AIBU to think I might be ok financially through sheer dumb luck??

[HailGary]

And also to think that if I'm ok given I've made poor choices then things are a bit fucked up?

I am 45, never owned a house, never earnt much money. Never been able to buy a house, lived in one shit private rental after another, all my money going to landlords and childminders. Then after I got evicted for about the eighth time I dug my heels in, said to the council that's it's we're homeless, fucking house us, we got our flat, it was loads less, also didn't need childcare so much, so I started putting money away.

Now I've got a fair bit put away. I've been promoted a few times (because I work fucking hard) and I've kept putting away.

But I always thought well shit, I don't really have any security because I don't own a property and this is very precarious really.

But now it looks like for the next few years at least being cash rich and asset poor is suddenly ok. And I'm kind of breathing a sigh of relief. But also feeling a bit guilty, and also thinking well this shouldn't be the case and it's all a bit arse about tit.

But, I think I'm better off as I am, with cheap rent, building up my savings, than I would be had I took on a mortgage as a single earner and got clobbered with everything that's coming our way.

AIBU?

I don’t think it’s ‘sheer dumb luck’, sounds like you have worked hard and been careful, sure, you had a good break with the flat but you have capitalised on it.

It doesn’t mean that someone who bought somewhere was naive, everyone has an element of luck, but this is where you are now and you should feel good about the working hard/saving, not the ‘luck’ that is wasn’t the right time for you to buy a place.

Be careful OP; they will come along to tell you to move out of your FREE council home, lol.

It’s good you are able to save; it really helps especially in times like this.

Lol yes my free home that I pay for and that will eventually get allocated to someone else when I pop off haha.

Thanks both.

I guess I just feel like wow for years I thought I'd fucked up not owning anything but now it's better to be that way as a person with one income.

I've never owned a property either. I rent privately directly through the landlord, but luckily he hasn't been worried about upping the rent to the market value since we've lived here. Luckily the rent is comparatively cheap for the place we live in. I feel fortunate that rent is not a worry.

Ok until your rent goes up or the landlord decides to sell at the drop of a hat anyway.

Reports of house prices falling by 30% over the next few years so that might work in your favour also if you particularly want to to buy.

The only downside is when you are elderly if you don't have a property of your own to live in and need support you are reliant on social care making the right choices for you if they are paying.

Yes you're very lucky to have a council property.

Potentially precarious if policy changes at some point and councils start evicting those who do not need a council property and have enough in savings / earnings to rent privately. There is a housing crisis after all.