tightening our belts

However old or young people are, there will always be inequalities in ability to cope with an economic crisis, based on many different things.

Where one lives, rural or urban, makes a big difference in the chances of taking on extra jobs, because travel to where those jobs are is likely to be costly, unreliable, expensive, or quite simply impossible.

Family situation. Some people have readily available help available for free childminding. Others have none, so could not possibly take on a second job, even if one was available.
Some adult children get frequent handouts from parents when needed - we read a lot of that here on Gransnet, with lots of grandparents regularly buying things like school uniform and shoes for their grandchildren, even in 'normal' times. Others have nothing of the sort.

Health and fitness. Some are healthy and full of energy, even in retirement. Others are not, whatever their age, and could not possibly work longer hours than they already do.

Some of us are born with a 'careful' nature and can scrape by well on very little (but still can't magic up enough to live if 'very little' ceases to cover the most basic, essential outgoings). Others are not born that way. They are more likely to take risks with money. I'm certainly not knocking them, because they are probably the ones who throughout history have driven us forward, creating jobs and contributing most to a country's wealth in normal times, through risking what they have to start businesses or other new ventures in ways that we careful folk might never dare to do!

The point is, we are all different and our circumstances are all different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to coping when things get tough. It's unrealistic to think that there is, and to assume that everyone can/should do what comes so easily to us personally.

What a lovely post oldnproud.

A great post oldnporoud, you’ve summed the situation up perfectly.

Thank you for all your thoughts. True that we should not judge others. Only use a lot of common sense to sort yourself out. Good luck everyone xx

Some people seem to think that “going without” is in some way virtuous. The vast majority of people only fo so because there’s no other choice. Of course we’ve all heard about the frugal millionaires and I do know a couple who’s are comfortably off but spend almost nothing. No one wants to see a return to the poverty of years ago although I think we may do soon. Also no one wants to return to the strict old fashioned upbringing that many of us had. My father had a good job and the bills were paid quite easily but there wasn’t any fun in my childhood. I rejoice when I see the happiness of my grandchildren.

Truss's ally Mordaunt has said Truss has 'not ruled out' handouts. That's typical weasel talk. Truss will be bad news for anyone struggling to pay bills. If Truss, Sunak and Starmer are the creme de la creme of our political class then we are in deep dodo with no sign of a ladder to climb out.

dodos in doodoo !

Grantanow

Truss's ally Mordaunt has said Truss has 'not ruled out' handouts. That's typical weasel talk. Truss will be bad news for anyone struggling to pay bills. If Truss, Sunak and Starmer are the creme de la creme of our political class then we are in deep dodo with no sign of a ladder to climb out.

... "handouts".

Subtle but meaningful choice of phrase.

Truss could have used a different terminology - "financial support", or even "aid".

The former implies that people are holding out their hands for free money. The latter, that they are in need of help.

I'm quite sure it's deliberate. It most definitely appeals to the traditional Tory voter in leafy Surrey or the 'shires.

I've just heard, earlier this morning, two Tory ladies in our quaintest Cotswolds coffee shop discuss such handouts, bemoaning the fact that "people today" don't work hard enough to "put something by". I was tempted to tell them that in a low-wage economy, some "people" will never earn enough to do anything other than make one end meet the other, no matter how hard they work. And now, they won't even be able to make those ends meet.

But I didn't say anything. Just left and have felt despondent ever since. We live in the same country - but in different worlds.

You would really think they would have a list of "dont say this" words.

I can only assume it is deliberate, to widen that chasm between the worthy and unworthy.

A great post Oldnproud and so wise.
I had been thinking along the same lines as Wendy up thread who has noticed queues at air and sea ports and seeing people carrying on having their expensive holidays as though nothing has changed. The same with cars. I never understood why every household has to have multiple cars. What happened to sharing?

My DGC won't even share a bedroom. When we were children we shared a bed.
However that line of thought has been done to death

Thank goodness for all the kind souls quite a few on here who give to foodbanks, who take in Refugees, who do not judge others and who are modest with it. I wish I could be more like you.

"I never understood why every household has to have multiple cars. What happened to sharing?"

Easy! The multiple family members need their own transportation to fulfill their commitments (work, study, errands, etc)

Times change.
A sahm doesn't have to be stuck at home because the partner took the car to work, for example

OK Hithere I get that but sharing in general, in your communities?
Loaning your car on the days you don't use it? Sharing tools. Sharing as a concept?
We have a very supportive community thanks to various characters who were inspired a generation ago and have a tool library, a bike loan scheme, a car club etc
It isn't always the SAHM but far more sharing of child care than when you and I were young.

