Are British people stingy or more realistic?

Tipp Man

There is no doubt in my mind that the majority of English people are way tighter with their cash than the majority of Irish people

Irish will spend money till its gone and then some - English will save money and look for cheaper options

thats my experience anyway and i lived over there for a few years

JupiterKid

A very telling difference between the Irish and the English is in their car buying behaviour. The English will tend to buy a model of car within their means but will have all the optional extras with that model.

The Irish will instead tend to opt for a car that is a model above their means but will come as a basic with no optional extras whatsoever.

fasttalkerchat

JupiterKid wrote: »

A very telling difference between the Irish and the English is in their car buying behaviour. The English will tend to buy a model of car within their means but will have all the optional extras with that model.

The Irish will instead tend to opt for a car that is a model above their means but will come as a basic with no optional extras whatsoever.

I've noticed higher prices from Irish dealers for the optional extras. Maybe that's part of the reason.

woodoo

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

I've noticed higher prices from Irish dealers for the optional extras. Maybe that's part of the reason.

Like everything here, they have learned that we pay.

fasttalkerchat

woodoo wrote: »

Like everything here, they have learned that we pay.

True. And now they claim that people are unpatriotic by shopping online.

donegal_road

in my experience it is not just people from England that are careful with money, but the whole Commonwealth. Scottish are notoriously thrifty, so are Canadians and New Zealanders (very big Scottish influence in both those countries). You will even see quite a difference in what people will spend in NI compared to the south.

*The other big difference I find is that debit and credit cards are used in Canada way more than cash.*

Agricola

Mixture of things. The British are generally more prudent with money and think big expenditures out more. The culture is also more about being comfortable with what YOU can afford, not worrying about what Mick Prick down the road thinks of you.

The Irish on the other hand are naturally more reckless. We only got control of the country 90 years ago and we WANT to do what the fúck we like WHEN we like! Theres tonnes of catholic guilt (despite the fact none of us are really catholics in any real sense) and we have to be seen to be going overboard at every opportunity, i.e. this years reg on the car, a much bigger house than we need, trips to the furthest possible point of the map every year etc etc

woodoo

donegal_road wrote: »

Scottish are notoriously thrifty,

Did you hear about the Scotsman who dropped a penny..... it landed on the back of his neck he was down so fast to pick it up.

Chuck Stone

Using weddings as the barometer for stinginess/thrift and trying to extrapolate that to the entire population of England versus Ireland is not going to return reliable data.

summerskin

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Using weddings as the barometer for stinginess/thrift and trying to extrapolate that to the entire population of England versus Ireland is not going to return reliable data.

I never said England, I said the UK. Also I just used weddings etc at examples.


And for fook's sake, do you think I'm asking AH for "reliable data"????


Just for opinions.

FinnLizzy

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Using weddings as the barometer for stinginess/thrift and trying to extrapolate that to the entire population of England versus Ireland is not going to return reliable data.

Quiet, we're yet to hear some Boardsies post about how they were thrifty during the Celtic Tiger.

ejmaztec

brummytom wrote: »

Tight English bastards

Not as bad as a stereotypical Scotsman though, or narrowing it down a bit further, someone from Aberdeen. The Scottish apparently designed 50p pieces so that you wouldn't be able to get one out of their hands without a spanner.

golden lane

John Doe1 wrote: »

British people in general hate their families

you are so wrong......where did you get that from.....

golden lane

Pottler wrote: »

That's all them pelvic floor excercises they do. English are also a lot blunter and less out to impress - when I worked in London in a butchers shop as a kid the English would come in and buy the cheap cuts, Paddy would walk in(I'm also a Paddy) and buy sirloin steak, even if they didn't have an ar5e in their trousers. I think we are a bit insecure with our money, we never had much and were historically poor whereas the Brits were strutting around eating swan back when we still lived in wicker baskets in the bog. Even when we're broke, we'd die if people thought we were poor so we act all splashy.

where did you find all those rich english people........

they are the same as the irish.............rich and poor...

