Conspiracy Theory OAP

pete · Sep 4, 2013

I was under the impression that income tax was taken using the tax coding which applies to you.
Never having been in the position of ever getting near paying 40% tax, I dont know how it works.
I must admit though there is a case for overtime being taxed at the normal rate.
Its only people doing say 40 hours and getting above the £32,000 limit that should actually pay the higher rate in my opinion.

Victoria · Sep 4, 2013

I know there are a few people out there who dislike me as I 'escaped' the UK in 2001, but did not sell my last property until 2006 in the IoW so I am 'shot' of the property market in the UK, thankfully.

We bought out first home there in early 1978 ... a 400 year old 1-1/2 bedroom cottage in Buckinghamshire for which we paid the grand sum of £13,000. We had to pay a 10% deposit, which we did as we sold everything up in the US and had some funds, few possessions and no furniture. Our mortgage at the time was at the rate of 9 % ( which our jobs could cope with) and within a few months went to 15 % and we were told our home was in danger of being repossessed. We had no back up being 'new' to the UK. Fortunately, we muddled along, not going out, going without, etc, and five years later sold the cottage for £35,000, after two 'failure UK sales' the original person bought at asking price. What a shite way the UK do their property purchases. I did my own legal doings and was admonished for it and then offered a job in the lawfirm which I refused saying they were too much up their own arses!

We bought our next cottage, the last one, in 1984 and only had a mortgage of £18,000 but it needed lots of work (I mean LOTS). As it was 300 years old (just a two-up, two-down but in the country) we were given a grant to renovate ... but at the end of the day it still cost us £22,000. In 1988 we re-mortgaged to buy an apartment in Portugal (I had a choice of an apartment in Portugal or an XKE / eType Jag for my 40th .... hard decision but I chose Portugal ... which we still have. We paid £20,000 and we spent all our holidays here. We re-mortgaged yet again to buy an apartment on the IoW for £40,000 and another place here.

At the end of the day in 2002 we sold for £169,000 (way below the going price but we wanted OUT) and still got £40,000 in our pocket plus when we sold the IoW in 2006 got another £60,000 .... but we bought unlivable homes and made them into homes ... like the one we live in today. We bought a ruin for £25,000, have £65,000 in it now and (even with the property market downturn here) we could sell for £165,000.

It was our decision to walk away from the UK and we are now here with five properties with no mortgages 12 years later. Guess we were in the right place at the right time ... but we have always been willing to uproot and rough it and move on if the time is right.

Like shiney, we have always invested in our properties and I guess we are 'lucky' in that we were in the right place at the right time.

However, I have to say this ... the younger folk DO NOT seem to understand what we went through and how we achieved what we have .... we did it by FORFEITING going out, buying everything that is 'new' (even coming from America we didn't have a TV for five years until my father came over and wanted one so we bought one) ...

One has to think of their priorities in life and I can tell you .... we thought of them and that's why we have what we have today ...

Fat Controller · Sep 4, 2013

I can assure you of two things Victoria - firstly, I don't think there is anyone on this forum that dislikes you because you managed to work your way up the property ladder, in a particularly hard way; and you (like Jack, Shiney and others) did not do that to make a profit, but merely to provide yourself with a decent home. No right minded person could hold that against you.

Secondly, I can assure you that it is not ALL younger people that do not know what a bit of hardship is. No-one handed me anything on a platter; I have had to work for every single thing that we have, and to try and build a decent life for us.

For the record, I spent much of my early years living with my father on a small holding, in a caravan, with no electricity let alone TV - I vividly remember the ice on the inside in the winter, as well as the duvet freezing solid around me at night in the winter. My father abandoned me (literally) at the age of 13, and I ended up in the care of social services in a children's home.

By the age of 15, I was out working and paying digs, and by the time I was 17 I managed to pay my way through driving lessons as I saw a driving licence as a potential way of increasing my chances of getting a job (I was made redundant at the age of 16, spent 6 weeks working in a charity shop and literally knocking doors asking for employment, before landing myself a job mostly for having the balls to go and ask); I worked my way up, got myself a car, and had something of a decent time for my late teens. In my early 20's, I started a business with a friend, which was reasonably successful, however my parnter did the dirty on me (I know now I was too trusting and naive) and I ended up saddled with a load of debt, and no business.

