Seriously? This is The Times idea of an average family being squeezed for cash?

[ItchySnoof]

How fucking out of touch are these people? Given that some families literally can't feed themselves?

Genuinely thought this was a joke

The Sunday Times had more about them which put it into perspective. They are just showing that everyone needs to manage their own budget carefully.

Last week there was a thread about MN being too middle-class! Judging by the responses to this I would say not.

I am worried about tax increases, energy bill increases, increases to my mortgage due to interest rate rises, inflation so everything costs more. Put all those things together and I may not be able to afford my lifestyle any more.

I think the rule is you have to state your monthly income so you can be judged as to whether A) you are lying about it (usually that's a yes) and B) whether you deserve to lose your lifestyle because people are going to foodbanks.

The state of this country. I despair.

You think everyone should be struggling?

don't reflect how the majority of people are living/existing

But the majority aren't. Your situation, whilst sad and should be better, is not typical of people in the UK. Disability benefits should increase, you'll not get an argument from me on that, but it isn't right to say the majority of people are struggling.

@Frazzledstar1 but if you were that poor you'd have to slum it in the Seychelles this summer rather than a month in the Maldives. Oh the horror.

People will need "to cut their cloth" to fit their income no matter what other people think. Why read The Times if you are going to be shocked by this. Your post is angry because you want to be angry. Try reading another paper...

@givemesteel

I am worried about tax increases, energy bill increases, increases to my mortgage due to interest rate rises, inflation so everything costs more. Put all those things together and I may not be able to afford my lifestyle any more.

At least some of you are fortunate enough to have a "lifestyle", there are millions who, through no fault of their own, truly are already on the crumb-line, never mind the bread-line.

@EmpressCixi@TheHoptimist
My point about council tax doubt very much they will live in a band a house paying a small amount .

harmonypuss yes, but 11 pages in we've covered the fact that it's not a poverty Olympics. Should those in the UK using fiid banks be grateful that's an option because elsewhere in the world people are actually dying of starvation? The article isn't about everyone. It's not saying these people's lives won't be worth living without their current 'lifestyle' just that the changes coming are so big that everyone, pretty much, will be affected. For those in that demographic, the changes might not be devastating and life altering no, but they are real.

@ClafoutisSurprise

I’m fed up with the attitude - which you see on here all the time - that people who are well off or even rich shouldn’t even be allowed to talk about their lifestyles and finances. Tone deaf is going on to a thread or into a conversation about council housing or some such and comparing that to problems you have with your £1m+ property or how you’re struggling on a six figure salary. Yet its use seems to have expanded to cover any mention of above average salaries or wealth, regardless of context. There was a poster on here last year who was heavily criticised for a thread about putting £2k per month towards her pension on a £60k salary - the usual cries about it being tone deaf, ‘read the room’, etc., despite it being her thread.

I’m not on six figures or saving £2k a month and fully agree that there is an inequality problem in this country, but sniping at people who are better off isn’t very edifying. The system is at fault, not individuals.

Besides, I didn’t even really register this article as financial clickbait. The telegraph do that far better ime!

This. 100 times

@DirtyDancing

It's not about the demographic that read the paper. It's tone deaf Shortsighted. Lacking in any comprehension whatsoever.

It's completely void of any appreciation for people who are struggling, worrying about whether they will be able to pay their fuel bill this winter.

They are sacrificing their veg boxes, whilst some people are reliant on food banks

They are renovating their kitchen for £100k when we know more children are living in poverty today than ever before.

Take away from Hakkasan (one of London's to restaurants) and some kids go to school hungry.

This country has gone complete fucking nuts. The gap between rich and poor is phenomenal.

So DO something then. Instead of moaning about these people who benefit from the current system. 90% of single parents are women. 60% of the children that are living in poverty live in those single parent households. The system discriminates against them and simple changes could easily fix a lot of it:

• The tax-free allowance should be raised but be per household, not per person.

• Single parents should get additional payments to recognise that they have much higher childcare costs because they do not have two people to juggle it.

• Tax thresholds should be per household. So a single parent starts paying 20% when they earn double what two people do when they individually earn that,

• All thresholds for UC, tax-free childcare, "30 hours" childcare, the threshold for when child benefit is withdrawn etc should be doubled when just one parent is raising the children. The families with two parents would still be at an advantage as they have two people to do childcare to reduce costs

It's no good moaning that some people are well off. It's quite clear that the majority of child poverty comes from single parents (almost all women) is a result of one person - the one whp stayed and tried to do the right thing - having to everything: provide financially, emotionally, give all of their time. And be taxed more than a couple earning the same who have twice as much time to work/ care for their kids.

If you genuinely are outraged about the inequality then campaign to your MP for this. Very, very simple to implement and would make a HUGE difference to poverty in this country.

But you haven't. And I expect you won't, and hardly anyone else on the thread will either.

Having a snipe at fortunate people will fox nothing. Campaigning for policies that would recognise the super-human job that single parents do - doing two people's work - would be much more productive.

I don't read the Times but I do read the dreaded DM! And I'm constantly astonished by the cost of the clothes they advertise. Do they really think people have got hundreds of pounds to spend on coats, skirts and jumpers? I get my clothes in Tesco

My point about council tax doubt very much they will live in a band a house paying a small amount

Depends where you live, Council tax is about £200 a month for my small 3 bed semi and thats one of the lower bands.

Interesting to hear whether @DirtyDancing has contacted their MP today to suggest the changes to the tax system that I outlined, that would fix a large proportion of child poverty.

From the lack of response I am guessing the answer is that no, they didn't.