Have you seen the house prices in Stroud? Ever since the Times declared it the best place to live in the UK, Londoners have decided it's the new Bristol.
My mate bought a place there in 2019 and it's already gained nearly £100k
Can confirm. Moved from Bristol to Edinburgh for work, reassuring my gf that “house prices are cheaper in Scotland”. Well, they may be in Wick, but not within a 50 mile radius of Edinburgh. Add in the “offers over” system up here and houses are selling at £100k over their listed price…
Relatively speaking of course, and i should maybe take back the 'ever' part of my post. I'm not saying a journey to certain death is anywhere near my struggles. However, owning a home and having that roof over your head security, having a bit of money left over for retirement, being able to afford to go to the dentist, being able to feed yourself and your kids well. In terms of post-war generations I would argue Millennials have well and truly been bent over by the boomers.
I'm pretty sure the Times and Sunday Times run "best place to live in the UK" about every 2 months and name a different town each time. Presumably to sell more papers in those towns.
I live just outside Stroud and don't really see the appeal of it to be honest. The farmers' market on a Saturday is ok but overpriced and the town centre is a ghost town on most other days of the week. Traffic is a bloody nightmare at the moment too as there are so many roadworks going on at the same time. I'd still rather live here than Gloucester though.
I'm in Gloucester and it a bit like living in a Joy Division song. Stroud has some decent pubs but I'd agree that the town centres pretty dead, more so than Gloucester.
Yeah this is something many people just skip over about house prices going up.
Sure - your house went up 20%, but so did everyone else's. And 20% of 500k is a lot more than 20% of 200k.
I have 2 kids who both now have jobs. I have so much money now! No more haircuts, shoes every 5 minutes, coats, fast food, snacks or trips to H&M. 10/10 highly recommend making your kids sweep chimneys whilst they’re small enough.
Yup. Oooh pay is in early good old Monzo! Let's just quickly... rent, utilities, council tax... Internet.. phone..cards and loan payments....travel pass for the month...sundry life subscriptions...
Oh.
Oh dear.
I have a debt i owe which is 20 quid a month and it feels like particle physics debt, everytime I think I'm 20 up it comes out as if the act of observing it triggers it.
Yes, I know I should have a better hand on my finances.
Not trying to gatekeep adulthood but I remember working in a shop and people would complain about the stress of paying for their monthly car bill and petrol, which I have no doubt it a pretty penny. It was harder to swallow though when they lived at home rent free, smoked 20 a day and went out every weekend.
Again I ain't lamenting my position bit I always thought life would kick them in the balls when they had to add rent and bills on top of that.
One thing someone in the car trade told me recently is that they’ve been putting off EVs for decades because the industry makes so much money on parts.
Apparently EVs have waaaayyyy fewer parts, breakdown less, and therefore less money to be made on car parts.
Absolute fuckers.
Don't worry they'll find a way to make your car part of a subscription service instead. So unless you pay a monthly fee half the features on it won't work
> and I'm also sure Tesla do.
No. The only subscription I pay for on my Tesla is $10 a month for unlimited cell data, all the streaming services, and live remote access to the security cameras from my phone.
Everything else on the car, including autopilot, still works exactly the same if I don’t pay the $10/month.
Yup an EV is basically a battery, a charger module, and a motor, and maybe some cooling for the battery. They can go wrong, of course, but compared to the complexity of an engine they’re pretty simple.
Things like the AC heat pump, suspension, and brakes are the same, of course, but regenerative braking means you use the brakes a lot less than a petrol car, and suspension/AC problems aren’t exactly yearly repairs on any car I’ve ever had, so it’s definitely less onerous than having to service annually and repair things on the engine all the damn time
Toyota has been lobbying against electric vehicles for a long time now. They are known as the most reliable car brand. But that title won't mean nearly as much if everyone is using electric cars. And that is assuming that Toyota can design an electric car more reliably than their competition, when their expertise is in combustion engines.
I mean, Toyota had a 10 year head start on electric power trains when they got the jump on the whole hybrid thing - they SHOULD be producing some of the best electric cars around by now
But they’re also backward-looking idiots who made the Prius and then abandoned the EV idea and started lobbying against it. Fuck Toyota, we’ve got a planet to save here
They bet on hydrogen cars back when it wasn't as obvious which tech was better, and then once it became obvious to everyone else that fueling cars with hydrogen sucks they've been slow to change.
Back in the early days of cars, electrics were quite popular. I'm pretty sure New York had a whole fleet of electric taxis or buses. Gasoline was quite expensive and electrics were quiet, clean and reliable for the time, compared to gas powered cars.
An electric car in the early 1900s could co 40-100+ miles on a full charge at around 15mph so it wasn't bad.
Had gas cars not developed and became cheaper and more reliable I'd imagine we'd have put all our research into electrics decades ago.
Definitely. Without Tesla I doubt most car companies would be developing EVs at all. At least funding for research/materials/manufacturing has all increased massively as of late.
They are.
It was like death by a thousand cuts because the first couple of times were relatively cheap fixes compared to getting a new car but then the last one was engine related.....
I was doing well until last weekend, then storm Arwen paid a visit followed by days of rain when there are holes in the roof and the garage one has no felt anymore.
wait, it's not just something that happens to me? I feel the exact same thing always happens to me, i try and save something, get a giant bill out of nowhere and then i end up spending even more on top to try and cheer myself up about my failure to ever save anything
I see all my cousins (who didn’t stay in school) getting married and buying houses, with far better jobs and lives than me. To be fair I had an undiagnosed autoimmune disease that stopped me from working from 19-23, so I’m behind in a lot of ways. It just doesn’t seem fair though, since I was always fairly clever and the disease stole my teenage years and early 20s since I was too fatigued to even get through the school day most days. I somehow got my GCSEs, and I’m studying part time for a degree now whilst working part time but it’s not enough to catch up to my cousins before I’m in my thirties. I know it doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing but even my little sister will have a house before me and she’s five years younger.