I moved to the other side of Scotland, to be nearer to my mum (having managed to get back in touch with her eventually after my father dropped me in the brown stuff)and worked in a nursing home for a while - I met a girl, and ended up moving down to London to be with her, and had only the clothes I stood up in (literally); I secured a full time job driving buses, and worked in a post office sorting office whilst I was waiting for my start date; three months in, the girl I moved my life for scunnered off with another guy, and once again I had now't. I worked, and worked - took digs with a fellow driver, and slowly got myself sorted.

Then I met Mrs C - while I was driving a bus - one thing led to another, and we ended up moving into a rented flat together; this flat did not even have a kitchen as such (there was a bare room with a sink in one corner), so for two years I was cooking on a two ring baby Belling that was sat on a slab of MDF, which was atop an old cupboard unit. Over the years, we slowly made the flat into something decent - I fitted a kitchen, and latterly I fitted a new bathroom, all from my own pocket. The day after I fitted the flooring in the bathroom, our landlord's premises below caught fire and was gutted, with smoke damage to our stuff above. Worse still, we ended up in a real fix, because they were uninsured and disappeared for a number of weeks after the fire, leaving me to clean up the mess as best I could.

Having had enough, we moved as soon as we could, taking on a property in a bit of disrepair from a couple that needed to get away from the London area (health issues), but as it was 2007 nothing was selling - they decided to rent to us. I spent a small fortune sealing up cracks in the walls, fixing the knackered central heating, sorting the electrics, and fitting carpets having spent the first year there with bare floorboards in the bedrooms. Our landlords were delighted with us as tenants, and planned for us to stay for a number of years while they had something of a semi-retirement in the countryside. Then, their bank pulled the plug on them, basically because they didn't have a mortgage on a house that they were living in, so they weren't happy for them to have a mortgage on a house that they weren't living in (the fact that the mortgage got paid every month apparently passed them by), so we had to move again into the house we are in now.

Being now fully out in the 'proper' rental market (dealing with agents and their fees), we basically had to find the thick end of £5000 to move into this house (deposit, one month in advance, and to get this house I had to rent this one for a month whilst still renting the other), then we had to buy curtains, bedroom furniture and a fridge, and had to borrow to do so.

Through all of this, I have never flown away on holiday - in fact we have only had two holidays in the UK where we weren't at home, and both of those were visiting my mum. I have been in a pub once in the past three years, and that was for a company Christmas do.

In an average month, I work at least six out of my eight rest days, and in an average week I will do an additional 20 hours or so overtime (for which I don't get paid) on top of that. No matter what I do, I have little hope of raising the required £50k+ deposit to buy a home in any reasonable time frame, so forgive me if I absolutely refuse to feel guilty about having a TV and a decent car. Hell, the TV I have in our bedroom is only there because I salvaged the blighter from scrap and fixed it!

I also make no apology for this or other 'rants' in this thread, as it really grinds my gears when there is an assumption made that the younger generation have it easy, or have no idea what hardship is.

Kristen · Sep 4, 2013

Scrungee said: ↑
Weren't the only people who really benefited from Miras were unmarried joint purchasers?
Click to expand...

Don't think so, they just benefited twice as much ... (I have no particular opinion about whether that was good, bad or indifferent)

And I'm sure it finished a lot earlier than you suggest as the ending of 'double MIRAS' was the only reason I married Mrs Scrungee. But perhaps I'm thinking of before the end of transitional relief?
Click to expand...

Got the dates off Wikipedia, not to say that they are right though

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage_interest_relief_at_source

2000 feels awfully recent to still have been claiming it, but maybe it was still available then ...

Jack McHammocklashing said: ↑
MIRAS Must have been available but as my weekly wage was £11.90p BEFORE TAX I do not think it would have been much though the previous year the weekly wage was £9.10p
Click to expand...

Hopefully you were earning more than that in 2000 Jack!

