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Are you strugglling financially?


Dibden Purlieu Saint

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Obviously I am not delving into your finances, but am more trying to work out whether or not people feel they are worse off than say 5-10 years ago? There is a lot said about an increase in fuel prices, cost of food, clothes etc, but also with low interest rates a reduction in the cost of mortgages etc. Is it a case that credit is harder to go by so it's harder to borrow more (good thing in my opinion).

 

Do YOU personally, feel worse off?

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Personally worse off. 10 years ago (I was 19) I pretty much spent all my cash going out having a good time with mates etc, always just thought I'll settle in a few years time. Now that few years time has come I fully regret my choice. Renting a place with my other half pretty much rules out ever buying which is so frustrating, I wish I'd jumped all over the mortagage offers of 10 years ago! So although I'm not financially struggling the dead money I put into renting I wish was going into a property I bought.

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Not struggling but worse off. The boom years were good but those days are gone.

 

It's obvious that there is much less money in the system and those who have money want to keep hold of it.

 

This is a very deep recession (triple dip or otherwise) that will linger for a very long time.

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Better off as we paid off our mortgage a couple of years ago.

 

However, with 65 on the horizon, I'm starting to think about retirement income. Annuities are rubbish at the moment so my personal pension won't be very generous. Probably try to negotiate a 3-day week with my employer when I get to 65, draw my state pension but not the private one and hope annuity rates improve. Also, you stop paying NI after 65 so that'll save a couple of grand a year.

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i was a student 5 years ago, so i'm far better off than i was. but i'm not as well off as those who we're in the same position 10 years ago.

 

Same as me. People in their mid to late 30's don't know how good they had it.

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Better off as we paid off our mortgage a couple of years ago.

 

However, with 65 on the horizon, I'm starting to think about retirement income. Annuities are rubbish at the moment so my personal pension won't be very generous. Probably try to negotiate a 3-day week with my employer when I get to 65, draw my state pension but not the private one and hope annuity rates improve. Also, you stop paying NI after 65 so that'll save a couple of grand a year.

 

is this because you feel you can't work a full week over 65, or work don't think your up to it, or because you feel you're entitled to it?

 

genuinely curious, as i will probably be well into my 70s before i will be able to claim a state pension, if it even still exists then

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Same as me. People in their mid to late 30's don't know how good they had it.

 

I actually feell sorry for you lot - I am in the brackte you refer to. I am back to where I started five years ago. I have to say recession really suck and I will not be participating in the next one.

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Hard to say really, as I was 14 ten years ago.

 

But living/working in London, I struggle to see how I am ever going to buy my own place. Looking to move out of the rents again (had to move back in a couple of years ago due to ill-health/finances), and it's just so expensive!

 

Will have no life whatsoever after tax/rent/bills/food etc.

 

The gf is a Doctor though, so probs just need to tie her down sharpish, am trying to push her towards plastic surgery. I'm a modern man, I could handle being kept me thinks.

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Earn far more than did 10 years ago as was just finishing uni. But even from 5 years ago when we bought our house (lucky with Missus' parents lending us deposit) bills etc are alot higher. I earn much more but with everything else catching up it doesn't feel like I do.

Nicely though just renewed moertgage after 5year fixed rate and interest is now almost half of what we were on so saving just under £200 a month! Hoping for promotion soon so hopefully will have some spare cash. ironically looking to move now as well as want to move before we have kids as certainly can't afford them at mo! My mum retired on less than I am on now and we lived in a bigger house than I'm in now, strange really but shows inflation.

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is this because you feel you can't work a full week over 65, or work don't think your up to it, or because you feel you're entitled to it?

 

genuinely curious, as i will probably be well into my 70s before i will be able to claim a state pension, if it even still exists then

 

I'm in IT and a lot of our functions have been moved to our European HQ so I'm a bit bored and, to be honest, probably overpaid.

I'd like to combine the extra free time with still earning a reasonable salary at least for a couple of years. 60% of my current salary + my state pension + the removal of NI contributions would keep me comfortable for that period and I could have long weekends.