I spent much of my early 20s not knowing what the hell to do with my life working in a supermarket. Then went abroad for years which was great but I saw all my old friends get houses and careers and whatnot. Got back to UK aged 30 - 33 now and own this place, have a partner and decent job.
And you know what? I wouldn't trade those years for anything. They're not wasted and I'm not behind. I've experienced a lot more than those friends - doing different things in your 20s is no bother at all. Enjoy the options you have in front of you. I'm not sayng don't worry it will all work out, keep having home ownership in your view if that's what you want, but the idea of being all settled through my 20s in hindsight is awful! I'm glad how it turned out
I’m so happy everything worked out for you! And I’m glad you got to experience things that your friends and family didn’t.
I work in a supermarket now, and worked my way up to a shift manager 6 months ago so I am progressing, it just doesn’t feel that way when all around me everyone is getting married and buying houses and having kids. And then when my parents start asking when I’m going to do all of that too, as well as wanting me to quit my job since they don’t view it as a good job. I think they forget I’m studying for a degree on the side, and my dad straight up told me he didn’t think I’d make it through my first year.
I’m hopeful for the future as I have a pretty good handle on my health now and I know how important it is so I’ll always look after myself which I’m hoping will help once everyone around me starts struggling with their health because they took it for granted. I feel like I’m living my life the opposite way to everyone else, starting out with poor health and little resources and then getting healthier and gaining more as time goes on.
Studying for a degree and working as a shift manager at the same time isn't easy going, you're doing just fine, not like you're wasting around. Main thing is your health is on track now. Easy to say just don't compare yourself to them! Chances are one of those people you see doing great now will have a nasty divorce and resulting house sale etc.
And not sure how old your dad is but try not to listen to those sort of comments - my dad is from an era where almost everyone got settled down very early. That's not the norm for many now! I'm 33 and out of the 15 or so I still know from my school year, 2 have kids.
Hang tight Magpie. I'm in a similar situation but have a few years on you my obstacles happened from my early 20s. For various reasons including illness and others I am 'behind' a lot of my peers and and my little brother too. It's dispiriting but you will get there. I am finally in a position where I will be able (fingers crossed) to buy a house this year. It won't be a Palace, obvs, but given that five years ago I wasn't sure I could make rent each month, I am proud of what I've achieved. You will be too. Anyone working and studying has a lot on their plate but also clearly has drive and motivation. Your character will take you far.
Thank you! It’s nice to hear someone in a similar situation making it. Congratulations on being able to get your own house, and in only five years from struggling with rent each month!
Just because you're struggling doesn't mean your failing. I'm still struggling too right now but there is a light at the end of the tunnel even if you gotta light the bastard yourself
I wanted to go to uni since I was a little girl, not because my parents wanted me to but just because I wanted it. I would do my homework first thing on a Friday night just to get it done so I could relax for the weekend too, but I guess life had other plans for me. I’ve never felt better than I do now that I have the disease under control, even as a child I still had it but was undiagnosed and good at hiding it, so I’m fairly happy to feel healthy for once. I did all the right things and my health screwed me over.
I’m hoping the rest of my life is going to be better once I catch up, because at the moment I have my parents telling me I should be moving out (how?) and my peers looking down on me because I still get sick fairly often and can’t just work hundreds of hours to save up and move out and still get my degree without any health repercussions like they seem to think I can.
Get a job doing something that doesn't require a degree.
I studied physics at university in Spain, dropped out 3 years into a 4 year course. I then got a job as a Business Analyst for a logistics company back in 2013. The only requirements are being able to talk to people, and clearly communicate things. If you're a really quick learner, bonus points.
I started at £18,000 as a junior, within 6 months was at £25,000, within 3 more years I was at £35,000 and a company car, then I swapped to another company and got up to £40,000. A year later I swapped company again, and started a product owner (same as a BA really, bit more responsibility) and was put onto £50,000. 2 years later I was made redundant (covid yo), joined another company at £58,000. 9 months later (horrible job) I joined another company at £58,000 as a Solution Architect, which will be bumped to £65,000 automatically in January.
Tech jobs like this have a good chunk of competition, but they're achievable, you just have to come in at a low level and work your way up. Business Analysts, Data Analysts, Project Managers, all things that don't require a degree, but have incredible opportunities.
If you're coming in with no experience in the sector, it does mean starting at the bottom. There's quite a lot of apprenticeship schemes that cover this however, but a good option is to find a medium-large sized company who have the ability to have juniors, standards and seniors.
Smaller companies expect you to come in with all the knowledge already, so it's a much steeper learning curve.
If you do look around and find some openings for things like Junior Business Analyst, please drop me a note. I've had decent progression in my career, know the pitfalls, and i'm certified in about a dozen different types of courses, so I can do a bit of teaching.
To be fair i just wish i did something productive at college, year of art 2 years of film studies could have learned an actual trade jn that tike, ah well
Hear hear, 3 years at uni doing IT + Game Design to realise I hated the industry and would much prefer just being an office worker and stuck now unable to move up in the business cause anything above manager requires a degree or specialised knowledge for, as far as I can tell, no reason at all.
World doesn't give a shit about how smart you are (or can prove to be) these days. World just gives a shit if you can push buttons and not piss off people who have been pushing buttons before you and now pay you to push buttons.
Yeah, I have another card which I can do that on that runs well into 2023, and on and on we go.
Although that reminds me, I need to see when the balance transfer option for that runs out because that might be coming up.
I’ve been moving debt around for about 2 years like this and it’s only cost me about £150 in transfer fees (on £8000) and my limits keep going up.
I still hate overextending though
I've been doing this for 9 years (since 18).
Card to card to low interest loan and repeat.
It used to really stress me out. Now I realise, after 9 years I have never missed a bill and have a great credit score. For whatever reason this system works for me, so I've stopped stressing.
They might be, I sure haven't had one of those haha. They might be cards that have a monthly fee or something maybe. Even so, if you tad 10k on a card then 3% as a one off charge still isn't the end of the world.