Liability- what happens if the loaner of the car has an accident?

Sharing is a great idea in general, in practice it is risky

Well there would be insurance issues with sharing cars.

It doesn't matter how many cars people own. They can only drive one at a time.

DH has the big family car and his 'toy' car, a very old model of the marque he is devoted to and which went out of business over 10 years ago, as I said, he cannot drive both at once and if he chooses to invest a couple of hundred pounds in a very old car to feel nostalgic about, why shouldn't he?

One of the problems with car sharing is that the interior has to be kept clean and free from any personalisation. In my case, water bottle, paper hankies, gloves, sunglasses, road atlas, of my chosen format, box of tools in the back, car park change, oh and a spare plastic fork. Anyone using it will adjust the seat, mirrors and, with my car, possibly the steering wheel, not to mention retuning the radio.

I recently replaced my car after someone wrote my previous car off in an accident. It has taken me the better part of six weeks to fully get the car adjusted to my maximum comfort and for safe driving.

Some people, and I am one, have difficulty adjusting to driving unfamiliar cars. As I said it has taken me 6 weeks to be fully au fait with my car. During which time I had a flat battery caused by taking the ignition key out incorrectly and stalled at a junction and could not restart the car for over 5 minutes because I did not know I had to depress the clutch first before restarting.

The idea of sharing sounds wonderful, if, for example, all the cars are the same make and model, and people are happy that children's car seats all fit in exactly the same way.

With tools everyone is agreed on which drill, chain saw, lawn mower they use, but all these tools offer an endless range of sizes, power and extras and different people are looking for different features.

For example in the last 5 years we have bought 2 lawn mowers, one petrol driven, one with a battery which were well reviewed and seemed to do everything we wanted, but when we got them, proved totally unsuitable for our purposes. So we had to sell them and buy different makes and models.

Anyway Hire Shops are so good and the range of tools they offer so extensive plus they have full trained staff who service and check everything when it is returned, and I would feel far safer with them.

I am not against sharing. When I was pregnant the street I lived in had a communal wardrobe of maternity wear, but I think these schemes have to be either small and personal or large scale to work efficiently and safely, and for me, safety would be a constant concern.

Well we have managed it here in Scotland for years. We have a government with 2 Green members which could be one of the reasons why energy efficient initiatives and planet saving is such a priority.

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/carclub

I thought this thread was about tightening our belts but it has veered off into the ether. I was merely suggesting we take a look at sharing again in the light of the present day emergency.

Tightening our belts cannot be done at the expense of other parameters

I don't know what that means Hithere.
At the expense of what parameters?
I was thinking of all the waste in society and thinking of society as more than the individual.
Ofcourse individuals will need to work around their own personal pressures but the nature of the current emergency, (climate, economic, war and world shortages is a reason to put up with some discomfort. Isn't it?

Liability, safety - very real concerns in today's world.
We are not talking about discomfort here - for some areas, having a car is a must

Some families need to be able to have individual transportation to fulfill their responsibilities

There are already some companies like turo, zipcar, etc that are in the market of car share

People always can use uber, lyft....

Again, times changed a lot
What worked in the past doesn't work now.

Yes and not just liability but something about horizons and ambition. Often on these types of threads I see people saying we should only holiday in the UK, we should limit households to one car without any thought to the risks that might entail.

Very few jobs now are 9 to 5, and it is virtually impossible to get to work and home by public transport, I know.

This is all so B***y negative.
you can all stop shouting at me now please.
I am saying that there are ways around many if not most of these setbacks but if we are serious about tightening our belts we have to tackle the inconveniences and stop making excuses.
Cop 27 will happen in November, in Egypt. What has the world achieved since COP26 in Glasgow?

Still billions of cars, holidays, playing or perhaps fiddling while Rome the rain forest burns
.
MissAdventure I was drawing attention to the fact that every family member seems to want/need/expect their own car.
At least public transport is free for under 22s in Scotland now and about time too. I hope that England will follow suit

Oh yes, I totally get what you mean, gramaretto.

I am sure that if England followed suit with regard to travel then it would pay off in all sorts of ways.

Even the free travel here has lots of rules applied to it.