To think life is a bit pointless for many if you don't have much money

[Potato35]

This obviously doesn't apply to people who are happy with the bare minimum or are perhaps living mortgage or rent free or don't need to work.
Being on a low income restricts your life in so many ways. It's not about wanting millions and a luxurious lifestyle, but..
Imagine being able to go to the supermarket and not have to calculate the cost of everything to the last penny
To have choice over where you buy clothes, not just second hand/Primark etc.
To have more options about the size and conditions of your home and be able to afford the cost of renovations
Can afford more things like vitamins, supplements, health and beauty treatments
Can see more of the world
You can probably afford a pet or children
When your friends want to go to higher end restaurants you can afford to go and not just get a starter and a tap water
You can afford better food

What's the point of living to just earn a low wage and just get by? Where's the fun in life?
Somebody has to do the minimum wage jobs because many of these jobs are essential to society, like working as a carer.

Ps when I worked i spent more on hair, clothes, commuting, dry cleaning, networking events, lunch and coffees. And was always surrounded by people who had "more". It didn't make me happy.

someone in my family has 5 kids, never worked, neither does her DP. Kids don’t do anything at all. I feel like they just exist, feel sorry for the kids.

What are you doing to try and get out of this situation?

Beauty treatments, pets, holidays, posh food and clothes - why?

Do you really think these things will make you happier?

Are you safe, are you warm, do you have clean water, enough to eat, shelter?

As Desiderata says 'Strive to be happy'

I totally get it. Its the "Tale of the Fisherman's Wife" and why the Tale makes sense to everyone who reads or hears it over these past 200 years?

It's a Tale anyone will recognise from any point in history and in the future. Unless humans fundamentally change I think it always will.

Yes. I have lived a miserable life with next to no money. I was in an abusive relationship and my ex took all my (low) wages. He refused to work. We lived in a grotty flat and there was usually no gas or electricity beyond the first couple of weeks of the month due to no funds for the meters. Winter was especially difficult as it's so cold and dark, trying to keep clean with a flannel wash and do laundry in the bath in cold water. Everything smelling musty because you can't dry it properly. Living on dry kwik save cereal or burger relish sandwiches due to an incredibly tight food budget. Money gives you options and while I am far from well off now we always have power, clean clothes and home, enough to eat etc. Becoming a single mum was the best move I ever made.

But people can both have an understanding of how little some have while also finding their relative struggles hard as well.

The real travesty here is that there are people who have hundreds of billions of pounds and people who have none. Wealth inequality applies across the world.

Yes - and it will always ALWAYS be so

You cannot balance it. No-one can. It's Life with all its iniquities.

If you took every penny from everyone who wasn't starving you wouldn't change it. It is not possible.

you may have misunderstood the Op? As I read it, she isn’t wanting riches do much as wanting to not be scraping by and counting each penny and wondering his to pay for the very basics. I would agree it’s a crap situation to be in.

Until the sun dies, then the solar system is swallowed up and implodes.

But we really don’t need to think like that!

I think a simple life can be good.
I live opposite a marina and people live on their boats for £250 per month, and they look really happy. (They're not supposed to, but they do)

But like, what's the alternative?

I was very poor for years. Could never afford new clothes. Never even occurred to me to look at shoes except during the sales. Never went on holiday. But I became really good at having free fun. Free music festivals, theatre tickets, talks, concerts, exhibitions, meeting up with friends for walks, wild swims etc. Life was still fun. It is way less stressful now I have enough money. But it was still really good fun when I had none.

I don't think anyone will disagree that life is easier when you are financially secure,

I completely disagree that 'life is pointless' when you have to budget though.

Millions of us either currently live or have lived a life such as you described. I feel quite insulted that you are suggesting our lives are pointless.
I've contributed a lot to my family and to society. My life has definitely not been pointless.

I heard there is a massive shortage of plumbers and trade skills in general. If I were starting out (and had any aptitude for it) I'd train as a plumber or electrician.

My son almost died last year. He wasn't expected to survive but he did against all of the odds.

We don't have much money but I feel incredibly grateful. I think people take a lot of things for granted.

Give me a simple life any day as long as my child is healthy, that is what makes me rich and it is far from pointless.

Lots of reasons. My daughter has learning difficulties, she will never be on more than NMW.

It's not about having plenty of money. It's about having enough so that you're not living in grinding poverty. Huge difference.

Money doesn't bring happiness, sure, but lack of money sure as hell brings misery, and it's bs to suggest otherwise.

Rich and poor alike are usually glass half empty or glass half full.

A half empty rich person will likely be less happy than glass half full poor person.

I think some people are missing the point..
And it's not a race to the bottom, I can be unhappy but still be grateful that I have access to clean water ffs.

I hate those ridiculous comparisons, it's like oh I can't afford my rent this month but at least I have clean water!

I came to this realisation, and it's actually so incredibly freeing. I live a simple life with DP. I haven't had children because I don't want to bring any into this world. We own a very small house outright, and a car, we enjoy our hobbies, DH's son is grown up living his own life. We don't compare ourselves to other people as there's no point. We put money aside for later life, but other than that, we spend what we have and enjoy what we can. It really is that simple. There's no point getting frustrated if you can't afford x, y or z. Frustration doesn't make things better, it just stops you enjoying right now. Whether we live a happy life or a life filled with resentment, we die either way.

I don't think many people set out to be skint for their whole lives - some incomes may fluctuate, some may be on a low income forever for many reasons. Maybe that's normal to them, maybe they made bad choices and don't have the skills to improve, maybe they have health problems, maybe they are victims in some way, maybe they are simply not motivated to earn more for whatever reason.

Of course money improves your life in multiple ways and even not spending it gives you security. This doesn't mean that everyone is equally capable of having a high income.

Some people are better at living frugally and being happy with less, but the vast majority of people would be able to improve their lives with more money.

I hate those ridiculous comparisons, it's like oh I can't afford my rent this month but at least I have clean water!

Usually said by people who don't worry about rent or clean water 🙄

I'm 44, husband 49, and we both work. However, we met later in life and simply do not have enough money to buy a suitable house we can call our own. So we are in privately rented and shall remain so for many years to come. I love the house we live in but dream of one day having somewhere I can truly call my own (as well as the sense of security that would bring). Still, I know I must be grateful for everything I do have ❤️