To be shocked when adults have absolutely no savings at all?

[ThisJollyReader]

I’m going to be honest, I find it quite hard to understand when adults have no savings at all. Not even £100 put away. I’m not talking about people going through a temporary rough patch but just having nothing set aside whatsoever. Personally, I try to keep around £10k as a buffer (I know everyone’s situation is different), but even putting that aside, I would still feel uncomfortable having nothing at all.

AIBU to feel like having at least something put away is important or am I being too harsh?

We only have significant (for us) savings now because I was made redundant. The last lot got used to replace our very leaky roof and our 40 plus year old boiler.

I have been sort of poor when younger and first moving out, living away from home but that was money management. Luckily I’ve never been that poor, always worked.

My DM was very poor when younger so I like others in similar situations have made efforts so I am never like that again. I don’t count my chickens though and realise I could be poor at any time.

COL has recently hit me too and I’m back on Lidl and Aldi shops, though Sainsburys for convenience sometimes as they’re the nearest. I switched a few bill options too recently. I also walk more but this is more eco friendly and I have the time to do this.

That £10k should cover your winter heating bills if this skirmish in Iran keeps going. HTH

I had way more savings in my 20s than at any other time!

If you mean you're shocked that people who have the capacity to save, choose not to, then YANBU. But some people live pay cheque to pay cheque or are constantly in debt because they don't have a job that earns enought to even pay for basic living needs, let along savings. It's a horrible state to be in.

And this is the problem isn't it? Not just in care (where people don't want to pay from their own pockets but also don't want to pay more tax either) but in most jobs that serve society in one way or another, no one wants to pay more for them, in order for those delivering the service to be paid a wage where they could cover their living expenses and then have a savings buffer. Oh quite happy to use the services, and complain bitterly the services aren't good enough, yet don't believe the people delivering them are worth a decent wage.
"Work hard! Sacrifice! Get a better job!" They cry whilst sipping the coffee made by a minimum wage barista, after dropping children at a nursery with minimum wage staff, doing the weekly shop staffed by minimum wage workers and then visiting aunty in the care home - staffed by minimum wage workers.
I'd be more inclined to believe it was genuine to be 'confused' and to judge people who don't have savings if the majority of people weren't benefitting from the work of the very people they're judging and sneering at.
Nothing more than hypocrisy really. Don't like that people need benefits to survive while working? Or don't have savings that match those who consider themselves the great and the good? Get your hand in your pocket and start paying more for the services you use then!

I agree. I think this all the time when people complain about council tax rises then also complain we don't pay the council care workers enough. It has to be paid for somewhere.

You posted that before verbatim. You know repeating posting the same personal attacks is harassment.

It wasn't verbatim. Your are jusr reporting all my posts because you're not getting your own way

If I've made personal attacks against you then report them and let MNHQ decide. I've only reported the posts which break the rules. I might write things you disagree with but that is not personal we all have different opinions.

How have I personally attacked you?

A lot of people have poor money management.

And I say this as somebody who was like this too. I had no savings for all of my 20s and much of my 30s. I told myself I “could not afford to save” which was because I tried to save after I had done all my spending for the month.

Once I finally built a budget I saw my essentials were not my entire salary. Which means I could save but I was not prioritising well. Those who truly cannot afford to save (and by that I mean their low salary is entirely eaten up basic essential costs such as food and shelter) are very low in number).

Same with people who don’t contribute to workplace pensions because they “cannot afford it”.

Guys it's MumsNet on Easter Monday, it's not that deep.

Less of a reason to. Because you don't have people depending on you. If you don't have dependents, don't have caring responsibilities, aren't disabled, you should be responsible to making ends meet. Welfare should be a temporary stop gap.

Teachers, nurses and police get a decent starting pay. Cops start at £31k, teachers and nurses £32k. Perfectly decent starting salaries.

Again if they are receiving UC because they can't make ends meet, how are they affording to go on holiday.

There was a thread about pensions and a woman got very offended when people dared to ask her why she (childless and working 30+ years) "couldn't afford to pay into a pension" ans then she got all huffy and puffy and offended

That's all very well for those who are entrepreneurial, I agree. But what about those who aren't? It takes business smarts to start a business, and those can't always be acquired if they don't come naturally.

I used to be a cleaner. There was no recognition of hard work because I was literally the only person there. The boss (owner of the cleaning company) dropped supplies off, and that was it. No supervisor role to be promoted to as there were no supervisors.
Cleaners in the NHS don't get promoted either, because that is not how it works there. They would have to apply for a supervisor role if and when it came up.

@Dbdh I think I may have seen that thread too!

I can see a single person needing UC simply because their wage is so low.

AFAIK, single childless people with no disabilities do not get UC top up if their wages are low.

I think that some people have always had a good job and income. Then they had financial help in there 20' or 30's. This has helped them save more money, increase pension payments, help their kids with college costs and build generational wealth.
I know several people in this situation and some of them have no idea that other people are struggling.

Then some people can end up in poor health, lose a job, need to give up work as they have a child that needs help and are left managing on 1 income not 2.

I have a friend on a certain benefit at the moment. This benefit gives my friend some extra things that are valuable to them. They recently looked into what would happen if they got a part time job. They were happy with what they found out and are planning to job hunt soon. They are doing this to improve there current and future financial position. My friend said I can budget but it hard on a limited income when the cost of bills and food have risen so much. They also want to have money for the odd holiday and to make life a bit easier than it's been in the past few years.

I would have savings but just existing takes every penny I earn at the moment.

And I don't know what it's like for anyone else but when I have tried to save. Something occurs to take it away. Every. Fucking. Time.

And I don't have an expensive car, hobbies, holidays or a maxed out credit card either.

I just exist and it's expensive.