to be irritated of people complaining about poverty when not poor

[JazbayGrapes]

ok, i get times are tough, and you may need to economize and go without things you're used to.
But not homeless, not starving, not going without essential medicines.
And the fact that you didn't go on holiday when your neighbor did is neither here not there.

Myself and DH do not have fantastic wages but we are OK with money as our bills are low (inheritance so low mortgage)

I obviously understand how lucky I am “having an iPhone and being able to afford lattes” as you say (although I prefer Costa) there are many out there who are struggling and it upsets me especially hearing stories on the news where some people can’t afford 3 meals a day.

But I still moan and get annoyed about the bills going up, we obviously do not have a tonne of money as low wages and Petrol costs, electricity bills going crazy and heating means we are avoiding putting our heating on for as long as we can.

I know that mortgages are also going up soon, that is another extra cost
Of course there will always be someone better off and worse off than you in the world. That goes for everyone! But I think we all have a right to moan about something that’s affecting us all. I absolutely agree thought that it is affecting some more than others

I work in a spar, I work very hard for my money and it can be very stressful, so jog on with your stupid comment

I remember a family member four/five years ago moaning about how skint they where. They just brought (not needed) two new to them Mercedes’ and where about to go on their fourth holiday aboard also mortgage free.

I would love to be that skint. But it isn’t a race to the bottom. I have more money than others and others have more than me. I get that it grinds a bit when those who really can managed and then some complain as if they are needing food banks when really it just means they have less to put into their already high savings.

As PP's have said it's all relative. Yes I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach and can put the heating on, but...me and DP also work full-time and all our money is going on bills leaving us with very little at the end of the month, whereas before we could at least afford a weekend away or other treats that made the daily grind of work a bit more bearable, now we don't. It's like we now solely work to pay the bills and have nothing left to enjoy anymore.

Yabu. Higher earners have bigger outgoings.

Huh?!

How do you work that one out???

If that’s the case then no one would want to be a high earner.

But they do as that means they can choose to spend more on luxuries.

Yes that seemed odd, it is a choice

Surely higher earners pick to have higher outgoings. Apart from being suitably dressed, the house you pick if up to you as is the car, as is private or state eduction etc.

Because they tend to buy bigger houses, better cars, have cleaners etc. It isn’t rocket science is it?!

Through choice, they don't have to.

I think it depends- those that aren’t going starving right now but can only just afford the basic essentials realistically aren’t far off not neong
qnl

Because they tend to buy bigger houses, better cars, have cleaners etc. It isn’t rocket science is it?!

All of those things are choices though - nobody needs cleaners or fancy cars.

It is completely their choice and their lifestyle won’t change dramatically if they need to cut back.

Arguing that higher earners have larger outgoings because they hire cleaners or have bigger houses is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

I also really disagree with you OP

High earners earn their money by possessing certain skillsets, qualifications and experience, often gained by compromising their social lives, relationships and time with family. It's earned money, not given money.

When you're a big earner, who sacrificed their youth, or took money gambles, or lived on the breadline for years to fund their studies or businesses, in the hope of a better lifestyle it stings hard to go without stuff that previously you could afford on your earnings.

I also disagree. Me & DH aren’t classed as high earners but both earn a decent amount. We both have degrees and specialist masters in our lines of work to allow us to do our job. We both have 20 years experience in our line of work, both manage people. Whilst I agree that we’re lucky that we’ll always have a roof over our head and always have food on the table, why the hell shouldn’t we complain that we can no longer afford the same standard of living when the cause is because of greed of large companies, brexit and the war Russia started. Why should we sit back and take that because others are worse off. The more people shout the more they’ll listen. I’m always sensitive when discussing with others who may have less than us however.

So cleaners shouldn’t have jobs?

It’s a normal consequence that if you earn more, you have a nicer lifestyle. This encourages people to work hard, take on job stress etc, but also means they give back to the economy through increased spending.

It means cleaners have jobs, so do gardeners, people who sell luxury items etc

It isn’t greedy, it’s actually a good thing for the economy. But not if only a tiny tiny minority can afford to live that way.

I get exactly what you mean, I know people moaning they can't afford to go skiing this year so are only going to Lanzarote. You would think they were starving by the amount of poverty pleading, not wanting to pay for prearranged things

You sound like a lot of fun at parties.

Get over yourself OP, everybody gets to be pissed off at economic shit show going on.

What some consider luxuries some consider essentials, everyone lives differently, everyone is entitled to have a little moan about the shitstorm that is ongoing right now. It’s not a race to the bottom.

Whilst I agree that we’re lucky that we’ll always have a roof over our head and always have food on the table

But this is the issue that OP is talking about.

The higher earners are moaning that they can’t afford their cleaner or to go on as many luxury holidays as they usually do but the average and low earners are genuinely worried about keeping a roof over their heads or paying for food for their children.

Yes you can moan about it to your partner or high earning friends and family but it’s very distasteful to moan about not being able to afford luxuries around people you know are struggling to afford basics.

And they all spout the same patronising idea that high earners have more money because they work harder than lower earners.

I actually like the moaning. It’s a positive thing that people on middle incomes are joining the debate, sadly not many of them could be bothered to care much when it was only ‘spar workers’ and people they deemed not to have worked as hard as them that were suffering. The more voices the better.

But there are some people who do plead poverty in ridiculous circumstances.

I remember knowing a couple, she was a doctor and he was a pilot and she was always going on and on about how broke they were. Yes, they had a big mortgage for a massive house and earned a combined salary of £100, 000. But this was 25 YEARS AGO!!!!

I had grown up in proper “northern poverty”. My mum would send us to the butchers to ask for bones for the “dog”. If they had any meat on them they would be cooked up for a stew for us, and my mum would tell me it’s the marrow in the bones that’s makes it wholesome.

So yes this woman who would moan about the cost of Roquefort cheese would really get my goat.

Just choose who you whine to:

Don't complain about not being able to afford private schools to your homeless friend.

Don't complain that you are having trouble conceiving your 3rd child to your friend who has been trying and failing to conceive her first.

Don't complain about your child just missing an A* to your friend whose child failed all his exams.

I used to have a manager who kept her house in the home counties when moving to London and buying a place in Chelsea. She always said she was the poor relation in the family - that was annoying.

My neighbour is always complaining she's broke and starving, however she has all the latest gadgets. She sees it as her right to have these items & everyone else should pay for her.

She bought her 8 Yr old an I-phone 12 & then knocked on another neighbours door asking for food as she didn't have any cash left.

YABU to not 'allow' people to want to vent about significantly worse situation unless they are literally on the street!
I think it is outrageous that our governments are so spineless that benefits have to prop up EMPLOYED families. Businesses have been given all the breaks and are fucking up the lives of large swathes of the population, but I guess you're fine with that unless they're begging on street corners.

Its not a competition its not a race to the bottom. Its OK to be fed up with how things go. This anti "whine" bs is just from people with ZERO interest in the lives of others unless it's insta worthy. Totally shallow and cold. What a world.