To have frugality fatigue. (Cost of living.)

[KnopkaPixie]

Just that really. To do so well with finances for nearly a month then get an unexpected expense out of left field, pretending that lentil dahl is absolutely delicious, to have signed up to do surveys on YouGov and the rest and have made sod all, can't work any more hours, can't cut costs any more, can't claim anything off the state and to be kicking myself for not saving more when I had the chance. Just a moan really.

I never wanted to be that kind of miserable gît that resents every penny or knows, "The cost of everything but the value of nothing" But that's the way the value brand cookie is not crumbling right now.

Perhaps a bit woo but sometimes I wonder whether a real poverty mindset becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and perhaps a more speculate to accumulate mentality might do me better? Not any manifesting flapdoodle but just an idle thought.

@greenday16B - it is truly shocking how much the CoL has increased in recent years and in particular housing costs. I'm afraid that PPs are correct in blaming the Thatcher years for this - if there had been no big sell off of family social housing we wouldn't be in quite the mess we are in. Also if she had been less keen on pandering to institutional investors over the sell off of our oil and gas resources we might have a decent sovereign fund to eg subsidise childcare like the Norwegians.

There has been a lot of time since Thatcher for more social housing to be built or the policy to be changed. It’s far more complex than that - air b and b is one current issue.

You are an angel! And I say that as an atheist. Thank you for making the world a better place for some.

@Londonmummy66 I totally agree. Thatcher paved the way to the greed mentality. So @Teateaandmoretea the 2 converge.

Greedy people buying property to let out to make more and more money.

Thankfully a few decent folk still plodding along.

But obviously if £35k-55k is their WAGE then there won't be anywhere near that amount 'coming into the household' because various deductions will be taken first?

e.g. for £35k you will get £28,719 even if 'just' tax and NI are deducted. If you're paying off your student loan and into a workplace pension it will be more like £27k. A household with two people on that salary (so £54k actual income) still isn't exactly rolling in it, but as the pp said it will be almost impossible for one person.

Besides which, unlike pensioners, two thirty year olds on those salaries won't have had 40plus years to build up savings, or have benefitted from house price equity increases, or free tuition fees, etc.

@another1bitestheduck Not much point having a scrap about this. Things are sometimes complicated.
Not all pensioners have savings.