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getting a private pension at the moment and work part time and will have to work a extra year when it comes to my state pension in 8 years time,my biggest gripe is that all this quantitative easing is devaluing my pension and that the pound has been devalued big time over the last few years leading to big price rises in my weekly shop.

compared to alot of people i have a good standerd of living own my house and i always have budgeted and not been one for brand names which saved me a fortune.

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Much worse off than 5 years ago. In that time there have been no pay increases, massive reduction in benefits, massive increase in salary deductions and a corresponding massive reduction in what those deductions get me, and no promotional opportunities so no opportunity to offset any of that with an increase in salary. In real terms I'm probably 15-20% worse off short term, and about 40% worse off long term. And it's set to carry on for at least another 2-3 years.

 

Pretty sure that the arseholes that got us in this trouble in the first place are okay though, so that's alright.

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Much worse off as well. Just into my fifties, mortgage not yet paid off, dreading retirement, and currently on a 10% pay cut "to help the company through the recession" so it doesn't have to lay off lower paid factory workers.

 

As a result, I am extremely cynical about taxes, banker bonuses and all politicians - haven't got a good word for any of them..

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Better off as we paid off our mortgage a couple of years ago.

 

However, with 65 on the horizon, I'm starting to think about retirement income. Annuities are rubbish at the moment so my personal pension won't be very generous. Probably try to negotiate a 3-day week with my employer when I get to 65, draw my state pension but not the private one and hope annuity rates improve. Also, you stop paying NI after 65 so that'll save a couple of grand a year.

 

Isn't there a choice you can make, I can't remember precisely something like income drawdown.

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As a result, I am extremely cynical about taxes, banker bonuses and all politicians - haven't got a good word for any of them..

 

I'm better off than I was 5-10 years ago, mainly because the other half's salary has ballooned, but i agree with this. The whole system is f*cked up.

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10 years ago will had no kids so were minted. Now we have 3 kids but a mortgage of only £60k (which we over pay by a significant amount) so manage to have a decent life but a very different life to before.

 

Money is tighter but we are much cannier but money has never been the main driving force for us.

 

The mortgage will be paid off in 7 years, so after that things will certainly feel easier *****il she buys somewhere abroad).

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About the same.

 

No pay rise for 3 years. Food, petrol, electric, gas more expensive.

 

But, interest rates being so low has encouraged me to invest in a buy-to-let property to rent. Also government budget changes regards PAYE % seem to have worked slightly in our favour.

 

Overall I'd say better off.

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Waaay worse off. 10 years ago was half way through paying off the mortgage, and on a reasonable wage and married to someone with an even better paid job and great pension lined up. Gave her the flick and moved to Australia with next to nothing. I'm now 53 and just taken out a new 30 year mortgage which is 4 times the size of the one I had 10 years ago. Remarried, and in local terms, earning below average for a couple. At current rates will still be working at 75, maybe even 80 if I live that long and anyone will still have me!

 

Don't regret moving for a second though.

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I'm much worse off than in 2003 : mortgage on my (sole) 2 bed flat was £125, I could work overtime at my discretion and got paid £200 a week for carrying a phone in my pocket. Lived 2 miles from work so barely any fuel costs, petrol was about 80p a litre, spent less than £40 on petrol a month, and I went out most nights in new clothes. I was earning about £10k less than I am now basic, but due to the add-ons I was getting loads more than my basic, almost on a par with my current wages, and back then 50% of my wages were disposable income.

 

2008, just bought a new house with the now-ex, then lost half the £60k that I'd just made selling my flat, by selling at a huge loss. Moved out, and from 2009 for a year I was paying a mortgage and rent - and then the year after, a wedding and honeymoon with the wife. But we lived 4 miles from work, petrol was not much over £1 and I spent under £50 a month on petrol, and we could just about manage it. Was getting about £5k less than I am now, got a loan to pay off the £4k overdraft accrued in this time. Still managed to find a few quid to spend on t-shirts though.

