To feel our quality of life in the UK gets lower every year?

[Playingvideogames]

Off the back of another thread where I mentioned my childhood homes being bought by my parents for under 300k in the late 90s/early 2000s, and are now all selling for 700k+.

I feel like our quality of life just dwindles every year. Everything becomes more expensive. Housing is low quality, small and extortionate. The weather is awful 70% of the time. Everything feels so overcrowded with fewer green spaces and natural beauty as more housing estates go up. The roads are awful, choked with traffic and potholed. Constant roadworks here yet nothing ever seems to get solved. Customer service is a bit rubbish, nothing really works as intended. More and more rules about what you can and can’t do. People just seem stifled and stressed.

I’m sure people will rush along to say how wonderful the NHS is and similar, but I sometimes feel really envious of people living in places where (although not perfect) they have something reliable to enjoy - great weather, a nice big house, just more space and less overcrowding.

I don’t think I’m being unreasonable but I wonder if you do!

Ah, I see what you mean. I only have one son in his 20’s. He went through his younger years wanting to sit in on his computer. Like most kids I guess. Although he loved horse riding and kayaking, so we did a lot of that as a family. There have been very few late nights out with friends for me to worry about. I think he only ever stayed over a friends house once. Now he’s in uni in the UK, so is not always with us in the US.

I think you mean economist. Anthropology is the study of humans from evolution to systems of kinship and community. They study behaviour, biology, linguistics, religious behaviour, familial patterns and archaeology. Economics is the study of resources.

Yes, I feel like the UK has tall poppy syndrome and there’s a mentality that we’re this incredible country just because our NHS is free and people don’t have guns. They might make it safer but they’re not an ‘enjoyment’ as such. All our ‘positives’ hinge around safety and insurances, not things that can actively enhance your life in a leisurely way such as good weather and a spacious home. There’s a strange attitude that people who work hard should be grateful for the bare minimum, whereas those who don’t work deserve the world and are entitled to complain about what they feel they should be getting.

You’re missing important things such as family, friends and hobbies that enhance our lives.

This is an interesting post. I can see the positives you mention about the states,,but there's a flip side just as there is for the UK.

Obviously climate varies and that gives more choice. But the downside of Texas and Florida (as pp mentioned those) are that Texas has very hot/humid summers, severe thunderstorms with tornado risk in parts. Florida has hurricanes, flooding risk, intense humidity, mosquitos...

So to someone who prefers warmth (as you do?) this may be a good trade-off. To someone like me & other pps, who prefer cold to heat and/or prefer safety from tornadoes/floods/intense heat etc, then it's not. The weather issue is imo more of a personal preference issue than a flaw necessarily in the UK.

There’s a hardcore nucleus on MN who believe that you should provide for them - surprised they’ve not shown up on this thread yet.

My parents had an interest rate of about 14% on their mortgage which they hadn’t budgeted for (it jumped massively in a short time 1980s / 1990s). They once argued because Dad wanted chocolate covered biscuits, which they felt they couldn’t afford. We had a tiny black and white YV which was their entertainment, but Mum didn’t have a tv growing up. They never went out, never had a takeaway. We were middle-class. Now they are well off pensioners. Your time might still come.

What do you suggest then euthanise the old?

I meant anthropologist - given thst the poster so confidentally stated that "we have reached peak 'quality of life' generally as a species", and our future is doomed, i thought perhaps they had studied humanity, its origins, cultural practices, social behaviors, and biological evolution.

They probably mean we might need to transition to a mixed model like France for one...

Yanbu. Taxes are sky high, public services are often very poor. The roads are full of potholes and it often feels like successive governments despise workers. Punishing aspiration and not rewarding hard work just drags everyone down to a low quality of life, rather than generating wealth that could improve the country.

@Playingvideogames not sure I agree about all that with regards to US - this work hard thing you mention — very very much depends what you do - I know a fair few people there and several that have worked very hard but in not particularly highly paying jobs and I can say that whilst they have a bigger house than what they would have here - that’s about the only bonus, they have big healthcare bills they struggle to afford , the area they live isn’t particularly nice, it’s all a bit dual carriageways and strip malls, drive everywhere . Wouldn’t be for me . Weather definitely better , will give you that , but often panicking about heavy snowfalls and always intensely wary about strangers around the area , obsessing about gas prices - don’t get me wrong I think US can be good, another friend lives in Santa Barbara ( we work in music) been a few times and yep I see the appeal, big house, great weather , lovely scenery but the massive difference in lifestyle is money and it takes lots of it!and that in itself makes this person a bit of a ‘try it on merchant’ ! Because he constantly needs lots and lots of income to maintain it

@Carla786 ironically though those voting for this will fully expect ‘their’ pensions and healthcare to be covered off . I can guarantee it

The biggest decline for me has been in attitude. I spend a fair bit of time in France and Spain and while people discuss politics and have the same gripes about the economy, taxes, immigration etc it doesn’t consume them in the same way. People don’t seem to have the same hate for their country. There’s not the endless talk of their country being finished/ gone to pot etc. There’s still hope and positivity but I really don’t feel like that here.

Currently the thread below this one in active is 'Children shot, bodies burned with acid & limbs snapped: Iran’s atrocities' so I think I'll cope with fewer holidays a year.

What do you suggest then euthanise the old?

Why would that be the suggestion @MeouwKing?

@Playingvideogames

Off the back of another thread where I mentioned my childhood homes being bought by my parents for under 300k in the late 90s/early 2000s, and are now all selling for 700k+.

The value of money has almost halved since the year 2000, so you'd expect a £300k house to now cost £577k if house prices were linked to CPI.

But... wages have increased at an average of 3.4% since 2000, which is a total of 2.4x wage growth. The house would need to cost more than £719k to be less affordable for the average worker.

I think you're buying into the narrative of' crazy house prices' and 'injustice', but you're actually in exactly the same position as your parents.

Yes, I mean I think it's sad the venom some people seem to have about the UK. We have had dreadful governments etc but don't people feel any affection/allegiance?

Means test pensioner benefits and maybe people plan and save up for their own retirement?

Interesting, good points re US. Can I ask where the first friend you mentioned lives?

I agree re scenery, but there are plenty of scenic areas in UK...it depends where you are.

Why would anybody on lower incomes save, if they know that they'll get the same or more if they don't save and qualify for the means tested benefits?

Then make it the absolute ber minimum to survive. Gut it to the bone. Just the ber essentials

What are these pensioner benefits that need means testing?

I think in the long run do something where people get paid back the NI they have paid etc .it might take a few years and take a while but ultimately we land in a position where people are advised to save up for their own pensions and their own retirement and they can choose when to retire.

Free bus travel, free prescriptions. The state pension itself.