What is going on today? - Megathread

What’s your reasoning behind this comment? Seems that any challenge people have these days is the fault of anyone but themselves.

I would like to come to Waitrose’s defence! I switched from Tesco and actually my weekly shop is slightly less than what it was. Yes they do some very pricy items but their essentials range is brilliant quality and comparable with other supermarkets price wise. They also have significantly more offers than other supermarkets and as long as you watch what you buy I don’t think it’s more expensive. Aldi/Lidl no one can compete but to me the major larger supermarkets are all comparable price wise now.

Also, if you have insurance with vitality you get cashback with Waitrose, which is an added bonus and no stock issues, you go to Tesco and there are empty shelves everywhere, doesn’t happen with Waitrose. The staff also seem much happier and better paid, so I would rather support a business treating their people well.

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To be fair.. London and anyone living in it doesn’t count. It’s it’s own world separate from the reality of the rest of the UK. The advice and scenarios are never going to apply to London.

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Sounds like you need a new job. The advice of cutting down is always good, but alone it doesn’t really give a good strategy to get a house. Your income and location play a big role and your willingness to plan ahead imo is the difference between getting places and not.

I’ve seen quite often for example people who are struggling to save for a house and you can ask them where are they in their career, what’s their next promotion. And often they haven’t thought about it, or their answer is there isn’t a promotion, they’re at the top and only making 26k a year. That is the definition of a dead end job, and for those people they need to plan a career change.

It’s not just about cutting costs. Career planning and setting goals I think is mandatory these days

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Being blunt you need to raise your income either by finding a better job, or by moving company for a pay rise.

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Keep at and you’ll get there. I bought my first place on a pretty modest salary. You do have to curb your expectations though. You ain’t buying no three-bed house straight off the bat in most parts of the UK.

Aside from growing your salary – make sure you’re taking advantage of all the ‘free’ money out three such as 25% in a Lisa, min-maxing savings (eg dripfeeding into regular savers) and switching offers. I added more than £1,000 to my deposit just by switching banks. Stoozing is also looking like an increasingly attractive option.

I shouldn’t need to just ‘get a new job’ just for money. Im someone who is perfectly happy in the role and industry I am working in. I love my job, and to me it isn’t just a job, it’s my career.

The system needs to change. Why am I ‘financially stable’ enough to have paid rent since I was 17, every single month without fail, even when I was made redundant years ago, yet the bank sees me as ‘not financially stable’ for a mortgage with mothly payments 30% less than I’m paying now?

It’s not my job which needs to change, it’s the attitude.

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The main issue placed into a nutshell is that people are up against other people who are trying to win. The humans considered at ‘the upper levels’ are constantly trying to stay ahead of the ones wishing to level up. Nobody ever really states this in plain language.

There is a silent competition which means in times like these you need to make it as tough for your opponents as you can whilst making actions which do not let them run away with the prize whilst also getting closer to what you want to achieve.

All these comments by politicians, by media, by teachers, by whoever - most of it is complete BS. You have to silently fight back with changing your actions and trying to level up yourself whilst not letting the already asset rich or wealthier take your money.

It’s a competitive game.

Look at the people right now who own their assets outright, the actions you make today should not be benefitting those people even more, otherwise you’ll be moving further back in the game.

In times like these you should spend money in the mom & pop stores, not the Co-ops or Tesco express. Levelling up means you all making different decisions on where each pound spent goes.

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(for the most distracted)
Wagner military coup. Is the war over then?

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I mean
 I do get where you’re coming from don’t get me wrong. But loving your job is irrelevant if your employer isn’t giving you pay rises and/or there is no career progression.

As you gain skills you should be going up the career ladder, either within your current employer through good pay rises and promotions that reflect your increasing expertise, or by changing employer periodically (usually a mix of both).

There’s no reason you shouldn’t be getting a 5-10% pay rise at a minimum every year or two.

From the banks perspective if your unable to save 15k for a deposit, how are you going to afford a new roof or major repair?

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An interview appeared today stating that it is great news for everybody that the government and banks are trying their hardest to keep the inflated property prices up and carry on as normal


Am I the only person immediately thinking ‘how is that great news for everybody’?

Properties being 9-11 times average wages is a great thing for everybody?? Adding in 6% 7% 8% and maybe even 10% mortgage rates to those already inflated prices?

This is the most rigged market that could ever be created. There literally is no market - it is simply a rigged playground for the wealthy.

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Good point - when renting a lot of expense is on the landlord, once you own a house you’re on the hook for everything.

Same trade off with your job - do you do a job you love for the ÂŁs or one you hate ( like many ) for the ÂŁÂŁÂŁs ?

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I think we forget as well that a job is just a job. Except for maybe artists or a few people here and there a job is just a means to make money. No one remembers your job when you’re dead, and your job counts for nothing when you’re dead.

It is for basically everyone on earth, a means to an end and to fund things you actually enjoy and get meaning from.

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:laughing: So you wouldn’t be carrying on working after the big lottery win then ?

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And no-one is indispensable @sdebar if your employer wanted/needed to get rid of you im sure they wouldn’t have any qualms about doing so.

I’d probably quit my job and work on some other projects

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I’m not even going to reply any more because you’re just assuming things.

Who said I haven’t had a salary increase? Who said I don’t have career progression? Who said I don’t have ambition?

I’m not asking for much. I literally just want to buy a small, one bed flat just to get me on the ladder but attitudes towards rent and therefore affordability need to change. Plus inflation/interest rates aren’t helping.

Which won’t happen, so we need a huge crash instead.

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I know we’re all aware of this, but at times it does need a reminder - there is no UK property market; there are a multitude of localised, highly variable markets. This makes talk of average property prices - and average wages - a bit of a nonsense. I keep seeing ‘9xsalary’ etc, yet local to me I can get a two bed terrace for £85k - I have apprentices who are buying their first home at 20 and they can still afford Netflix.
I bought my home in 2000. My salary was around ÂŁ10k and my house was ÂŁ40k. My salary is now ÂŁ35k, and my house is around ÂŁ150k. Again, salary to house price ratios here are fairly static. Unfortunately, the media is very London centric, with a strong southern bias. If you want more bang for your buck, head up north.

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No one
 im talking generally from what ive seen from others in the past. but if you have all these things over 17 years you should have the money by now. unless you’re in london, but even then you get get on 70k+ a year in a few years in london, but london is its own thing and basically none of the same ideas apply. whole different world

This is true. I always suggest people move away from London before they’re trapped. the UK is an absolutely tiny country, you can live anywhere and travel to anywhere in the UK without issue so long as you get out of places like London before you’re burdened by obligations

Moving up north, you’ll always get more for your money. I live in the north of England and have a 3 bed detached worth around £400k but to get the equivalent in London or home counties I’d probably be looking around £650,000-£700,000, maybe more.