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Original poster

Is everyone getting fed up with paying through the nose in this country????

29 replies

mum2sam · 13/05/2006 15:50

Just went to look at a house today for 109k and it was a complete shit tip. The housing prices are ridiculous. First time buyers dont stand a chance.

I got my gas and electricity bill through today from good old british gas and i almost had a panick attack at how much i owe. Then i got a letter from telewest informing me of price increases yet the main reason ive got it is for cbeebs yet it hasnt been on air all day.

Everything in this country seems to be going up and the quality going down. Im just getting so disheartend. Dh is relatively on a good wage yet we are struggling to make ends meet which makes you wonder whats the point in working hard. Im bloody tempted to emigrate so sick and tired of being ripped off.

OP posts:

Freckle · 13/05/2006 15:57

Cancel telewest and get a freeview box. There are some in Argos for about £30. Then you can get all the BBC channels for nothing.

Look into grants for having your house insulated. Depending on your circumstances and type of house, you may be able to get an almost 100% grant for cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. Should cut down the utility bills.

expatinscotland · 13/05/2006 15:59

Yes. We're seriously looking at emigrating. We simply cannot go on like this. It's getting too hard to have a small family here and any quality of life, much less save. LOL!

EVERY time we seem on the road to solvency, something hits us in the face - council tax, a repair, etc.

I'm so sick of it it's not true. It depresses me beyond belief.

Original poster

mum2sam · 13/05/2006 16:08

yeah def thinking of getting digi box and have just been to uswitch so shall be changing my supplier. Have you any ideas where expatscotland? Every just seems to be getting harder ive def noticed in last few years. If dh werent on a good wage i could understand it but 30k is above average where we live and yet we cant afford to buy a house and live comfortably.

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 13/05/2006 16:12

We have freeview and it's allright. When we tried to switch suppliers, Scottish Power came back and said we owed them hundreds of pounds. Hundreds we didn't have. So we had to stay w/them.

We have nowhere near £30k to live on. There's no way in hell we'll be able to buy any property, I've long since stopped even caring about that.

We're still trying to decide where to go and it's looking like Europe. I'm a US citizen, but I wouldn't go back to live there, either.

Original poster

mum2sam · 13/05/2006 16:23

Thats awful everything just seems like a scam. Im fed up with looking at houses in this country when they are so over priced.Im was scared of getting my shoes dirty in the house i looked at this am it was disgusting.

Dh is in the navy and im used to be nurse so havent got a clue what we could do for a career abroad. Im goind have to do some research i think and possibly retrain although i dont want to go back into nursing.

OP posts:

fuzzywuzzy · 13/05/2006 16:24

Epis, why do Scot power think you owe them hundreds?? I was told if a company doesn't debit you with the correct amount of monies owed, it's their fault not yours. You could speak to the electricity watchdog and see what they have to say, if SP are demanding you pay them a load of money they had not properly billed you with at the time, they may have to write off some the monies owed as it's their fault not yours.

expatinscotland · 13/05/2006 16:28

It's always such a hassle to deal w/all this I'm so sick of it I've just given up and think the hell w/it, let's work on getting out of here, fuzzy.

I've had no end of it all - tax credits fiasco, housing benefit fiasco, PayPal ripping me off, bank charges, crap breaking down in the flat and having to hound the landlord to get it fixed. I'm sick of having to write endless letters that never get read and chasing all this shit up. The hell w/it, best just cut our losses, see it for the rip off it is, and try to move on.

I'm sick of everything always being such an uphill struggle.

I can see where you're getting depressed looking at houses, mum2sam. I would if I were even trying that at. But have given up on that entirely and it's a little better.

expatinscotland · 13/05/2006 16:31

I can see why this place has such a problem w/alcoholism and problem drinking.

The US is NO better. In fact it's even worse.

fuzzywuzzy · 13/05/2006 16:32

Epis that's what the companies hope you'll do. Have a look on the back of your utility bill and find the number and name of the electricity watchdog, then ring SP and ask to speak to a manager or whatever, tell them it's not your problem they screwed up the billing, and you cannot afford to pay for their mistake, if they go on say you'll be contacting the electricity watchdog, that should be enough for them to lower the amount they are demanding.

expatinscotland · 13/05/2006 16:35

Fuzzy
I'd have to dig way, way back. I've got several other fires to put out and I just can't be arsed anymore.

This place is a goddamned rip off.

Why should people have to chase them b/c they got ripped off?

I'm worried for my kids growing up here, too.

fuzzywuzzy · 13/05/2006 16:41

Poor you Epis, one of the girls I work with is havign to pay an obscene amount in back pay to a utility company. The thing is the utility is from her university digs days, and the bills were usually split between6 people but her name is on the bill only...so she's stuck with a bad credit rating and a massive bill....

