no idea

@TheFirstMrsDV what I'm saying is that they might budget for broadband/tv but the issue is Sky and Sky is obviously more expensive than other alternatives. Why don't they save their money left over and try and improve their lot rather than spending it on Sky tv?

And go for a cheaper option like freeview?

Dss has a games console. He saved up for over a year to buy it. He has a flat screen tv. We waited until sky had a free gift promotion before we got signed up for it and got the tv free. My main tv is a cheap returned one that was in bright house. I got my laptop as a gift. All of our phones are on contract with the cheapest tariff. And our new car is on finance. To there it may look like we have money. We really dont

MrsCD I pay £25.00 per month for Sky television, broadband and telephone line. It's the cheapest I could find for the rural area in which I live.

We had a year's free superfast broadband through Sky. You can't get cheaper than that. Continually changing broadband provider is by far the cheapest way to get broadband.

The internet is essential nowadays for most people who work and for school children. It's an essential bill.

What a load of judgmental crap on here.

@TheFirstMrsDV I'm really sorry xx

Many people have given reasons as to why they might have sky. Stuck in a contract, only form of entertainment etc but you refuse to believe that poor people have any idea about how to budget. My sky costs £28 a month so we are not talking lots of money for the basic package. It would cost me that to go to the cinema once a month. I hate the way people talk about poor people like they are some sort of idiot people who have no idea of priorities etc.

People buy Sky boxes for £25, pay another £25 to get them chipped - and then they get all channels for free.

Don't assume people with Sky are paying for it.

Why don't they save their money left over and try and improve their lot rather than spending it on Sky tv?

How do you suggest someone improves their lot on £35 a month?

You are like those 90's commentators who said single mums should sell their tellies and videos.

What would happen after that £30 was spent up was never made clear.

Thank you sovery.

It was ever thus. Of course there are all kinds of poor people, including some who don't budget properly and some who have the priorities skewed. But it reminds me of "The Road to Wigan Pier" where Orwell reports that the miners were criticised for buying tea, instead of essentials.

And go for a cheaper option like freeview?
Can you get internet with freeview?
Ours comes with Virgin.

But it reminds me of "The Road to Wigan Pier" where Orwell reports that the miners were criticised for buying tea, instead of essentials

Yep, its just the 'essentials' that change. Because what the are is not important, they are figurative. What the critic means is 'ITS YOUR FAULT YOU ARE POOR'.

Why don't they save their money left over and try and improve their lot rather than spending it on Sky tv?
Oh please, tell me how to improve my lot. I look after two disabled people, meaning I'm up and about for 18 hours a day. I cook, clean, lift, turn and am an ear for those who need it. I escort to therapy, organise hospital appointments and everything else that needs doing. I'm sixty this year and disabled myself. I am always willing to listen to brilliant ideas on how to improve my lot, though...

That a month is probably cheaper than days out.

Oh, and of course give up the sky, the broadband etc as my a) only means of entertainment and b) my main method of contact with the outside world.
Whilst we're at it, I'm another who doesn't drink or smoke and buys my clothes from charity shops, but as I said; I'm listening...

gilead obviously you should get rid of luxuries such as broadband and sky cause that will make everything better. I mean you will then be stuck in a house with nothing to do but you will have saved yourself 30 quid so in a few years you will be rich...

Save it for a rainy day. You could save up to do a college course to try and help with job prospects to help you improve your skills/income. Then you'd be able to afford sky without breaking the bank

And disabled people who can't work what should they save up for?