My favourite newspaper quote for today - grr!

"Families on middle and higher incomes were increasingly needing help and some asked for free food parcels.

One client had a combined income of $140,000 but were grappling so hard with a huge mortgage, holiday home, leased car and two sets of private school fees that feeding the family had become an issue."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10500928&pnum=2

While my heart bleeds for these poor people [}] I also note that the other example used is a couple on a combined income of $120,000 who are struggling to pay a $900 a week mortgage and have nothing left over. By my calculations they have over $3000 in the hand per month after paying this - something that many people would feel very fortunate to have!

Are the newspaper reporters subtly taking the proverbial in using these examples of supposed 'hardship', or are they unable/unwilling to find real folk who are really struggling, rather than these pseudo examples?

Or (heaven forbid) do they seriously think that these examples are true ones of what poverty actually means in society nowadays? That is probably the possibility that scares me most...

I think its pretty insulting to those who really are at risk of losing their homes, after having done absolutely everything they could to change their lifestyles to cope...

Tigger, this has been an issue for some time. I remember reading about it, and hearing something on National Radio about it, months (if not a year or more) ago.

I have been toying with the idea of doing Budget Advice training.

But, actually, I have no interest in telling people who earn a VERY good living that yes, they do qualify for a food parcel.

I would be much more inclined (training smaining) to tell them to break the lease on the car, sell the holiday home, and consolidate other expenditure and to, quite simply, live within their means.

Oops, sorry! End of rant.

Now I know why I like being (financially) poor..No stressing about how to pay for the holiday home (no time for holidays lol). No worrying about paying for a flash car (wouldn't be able to fit 8 bales of silage or a couple of sheep in the back anyway). I really feel for these people who have more cash left over after 'essentials' than I earn in a month and still can't manage. Maybe I should set up as a budget advisor as well...but I don't think they would like my advise[}]

Why is it that people seem to expect "somebody else" to take responsibility for sorting out the problems they've created. It's a societal shift I don't enjoy. When those with access to huge resources start putting their hands out, you really have to wonder about their intestinal fortitude.

As I'm about to start having to pay a great whacking lot more each year because of some other people's property speculation in my area (causing a 300% increase in local property values), I resent that anybody who's got enough to actually buy into the market then complains that they've buggered up their calculations and now can't afford to go out to restaurants or watch subscriber television! Funnily enough it's going to cost me the same sort of amount of tightening up from a lower starting point.

Tigger, I really think they think that is real hardship. What dumbarses they are.

poor poor people earning over $100,000:rolleyes:

I feel people expect to have a flash house, holiday home 2 cars etc these days and feel hard done by if they dont. A woman I know was tightening her budget by getting rid of her BMW (a 2 car 2 income hosehold) and was moaning about the cost of renovations to her house and the cost of private education for her kids (despite there being very good public schools in her area) but she didnt stop the cleaner coming to do the housework...

I was quite ammused when a 19 year old I was talking to recently complained she was only earning $30,000 and said you cant get much lower than that.. yeah right. She was unimpressed at being told our income is often less than that a year as is that of many other people.

If a couple is earning over $100,000 and cant manage they should sell up and reduce costs to live on what they can afford.

I might add I have many years ago had an income of $100,000 and I didnt go to a food bank. When I stopped work we downsized for lots of reasons including financial ones. So I know these people could pull their heads in and stop living outside their means. And they might even find living a simpler less expensive life is enjoyable and less stress.

Well blow me down! I've never heard such codswallop! Can't manage a $900 a week mortgage on $120,000! Shit oh dear what are we coming to? I'm gobsmacked. Leased cars, holiday homes, private schools. Tell me they didn't get food parcels, please tell me they didn't, because if they did, I have made my last donation to the food bank.

Now I know you can't eat assets [] and properties are hard to sell at the mo, and the lease might cost more to break, and the kids fees might already be paid so can't be refunded but...there is always Cash Converters.

You can always tell a slow news day when that sort of rot gets published.

I often wonder why silly prats (of any income level mind you) would go public about this sort of thing. There are ways of dealing with the matter privately and honourably without losing face or credit rating.

Sorry to hijack, but had to say my favourite quote of the day came from Isla..

There's an institution just waiting for your call, Moosee.

LOL thanks Isla

and the mind boggles as to what the attachment was before it got pulled!!

If it was the one I saw Sunflower it was of a heavy set man, naked, holding a well placed saddle in front of his genitials.

Heavy-set is an interesting euphemism. The saddle wasn't well-enough placed, nor large enough. [}]

Isla;155492 wrote:

Heavy-set is an interesting euphemism. The saddle wasn't well-enough placed, nor large enough. [}]

Maybe I haven't had enough wine yet to tell the truth Isla!!

I think the saddle "placement" including the stirrup strap, was placed to give the impression of not being well placed. There are names for folk like that.

But it was an amusing moment. Didn't endear me to rip my gear off and join him though.....

Sorry Tigger for the highjack comments that have nothing to do with your post...[]

I hadn't realised it had been deleted til I saw the comments on here [}]

swaggie;155496 wrote: ...I think the saddle "placement" including the stirrup strap, was placed to give the impression of not being well placed. There are names for folk like that....

Thank goodness I didn't click on the thumbnail for a larger view of that particular image! [xx(]