CamperMan

John Doe1 wrote: »

British people in general hate their families

why is that?...

golden lane

smirker wrote: »

Irish people are more generous. Hosting a wedding is expensive and most people see the present as a way of making a contribution. It is a hige burden on a couple to have to pay the lot themselves.

the average price of getting married in the uk...is £14,000

Truley

I've only been to one wedding in the UK and it was far more low key than an Irish wedding, held in a local hall with a buffet and only close family and friends. Also finished at about midnight and everyone just went home. I wonder would that be standard there?

golden lane

Truley wrote: »

I've only been to one wedding in the UK and it was far more low key than an Irish wedding, held in a local hall with a buffet and only close family and friends. Also finished at about midnight and everyone just went home. I wonder would that be standard there?

you will find it varies a lot in parts of the uk.....remember, the population of ireland...is smaller than englands second city.......and like ireland tradition varies place to place....

i got married in the uk.....and spent 25 pound........lol

summerskin

Truley wrote: »

I've only been to one wedding in the UK and it was far more low key than an Irish wedding, held in a local hall with a buffet and only close family and friends. Also finished at about midnight and everyone just went home. I wonder would that be standard there?

Nope. All weddings I've been to have been 80-120 guests for the daytime with the usual 3 or 4 course meal, wine etc followed by the evening reception where another 100-200 turn up and there is a large buffet.


One big difference is that UK weddings usually have a DJ instead of some shiitty wedding band doing bad covers of Aslan and Westlife.

English people just know the value of money. I was brought up in England and Northern Ireland (where the attitude to money is similar) and I couldn't believe it when I went to Dublin in 2003 and saw how reckless people were with money. Things haven't changed that much, either. I find that Irish people are willing to pay way over the odds for just about anything because they're afraid of being seen as stingy. The number of times I've heard people say something was a 'reasonable' price when it was anything but. I was out at the weekend in a 'trendy' part of London I wouldn't normally go to where I met some Irish friends. It was really overpriced, yet the Irish people kept pointing out how 'reasonable' the food was. 15 quid for a tiny burger and four chips is NOT reasonable! I kept getting flashbacks of Celtic Tiger Dublin every time I paid for a round. I spent more on food and drink that night than I had in the previous two months. I felt ripped off and annoyed. I don't think that's stingy, I think it's sensible.

I think Ireland as a nation is incredibly insecure when it comes to money. I wouldn't think twice about telling someone I couldn't afford something or telling someone my clothes came from a charity shop. I don't give a fck if people think I'm poor. In fact, I make a hobby out of being thrifty and saving my money for big things like travelling instead of frittering it away on Starbucks and Topshop clothes. Most of my Irish friends don't really get that.

saa

I didn't get money for my communion or 21st that was stingy, if someone gave me a small amount I'd be happy. Unless the person can obviously afford to throw around money I would never judge the amount someone gives as a gift.

Cedrus

ejmaztec wrote: »

Not as bad as a stereotypical Scotsman though, or narrowing it down a bit further, someone from Aberdeen. The Scottish apparently designed 50p pieces so that you wouldn't be able to get one out of their hands without a spanner.

That would be some spanner, there's no parallel sides on a 50p.

EarlERizer

summerskin wrote: »

Following on from the "€250 wedding gift" thread I thought I'd ask your opinions.

In the UK it's normal for a family to give £30-50 as a wedding gift, depending on how close you are to the folks getting married.

Equally, for birthdays £10 or £20 is normal or maybe £50 for a 21st for your kids or close family or something, and communions/confirmations are £20 too, at most usually.

When I moved over here I couldn't believe it. The tiger was just ending(2007) and people were giving crazy amounts. My daughter got hundreds for her first communion and we felt guilty as fcuk! Why would an aunt or uncle who sees her once a year give €100 to an 8 year old???