 

Now... got a bit more disposable income, but the cost of petrol and fuel generally offsets that immediately as I have to drive 30 miles round trip most days and petrol is around £130 a month. Can't justify buying new clothes though, I'm still wearing the ones from a couple of years back... haven't had a pay rise other than a pay increment for 5 years, and guaranteed not to get one at all for 3 years from next month !

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Isn't there a choice you can make, I can't remember precisely something like income drawdown.

 

There are options but I'll probably get some professional advice next year.

 

Anybody know a good pensions IFA in Southampton?

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I refuse to divulge my personal details on here as the young lefties would have a field day !

Suffice to say that I retired in my late 50s and now spend a month or so each winter in the southern hemisphere and have just bought a brand new £40k Jag !

Better not say that I spent my winter fuel allownace on a couple of cases of wine from Majestic, otherwise they will become apoplectic :)

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Not really

 

Probably earning less overall

 

But I have always saved so this downturn is reducing the amount I save but is not making any difference to my day to day life

 

Simples really, from an early age I always made sure I spent less that I earned and over theyears as salary has increased my spending has increased at a slower rate so as to open a buffer

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On day to day expenses, worse off. 20% pay cut by relocating back to God's Own City, increase in expenditure on basics and fuel. But overall better off due to mortgage being paid off thanks to a redundancy payoff 4 years ago.

 

In terms of quality of life, much better off. Swapped Reading for the New Forest, relaxed pace of life, easy commute in to Southampton, and a lovely woman to share all that with.

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I refuse to divulge my personal details on here as the young lefties would have a field day !

Suffice to say that I retired in my late 50s and now spend a month or so each winter in the southern hemisphere and have just bought a brand new £40k Jag !

Better not say that I spent my winter fuel allownace on a couple of cases of wine from Majestic, otherwise they will become apoplectic :)

 

It makes sense, it all equals out, you have money but live on the Isle of Wight and before that Belgium..........and you take a holiday in Australia/New Zealand, you are hardly Branson but carry on.

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It makes sense, it all equals out, you have money but live on the Isle of Wight and before that Belgium..........and you take a holiday in Australia/New Zealand, you are hardly Branson but carry on.

 

Never claimed to be Branson and I go to South Africa in the winter but still love the lifestyle here on IoW, sailing, golf etc.. !

Have lived in Liverpool in my day so can compare to IoW and I'm quite happy here, hope the same goes for you up there also ?

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I think it helps not having dependants and not having too many expensive tastes, but although I'm careful I'm not struggling. Ten years ago I was living off redundancy money, then bits of pieces of employment (as I didn't want to stay in IT) and then an early (hence reduced) pension kicked in when I was 50. I still work, though the local economy is a bit ropey and I've lost most of my teaching hours in the last year. Can't complain and if I get an additional private lesson I know I have a little extra to spend. I'll be moving back to the UK this summer, and to be honest it may well be more difficult to get the supplementary income I want, but it's not something I worry about. Might have to forgo the season ticket I had when I last lived in the UK though..

 

PS: Eurosaint, know anybody needing crew? :-) Winching and rail work... no foredeck stuff...

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The answer to the OP is no. But financially life takes many turns.

 

I'm secure and comfortable thanks to a very successful sale of development land left to me by my father who sadly never realised its potential.

 

Having said that, I feel the increased cost of living but, with a mortgage paid off and successful daughters no longer depending on me, I'm lucky.

 

I took redundancy from my management job 10 years ago with a good package and pension and now work part-time which suits me, undertake consultancy which pays well and have developed a sideline in property rental.

 

At my age, I don't feel guilty about being comfortable because I've earned what I've got. But I sympathise with those on fixed earnings with mortgages and families. They must be feeling the pinch.

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Of course would not live anywhere else at the moment, happy here, when children arrive that may change, I just dont feel the need to feel smug about money, I can assure you money is not evrything.

 

I agree that money isn't everything, I was honestly trying to respond to the question in the OP !

Clearly some have done better than others in the last decade or so and inevitably that has come out in this thread !

Glad you don't feel smug about wealth because neither do I (I started with nothing and have done reasonably well but that's life, it could easily have gone the other way!).

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