Rich House, Poor House - Channel 5

[MyBrilliantDisguise]

Anyone watching this? I'm always really uncomfortable with this programme, though I think the families do learn a lot.

[witchofzog]

I an glad it's not just me Zukiecat who thought this. I think £170 per week is definitely doable after bills and mortgage. They said the family spend £40 per week on food so as long as that is enough, they have £130 per week for everything else. And the rich family shopped for food in the local corner shop. No wonder they ran out of money so fast!

I am sorry you have so bloody little to live off. This programme must have had you shouting at the television

[witchofzog]

blondeshavemorefun. I agree. And how can a trip to a theme park cost £700? Fair enough there are 4 kids but the littlest ones will be cheaper for admission etc .

[witchofzog]

And the "poor" family have a 4 bedroom house. The children are not cramped and sharing like in houses where people actually do live in poverty

The ending was lovely though

[zukiecat]

Thankyou witchofzog

It wasn’t the rich family who had me shouting at the tv, it was the supposedly “poor” one that annoyed me

I thought the programme would be about families who really are struggling, and who didn’t have any money to live on

[witchofzog]

Me too Zukiecat. And no doubt the backlash will be more benefit bashing from people who take the programme at face value and really believe this is what "poverty" really is.

They need to show the families who need to use food banks sometimes , the ones where the adults sleep in the living room to give the children a bedroom, the ones who have £50 a week for everything and who can't always afford heating.

[zukiecat]

Totally agree witchofzog

There will those that watch this and think “Well that’s not that bad, all these poor people aren’t so poor after all”

I can’t always afford heating, we wrap up and huddle under blankets and duvets, sometimes it’s colder inside than out.

I’d feel rich if I had £170 a week left over!

[witchofzog]

I have lived like that Zukiecat and it is utterly miserable. What you are describing is the reality of benefits. Not this "only" £170 per week left" rubbish this programne has spouted.

I actually feel quite angry about this but will watch next week to see if the next family are more realistic

[zukiecat]

Yes, it is soul destroying witchofzog

I hope next week it’s more realistic and actually shows how many families have to live like this

I would work more hours if I could, but I am not physically or mentally able to

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Usually the poker family have 50:60 a week

Think rich dad said they paid to fast track which is prob £50pp. Plus food etc

I did find the drink thing hard. He said he felt bad his boys sharing a drink but couldn't afford it

What's wrong with water in a beaker

[MyDcAreMarvel]

The £170 was to cover food and travel, it wasn't all disposable.

[AdoraBell]

Theme parks do fast passes, so you don’t have to que with everyone else DD was supposed to go with friends and 1 wanted to spend £80 on said fast pass. That’s for 1 person, in addition to the entrance fee. So maybe the rich family buy fast passes?

[Bluntness100]

All it is is the bottom ten percent of disposable income v the top ten percent. So statistically the program was correct. It doesn’t mean there isn’t richer or poorer than those on the show.

However I did think they laid it on a bit thick, like they’d never had nice food before and lived in abject poverty, which they clearly didn’t.

[SharkInThePark]

Interesting to read the comments re the “poor” family. I watched with DH and he noted part way through that we have only £20 more than the “poor” family each week. I was quite shocked tbh as I consider my family to life a comfortable life and wouldn’t say we struggle at all. I’m a sah parent so single income like the “poor” family. I’ll risk a flaming here but why couldn’t she work in an office or something? I’ll admit I’m totally uninformed on her medical condition so I am very likely speaking out of line but it looked to me like she could do something!? At the end she wasn’t even helping the husband sort the laundry which she could have done on the sofa where the filmed her with pet and cuppa (aware this could be the programme editing as well!)

We also said the “poor” family could have bought the electric scooter outright from their rich week budget and still had much more left for the week that they normally do though I suppose that could have even against the rules. It was nice the righ family purchased it for them.

Also in agreement Re the rich dad feeling bad for making his kids share a drink ... take water with you!!! For a man that ran a fitness type business his family didn’t seem to eat well. Lots of fizzy drinks and chip shop food.

[witchofzog]

Flowers for you too Zukiecat. I hope in the future things are better for you

I will watch next week with interest.

[witchofzog]

Ps adora. If everyone bought fast passes then they wouldn't work. I am shocked at how dear they are. Crazy

[zukiecat]

I will probably get flamed for saying this but when you have very little day to day, but you maybe can afford a simple day out like to the park or beach, you don’t really want water to drink

You want a “treat” like fruit or fizzy juice, something that you don’t have very often, but as you’re having a day out, you think “well I live on water every day, so today I’m going to push the boat out and buy the kids some juice”

I’m maybe not explaining that very well, and there’s been plenty times when I couldn’t afford to buy the DC some juice, but it was a nice treat when I could

[zukiecat]

Thankyou *witchofzog” x

[MyDcAreMarvel]

Sharkin do clearly understand nothing about chronic regional pain syndrome. The lady will be in severe constant pain and most likely taking strong morphine based pain killers with side affects.
And no they would not be allowed to buy a scooter.
Also being disabled cost a lot. Money for extra petrol, taxis, extra heating , special equipment, the cost of hospital appointments, easy to prepare food, private physio, hydrotherapy etc

[witchofzog]

I totally get that Zukiecat . It's a bit like food bank items. It's fine to want and deserve a treat sometimes. Living hand to mouth with no luxuries; especially for kids, is not easy. There is nothing wrong with wanting something nice for a day out

[SharkInThePark]

MyDC you are right I know nothing about chronic regional pain syndrome. I apologise if my comments caused offense. I have friends who suffer greatly with old injury site pain and arthritis and know they are in pain constantly yet they work to support family as best they can so on first viewing she didn’t seem to be pulling her weight eg where the laundry was concerned when they were talking about the husband living to exist etc I just though she could help him more. But no I don’t know anything about this particular illness so apologise for speaking out of turn.

I know being disabled costs a lot. Perhaps the editors should have focused on this a little more. Their budget did seem sufficient for a family of four but I’d they spend a few moments saying xyz was needed due to disability I think that would have helped the viewer understand their “poor” status as per PP many will have been viewing thinking “hold on they have more than my family”.

There was one family in a prior episode that made a big purchase out of their rich week budget. I forgot what exactly but it was jewellery. It was playing out as the wife deserving something nice but I remember thinking at the time they’d been very clever with their budget as that would be an easy thing to sell if they ever needed the cash in the future themselves. An investment for them in a way.

Zukicat I suppose if looked at from that point it makes sense. Yes fizzy drinks could be a treat on a nice day out so must feel awful not being able to afford to purchase for a day out. But in this particular family it wasn’t a treat as he’d spend the first shop buying 5 bottles of the stuff!!! Also if you knew you couldn’t afford the fizzy treat you’d take water anyway you wouldn’t just say oh they’ll share and be thirsty.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

tonights live very close to each other

[thenightsky]

Not that close... average house price 1 million as opposed to 300k.

Mind you 300k average in my neck of the woods would be the posh area

[daffodilbrain]

The Rick ones have a ‘spare ‘ 3k a week... is that after bills and food?

[daffodilbrain]

Rich!

[Muddlingalongalone]

Missed the beginning - where's the mum in the rich family? They've mentioned her but she's not been on screen?