Me and the family travelled to the UK for a friend's wedding recently and gave £50 as a gift, as did almost everyone we knew, some gave less.

So are we British more realistic or just stingy in your eyes?



On phone so can't add poll, sorry.

They most certainly aren't stingy,certainly more prudent when it comes to their hard earned with a better appreciation & respect for money,we could learn a thing or two from them regarding how we waste ours! The also have a fairer consumer market,they get great value for money and retailers don't seem to be out to rob the consumer unlike here! When the 'global downturn' kicked in UK retailers recognised it was better to have the public spending what little they had as opposed to scarying them into not spending by inflating prices,they reduced prices and offered more for your money almost across the board.

Ghandee wrote: »

£30-£50 over in the UK will prob go further that €250 will over here!

N.B (May not be true)

Your not too far off m8.


We need to shake off this 'keeping up with the Jones's' mentality and stop throwing money about like we do.Most of us are suffering a massive hangover from the 'celtic tiger' drunk on our own success days, others are still nursing their last few drops!

Tipp Man wrote: »

There is no doubt in my mind that the majority of English people are way tighter with their cash than the majority of Irish people

Irish will spend money till its gone and then some - English will save money and look for cheaper options

thats my experience anyway and i lived over there for a few years

That's not been stingy, as above, it's called been prudent and money savvy!

EarlERizer

John Doe1 wrote: »

British people in general hate their families

Nodin wrote: »

I hear they still eat the ones that die, in some parts.

golden lane wrote: »

you are so wrong......where did you get that from.....

CamperMan wrote: »

why is that?...

:rolleyes:

But we do have a better understanding of tongue in cheek humour over here!

ejmaztec

Cedrus wrote: »

That would be some spanner, there's no parallel sides on a 50p.

You obviously haven't got a wide selection of spanners in your local spanner-shop.

yermanoffthetv

Celtic Tiger Ireland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCP85FngzE

Post Celtic Tiger Ireland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWoYmTAfDbk

Chuck Stone

summerskin wrote: »

I never said England, I said the UK. Also I just used weddings etc at examples.

And for fook's sake, do you think I'm asking AH for "reliable data"????

Just for opinions.

Okay, my bad.

comeback_kid

donegal_road wrote: »

in my experience it is not just people from England that are careful with money, but the whole Commonwealth. Scottish are notoriously thrifty, so are Canadians and New Zealanders (very big Scottish influence in both those countries). You will even see quite a difference in what people will spend in NI compared to the south.

*The other big difference I find is that debit and credit cards are used in Canada way more than cash.*

what do all those countries above have in common which makes them different than ireland ?

there is your answer as to why brits are more thrifty with money than us irish

I love the soaps for British stinginess. A house in Coronation St. needed £10k of work done in it. The woman living there and her son both worked fulltime, they had one lodger who worked fulltime and another who had a fulltime job as well as a part-time job and between them they couldn't get the money together or even a loan somewhere.

comeback_kid

Deleted User wrote: »

I love the soaps for British stinginess. A house in Coronation St. needed £10k of work done in it. The woman living there and her son both worked fulltime, they had one lodger who worked fulltime and another who had a fulltime job as well as a part-time job and between them they couldn't get the money together or even a loan somewhere.

in soapland , people dont borrow money from a bank , credit union , NO , its billy meehan or some other shark

Cedrus

ejmaztec wrote: »

You obviously haven't got a wide selection of spanners in your local spanner-shop.

I've never seen a seven sided nut nor a spanner for one, I could knock one up in the shed, but it would have to cost less than 50p to be worthwhile.:D

M cebee

they like
gardening
washing the car
making jokes about foreigners
antiques
package holidays
invading other countries

golden lane

M cebee wrote: »

they like
gardening
washing the car
making jokes about foreigners
antiques
package holidays
invading other countries

wrong on the first five...............

1/..they only garden because they have one.....

2/ they wash cars to talk to their neighbours...