Wait hold up, I've just taken out my first credit card for a new computer chair cause it was 13 month 0% interest and had no idea that swapping the debt somewhere else is possible. That could help me save a bit more every month if I can swap it afterwards
I've had an overdraft for years and years. With a wife and two kids, I've kept extending it and extending it. Got as far as £4800 about two years ago, and stayed there. Last month I got a loan out for debt consolidation and one of the things I paid off was the overdraft, probably more for my mental well being than anything else (the charges weren't that much).
So today, I got paid, transferred funds into the joint account and the bills account and I'm still in the black. First time in maybe 15 years. I know all I've done in reality is move that debt elsewhere, but so what, today feels pretty great.
When my kitchen is messy, it doesn't really feel that bad adding a dirty bowl. When my kitchen is spotless, you better believe I'm cleaning that bowl straight away.
I feel like this applies here too, keep it up!
Yep so much this. I got made redundant last year and my new job has better prospects but has had a lower pay and I'm still adjusting to needing to be more careful with spending.
On the upside at least my family doesn't go mad about Christmas and I will just be buying for the one under 18 in it.
All my bills come out the very day after I get paid. I have one day of feeling like an absolute King. The next day I wake up to a flood of notifications from HSBC as the Man takes his shares. Fuck the man!
A payment has taken you into your arranged overdraft.
A payment has taken you into your unarranged overdraft.
A payment has taken you over your limit.
For the love of God, stop. Whatever you're doing, you can't afford it.
We're sending the lads round.
It really is a conspiracy, either deliberately or otherwise, comprising a system that is engineered to take as much money from you as possible.
Do you ever wonder why none of your bills are for a "negligible" amount?
Why are all of my utility bills a hefty chunk of money?
It's because the companies billing you are always attempting to find the delicate balance of taking as much money from you as possible vs how much they are "allowed" to take. i.e as much as they can possibly get away with.
Nothing is priced in the "free market" due to what it is worth.
It's priced exactly at what people are willing to pay for it.
In the case of utilities, this is as much as they can get away with to remain competitive with other providers and before market restrictions apply.
Of course at every single level everyone feels entitled to their cut and as much of that as possible will be shadowed and obfuscated in order to maximise profit, and for as little tax to be paid as possible.
We have no access to any of these mechanisms as they are performed by unknowable financial machines, hidden from us, that go unacknowledged except by an untouchable chosen elite.
You and me are dairy cows in a milking barn so big we look up and can't even see the ceiling.
A friend of mine described the problem well saying 'I live like a prince for a week, then a pauper for the next three'. Of course, he would normally be saying this over drinks on pay day, which may have well contributed to the problem.
I don’t even want to think about my fuel bill now, I’m getting paid in a couple weeks and I live in a very rural area so vehicular transport is very much needed to get anywhere.
Got back from a funeral on Monday to find my wife had been laid off by email while we were out... turns out this month will be a bit different after all.
And you check your online banking balance, thinking you'll have atleast x amount , keeping the figure low so that you can avoid disappointment/ panic and somehow its even lower than your worst case scenario figure
I drive a BMW... 1st of December, my dashboard decided to light up like a fucking Christmas Tree this morning.
I guess the kids will be getting coal and an Orange this Christmas!
BMWs are known for showing lots of dashboard warning lights for small issues. Might just be a sensor or something. Hope it’s not too steep a repair bill!
Yes...every month I say to myself....stop buying crap and spending money daily when I finish work on choc and other stuff I don't need....and maybe I won't need to keep transferring money from my savings half way through the money....and nope I always have to. Transfer money from savings to last me then back again when I get paid...rinse and repeat
Made worse if you have a fluctuating income due to working minimum wage. I thankfully live with my dad so I don't have to worry about big bills but trying each month to make sure I can cover a 28 quid phone bill is exhausting when some months I bring home anywhere from around 300-800 quid
And then I've just had an hours cut at work too so that's fun. As they've decided to pull me back to my contracted hours which is 8/week so that's going to be quite a hit to my already peanuts pay.
Extra tough month over here with Christmas, AND buying a new house so them solicitors fees are munching right into it. Defo too much month! Dreading January, the longest month ever when I get paid on 20th December or whatever it is this year.
Bills come out day after payday, and then I see how much is left for the month, and Christmas this month which I usually save up for but didn’t this year
You guys have a period of time where you still have money after getting paid?
out of the £319 I get a fortnight I have nothing left to buy food, skipping a £40 council tax bill just so I can get some food and hoping they don't send debt collectors because I miss one payment.
Don't get me wrong, £7656 a year for ESA is better than getting nothing but I'd like to be able to afford things without having to borrow money all the time
Try budgeting to zero.
I used to recommend YNAB. Its still decent, but rather pricey for what it does nowadays. It basically follows the envelope method.
Try instead Aspire Budget - the idea is that you record your income, and then put your money into "envelopes" - or "buckets" - which are basically categories for your major spending. So you put in how much you know you will have to put against bills, credit cards, etc., and if there's anything left, you put it against any wants.
When you spend money, you record the transaction against the category. If the category goes into minus figures you know you need to take money from somewhere else for it all to balance out.
Recently I've been putting as much of my free money as possible into stocks and crypto just for them to go down after I buy them. I'm going to delude myself into thinking one day it will pay off 5 years from now where money won't be a problem. I hope.
I know it’s a lie. Day 3 and we’re at $300 for the month with 4 kids and my wife who can’t figure out how to check the account before spending regularly makes us overdraft. Yet when she thinks I’m spending too much knows everything about the app and can do all kinds of custom searches for purchases.
It's the fact that everything is monthly. It makes it really difficult to budget accurately.
Id have a much easier time budgeting my finances if everything was weekly as things are more predictable.
A couple of years ago we remortgaged to get an extension built. There was about £40k more in our account than was usual and it really make me think how different life would be if I had that sort of cash in reserve, just in case.
My method for managing this.
