to not understand why so many poor people...

[nybom]

...are being called "poor" if they can afford:

• cigarettes/drugs
• dogs
• large amounts of takeaways/ready meals
• ready cut fruit, brands, air freshners and other superfluous crap, kids drinks/other products specifically tailored to kids
• to go out drinking
• FF babies
• to leave lights on, have electrical appliances on standby, not to use energy light bulbs, to keep the water running, to put on half a load of washing, to leave heating on at night
• to maintain artificial nails, to have hair extensions
• buy loads of beauty products
• to leave their car engine on whilst going shopping/standing in a traffic jam
• to have themed children's birthday parties with loads of props
• and most of all: have CREDIT cards so they can overdraw

i'm talking of regular habits not just occasional behaviour...

several of my friends are on benefits, so the observations are firsthand and not just assumptions.

a friend of mine (single mum on benefits) got a party bus for her DSs last birthday party (besides loads of presents), this year he's getting a wii (and loads of other presents). WTF?

why don't these people simply save more?

i on the other hand spend less than 100 pounds on a family of four (whilst buying high quality, fresh, organic products) by buying 50% of my shopping reduced/offers, at local markets and a lot of things (like toiletries) from pound shops or discounters. we buy value toilet paper (amongst other things); and i go to the hairdresser twice a year, and only to the beautycian for special occasions such as weddings. the children don't get any toys or clothes from us, as there are enough family and friends who don't know what to buy for christmas/birthday parties. so the kids basically don't cost us anything. we have one credit card and we make sure NEVER to overdraw because of the high interest rates.

i simply don't get it...

why are you not addressing the points raised in opposition to yours , nybom?

Shut up, FAQ. Get back to the workhouse, you formula-feeding smoker!

OOOOh. Just come back from the shops and am that lulumama said my post was brilliant

Can I just clarify. Has nybom responded to any of the sensible points made on here? And has she accepted that child benefit is not affected at all by income? I get it and I am, of course, the Queen

ready cut fruit?

but Pai it's not you that should feel bad, as you can see from the responses, no one think badly of you and waht amy or may not be your situation, just think of this as a lucky escape and cut all ties with this person

Yes Nymbom, please respond, I want to be wrong and breathe a sigh of relief!

We buy precut apples from the asda because Im lazy.

oi - expat you commoner - I'll have you know I BF DS1 exclusively until he was 14 months old - he never had a bottle in his life

i am a 'poor' person.

i lived like you described in the OP for a few years after leaving home, i have masses of debt now. crippling debt.

these 'friends' of yours, if truely spending as much as you say, it WILL catch up with them.

now at 24 i bitterly regret the way i behaved at 18 and 19, in two years i have wrecked my financial future (for the forseeable anyway)

i wish someone had taught me how to cook and budget, i wouldnt be in the mess im in now.

pag, she not really said much in response and nothing further about the child ben.

But Pai is now on who has changed name cos thinks she know OP!!!

oh yeah - and we have a takeaway once a month (twice if I've budgetted really well) - huge fish and chips from the chippy down the road, ample food for all five of us and £12-13 (depeding on what I order).......several days worth of fresh meals - hey ho.

you are indeed the Queen , and that is why we all suck up to you

this thread is making me want to go

'Oi am consideraaaaaaably reeecher than yaaaaaaaooooooooooooo'

cos that is what the OP is kind of doing .

"So if you can't breastfeed for some reason you just have to starve them, cos as a "poor person" you should not be spending your money on formula!"

Was thinking exactly the same thing.

The OP sounds so smug, judgemental and nasty.

natty

When you are poor it is essential that you are virtuous in order not to piss of anyone wealthier who is either finding it a ball ache to be more economical in their lifestyle for the benefit of all. It is also possible that even the wealthy people who quite like a bit of recycling and cooking from scratch from the Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall foraging recipe book, will also be pissed off at you if you cannot be virtuous simply because you are doing something they secretly wish to do like smoke 40 fags in one hit except for them it would be unseemly.

So, remember, poor people, the rule is thus;

Know your place. You are poor, so act poor, expect nothing and waste not a penny.

And remember, if you drop one of those brown coins - or someone else does - we are expecting you to pick it up. Yes, nevermind the embarrassment of scrabbling about after a poxy old 1p YOU cannot afford to lose it.

lulu, that actually made me laugh aloud!

So Nybom what do you think now that one of your friends may be on here now,

have you gone red with shame?

And with friends like you, OP, who needs enemies????!

just to answer custardos earlier point, 'poor people' get healthy start vouchers which are £3.10 (per week i think, not sure) which they are allowed to spend on fruit, veg or milk.

OP has gone ever so quiet..

I am saying it over and over in varying degrees of harry enfieldness and the children have left the room in despair

luckily, i have to go to work soon, see i have a job, just like the OP, so i shall be unbearably smug and mean to all the poor common folk and feel so much better and superior....

yes fio they are 3.10
most supermarkets are arses about taking them tho, mine wont take any more then three in one shop when we get 4 a week.

Pai
I hope that you are wrong, that you do not know the OP. If you do, then don't feel bad about it, she is the one with these views. As you can see from the unusually unanimous response, she is on her own on here at least.

lulu u could never be smug or superior its not in ur nature.

where has OP gone?