3/ they make jokes about everybody........

4/ only the people on the programme like antigus......the love new stuff...

5/ most english people don't like package holidays.....only the tan nuts...

6/ where have they invaded then..?

summerskin

golden lane wrote: »

M cebee wrote: »

they like
gardening
washing the car
making jokes about foreigners
antiques
package holidays
invading other countries

wrong on the first five...............

1/..they only garden because they have one.....

2/ they wash cars to talk to their neighbours...

3/ they make jokes about everybody........

4/ only the people on the programme like antigus......the love new stuff...

5/ most english people don't like package holidays.....only the tan nuts...

6/ where have they invaded then..?

Please please please tell me this is not a real person. Please.

PLEASE! I'll give you €250 as a wedding gift if you just please tell me this person isn't real.

Dudess

eviltwin wrote: »

I think Irish people worry too much about what other people think of them so if they hear the going rate for an event is 100, 250 etc they will do their best to give that even if they can't really afford it.

Yep - seems to be the case for some folks here all right. Tbh, I don't know where the pressure to gift beyond their means comes from, other than from their own heads. Nobody but the marrying couple is going to know - and any marrying couple worth actually being friends with wouldn't have a problem with someone not being able to afford the "going rate".

summerskin wrote: »

My (Irish) mother in law has a theory that it's because Irish people were/saw themselves as poor for so long that they now over-compensate at every opportunity.

I'd say that's part of the tapestry all right.

tayto lover wrote: »

English wedding are a load of Shyte too, a bloody buffet usually.

Seems grand to me.

Solair wrote: »

I gave a cousin of mine a €50 gift voucher for her confirmation she actually got ratty about it!

(I was a broke student at the time!)

:eek:

comeback_kid wrote: »

what do all those countries above have in common which makes them different than ireland ?

there is your answer as to why brits are more thrifty with money than us irish

Non catholic? Catholicism is a pretty flash religion in fairness...

Honestly, I do associate catholicism with extravagance.

comeback_kid

Dudess wrote: »

Yep - seems to be the case for some folks here all right. Tbh, I don't know where the pressure to gift beyond their means comes from, other than from their own heads. Nobody but the marrying couple is going to know - and any marrying couple worth actually being friends with wouldn't have a problem with someone not being able to afford the "going rate".

I'd say that's part of the tapestry all right.

Seems grand to me.

:eek:

Non catholic? Catholicism is a pretty flash religion in fairness...

Honestly, I do associate catholicism with extravagance.

in todays world with its ultra pc demands of discourse , its frowned upon to use any kind of streotype in order to point to the source of an issue but a lot of stereotypes have a large degree of truth

catholics are more ostentasious when it comes to wealth , so too are africans or african americans , italians are a lot more flashy when it comes to cars and clothes than dour kiwi presbyterians or austere german lutherans , simple as

Dudess

comeback_kid wrote: »

catholics are more ostentasious when it comes to wealth... italians are a lot more flasy when it comes to cars and clothes than dour kiwi presbyterians or austere german lutherans , simple as

There's definitely a lot of truth to that - possibly not as prevalent nowadays across the board, but still the case in certain communities where catholicism is the religion: e.g. travellers, the Mafia.

golden lane

summerskin wrote: »

Please please please tell me this is not a real person. Please.

PLEASE! I'll give you €250 as a wedding gift if you just please tell me this person isn't real.

i'm not getting married, just to get money..............

now, have you finished asking ridiculous questions.....

Dudess

golden lane wrote: »

i'm not getting married, just to get money..............

now, have you finished asking ridiculous questions.....

Most of the stuff you've answered seriously in this thread... was a joke.