You would have got tax relief on the first £30,000 of the mortgage. I have no idea what that actually translated to in pounds-shillings-and-pence, but for anyone paying tax it should have been "something" at least

Victoria · Sep 4, 2013

Hey there FC ... I don't speak often here any more in my what seven years I have been a member but I still read and 'listen' to what you guys are going through ... and you are one of the people I have a lot of time for ... also our Clueless. xx You both seem like 'hard grafters' ... and that is not a phrase I used when I was in the UK but I can tell that both of you are that.

I have never said or assumed that the younger generation have it 'easy' ... in fact, quite the opposite and I/we feel very sad how life has become there ... but we are pleased that we are now retired and away from the UK, and anyone can take that as they like. We paid our dues and have no qualms (is that a word?) about our retirement here now. We chose not to have children so in a financial sort of way that was a bonus for us.

We actually have two lots of friends from the UK whom we have known for 20-odd years who are also considering moving here (strangely, another one is an ex-employee of Hozelock ... ) .

All I can say is that I wish you all well in your lives and hope you can smile through all the tough times ... as we have amongst the tears ... xx

Fat Controller · Sep 4, 2013

Thanks Victoria

For what it is worth, I think you have done absolutely the right thing - - the company I work for used to be owned by a larger worldwide company and one of the divisions was in Australia; I gave serious consideration to transferring within the business and moving over there. Indeed, it was only really the arrival of Little C that stopped me.

I live in hope that things improve here in the UK, but to be honest I don't see it happening anytime soon - common respect and decency seem to have fallen by the wayside (as has self-respect in many cases), and there seems to be an ever increasing trend where people are only interested in shafting others to claw their way up some greasy pole or other. I think it all boils down to greed when all is said and done, and I just don't like it.

You enjoy your retirement in the sun - goodness knows you worked hard enough for it.

"M" · Sep 4, 2013

Victoria said: ↑
... We paid our dues and have no qualms (is that a word?)....
Click to expand...

"Qualms" is indeed, a word and yes, you have used it in context

In the next couple of weeks, I will be sending my two youngest sons off to university. Unlike myself, they will be paying the higher (... est!) rate of tuition fees, to date. This will become one of their employment "deductions" for a good many years hence! They are of a generation where they are going to bear the brunt of any, and all - so far - of the mishandling of finance at the highest of echelons.

I could compare my current financial status with that of my own parents: in doing so, no matter how desperate the scenario may appear, the fact remains I am in a stronger financial scenario than my parents could ever have dreamed of. But, I do also accept, that I am slightly 'different' because I was the youngest of a long line: thus, my own parents were a generation older than the parents of my peers Both of my parents worked, very hard, until the day they could no longer do so.

I did have to turn to a 'benefit' system at one stage in my life: at that point, the 'system' only provided a cushion and was no where near the "lifestyle" choice which it appears to have become for the past number of years. Indeed, at that time, drawing any 'benefit' was deemed shameful/mortifying/worthy of derision. I even argued at that time, why the fuss? I will repay far more in tax during my working life than I have drawn (actually, at that time, that would have been very near the mark: truly!). Today? Unlikely!

Such was the stigma, I held 3 different jobs to elevate myself out of the benefit system: jobs I could accomplish a) while my children were at school; b) I could accomplish while my children were with me; and c) work I could accomplish via the home environment. But! Can parents even take their children to work with them in this day and age? Or, does that breach some health and safety/child welfare sanctions now? Most likely!

Maybe I'm old fashioned (?) but, when I am making life style comparisons, I do not venture into the what if's/maybe's of tomorrow's generation, what I compare is: how much better off am I in comparison to my own parents? And, my answer to that is very simple: MUCH! I own my own home (they didn't, despite working their R's off!); I have some savings (although my lads are eating it away in their droves right now ); both of my lads are off to read degrees at University (not even on the radar of my own parents - despite being very intelligent people!).

I conclude that I am the result of my own parents aspirational dreams (hard working, working-class folk) and my sons are the result of my own achievements/aspirations and the result of their father's career choices.

