I survived 1980's recession as a kid, I'm sure I'll survive this

[LadyandGent]

In fairness, my mother couldn't cope with not having potatoes, so heard rice was cheap, which we had religiously.
2 Yellow pack burgers, frozen peas, rice and gravy!!!!

I was very skinny for a few years lol.

Can I fucking survive this? Yes. I've survived worse

How do you know it was worse?

Im quite optimistic so im hoping it won't be too bad

But ive no idea...it could be fine, or it could be horrendous

What a dreadful OP, Brexit has brought out all these rabid nutters in their droves. I feel utterly ashamed and depressed at what is happening right now, the fact that this is all self inflicted and could be stopped in an instant is mind boggling.

But if you were a kid in the 80s, you probably weren't the one doing the work to make sure you did survive, that would have been your parent/career. I'm old enough to have lived and parented through hard times. I wouldn't want to do it again.

*carer not career!

When I was a child we went through several years of hard times. Lost our home, shuffled from one rented place to another. Debt collectors hammering at the door, all hours. My parents going without food ("oh, I'm not hunger dear, I'll just have this spoonful of rice, you kids go ahead and eat the meal."). Electricity and utilities constantly cut off for non-payment of bills. And I was a child so this is just the stuff I remember; really I would have been shielded from the worst of it.

We survived. My parents aren't yet dead. My brother and I grew up.

Apparently, I shouldn't be aiming for my kids not to experience this??

Yellow pack burgers? Like the Birdseye ones!?

I think it's very difficult to compare Brexit and previous recessions.
For a start when recessions or property crashes have happened in the past they have 'come out of the blue' unlike now where loads of people think it's going to be dreadful in advance. So companies and the Government 'should' be making contingency plans.

I was born in the 50s, my parents had to give up farming in the 60s and from there on my dad worked in mills or warehouses. I went to a Poly in the 70s and became a retail manager, hardly a high paid profession. I bought my own flat in the 80s and paid 15% + for a mortgage. I've never been 'well off' and I have always worked for private companies so perhaps have a different view to many remainers as I can see a way forward. I can see how businesses could change their approach and make the most of the situation. I feel that Brexit will mean that wages, especially in areas of work that will have staff shortages, will improve. We will become less reliant on imports from the EU and manufacture and grow more in this country.

Remember only 25% of our food comes from the EU and we produce 50% of it in this country. So it's hardly going to be Armageddon.

I understand that people are frightened that jobs will disappear, but most people are employed in small to medium sized companies with few ties to exporting and will not suffer the problems many of you foresee.

Apart from the complete 'cluster fuck' of universal credit, benefits have improved massively in recent years compared to the 80s.
We never had a situation where you could get tax credits if your pay was low and far fewer people own their own home than in the 80s.

@Doubletrouble99 but even small and medium sized businesses with no big ties to exporting may be reliant on imports for their business to function, for example if they are manufacturing goods?

And how are we going to suddenly move from being a service based economy to becoming a manufacturing one? I am not saying it can't happen, but it will take time.

The 80's recession was awful. My dad had just died (no life insurance so n

Apart from the complete 'cluster fuck' of universal credit, benefits have improved massively in recent years compared to the 80s.

If you are talking about benefits for the unemployed, sick and disabled, this is just not true.

DS hit post! Nothing was paid off. My 3 year old brother had health problems and my mum had limited ability to work because of this and childcare was a problem anyway. Single mums were being denounced as the scum of the earth and benefits were really small amounts. We never starved but money was always really tight. Why would anyone sane self inflict economic wreckage? Yet that's what the uk has done. It will be one of those wtf moments in future history texts.

The idea that when businesses leave, and high tax payers leave there will be a great benefit system is just fecking deluded.

Exciting times for Sunderland’s brexiteers though today.

{And how are we going to suddenly move from being a service based economy to becoming a manufacturing one?}
Unfortunately it is more of a problem than this as not only does the UK have to find something it can manufacture but it will have to be done cheaper and better than anywhere already making things. Plain manual work, low ish skill will be up against China and Bangladesh etc.
UK minimum wage is way higher than what is paid overseas.

I honestly believe that the ones saying it’ll be a bit tight, but we’ll be fine, don’t actually know what it’s like to struggle. I suspect they have this vision of growing veg and all the neighbours supporting each other, because of the old films. They’re going to get the biggest shock if the country turns to shit.

I understand that people are frightened that jobs will disappear, but most people are employed in small to medium sized companies with few ties to exporting and will not suffer the problems many of you foresee.

Absolute shocking understanding of the economy. Really.

Yes, that's very true, 1tisILeClerc.

I remember being constantly told that things were too expensive, and feeling guilty for even asking. Feeling worried about money a lot of the time. And I was only a kid, and we weren't half as badly affected as some.

I wanted better for DS. Call me a snowflake if you like.

Surely when people lose their jobs they also lose their income therefore less money to spend in businesses like hairdressers takeouts footwear and frockshops as the £73pw unemployment money will not stretch to a cut and colour or a chinese takeaway or a pair of new shoes

I think we existed on that diet for 2 years

Sounds shite. Can't wait.

Spot on, PERF.

Surviving as a kid is a lot different to surviving as an adult with the responsibility of kids to feed, clothe and protect. Just remember how you felt during that time and how your Mother felt during that time are completely different. You were blissfully unaware of the stresses as she sheltered you from that. You're an adult now, you'll see for yourself. If you think that Brexit is gonna mean eating frozen burgers and peas for a few years, you're in for a rude awakening.

Personally, I'm really enjoying the doctrine that so long as [insert hyperbolic scenario e.g. the Four Horsemen aren't galloping across a flaming sky, the Kraken's tentacles rising from the Deep to engulf hapless cruise ships and skeletal humans aren't collapsing in the street], there simply shouldn't be anything worthy of being noticed, let alone commented on.

This is Mumsnet, for goodness' sake!

Presumably if there are fewer jobs in the UK there will be fewer EU people here to take them on except for those with settled status. How many UK citizens have actually gone to Europe to work compared to EU citizens coming here.

We may well also have more freedom to freely trade with other nations.

The unions and labour destroyed the UK in the 70s. Margaret Thatchers government sorted out the mess and prevented the UK becoming bankrupt.

I am gobsmacked at the argument that if you are employed by an SME that doesn't export you won't be affected by a hard Brexit. Absolutely gobsmacked. How on earth do you work that one out?

And as for the remarks about 'only 25% of our food comes from the EU and we produce 50% of it'...right so maths has never been my strong point but to me that's still a fair way off 100%. And that's in a best-case scenario.

Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong though