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?

I don't believe you. You are a nasty benefit basher. I was living on 400 pounds a month until 18 months ago and I only got red extra money due to a life changing accident

Mind your own business

Go away. Go away. You started this thread about savings now you are benefit bashing. Mind your own business.

They insist on knowing a family on benefits who get a takeaway every night for the whole family.
I also call bullshit because no one on benefits could afford that.

In any case, people on benefits can spend their money how they want.

I think you should be more shocked that in this day and age people aren't ABLE to save.

And the benefits bashing on here is gross.

People are unable to manage month to month. Many having to use charity/foodbanks and you think they should save. Any suggestions on how to grow a magic money tree?
Total lack of empathy on how some people scrape by.

It's awful. Really awful

Yep.

I can't see how someone on benefits could afford every single meal to be takeaways.

Every single meal as a takeaway. Absolute lies. Total lies. I live across the street from a family who are obviously on benefits and they don't get takeaway every night

Stop press. People on benefits can cook too. People on benefits use too good to go and Olio and community larders. They don't sit phoning takeaway every night of the week. Every penny I have is accounted for

The thing to really be shocked by is the huge disparity in wealth there now is in this country, with the gap between rich & poor growing larger year on year.

And also the extortionate uncapped rents private landlords are able to charge which keep some hardworking people in poverty and mean that for many work simply doesn't pay.

Careful now. I am sure someone will be along and pipe up with "if they can cook a meal at home, they can get a job as a chef".

I love TGTO. Especially the Greggs bags.

They always 100% KNOW they get takeaways every night, and KNOW theres zero mental health issues or disability.

I am on benefits, I couldn't afford takeaways every night 🤣

I am also surprised at this, despite growing up relatively poor for my time (I’m in my mid thirties now) it was drilled into us by our mum you always had something put away “for a rainy day”. Obviously things happen and people might need that money in hard times but the idea was you saved even £5 per week if at all possible.

And your starting age for that would be what BOT

I worked for over 22 years before I went on benefits. Because I was working a shit zero hours job and didn't have enough money to live on. I know how to cook. I don't need to be getting takeaway every night

But - if some people do. Nothing to do with people on here

Some people don't have a spare fiver. Some people have nothing

There was a thread on here recently where some people were saying people on benefits shouldn't be allowed to buy and eat steak. Us benefits people should be just about surviving on bread and water apparently

I remember that thread. Someone went on to make a username "GovernmentFundedSteak" 😆

I have a couple in my freezer. Thick 28 day ages Aberdeen Angus ones. They were reduced. Is that allowed?
I bought some half price lamb during Easter (oh, and salmon too).
I mean, if people on benefits are not allowed to spend £4 on reduced steak, then what are they actually allowed to buy?

The vast majority of people in receipt of benefits work full time, managing households, bills, families. You’re implying that they’re on benefits because they’re financially illiterate, not because the entire system is rigged against them.

I’d watch the smugness, if I were you. The universe has a way of teaching people lessons they’re unwilling or unable to learn.

Oh I think you're skating on thin ice there with your steak. I think you might be allowed your steak if they were just about to put it in the bin. Only if you take it out of the bin, preferably picking manky bits of sprout off are you definitly allowed it. HTH 🤣🤣

Are maggots allowed? Or will I be told to eat them instead?

Many people never have anything spare.

Growing up, my DPs didn’t have a brass farthing. It was quite the shock to me to grow up and meet upper middle class people who led very different lives.

I save hard now and we have no debt bar the mortgage. But not everyone is in such a fortunate position.

Vegan here - but I get it

Hmmmm im not sure because you would be taking the maggots food source? But maybe we should be chasing after roadkill for our dinner.

I personally didnt get the leaflet on steak allowance with my benefits so I cant really advise 🤣

As a fellow benefits bum, Enjoy your steak. Im petty so I actually bought steak in my shopping that week after the thread 🤣

I'm just about to have a glass of wine that someone else's taxes paid for - but I paid mine for over 25 years.

Well maybe I can explain. Work full time with x2 DC. Aged below 13. Earn slightly below £2500. Have a masters degree. I have a mortgage on a 3 bed house live alone with DC. When you factor in bills, food, small really cheap car ,1 paid club for each DC- there’s not much left. Have a savings account try to put away £50 a month but last week comes and we have no food- so food bank or dip into the ‘savings’?. I think others need it more so savings it is. We go away once a year for x5 days somewhere cheap like Spain on one of those pay in installments deals. I don’t upgrade furniture- Ild love to- I have a gym membership- cheap council one just As a treat to myself. Worry about money constantly. I would love to bf in a position where I can put away a £100 every month. I have budgeted and rebudgeted and still it’s really tough on that income. You should be thankful you’re in that position