Blame the Government/Bankers all you like (and yes, they are accountable for much): but, they are NOT accountable for your life time/style choices. Because, as this thread has evolved and shown: some people made certain choices (for which they - now - feel resentful) and some people made alternate choices (for which they - now - feel thankful). Seems to me, both groups of people are of a similar "age" ... yet, presented with the same financial scenario, one group is doing ok, the other is swathed in bitterness? More likely, some people saw the writing on the wall that others may have missed?

You make your choices, you stake your claim: and then, with the luxury of hindsight, you decide whether your cup is half full or half empty!

As a child, growing up, I was thankful for: a meal on my plate, a roof over my head (council ) and clothes on my back.

As an adult, I am thankful for: a meal on my plate, a roof over my head (that no on can take away from me! EVER!!) and clothes on my back. I am additionally grateful that I am in a position to assist the transition of my youngest two lads on their road to University (which they will be repaying the state for many years to come! But under the most generous loan terms!). They have their health, they have been given my wisdom borne from experience, they are free agents; they are trying to make the most of the opportunities available to them, under the current scenarios. How precious is that!!??? Who knows what kind of 'future' they will be living under when they are you ages!!!??? I can only hope I have equipped them well enough to make wise choices and to see the writing on the wall of flawed plans/issues

Jack McHammocklashing · Sep 4, 2013

Kristen said: ↑
Don't think so, they just benefited twice as much ... (I have no particular opinion about whether that was good, bad or indifferent)

Got the dates off Wikipedia, not to say that they are right though

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage_interest_relief_at_source

2000 feels awfully recent to still have been claiming it, but maybe it was still available then ...

Hopefully you were earning more than that in 2000 Jack!

You would have got tax relief on the first £30,000 of the mortgage. I have no idea what that actually translated to in pounds-shillings-and-pence, but for anyone paying tax it should have been "something" at least
Click to expand...

My initial income was £624 per year in 1967 My mortgage was £7k over 25 years which somehow worked out as £37. 500 paid back in total, Current £120k but I am out in the sticks

I/We do not want everyone living here, it is nice to walk across the road with minimum traffic, and not have any traffic congestion or the stress of city life
On the other hand, we do not go to the opera, the theatre, or top restaurants

Just live an affordable life, and most importantly happy,
We do not prefer to be better than the Jones' so why do it ?

I would love to have a nice large country home in the counties, with a nice garden
though I much prefer to live as I do in an (affordable to me) home in a crap town in Scotland
with nothing going on

(I am at the moment twitching the sphincter with the SNP and independence)

Jack McH

Jack McHammocklashing · Sep 4, 2013

Victoria said: ↑
Hey there FC ... I don't speak often here any more in my what seven years I have been a member but I still read and 'listen' to what you guys are going through ... and you are one of the people I have a lot of time for ... also our Clueless. xx You both seem like 'hard grafters' ... and that is not a phrase I used when I was in the UK but I can tell that both of you are that.

I have never said or assumed that the younger generation have it 'easy' ... in fact, quite the opposite and I/we feel very sad how life has become there ... but we are pleased that we are now retired and away from the UK, and anyone can take that as they like. We paid our dues and have no qualms (is that a word?) about our retirement here now. We chose not to have children so in a financial sort of way that was a bonus for us.

We actually have two lots of friends from the UK whom we have known for 20-odd years who are also considering moving here (strangely, another one is an ex-employee of Hozelock ... ) .

All I can say is that I wish you all well in your lives and hope you can smile through all the tough times ... as we have amongst the tears ... xx
Click to expand...

Really we could all do it to some extent, Sell up in the UK and go live in Cyprus, Malta, Spain, or Portugal, The fact we do not is our problem

Why struggle to live in London or the Counties, when you can sell up and retire to Portugal etc with money to spend and your own home

I chose not to, due to family allegiance ,I could not leave my parents alone, and missed the opportunity, whilst my children were still young enough and not involved with extended families

I had the opportunity to transfer to the Australian Navy inclusive of a home, but again could not consider leaving my parents, aunties and uncles at home a Wimp, but I knew my family could never afford to visit and it would be the end of our relationship

Jack McH

Jack McHammocklashing · Sep 4, 2013

"M" said: ↑
"Qualms" is indeed, a word and yes, you have used it in context

In the next couple of weeks, I will be sending my two youngest sons off to university. Unlike myself, they will be paying the higher (... est!) rate of tuition fees, to date. This will become one of their employment "deductions" for a good many years hence! They are of a generation where they are going to bear the brunt of any, and all - so far - of the mishandling of finance at the highest of echelons.

I could compare my current financial status with that of my own parents: in doing so, no matter how desperate the scenario may appear, the fact remains I am in a stronger financial scenario than my parents could ever have dreamed of. But, I do also accept, that I am slightly 'different' because I was the youngest of a long line: thus, my own parents were a generation older than the parents of my peers Both of my parents worked, very hard, until the day they could no longer do so.

I did have to turn to a 'benefit' system at one stage in my life: at that point, the 'system' only provided a cushion and was no where near the "lifestyle" choice which it appears to have become for the past number of years. Indeed, at that time, drawing any 'benefit' was deemed shameful/mortifying/worthy of derision. I even argued at that time, why the fuss? I will repay far more in tax during my working life than I have drawn (actually, at that time, that would have been very near the mark: truly!). Today? Unlikely!

Such was the stigma, I held 3 different jobs to elevate myself out of the benefit system: jobs I could accomplish a) while my children were at school; b) I could accomplish while my children were with me; and c) work I could accomplish via the home environment. But! Can parents even take their children to work with them in this day and age? Or, does that breach some health and safety/child welfare sanctions now? Most likely!

Maybe I'm old fashioned (?) but, when I am making life style comparisons, I do not venture into the what if's/maybe's of tomorrow's generation, what I compare is: how much better off am I in comparison to my own parents? And, my answer to that is very simple: MUCH! I own my own home (they didn't, despite working their R's off!); I have some savings (although my lads are eating it away in their droves right now ); both of my lads are off to read degrees at University (not even on the radar of my own parents - despite being very intelligent people!).

I conclude that I am the result of my own parents aspirational dreams (hard working, working-class folk) and my sons are the result of my own achievements/aspirations and the result of their father's career choices.

Blame the Government/Bankers all you like (and yes, they are accountable for much): but, they are NOT accountable for your life time/style choices. Because, as this thread has evolved and shown: some people made certain choices (for which they - now - feel resentful) and some people made alternate choices (for which they - now - feel thankful). Seems to me, both groups of people are of a similar "age" ... yet, presented with the same financial scenario, one group is doing ok, the other is swathed in bitterness? More likely, some people saw the writing on the wall that others may have missed?

You make your choices, you stake your claim: and then, with the luxury of hindsight, you decide whether your cup is half full or half empty!

As a child, growing up, I was thankful for: a meal on my plate, a roof over my head (council ) and clothes on my back.

As an adult, I am thankful for: a meal on my plate, a roof over my head (that no on can take away from me! EVER!!) and clothes on my back. I am additionally grateful that I am in a position to assist the transition of my youngest two lads on their road to University (which they will be repaying the state for many years to come! But under the most generous loan terms!). They have their health, they have been given my wisdom borne from experience, they are free agents; they are trying to make the most of the opportunities available to them, under the current scenarios. How precious is that!!??? Who knows what kind of 'future' they will be living under when they are you ages!!!??? I can only hope I have equipped them well enough to make wise choices and to see the writing on the wall of flawed plans/issues
Click to expand...

M sell up, move to a home in the Sun (EU) Then send your sons to UNI for free in Scotland
when they have completed their degrees, with the money you have saved, sell up and move back £72k better off or £72k less debt :-)

Jack McH

Jack McHammocklashing · Sep 5, 2013

fat controller said: ↑
I can assure you of two things Victoria - firstly, I don't think there is anyone on this forum that dislikes you because you managed to work your way up the property ladder, in a particularly hard way; and you (like Jack, Shiney and others) did not do that to make a profit, but merely to provide yourself with a decent home. No right minded person could hold that against you.