My dad was told he had to pay an insane amount to an internet company althoguh he had a direct debit in place, the company had not billed him correctly, att he time dad had lost his job, so he got mad, and did the I'm not paying for your mistakes I can't afford it... They were forced to concede that one.

plummymummy · 13/05/2006 23:30

Yeah Rip-Off Britain. Would love to pack my belongings and all my loved ones and jump ship. But where...................? Hmmmmmm

mummylovesus · 13/05/2006 23:34

I would love to get away from here - I can't afford a house where I live never mind in a nicer area - house prices are a complete joke!!

mummylovesus · 13/05/2006 23:36

I would like to try Australia - dh and I counted our points and I think we would have enough but we have too much debt here and no savings to go and start afresh!!

AngelaD · 14/05/2006 21:08

We are on fantastic wages and can't buy a family home, mainly because we haven't much equity due to hubby's ex wife taking him to the cleaners but even so it is ridiculas, the interest rates have to go up soon and then the house prices will crash, too many people have borrowed too much money, it'll be tears before bedtime.

AngelaD · 14/05/2006 21:09

Mummylovesus - if debt was the only thing stopping me I'd book my tickets and get on the plane, d you really think they'll chase you 12,000 miles for your old debts ? Just stay away 6 years and start again.

expatinscotland · 14/05/2006 21:20

Quite, AngelaD.

I know a bloke, well, he's an ex of mine. But he is Scots and he went to the US to live for a while and married some lassie for a green card.

But anyhoo, when he decided to come back the UK, he ran up $55,000 of debt and left.

They never caught up w/him.

Theft, I know. I didn't do it. But still.

LIZS · 14/05/2006 21:25

It is easy to believe the grass is greener. However bear in mind that in many countries, especially in Europe, it is far less the norm to own the property in which you live. Then there are things like healthcare, pensions, getting work and perhaps a work permit/visa,(especially if you cannot speak the language well), different social problems etc. Not insurmountable issues but ones which you need to consider carefully.

AngelaD · 14/05/2006 21:26

Now $55k i'd have thought they might chase however i know somebody who walked away from £10k and has never heard a thing and as 6 years have passed they can't chase her now.

KBear · 14/05/2006 21:32

Strange this thread should appear. DH has just worked all weekend and I was feeling like there has to be more to life than shift work and night work etc. I said to DH earlier, "shall we sell the house and bugger off"? He said "where to?" and I said Australia and he replied "no, there are too many things there that bite you". PSML. We had another think and came up with Western Canada - looks like a great place to live but I don't really know anything about it.

Where is good? Shall we all go and set up Mumsnet Town? Affordable mansions on every corner!!!

Jbck · 14/05/2006 21:44

My DH came up with Canada too KBear, must be something about the place. We have no relatives there & his company has nothing to do with it but he decided it'd be a great place to live. My Inlaws emigrated to Oz last year & seem really settled but they've got wodges more cash than the average & I think no matter where you are that always helps.
Expat we had a helluva fight with SP and I know you say you've loads of other probs but we got our bill reduced by over 30% because they hadn't billed us for over 4 years when we moved into a new house. Billed us for electric but not gas explain that! We went to the consumer people for Energy suppliers and it was reduced by about £300 so it's worth a go surely.

KBear · 14/05/2006 21:53

Jbck - Canada it is then. See you there!

I honestly don't know where would be best to raise kids, to have a life instead of working your arse off to pay a mortgage for the privilege of living in the SE. I think sell the house, buy a Winnebago and travel around until you find the right place. Off to ebay now for a Winnebago!

figroll · 16/05/2006 17:08

Reviving an old thread. What worries me about the uk is that I know personally 9 families that have moved abroad in the last 3 years and I am sure that others know that many too. If we multiply that up to the whole of the uk, what legacy is being left to those who stay behind? It is a bit worrying and I think that the house price scandal is part of this too. People must have phenomenal mortgages to be able to afford these houses - a friend of mine has a 250,000 mortgage - I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Pruni · 16/05/2006 17:31

I don't know anybody who emigrated to escape a poor quality of life here.
I think that prices have gone up but not that the quality of goods or service is worse. (except NTL and utilities, ime)
Thinking back to 15 or 20 years ago, technology has made life really pretty great but it costs. Mobile phones, internet, ebay, online shopping etc it doesn't come free.
My mum has been talking seriously about emigrating for years - I wish she would. Last place was Canada because htey don't pay as much tax as we do - oh wait a minute, then she looked into it, and they do. I lmao because it's a cheap jibe but I have spent time in other countries and they all have their annoyances - you just need to be there long enough to let them get to you.

Pruni · 16/05/2006 17:32

House prices nutso though

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