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?

Actually our credit rating isn’t great. It’s not bad but not perfect. The reason is, apparently, we have no mortgage or credit cards 🤔

People without children or partners may also need a temporary stop gap and assistance. I appreciate I have no dependents to support but I also have no husband to pay my bills if I lose my job/have period of ill health.

I have had periods of ill health where I haven’t been able to work and it’s disgraceful that there’s so little support.

I agree that welfare should be a temporary stop gap, but it’s not the likes of me that are abusing it because there’s very little available to me assistance wise if I need it.

Fair point. I think my original posts were too harsh

They often aren't. HTH.

Judging by your posts on two threads we’ve both been on, I think you live in a bubble. That’s not a criticism btw. I think you sometimes come across as “harsh”, because you have limited life experience. Again, not a criticism.

Just try to remember that other people live completely different lives from you and you can’t extrapolate information based on a very small number of people that you have experience of.

🍿

I can't sleep unless I meet up with Scrooge McDuck and count our millions. Good therapy.

I think you're living in a privileged position that many are not.
A lot of people live pay cheque to pay cheque or benefit payment to benefit payment .
I am a solo mum, no maintenance or benefits and have never been in a position to save. And despite 2 jobs all my money is gone by week 2 or 3 and so selling what I can to get us through
Would love 10k or even 100 in savings as life without spare money is hard
I think far more people like me than those in your position?
A friend once said to me that being poor is v expensive. As if short of money you use credit which costs...if have money you're less likely to need to borrow and won't be paying interest

Ever been poor and had to run a home on 400 pounds a month universal credit? I have. Tell me how you save from that amount of money?

Well I was widowed at 38, and have only got savings now because I was made redundant last year. I have a good job and have had a £10k increase over the last two years but still couldn’t save. Your post is shit tbh. Lucky you go give ya self a pat on the back. I may not have had savings but at least I’m not naive and gloaty. Be careful what you are saying out loud sometimes things come back to haunt you.

Some people have no idea what others are going through.

I have a degree and two post grads. Actually I have two degrees now as I graduated last year - I spent years in and out of UC because I could only get crap zero hours jobs - away you go with your ridiculous opinions. You honestly don't know how hard it is to find work in some parts of the UK

Your an absolute nutter, get in the real world,alota folk on minimum wage, i was ten year bk, £6 an hr, you can barely afford to eat, luck you in your gilded cage, do you not mix in the real world?

Would you like to try that again, in English?

What subjects did you study - was it something employable? Why do a second postgrad, if the first one led to nothing?

Did you work on gaining marketable skills? If your location isn't hiring, why not look for jobs and employment elsewhere and move?

I rather think it has nothing at all to do with you in the slightest.

No need for that.

Because moving isn't free and costs money they don't have most likely.

i find it hard to understand if these people have brand new cars or multiple holidays a year but we all have different priorities

There’s so many ways you can look at this. Some people are literally living hand to mouth. Others are getting takeaways or eating out all the time and choosing not to save.

Yes but if you're getting nothing in your location and there's nothing tying you down, like DC, caring responsibilities or a mortgage that's the only thing you can do.

It is all about what you can do. I save over the year for planned things - Christmas, kids' birthdays, a holiday, the car. This means those things are covered and I don't find the car getting serviced/December/summer any more stressful than usual.

But I don't have thousands in the bank 'just in case'. I wish I did but that is out of reach for me right now.

And I am well aware that there are so many people worse off than me, who can't put away for those things. And I bet they wish they could.

So, yeah, I am sad that I, and others, can't have thousands in the bank ready for an emergency, but I am not so short-sighted and unimaginative that I don't understand why.

You clearly have no idea of how some families have to live

Yep @Dbdh, both DH and I have had to move for work when we didn’t particularly want, because staying out and being unemployed/underemployed was the worst option.

People have always moved for employment opportunities, you just have to if there’s nothing in your area.