Secondly, I can assure you that it is not ALL younger people that do not know what a bit of hardship is. No-one handed me anything on a platter; I have had to work for every single thing that we have, and to try and build a decent life for us.

For the record, I spent much of my early years living with my father on a small holding, in a caravan, with no electricity let alone TV - I vividly remember the ice on the inside in the winter, as well as the duvet freezing solid around me at night in the winter. My father abandoned me (literally) at the age of 13, and I ended up in the care of social services in a children's home.

By the age of 15, I was out working and paying digs, and by the time I was 17 I managed to pay my way through driving lessons as I saw a driving licence as a potential way of increasing my chances of getting a job (I was made redundant at the age of 16, spent 6 weeks working in a charity shop and literally knocking doors asking for employment, before landing myself a job mostly for having the balls to go and ask); I worked my way up, got myself a car, and had something of a decent time for my late teens. In my early 20's, I started a business with a friend, which was reasonably successful, however my parnter did the dirty on me (I know now I was too trusting and naive) and I ended up saddled with a load of debt, and no business.

I moved to the other side of Scotland, to be nearer to my mum (having managed to get back in touch with her eventually after my father dropped me in the brown stuff)and worked in a nursing home for a while - I met a girl, and ended up moving down to London to be with her, and had only the clothes I stood up in (literally); I secured a full time job driving buses, and worked in a post office sorting office whilst I was waiting for my start date; three months in, the girl I moved my life for scunnered off with another guy, and once again I had now't. I worked, and worked - took digs with a fellow driver, and slowly got myself sorted.

Then I met Mrs C - while I was driving a bus - one thing led to another, and we ended up moving into a rented flat together; this flat did not even have a kitchen as such (there was a bare room with a sink in one corner), so for two years I was cooking on a two ring baby Belling that was sat on a slab of MDF, which was atop an old cupboard unit. Over the years, we slowly made the flat into something decent - I fitted a kitchen, and latterly I fitted a new bathroom, all from my own pocket. The day after I fitted the flooring in the bathroom, our landlord's premises below caught fire and was gutted, with smoke damage to our stuff above. Worse still, we ended up in a real fix, because they were uninsured and disappeared for a number of weeks after the fire, leaving me to clean up the mess as best I could.

Having had enough, we moved as soon as we could, taking on a property in a bit of disrepair from a couple that needed to get away from the London area (health issues), but as it was 2007 nothing was selling - they decided to rent to us. I spent a small fortune sealing up cracks in the walls, fixing the knackered central heating, sorting the electrics, and fitting carpets having spent the first year there with bare floorboards in the bedrooms. Our landlords were delighted with us as tenants, and planned for us to stay for a number of years while they had something of a semi-retirement in the countryside. Then, their bank pulled the plug on them, basically because they didn't have a mortgage on a house that they were living in, so they weren't happy for them to have a mortgage on a house that they weren't living in (the fact that the mortgage got paid every month apparently passed them by), so we had to move again into the house we are in now.

Being now fully out in the 'proper' rental market (dealing with agents and their fees), we basically had to find the thick end of £5000 to move into this house (deposit, one month in advance, and to get this house I had to rent this one for a month whilst still renting the other), then we had to buy curtains, bedroom furniture and a fridge, and had to borrow to do so.

Through all of this, I have never flown away on holiday - in fact we have only had two holidays in the UK where we weren't at home, and both of those were visiting my mum. I have been in a pub once in the past three years, and that was for a company Christmas do.

In an average month, I work at least six out of my eight rest days, and in an average week I will do an additional 20 hours or so overtime (for which I don't get paid) on top of that. No matter what I do, I have little hope of raising the required £50k+ deposit to buy a home in any reasonable time frame, so forgive me if I absolutely refuse to feel guilty about having a TV and a decent car. Hell, the TV I have in our bedroom is only there because I salvaged the blighter from scrap and fixed it!

I also make no apology for this or other 'rants' in this thread, as it really grinds my gears when there is an assumption made that the younger generation have it easy, or have no idea what hardship is.
Click to expand...

