To think that people don't budget carefully enough these days?

[daffodilrosedaisy]

I've come across several people recently who are living hand to mouth, and struggling to afford things... BUT spend out on what I would consider unnecessary luxuries. Examples:

• Struggling to pay rent for a large family each month, ended up in huge debt to their landowners and got kicked out... but have newest iPhones, iPads for all the kids, big TV etc.

• Unable to pay for boiler and car to be fixed at the same time in winter, so had to take out a big loan to buy new ones of both, but go on two week holidays abroad, and again own high-end electronics.

I'm not referring to people that are never able to save, because their living costs equate to what they earn. I mean people who seem to get their priorities wrong and spend lots on 'luxuries' but don't budget for the basics like rent, and having a contingency fund for when things go wrong (broken boiler/car etc.).

AIBU in thinking this is ridiculous? Especially when people have families to care for?

Totally agree with @ColdTattyWaitingForSummer budgeting isn't always something that's instinctive; it has to be taught. As soon as I got accepted for uni my mum taught me how to budget and it's stood me in good stead ever since. Sometimes I wonder if schools should concentrate at least some of their lessons on basic life skills though tbh I do think these ideally should be taught at home.

I get it wasn’t directed at me however my point is you shouldn’t be watching people’s business anyway when it doesn’t concern you...

I remember when my son was young and somebody bought him an iPad for his birthday....my family kept going on incessantly about how can I afford to buy an iPad and I’m struggling to make ends meet ?? How is that a priority ?

What they didn’t know was that the ups was a gift, second hand and only worked on WiFi which meant using my phone as a hotspot as I don’t have WiFi.

See my point ?? You don’t know how people get by so probably best not to comment

There was a person at work who admitted they can't be arsed to get up on time to catch a bus sometimes so took a taxi about twice a week. Each time it was over £10. We all knew it because they came in in the morning and stated "Cba to get up today so had to take taxi".
But oh no. Couldn't put a fiver a week towards savings. But could go and keep saying "how lucky" for me to be able to afford short European trip. For which I saved by putting away fiver a week...

It's everyone's own thing what they do with their money, but what grinds me the most is when afterwards they keep commenting on things you saved for as if you were a millionaire...

We are a divided society, and have become a much more unequal one. Especially over the last 10 years.

However, fashion, electronic gadget trends etc are designed it seems to make some people feel left out if they cannot have them, and others are just sheep when it comes to latest fashions etc. This inevitably hits those on a low income hardest.

People with addictions to various degree I think also suffer, even those where there is not a long-term physical health impact.

Why not tell them to their face what you wrote here or change the subject when they bring it up rather than slag them off on the internet?

@CTRL But in the instances I have listed above, these are both good friends of mine and I DO know the circumstances. For example, I was there when a replacement iPad arrived for one of the children. I was there when she got the latest iPhone X contract at £79.00 a month... etc. I don't judge everyone's situations like these as I DON'T know the ins and outs. But it very much feels like some people don't prioritise the right things any more.

Plus, have a decent job? Feels like you should be able to afford some nice things! And yet the cost of living is a lot higher than it used to be, so it can come as a shock to realise that even on 2 decent salaries, you actually can’t really afford a nice holiday every year, and a gym membership, and new clothes a couple of times a year, and a meal out once a month, and a new sofa if the old ones looking scruffy while also saving enough contingency money. Because it FEELS like you should. And other people on similar incomes seem to have all those things.

@IAmALazyArse This!!

Whilst I do agree that many are hopeless at budgeting, most new TVs are big and can be bought for under £300.

But that's irrelevant if you don't have £300, and I think that's part of the problem. People say "it's only x" but if you don't have x, you still can't afford it...

I know want you mean as I have personally heard in the last few weeks alone friends moan they can’t afford to service their boiler before winter, replace a clappped out car and new school uniforms and shoes for kids going back to school. Each one of them went away abroad this summer and was drinking a cocktail costing a tenner whilst they were having a moan about how skint they were. They easily spent £80 to £100 having a Night out manning how skint they were.

@timshelthechoice I have! I've explained why I wouldn't lend them money in a polite way, and also because I put my money into savings when I can, and I expressed my frustration at them cancelling the holiday because they couldn't pay their rent when they'd taken out a £79.00 phone contract! I'm very straight up with my friends. I was curious to see if others agreed that this sort of behaviour has become common, which for the most part they clearly do!

If you’re getting a new phone on a 2 year contract, could well be because you NEED a new phone (eg battery life is terrible on older phones) and it may only be a few pounds a month difference between the latest iPhone and an older model which won’t stand the test of time with iOS updates etc

Or maybe you don't get an iPhone or a contract at all?

adaline maybe that's their entertainment for the evening?

We don't go to pubs or anywhere in the evening so we have a tv and packages to watch.

But people’s priorities are different

What may seem like a priority to you - just because it isn’t a priority to others doesn’t mean they don’t know how to budget though.

I never compare myself to others because I simply don’t know what thier struggles are and it’s easy for people to judge when they don’t know anything about you.

I wouldn’t consider you a friend if your watching what I’m doing and what I’m spending money on and then come online to slag me off....

Just think about that hun

@adaline These are the sort of unnecessary things I mean... I use a 6 year old phone on pay as you go, so can only use the Internet on WiFi, as it's cheaper than replacing with a new touch screen phone!

Agree with the phone thing. There are amazing phones, half the price of an iphone or Samsung. It's understandable that phones need changing, but people should really think about which one they can afford. Instead of getting £60 pound contract, get a different phone a get £30 contract. £30 saved a month is massive!

@CTRL I can tell you now that £79.00 a month on a phone isn't necessary, it's a luxury. I've explained in a PP that I did talk to them both about it.

For me I spend money on a contract phone because I’m able to use the data and obviously use the minutes and texts when I need to.

However I don’t have WiFi and I don’t have a house phone or sky or anything.

That’s my entertainment but I’m sure someone cough (someone like you) would just look and see oh she has a phone contract that is probably expensive and she shouldn’t.

Even then my contract isn’t expensive but I’m sure there will always be someone who would disagree and think it’s a luxury to even have it and if I’m struggling so much I shouldn’t even have a phone.

It’s all comparable

"These days" = yabu. I don't even need to read whatever self congratulatory nonsense you wrote really.

The boiler vs car thing sounds like more of a cash flow thing. Two expensive rainy day events at once.

@CTRL No, I wouldn't. As I've explained in a PP - go through and read them as I'm repeating myself to you here a lot - I wouldn't judge circumstances I don't know. I know my friends' circumstances well.

But people’s priorities are different

But if they choose to prioritise badly, they lose the right to whinge and complain.

maybe that's their entertainment for the evening?

But then you save up and get a second hand one from somewhere? I haven't bought a new TV in years just because I don't see the point. Our current TV was about £70 from a cashconverters type place and we've had it four years now.

You don't need to spend £300+ on a TV these days. It's a choice. If you can afford it, fine, but if not, you need to make a different choice, surely?

My contract phone costs £9 a month .......its not a particularly exciting phone but it does the job and comes with data and a calls / text bundle.