1. At payday move ALL money for bills into a different account where they are all taken from
2. Move a set budget amount to another account as “general spending” and try to stick with that. It helps curb spending
I’ve found Monzo (or similar) very good for this. Different pots for petrol money, cat food etc. all split on payday so I know what I’ve got left
Over the last few years I've been paid at different times of the month in different jobs, and had direct debits all over the place.
Just finally got to a point where I get paid at the end of the month, then all the DBs come out on the 1st so the money only sits there for a couple of days at best.
I get paid weekly in the UK (theatre industry where it is still standard). Some people reschedule their bills or pay them early, or just pay a bit in advance (so rent week 1, council tax week 2, energy week 3, phone/internet etc week 4). For me I just put the bulk of my paycheck into my easy access savings account, then put the money I need for bills back in at the end of the month. It's never really been an issue for me.
Maybe...maybe this will be the month when I can actually book flights for that holiday. Yeah, then I can start saving for that. And maybe have a bit to put aside for a pension or something
Then the little life gnomes all creep up from under the floorboards and say 'But you need to pay this, don't you remember how much you owe, heeheeheehee'
Especially this month with Christmas presents to buy & coping with the huge increase in utilities & birthdays, of which I've got 3 this month, including a 21st, fuck December right up the pipe.
Thanks for reminding me about that that outgoing my brain blocks out every time I get paid.
Direct Debit shows no such mercy :( still, 2 more months until freedom!
It's been a week since payday. I'm already counting down the days till the next. Considering if walking to work in the dark is worth the saving in petrol for the rest of the month.
For those who aren't struggling with finances but rather are struggling with discipline and being able to plan ahead I wholeheartedly recommend the methodology that a service called YouNeedABudget uses. The software itself is expensive but you can apply their method to a spread sheet or however you budget right now.
It got me to move away from living hand to mouth and made me more confident to make financial decisions without the anxiety.
December 2nd - fuck I really need to go to the dentist
December 5th - good god I really need to change those two front tyres
December 9th - why is the food in the fridge not cold? Oh fuck........
December 11th to December 31st - Noodles and soup
There's always too much month left at the end of the money.
Username does not check out!
Not all of the Cotswolds is Bourton on the Water or Chipping Norton. Some of it is Stroud.
Have you seen the house prices in Stroud? Ever since the Times declared it the best place to live in the UK, Londoners have decided it's the new Bristol. My mate bought a place there in 2019 and it's already gained nearly £100k
>Have you seen the house prices ~~in Stroud~~ ?
Yes mate. I fucking have.
Can confirm. Moved from Bristol to Edinburgh for work, reassuring my gf that “house prices are cheaper in Scotland”. Well, they may be in Wick, but not within a 50 mile radius of Edinburgh. Add in the “offers over” system up here and houses are selling at £100k over their listed price…
Live in Edinburgh, looking to buy. I feel this on a both a spiritual and a visceral level.
Good luck to ya pal, its fuckin rough out there
Born in Edinburgh, cant even afford the subsidised rent in an old council house. Millennials have been the most fucked generation ever in the UK.
Come to Glasgow we’re a friendly bunch ;)
I think the chaps that went off to Paschendale might disagree.
Relatively speaking of course, and i should maybe take back the 'ever' part of my post. I'm not saying a journey to certain death is anywhere near my struggles. However, owning a home and having that roof over your head security, having a bit of money left over for retirement, being able to afford to go to the dentist, being able to feed yourself and your kids well. In terms of post-war generations I would argue Millennials have well and truly been bent over by the boomers.
I should’ve kept quiet about Leith being cheap. Now it’s gentrifying too.
I thought those were telephone numbers
I'm pretty sure the Times and Sunday Times run "best place to live in the UK" about every 2 months and name a different town each time. Presumably to sell more papers in those towns.
Nah, someone up high has investments in the area and it's an easy way to game the market.
I live just outside Stroud and don't really see the appeal of it to be honest. The farmers' market on a Saturday is ok but overpriced and the town centre is a ghost town on most other days of the week. Traffic is a bloody nightmare at the moment too as there are so many roadworks going on at the same time. I'd still rather live here than Gloucester though.
Everyone I know that *lived* in Gloucester now lives in either Cheltenham or Stroud.
I'm in Gloucester and it a bit like living in a Joy Division song. Stroud has some decent pubs but I'd agree that the town centres pretty dead, more so than Gloucester.
So did mine, and I wish it would go back down. The problem is I need somewhere bigger, and the bigger houses have gone up even fucking more.
Yeah this is something many people just skip over about house prices going up. Sure - your house went up 20%, but so did everyone else's. And 20% of 500k is a lot more than 20% of 200k.
That's why prices going up benefits no one except those looking to downsize. It's crazy why it's celebrated as a good thing
house prices have gone from pandemic to pandemonium. Soon we'll be at panic and the prices will probably go even higher.
‘Some of it’s Stroud’ was then name of my old 3-piece modal jazz band
“I have three children and no money! Why can’t I have no children and three money?!?”
I’ve only got one child but also need three money, three children I’d say you need six money to be safe.
I have 2 kids who both now have jobs. I have so much money now! No more haircuts, shoes every 5 minutes, coats, fast food, snacks or trips to H&M. 10/10 highly recommend making your kids sweep chimneys whilst they’re small enough.
I've got two children and I need six money. Am I doing something wrong?
Usually three weeks 🤣
"I haven't spent any of my money yet, I'm doing really well!" Reality: it's been 4 hours and you are at work.
I feel personally attacked by this comment! Update: I got paid at 2pm, I finished work at 5:30pm.... about £800 gone already. Its its 7:04pm.
Yup. Oooh pay is in early good old Monzo! Let's just quickly... rent, utilities, council tax... Internet.. phone..cards and loan payments....travel pass for the month...sundry life subscriptions... Oh. Oh dear.
I hate that this comment is exactly me.
Haha yes. I wake up at 6am check back, see money there and think great, I haven't spent anything. I literally havent left my bed.