Come on - be true to your heritage: Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, Blackadder, Only Fools & Horses, Peep Show... humour!

noddyone2

Realistic.

comeback_kid

Dudess wrote: »

There's definitely a lot of truth to that - possibly not as prevalent nowadays across the board, but still the case in certain communities where catholicism is the religion: e.g. travellers, the Mafia.

you dont have to point to tony soprano or tony ward to highlight the connection , anyone who has ever been to rural new zealand will know what im talking about , people there go to the local pub dressed like a farmer in ireland dresses for the hay barn

golden lane

Dudess wrote: »

Most of the stuff you've answered seriously in this thread... was a joke.

Come on - be true to your heritage: Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, Blackadder, Only Fools & Horses, Peep Show... humour!

you do not have to read my posts...nor do you ghave to answer.....

1/...i like basil.......a nice herb......

2/ ..not fond of snakes....

3/..adders are not black....and not nice either..

4/..very true.......but earned lots of money...

5/...never heard of it......is it good ??????

6/..humour or grump.....your choice...

poppyvally

summerskin wrote: »

With gravy.


Cheap, cheap gravy.

made with OXO cubes

summerskin

poppyvally wrote: »

summerskin wrote: »

With gravy.


Cheap, cheap gravy.

made with OXO cubes

Fcuk no.


Bovril.

ejmaztec

Cedrus wrote: »

I've never seen a seven sided nut nor a spanner for one, I could knock one up in the shed, but it would have to cost less than 50p to be worthwhile.:D

I've a habit of removing nuts with spanners that aren't specifically designed to remove them.:P

Doc Ruby

summerskin wrote: »

So are we British more realistic or just stingy in your eyes?

There's what, 60 million Scots, English and Welsh. How the hell is anyone meant to make a realistic comment about that volume of people which encompasses them all, or even the majority of them.

More to the point, who cares.

comeback_kid

Doc Ruby wrote: »

There's what, 60 million Scots, English and Welsh. How the hell is anyone meant to make a realistic comment about that volume of people which encompasses them all, or even the majority of them.

More to the point, who cares.

using that criteria , no one would ever suggest americans are fat as all 315 million of them are not overweight

Dudess

golden lane wrote: »

Dudess wrote: »

Most of the stuff you've answered seriously in this thread... was a joke.

Come on - be true to your heritage: Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, Blackadder, Only Fools & Horses, Peep Show... humour!

you do not have to read my posts...nor do you ghave to answer.....

Well it's kinda the point of a discussion forum to do one or both - you're inviting them, to be fair.

K-9

Amaya Millions Manure wrote: »

English people just know the value of money. I was brought up in England and Northern Ireland (where the attitude to money is similar) and I couldn't believe it when I went to Dublin in 2003 and saw how reckless people were with money. Things haven't changed that much, either. I find that Irish people are willing to pay way over the odds for just about anything because they're afraid of being seen as stingy. The number of times I've heard people say something was a 'reasonable' price when it was anything but. I was out at the weekend in a 'trendy' part of London I wouldn't normally go to where I met some Irish friends. It was really overpriced, yet the Irish people kept pointing out how 'reasonable' the food was. 15 quid for a tiny burger and four chips is NOT reasonable! I kept getting flashbacks of Celtic Tiger Dublin every time I paid for a round. I spent more on food and drink that night than I had in the previous two months. I felt ripped off and annoyed. I don't think that's stingy, I think it's sensible.

I think Ireland as a nation is incredibly insecure when it comes to money. I wouldn't think twice about telling someone I couldn't afford something or telling someone my clothes came from a charity shop. I don't give a fck if people think I'm poor. In fact, I make a hobby out of being thrifty and saving my money for big things like travelling instead of frittering it away on Starbucks and Topshop clothes. Most of my Irish friends don't really get that.

It's a Celtic Tiger thing though, in the 80's a toaster was a perfectly acceptable gift, though couples probably ended up with 10 of them, and shock, horror, imagine the shame, they often didn't colour match the kettle 10 other people bought.

Paddy Cow

I remember watching game shows in the late 80's/early 90's and you could win a hoover or if extremely lucky, a washing machine. Then came the big money and it was "Who wants to be a Millionaire?".