Not something that I like to mention on a UK board, but

[Borchester]

So you're a capitalist after all, happy to use the system to line your pocket. Well done.

No one ever said that Pappy was not.

Mortgage free for 30 years, no children, two incomes and probably the mainstay of his local Conservative association. We should rename him Squire Pappy

[papasmurf]

 You have no idea what people's financial situations are so therefore can't backup such a claim that everyone, majority or most people are getting poorer.

There has been more than enough evidence that since May 2010 the Tory incompetence and callousness has now led to the majority of the population getting poorer. (You would know that if you bothered to keep up with current affairs.)

[Nick]

The stats prove it. Average pay rises in both the public and private sectors are well below inflation. This mathematically proves that most working people are getting poorer in real terms.

No it doesn't, that's the same as Ducks float, wood floats therefore ducks are made of wood. 
The stay shows "Average pay rises in both the public and private sectors are well below inflation." and only that. You have no idea what people's financial situations are so therefore can't backup such a claim that everyone, majority or most people are getting poorer. 

[Baff]

We compensate for needing more by doing more.

I don't need my pay to go up if I can do more work.


And that is the fundamental flaw in our economy.
We are consuming more than we produce.

Production simply has to rise or our standards of living will fall.

Pay rises without production increases doesn't make us any richer.
It just makes our currency worth less.

[srb7677]

So you've changed from all to majority of working people, even that is a generalisation that you have no way of proving.

The stats prove it. Average pay rises in both the public and private sectors are well below inflation. This mathematically proves that most working people are getting poorer in real terms.

[Nick]

But it's fantastic for the wallet.

If you want to be well off, you have to make compromises.
Those people who are unwilling to, prefer to enjoy riches of a different nature.

They prefer to sit back and moan that the government is doing nothing to improve their situation. 

[Baff]

Working excessive hours for very long periods of time is not healthy, safe or good for home life

But it's fantastic for the wallet.

If you want to be well off, you have to make compromises.
Those people who are unwilling to, prefer to enjoy riches of a different nature.

[Baff]

are things getting better?

Unemployment is down to 4.7%, which means work for anyone who wants it, house prices are tumbling, which is tough on the sellers but good for anyone looking for a roof over their heads and oil prices are falling, which means I can fill up the motor without taking out a second mortgage.

Obviously, what with the national dress being sackcloth and ashes, this is not something I would like generally known, but I cannot help but feel that things are not so bad.

How do you guys feel?

Broadly positive.

Prices rises to moan about if I can be bothered.
The last 6 years of pay rises seems to have come to an end.

Need to make a fair bit of money this year. Time to do a bit of Youtubing to make ends meet.

[papasmurf]

Its called working for a living and something socialists believe in.

And we all live in a capitalist system and do what we have to do within the bounds of legality and ethics to survive.

Try telling that to the number of Tories who don't  do within the bounds of legality and ethics.

[srb7677]

So you're a capitalist after all, happy to use the system to line your pocket. Well done.

Its called working for a living and something socialists believe in.

And we all live in a capitalist system and do what we have to do within the bounds of legality and ethics to survive. 

[papasmurf]

So you're a capitalist after all, happy to use the system to line your pocket. Well done.

Working excessive hours for very long periods of time is not healthy, safe or good for home life

[Nick]

Well I am starting two weeks paid leave right now because the system my retail employer uses makes it financially wise to take leave now. Let me explain. After the Christmas rush, January is a quiet time in retail and overtime is more scarce. But for any full weeks off I am paid an average based on what I earned in the previous three months which includes the lucrative Christmas period. In practice what this means is that any weeks off in January pay me more than I could get by working. So from a financial perspective now is the best time to take leave

When not on leave I tend to work every bit of overtime I can get my hands on and often work in excess of 50 hours a week if the hours are there. I have gotten myself trained up for many different departments to maximise my overtime options as well as maximising my flexibility and thus my value to my employer. By rarely saying no I am often the first person asked if extra overtime shifts need to be filled, which suits me. I have a reputation as a hard worker willing to put in the hours and am regarded as something of a money grabber. The departments I am now trained up for include grocery, dairy, and produce all on the shopfloor, stock control, self service, checkouts, trolleys, click and collect, and the petrol filling station. I am one of the most productive and flexible ones there.

So I do quite a bit to help myself.

So you're a capitalist after all, happy to use the system to line your pocket. Well done. 

[papasmurf]

Well, I suppose it all depends oh how you view matters Steve.

It depends if you only care about yourself and no-one else. (Locally due to tardiness by the government helping business with energy cost and too little when the government did decide to do something.)  Over-tourism with tourists with wallets screwed firmly shut because of the cost of living, two local business owners have handed the keys of their rented business properties back and walked away.

[srb7677]

Well, I suppose it all depends oh how you view matters Steve.

As said at the other place, the government have just given me about 1300 pounds towards my fuel bill and Christmas dinner, which I invested in the property and the production of victuals. I have also expanded the tutoring business and am tarting up the Rural Ruin because if there is a housing crash there will be a boom and I don't want  to lose out on a pile of cash for the lack of a coat of paint. I am also expanding the book business, which brings in pennies but every little bit helps.

So how about you Steve? What are you doing to help yourself ?

Well I am starting two weeks paid leave right now because the system my retail employer uses makes it financially wise to take leave now. Let me explain. After the Christmas rush, January is a quiet time in retail and overtime is more scarce. But for any full weeks off I am paid an average based on what I earned in the previous three months which includes the lucrative Christmas period. In practice what this means is that any weeks off in January pay me more than I could get by working. So from a financial perspective now is the best time to take leave

When not on leave I tend to work every bit of overtime I can get my hands on and often work in excess of 50 hours a week if the hours are there. I have gotten myself trained up for many different departments to maximise my overtime options as well as maximising my flexibility and thus my value to my employer. By rarely saying no I am often the first person asked if extra overtime shifts need to be filled, which suits me. I have a reputation as a hard worker willing to put in the hours and am regarded as something of a money grabber. The departments I am now trained up for include grocery, dairy, and produce all on the shopfloor, stock control, self service, checkouts, trolleys, click and collect, and the petrol filling station. I am one of the most productive and flexible ones there.

So I do quite a bit to help myself.

[Borchester]

Fuel has come down a bit, and house prices have come down slightly, but both from record highs and the cost of both remains extortionate. As for the unemployment stats they mask massive levels of underemployment and have done for many years, one reason why so many working people are also welfare claimants. But rents are still rising, mortgage rates are rising, food inflation is rocketing, and everything around us from the NHS to the postal service, and from passport provision, to dentist availability is utterly falling apart. And we are all getting steadily poorer - at least those of us who work and pay all the taxes are - as inflation outstrips pay year on year.

Our country resembles a massive basket case. We are all getting poorer and everything is costing more.

But in your parallel universe full of spring sunshine and rainbows, frollicking lambs in lush green fields, where the sunlit uplands are clearly illuminated by the glare shining out of Tory Central's arse, I guess everything is fine and dandy. So that's alright then.

Well, I suppose it all depends oh how you view matters Steve.

As said at the other place, the government have just given me about 1300 pounds towards my fuel bill and Christmas dinner, which I invested in the property and the production of victuals. I have also expanded the tutoring business and am tarting up the Rural Ruin because if there is a housing crash there will be a boom and I don't want  to lose out on a pile of cash for the lack of a coat of paint. I am also expanding the book business, which brings in pennies but every little bit helps.

So how about you Steve? What are you doing to help yourself ?