To think the country is b*gg*r*d, and life as we once knew it is over?

[RejectedFleece]

Just that really.

we earn £40k with one child and are really happy and comfortable

i can’t think of anywhere better

what had made life as we know it over?

We’re still free
nothing could be more important

The writing has been on the wall for years that cheap credit wouldn't last for ever

You want to try being an immigrant woman living in a southern (Republican) US state at the moment. The UK is looking like utopia by comparison.

I take it you weren't around in the 70s OP? Or any other period when things have not been great.
Countries, like people, have ups and downs. Tomorrow is another day....

I certainly think the days of huge equity gains, early retirement etc are over for the vast majority. There is a looming huge demographic shift & Im not sure how we will adapt based on the shit we are in now!

So much this 👆. I work with some amazing people and our job is to get people back into work after long term unemployment - at least half of my colleagues have no idea what is going on because they love tiktok . Utterly mind blowing, like a parellel universe.

But it's ok because we don't live in extreme poverty like some in the world. Not sure why we can't aspire to more!

Grow
meat? you’re a carnivore no? Prove it or get into the garden

We are in for a rough ride in terms of the economy, but will come out the other side.

How though? I'm generally intrigued as to how. I want it to be true but I don't think we ever recovered from the 08 crisis & the wage stagnation & low investment has come home to roost.

The economy is tanking, we are likely already in recession. Interest rates are going up, inflation is the highest it's been for 40 years. Some people are going to really struggle financially and others are going to find that they can no longer afford several holidays and new cars.

Glory days of the period 1700 to 2010 are gone for good.

I think if I had a heap of kids I'd be shitting myself. Life for large families is going to be very hard.

It is
I live living here
I’m so grateful to have been born here but everything else is my own making

i love my life and my country

What's with endless misery dirge woe wankfest on Mumsnet? It's almost like y'all enjoy it

It has been so for 20 odd years if not 40. It just took a long long time for the message to travel up through the hierarchy: for the chickens head to know that it’s legs had been amputated and were bleeding out.

Thee we very fact that it has taken so long, despite the occasional reality check and call for change, shows you how much it deserves to topple.

Financially most of us were better off late 90s early 00s (because it turned out we were all living way beyond our means!)

But don't forget just how terrified many of us were after 9/11, and 7/7 in particular. I definitely didn't feel like the 00s were halcyon days when I was living through them. And I didn't even have kids back then!

I agree with you OP. I’m in my 50s and have lived through several recessions and 18% interest rates. I think the present situation is worse than anything I’ve lived through and it scares me. I heard on the news today that the government have miscalculated the disability allowances to be paid out by 70%! The bill is nearly 2 BILLION pounds. The NHS is on its knees and people are dying waiting for ambulances and operations. Drs are leaving in droves and there are over 100,000 nhs vacancies. Energy bills and inflation are horrific for many family.

If we don’t get a government very quickly, who can get a grip on all of this. we will be buggered for decades.

Grow meat? you’re a carnivore no? Prove it or get into the garden

I wasn't really talking about me. I can afford food. I've tightened my belt on discretionary spend.

I do grow herbs and garlic though. I've got the space, unlike those in city high rises.

YANBU, sadly.

I think we've had an unprecendented run of stability, peace and prosperity (in relative terms) in the UK and it's over. I'm generally an optimist, but too many things have built up and TBH the only thing that could save the environment from irreversible damage now would be the world more or less scrapping global capitalism and everyone returning to localised society and supply chains, and that's not realistic or frankly desirable for anyone, let's be honest.

I guess if you've been in adult life since 2010, it's been years of artificially low interest rates, house price rises, credit being offered left right and centre

Young people haven't really benefited in the last 2 decades.

Who remembers the 70s, winter of discontent, sky high inflation, unions crippling the country (I was I my teens back then so I didn't particularly care) early 90s , property crash, 1000s lost their homes, 2010 election which got rid of Labour who had left enormous debts which were still paying for. Gordon Brown flogging off all.the UK Gold reserves.
It's not too many years since th UK paid off its WW2 debts.
We always bounce back, always will, yes we are in a shit state atm but so are much of the world, and social media hysteria doesn't really help. In your face 24/7 if you allow it. So don't allow it

I kindof agree OP. That said, I'm trying to make sensible preparations.

Unfortunately some of us are old enough to remember the infamous 15% mortgages etc :-o

And old enough to remember cheaper houses

Unfortunately the reality of some people's existence is that this has been the case in the 'glory days'. So imagine how shit its going to be for them now.

Its convenient for people that they can point the to pandemic and the very recent war, ultimately we have committed ourselves a huge piece of self harm which will as someone said, drain our country like nothing before, drain it of resources, expertise and personell but overall economic growth due to the disadvantages we will now have to navigate, huge swathes of trade that we ano cannot access on preferable terms, it will cost us financially, socially, politically and globally.

I feel so ashamed of this country at times although Im always the first to point out our advantages and good stuff.