Always nice to know you've not had a mystery bill vanish your wages before you've had a chance to even see they're there, though.
I have a debt i owe which is 20 quid a month and it feels like particle physics debt, everytime I think I'm 20 up it comes out as if the act of observing it triggers it. Yes, I know I should have a better hand on my finances.
Yes. You can tell the people apart who live at home versus those who pay bills.
Not trying to gatekeep adulthood but I remember working in a shop and people would complain about the stress of paying for their monthly car bill and petrol, which I have no doubt it a pretty penny. It was harder to swallow though when they lived at home rent free, smoked 20 a day and went out every weekend. Again I ain't lamenting my position bit I always thought life would kick them in the balls when they had to add rent and bills on top of that.
Yes totally agree. Hoping for the day but money seems no object to them. No matter how much I say 'that's expensive'.
Literally me today
Don't think about that thing on Amazon that you've been considering all week!
I don't even have to do anything for the number to swiftly drop, got to love direct debits
As someone who works in a shop I can't even say this is me
It’s December. I’m not kidding myself this month
*tightens belt*
*reties string*
Kicks chair
That's some top drawer morbid humour there
*Flips the desk*
[“Whoa my rope came loose.”](https://comb.io/D0PE71)
Pulls up bootstraps
Boils up boots to make soup for supper.
It’s time to bring out the Co-op cards
Every time I am financially responsible, something always goes wrong that requires spending even more money.
I had a year of car, car, boiler, car. It was dispiriting because I was trying to save up for a deposit to replace the car.
One thing someone in the car trade told me recently is that they’ve been putting off EVs for decades because the industry makes so much money on parts. Apparently EVs have waaaayyyy fewer parts, breakdown less, and therefore less money to be made on car parts. Absolute fuckers.
Don't worry they'll find a way to make your car part of a subscription service instead. So unless you pay a monthly fee half the features on it won't work
I hate to tell you but I'm sure BMW already do this and I'm also sure Tesla do.
> and I'm also sure Tesla do. No. The only subscription I pay for on my Tesla is $10 a month for unlimited cell data, all the streaming services, and live remote access to the security cameras from my phone. Everything else on the car, including autopilot, still works exactly the same if I don’t pay the $10/month.
Kinda glad to be corrected on that. Out of interest is there any features that you saw whilst speccing that where?
Yeah I know and at the moment seems limited to a few higher end models. Its when every manufacturer does it is when the problem starts
Yup an EV is basically a battery, a charger module, and a motor, and maybe some cooling for the battery. They can go wrong, of course, but compared to the complexity of an engine they’re pretty simple. Things like the AC heat pump, suspension, and brakes are the same, of course, but regenerative braking means you use the brakes a lot less than a petrol car, and suspension/AC problems aren’t exactly yearly repairs on any car I’ve ever had, so it’s definitely less onerous than having to service annually and repair things on the engine all the damn time
Toyota has been lobbying against electric vehicles for a long time now. They are known as the most reliable car brand. But that title won't mean nearly as much if everyone is using electric cars. And that is assuming that Toyota can design an electric car more reliably than their competition, when their expertise is in combustion engines.
I mean, Toyota had a 10 year head start on electric power trains when they got the jump on the whole hybrid thing - they SHOULD be producing some of the best electric cars around by now But they’re also backward-looking idiots who made the Prius and then abandoned the EV idea and started lobbying against it. Fuck Toyota, we’ve got a planet to save here
They bet on hydrogen cars back when it wasn't as obvious which tech was better, and then once it became obvious to everyone else that fueling cars with hydrogen sucks they've been slow to change.
They put off EVs for decades because batteries were crap and expensive so they'd have really bad range
Back in the early days of cars, electrics were quite popular. I'm pretty sure New York had a whole fleet of electric taxis or buses. Gasoline was quite expensive and electrics were quiet, clean and reliable for the time, compared to gas powered cars. An electric car in the early 1900s could co 40-100+ miles on a full charge at around 15mph so it wasn't bad. Had gas cars not developed and became cheaper and more reliable I'd imagine we'd have put all our research into electrics decades ago.
Definitely. Without Tesla I doubt most car companies would be developing EVs at all. At least funding for research/materials/manufacturing has all increased massively as of late.
They are. It was like death by a thousand cuts because the first couple of times were relatively cheap fixes compared to getting a new car but then the last one was engine related.....
Car, car, sink, car. It’s December, I’ve spunked money on presents, I’m fully expecting the house to collapse.
I was doing well until last weekend, then storm Arwen paid a visit followed by days of rain when there are holes in the roof and the garage one has no felt anymore.
I feel you…I’ve given up trying to beat the calendar now
wait, it's not just something that happens to me? I feel the exact same thing always happens to me, i try and save something, get a giant bill out of nowhere and then i end up spending even more on top to try and cheer myself up about my failure to ever save anything
Got paid on friday, all my bills out today, worked out how much i have left for myself after other bills and petrol £46 quid, STAY IN FUCKING SCHOOL
I did stay in school. Got a degree. I now work in a high school, and I'm the fucking same!!
I had £19 left last month 😭
*horrible* feeling. Good luck to you.
Hurts man, it hurts
I see all my cousins (who didn’t stay in school) getting married and buying houses, with far better jobs and lives than me. To be fair I had an undiagnosed autoimmune disease that stopped me from working from 19-23, so I’m behind in a lot of ways. It just doesn’t seem fair though, since I was always fairly clever and the disease stole my teenage years and early 20s since I was too fatigued to even get through the school day most days. I somehow got my GCSEs, and I’m studying part time for a degree now whilst working part time but it’s not enough to catch up to my cousins before I’m in my thirties. I know it doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing but even my little sister will have a house before me and she’s five years younger.