To leave school and commence work at 15 you need to be born pre 1950 or present age 63

Why suffer, why not get employment in the North and live an affordable easy life ?
Yes it is a few degrees colder, but you learn to live with that, and if you are struggling a bit just now then I take it you are not visiting the Opera or the Theatre at Southbank etc so nothing much to miss out on (Chinese take aways are £4,90 here Beer £3 a pint)

Jack McH

Jack McH

Scrungee · Sep 5, 2013

Kristen said: ↑
Got the dates off Wikipedia, not to say that they are right though http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage_interest_relief_at_source 2000 feels awfully recent to still have been claiming it, but maybe it was still available then ...
Click to expand...

MIRAS was completely abolished in April 2000
Click to expand...

Maybe it was partially abolished prior to April 2000?

Kandy · Sep 5, 2013

I was borning in 1956 and started work in August 1971 on my 15th Birthday

Jack,do you get a pension from the Navy job,Penpushers job and then state pension?

A lot of my friends who bought their house in the 1960's for a couple of thousand when only one wage was taken into account so the wives stayed home to bring up the kids until they were older and then got a part time job for 'Pin' money.When the interest rates went up when Thatcheler got into power,they were laughing all the way to the bank so to speak as they got fantastic returns on their savings.Fast foward and they are now retired and go off on several crusies and European holidays a year,new car every three years{as they say they can't take it with them}give money to their children/grandchildren to help them get on the housing ladder and pay for their childrens weddings when they eventually get married

Yes life is very tuff for the older genertion

shiney · Sep 5, 2013

I don't think it is simply when, or where, you were born. Luck and opportunity have a very large deciding factor in it. Making the right decision at the right time is part of the 'luck and opportunity'.

Every time there is a possible crossroad in life it needs to be recognised (opportunity) and a choice made. Sometimes the choices made work out well (good luck) or not so well (bad luck).

Most people do not recognise the opportunity until it is too late, or they do recognise it and don't take it - 'I wish I did....'. Some take it and find it was completely the wrong decision and others find it works out well.

To some extent the amount of 'luck' can be influenced by good research and/or having good friends and family to discuss things with, but in a lot of cases it's serendipity.

Jack made a conscious effort to choose his path each time and is happy with having his family around him and living in his more remote area. It didn't give him lots of money but it has made him happy.

We, probably, can all point to people we know who made the right or wrong decisions - in our opinion.

One of my managers who was a very nice person and hard working always seemed to make the wrong decisions (I've known him for over 30 years). Some of those decisions were against good advice but a lot were just plain bad luck. If you wanted to buy a car you only needed to go out with him when he was buying a car. You could be absolutely positive that he would buy the 'lemon'. Walking down the street with him you were perfectly safe because the brick would fall on his head!

I'm pretty certain that there seemed to be a few more opportunities back in my day but it may just be that they were easier to recognise as there were fewer complications.

Having said that, nothing was handed to us on a plate. We slogged our guts out and made a few decisions. Some of the decisions that turned out OK had absolutely nothing to do with good judgement.

We bought our house (two bedroomed bungalow at the time) and the following year they opened a motorway near us. It's a quarter of a mile from us but the junction is 7 miles away. Three months later the price of property in our area doubled because it brought us into range for the well off city commuters to want to move here.

Our house (now three bedrooms) is worth more than we could ever have dreamed of but if we sold it and wanted to stay near friends and family we would have to shell out most of that to buy another place. We could, of course, sell up and join Victoria (Hi, Victoria ) and live in great comfort. But that would mean leaving all we have here and all the disadvantaged people that I spend a lot of time helping.

shiney · Sep 5, 2013

Kandy said: ↑
Yes life is very tuff for the older genertion
Click to expand...

Hi Kandy . I suppose you realise that to a lot of GC members, you are the older generation

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Conspiracy Theory OAP

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Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

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Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

Floods, droughts, olympics and politics - my conspiracy theory

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Conspiracy Theory OAP

pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

Kristen Under gardener

Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

"M" Total Gardener

Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

Scrungee Well known for it

Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

Floods, droughts, olympics and politics - my conspiracy theory

The moon landing conspiracy

Conspiracy

A Conspiracy.Must be stopped!!!!

Conspiracy

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