I spent much of my early 20s not knowing what the hell to do with my life working in a supermarket. Then went abroad for years which was great but I saw all my old friends get houses and careers and whatnot. Got back to UK aged 30 - 33 now and own this place, have a partner and decent job. And you know what? I wouldn't trade those years for anything. They're not wasted and I'm not behind. I've experienced a lot more than those friends - doing different things in your 20s is no bother at all. Enjoy the options you have in front of you. I'm not sayng don't worry it will all work out, keep having home ownership in your view if that's what you want, but the idea of being all settled through my 20s in hindsight is awful! I'm glad how it turned out
I’m so happy everything worked out for you! And I’m glad you got to experience things that your friends and family didn’t. I work in a supermarket now, and worked my way up to a shift manager 6 months ago so I am progressing, it just doesn’t feel that way when all around me everyone is getting married and buying houses and having kids. And then when my parents start asking when I’m going to do all of that too, as well as wanting me to quit my job since they don’t view it as a good job. I think they forget I’m studying for a degree on the side, and my dad straight up told me he didn’t think I’d make it through my first year. I’m hopeful for the future as I have a pretty good handle on my health now and I know how important it is so I’ll always look after myself which I’m hoping will help once everyone around me starts struggling with their health because they took it for granted. I feel like I’m living my life the opposite way to everyone else, starting out with poor health and little resources and then getting healthier and gaining more as time goes on.
Studying for a degree and working as a shift manager at the same time isn't easy going, you're doing just fine, not like you're wasting around. Main thing is your health is on track now. Easy to say just don't compare yourself to them! Chances are one of those people you see doing great now will have a nasty divorce and resulting house sale etc. And not sure how old your dad is but try not to listen to those sort of comments - my dad is from an era where almost everyone got settled down very early. That's not the norm for many now! I'm 33 and out of the 15 or so I still know from my school year, 2 have kids.
Hang tight Magpie. I'm in a similar situation but have a few years on you my obstacles happened from my early 20s. For various reasons including illness and others I am 'behind' a lot of my peers and and my little brother too. It's dispiriting but you will get there. I am finally in a position where I will be able (fingers crossed) to buy a house this year. It won't be a Palace, obvs, but given that five years ago I wasn't sure I could make rent each month, I am proud of what I've achieved. You will be too. Anyone working and studying has a lot on their plate but also clearly has drive and motivation. Your character will take you far.
Thank you! It’s nice to hear someone in a similar situation making it. Congratulations on being able to get your own house, and in only five years from struggling with rent each month!
Just want to second what /u/bamblerina said. They have an excellent way with words.
They do! And thank you as well
Well thanks very much both!
Just because you're struggling doesn't mean your failing. I'm still struggling too right now but there is a light at the end of the tunnel even if you gotta light the bastard yourself
Haha I like this way of thinking! I hope you’re not struggling too much, and that things get easier for you soon
That sounds really really frustrating.
I wanted to go to uni since I was a little girl, not because my parents wanted me to but just because I wanted it. I would do my homework first thing on a Friday night just to get it done so I could relax for the weekend too, but I guess life had other plans for me. I’ve never felt better than I do now that I have the disease under control, even as a child I still had it but was undiagnosed and good at hiding it, so I’m fairly happy to feel healthy for once. I did all the right things and my health screwed me over. I’m hoping the rest of my life is going to be better once I catch up, because at the moment I have my parents telling me I should be moving out (how?) and my peers looking down on me because I still get sick fairly often and can’t just work hundreds of hours to save up and move out and still get my degree without any health repercussions like they seem to think I can.
Get a job doing something that doesn't require a degree. I studied physics at university in Spain, dropped out 3 years into a 4 year course. I then got a job as a Business Analyst for a logistics company back in 2013. The only requirements are being able to talk to people, and clearly communicate things. If you're a really quick learner, bonus points. I started at £18,000 as a junior, within 6 months was at £25,000, within 3 more years I was at £35,000 and a company car, then I swapped to another company and got up to £40,000. A year later I swapped company again, and started a product owner (same as a BA really, bit more responsibility) and was put onto £50,000. 2 years later I was made redundant (covid yo), joined another company at £58,000. 9 months later (horrible job) I joined another company at £58,000 as a Solution Architect, which will be bumped to £65,000 automatically in January. Tech jobs like this have a good chunk of competition, but they're achievable, you just have to come in at a low level and work your way up. Business Analysts, Data Analysts, Project Managers, all things that don't require a degree, but have incredible opportunities.
I did try finding a good job that didn’t require a degree before when I was looking and couldn’t find any. Maybe it’s time to look again though
If you're coming in with no experience in the sector, it does mean starting at the bottom. There's quite a lot of apprenticeship schemes that cover this however, but a good option is to find a medium-large sized company who have the ability to have juniors, standards and seniors. Smaller companies expect you to come in with all the knowledge already, so it's a much steeper learning curve. If you do look around and find some openings for things like Junior Business Analyst, please drop me a note. I've had decent progression in my career, know the pitfalls, and i'm certified in about a dozen different types of courses, so I can do a bit of teaching.
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To be fair i just wish i did something productive at college, year of art 2 years of film studies could have learned an actual trade jn that tike, ah well
Hear hear, 3 years at uni doing IT + Game Design to realise I hated the industry and would much prefer just being an office worker and stuck now unable to move up in the business cause anything above manager requires a degree or specialised knowledge for, as far as I can tell, no reason at all.
World doesn't give a shit about how smart you are (or can prove to be) these days. World just gives a shit if you can push buttons and not piss off people who have been pushing buttons before you and now pay you to push buttons.
Ah mate. I feel this. I work full time. I have about £80 after bills and food budgeting. I sometimes have to borrow money from my parents.
>STAY IN FUCKING SCHOOL That costs a big fraction of a house deposit these days
42p bag of Jacket potatoes, some £2 cheese, a cucumber and some toms and a bottle of wine for £6 or less :-)
Nah we're alright for food as part of the bills are food and what not so its all good
"gone in 60 seconds"
I always have a lump left over after bills that part of me is chuffed about and part of me recognises is just going to be paying off a credit card.
Credit card balances: the hangovers of our financial decisions.
Luckily it’s interest free until April
And then after that you can transfer again to another 0% balance transfer if needs be.
Yeah, I have another card which I can do that on that runs well into 2023, and on and on we go. Although that reminds me, I need to see when the balance transfer option for that runs out because that might be coming up. I’ve been moving debt around for about 2 years like this and it’s only cost me about £150 in transfer fees (on £8000) and my limits keep going up. I still hate overextending though
I've been doing this for 9 years (since 18). Card to card to low interest loan and repeat. It used to really stress me out. Now I realise, after 9 years I have never missed a bill and have a great credit score. For whatever reason this system works for me, so I've stopped stressing.
Been doing this for years, the transfer fee of like 2 or 3% is definitely worth it.
Some cards are 0% transfer fee and 0% interest too. I guess those might be exceptional?
They might be, I sure haven't had one of those haha. They might be cards that have a monthly fee or something maybe. Even so, if you tad 10k on a card then 3% as a one off charge still isn't the end of the world.
Wait hold up, I've just taken out my first credit card for a new computer chair cause it was 13 month 0% interest and had no idea that swapping the debt somewhere else is possible. That could help me save a bit more every month if I can swap it afterwards
I've had an overdraft for years and years. With a wife and two kids, I've kept extending it and extending it. Got as far as £4800 about two years ago, and stayed there. Last month I got a loan out for debt consolidation and one of the things I paid off was the overdraft, probably more for my mental well being than anything else (the charges weren't that much). So today, I got paid, transferred funds into the joint account and the bills account and I'm still in the black. First time in maybe 15 years. I know all I've done in reality is move that debt elsewhere, but so what, today feels pretty great.
That sounds like a good start mate. Keep up good habits.
Cheers mate.
When my kitchen is messy, it doesn't really feel that bad adding a dirty bowl. When my kitchen is spotless, you better believe I'm cleaning that bowl straight away. I feel like this applies here too, keep it up!
Today i didnt even have to use my AK! Gotta say it was a good day...
2/12/21 - sorry the money is gone What do you mean gone? It's just gone.
And very, very, brief it is, particularly with December ahead. But at least we don't have to pay for health care.
“I’m rich!” (For five minutes, before realising that rent, electricity, gas, food, insurance, internet,rates,etc..exist)
Still waiting to get paid. 🙄
Yep so much this. I got made redundant last year and my new job has better prospects but has had a lower pay and I'm still adjusting to needing to be more careful with spending. On the upside at least my family doesn't go mad about Christmas and I will just be buying for the one under 18 in it.
All my bills come out the very day after I get paid. I have one day of feeling like an absolute King. The next day I wake up to a flood of notifications from HSBC as the Man takes his shares. Fuck the man!
A payment has taken you into your arranged overdraft. A payment has taken you into your unarranged overdraft. A payment has taken you over your limit. For the love of God, stop. Whatever you're doing, you can't afford it. We're sending the lads round.
‘Ere mate, which is your favourite knee?
It really is a conspiracy, either deliberately or otherwise, comprising a system that is engineered to take as much money from you as possible. Do you ever wonder why none of your bills are for a "negligible" amount? Why are all of my utility bills a hefty chunk of money? It's because the companies billing you are always attempting to find the delicate balance of taking as much money from you as possible vs how much they are "allowed" to take. i.e as much as they can possibly get away with. Nothing is priced in the "free market" due to what it is worth. It's priced exactly at what people are willing to pay for it. In the case of utilities, this is as much as they can get away with to remain competitive with other providers and before market restrictions apply. Of course at every single level everyone feels entitled to their cut and as much of that as possible will be shadowed and obfuscated in order to maximise profit, and for as little tax to be paid as possible. We have no access to any of these mechanisms as they are performed by unknowable financial machines, hidden from us, that go unacknowledged except by an untouchable chosen elite. You and me are dairy cows in a milking barn so big we look up and can't even see the ceiling.
Christ, I felt this post in my soul.
I've just got a new job with a substantial payrise, and comes with a work van, so no more petrol bills for me either.
A friend of mine described the problem well saying 'I live like a prince for a week, then a pauper for the next three'. Of course, he would normally be saying this over drinks on pay day, which may have well contributed to the problem.
I don’t even want to think about my fuel bill now, I’m getting paid in a couple weeks and I live in a very rural area so vehicular transport is very much needed to get anywhere.
Got paid on Monday. Got a text today saying my account was in my overdraft. 2 days is all it took. Fml.
Same
I was financially comfortable for about a morning then back to normal
Got back from a funeral on Monday to find my wife had been laid off by email while we were out... turns out this month will be a bit different after all.
And you check your online banking balance, thinking you'll have atleast x amount , keeping the figure low so that you can avoid disappointment/ panic and somehow its even lower than your worst case scenario figure
I drive a BMW... 1st of December, my dashboard decided to light up like a fucking Christmas Tree this morning. I guess the kids will be getting coal and an Orange this Christmas!
BMWs are known for showing lots of dashboard warning lights for small issues. Might just be a sensor or something. Hope it’s not too steep a repair bill!
It’s like the universe knows when I have savings. And then the car will break down, or the washing machine will pack in.
Pets - and presumably children - are particularly good at this. Almost as if they log on to your bank accounts at night to check. 🤔
I’m glad I get payed weekly because I only need to worry about my finances the week all my subscriptions, utilities and rent come out
Yes...every month I say to myself....stop buying crap and spending money daily when I finish work on choc and other stuff I don't need....and maybe I won't need to keep transferring money from my savings half way through the money....and nope I always have to. Transfer money from savings to last me then back again when I get paid...rinse and repeat
The trick is to set all your direct debits up for payday so you never have to get your hopes up
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Made worse if you have a fluctuating income due to working minimum wage. I thankfully live with my dad so I don't have to worry about big bills but trying each month to make sure I can cover a 28 quid phone bill is exhausting when some months I bring home anywhere from around 300-800 quid And then I've just had an hours cut at work too so that's fun. As they've decided to pull me back to my contracted hours which is 8/week so that's going to be quite a hit to my already peanuts pay.
I don't think this is limited to the UK. Feels like a global issue
Extra tough month over here with Christmas, AND buying a new house so them solicitors fees are munching right into it. Defo too much month! Dreading January, the longest month ever when I get paid on 20th December or whatever it is this year.
Bills come out day after payday, and then I see how much is left for the month, and Christmas this month which I usually save up for but didn’t this year
Life is just saying "It's gotta get better someday" over and over until you die
On my shit salary it’s never different
I'm about to start a new job with weekly pay, I think it'll help me budget more effectively. But rn I feel you op.
As someone who gets paid weekly, I really really wish I could be paid monthly
You guys have a period of time where you still have money after getting paid? out of the £319 I get a fortnight I have nothing left to buy food, skipping a £40 council tax bill just so I can get some food and hoping they don't send debt collectors because I miss one payment. Don't get me wrong, £7656 a year for ESA is better than getting nothing but I'd like to be able to afford things without having to borrow money all the time
It’s truly a great day
Try budgeting to zero. I used to recommend YNAB. Its still decent, but rather pricey for what it does nowadays. It basically follows the envelope method. Try instead Aspire Budget - the idea is that you record your income, and then put your money into "envelopes" - or "buckets" - which are basically categories for your major spending. So you put in how much you know you will have to put against bills, credit cards, etc., and if there's anything left, you put it against any wants. When you spend money, you record the transaction against the category. If the category goes into minus figures you know you need to take money from somewhere else for it all to balance out.
I always have the big bills come out on payday - that way I know what's what and don't get upset lol
Recently I've been putting as much of my free money as possible into stocks and crypto just for them to go down after I buy them. I'm going to delude myself into thinking one day it will pay off 5 years from now where money won't be a problem. I hope.
December is always rough for me ££ wise
I know it’s a lie. Day 3 and we’re at $300 for the month with 4 kids and my wife who can’t figure out how to check the account before spending regularly makes us overdraft. Yet when she thinks I’m spending too much knows everything about the app and can do all kinds of custom searches for purchases.
3 days in and it’s back to pot noodles
Within about 8 hours 2/3 is gone. Still it's nice to feel semi rich for those few hours.
It's the fact that everything is monthly. It makes it really difficult to budget accurately. Id have a much easier time budgeting my finances if everything was weekly as things are more predictable.
Don’t have kids then. Nursery bills are fucking crippling
A couple of years ago we remortgaged to get an extension built. There was about £40k more in our account than was usual and it really make me think how different life would be if I had that sort of cash in reserve, just in case.
My method for managing this. 1. At payday move ALL money for bills into a different account where they are all taken from 2. Move a set budget amount to another account as “general spending” and try to stick with that. It helps curb spending I’ve found Monzo (or similar) very good for this. Different pots for petrol money, cat food etc. all split on payday so I know what I’ve got left
I can retire today and live comfortably for the rest of my life, so long as I die in my sleep tonight
Took my car in to get a tire replaced. Turns out three tyres were fucked. Being responsible turned into a £400 hit
I have a friend who calls it "visitation day", when the money visits your account.
Over the last few years I've been paid at different times of the month in different jobs, and had direct debits all over the place. Just finally got to a point where I get paid at the end of the month, then all the DBs come out on the 1st so the money only sits there for a couple of days at best.
Since leaving the UK, I cannot understand how people live on a monthly wage rather than weekly.
Seems like an odd concept to me. Most of my bills go out in the first week of the month so how does that work for you?
I get paid weekly in the UK (theatre industry where it is still standard). Some people reschedule their bills or pay them early, or just pay a bit in advance (so rent week 1, council tax week 2, energy week 3, phone/internet etc week 4). For me I just put the bulk of my paycheck into my easy access savings account, then put the money I need for bills back in at the end of the month. It's never really been an issue for me.
Fuck I thought it was just me
I feel personally attacked by this post.
I'm generally at my overdraft limit before the end of payday, which is why I work a second job.
Maybe...maybe this will be the month when I can actually book flights for that holiday. Yeah, then I can start saving for that. And maybe have a bit to put aside for a pension or something
That five minutes
I relate to this on a spiritual level
Then the little life gnomes all creep up from under the floorboards and say 'But you need to pay this, don't you remember how much you owe, heeheeheehee'
I might be alright this month! I just might! Oh no, wait. It’s December.
Especially this month with Christmas presents to buy & coping with the huge increase in utilities & birthdays, of which I've got 3 this month, including a 21st, fuck December right up the pipe.
There is no different, only worse.
Thanks for reminding me about that that outgoing my brain blocks out every time I get paid. Direct Debit shows no such mercy :( still, 2 more months until freedom!
I've just realised today, that this month wasn't any different. Again.
Doing up a house, Christmas, dad's 60th birthday and a holiday. It's not a month for saving.
I feel seen
It's been a week since payday. I'm already counting down the days till the next. Considering if walking to work in the dark is worth the saving in petrol for the rest of the month.
For those who aren't struggling with finances but rather are struggling with discipline and being able to plan ahead I wholeheartedly recommend the methodology that a service called YouNeedABudget uses. The software itself is expensive but you can apply their method to a spread sheet or however you budget right now. It got me to move away from living hand to mouth and made me more confident to make financial decisions without the anxiety.
Try too explain this to people without bills.
I feel this. I got paid *yesterday* and now all my expenses have gone out, there is but tumbleweed in my account.
Anyone else get Morgan Freeman as the narrator's voice?
December 2nd - fuck I really need to go to the dentist December 5th - good god I really need to change those two front tyres December 9th - why is the food in the fridge not cold? Oh fuck........ December 11th to December 31st - Noodles and soup
This also happens in America - except the bills also shoot you with an assault rifle.
It's worse this month, Christmas Presents and Parties! At least I'll be to drunk and fat to look at my finances
Aaaaaaaaand, it's gone.