The silent poverty class

djpbarry

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Mortgage remain same and any saving's will end up there

What do you mean any savings will end up paying the mortgage? The mortgage doesn’t seem all that unreasonable – it’s the other expenses that seem to be causing the problems.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

food/household 200/week hard to estimate TBh most middle class families are better to shop in LIDL/ALDI than othere however I have packed bags at super markets and have seen a lot of weekly shops at 150/week.

That represents a reduction of 25%, which is pretty significant.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Believe it or not it is the buiscuits and choclate that cost the money not the fancy stuff maybe there is 50 to be saves living hand to mouth

I’m sorry - €150 worth of food per week is considered “hand to mouth”? Has the price of spuds increased by about 1,000% since I left Ireland a couple of years ago?

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

electricity 150-180/bill so 9-1100/year unless storage heating in house
Heating 25/week 1300/year less than the averagr see above a bag of coal is 14 euro's I wonder if it is storage heating and coal and bricketts for sitting room fire.

Those bills are pretty big – there is absolutely no way there is not room for reduction there. Sure, you might spend €200 on a particularly cold winter month, but not year-round.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

TV and waste not over the top

It absolutely is over the top. The most expensive package that UPC offer is only €79 per month – what in the name of jaysus have these folks got?!?

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

telephone 43/week average landline bill 100 a pop mobile's 5 in the house(adults and two kids) 20 every second month and replace 2 every 2-3 years (150/year) 1,300/year savings 17-18/week about the cost of sky

A phone bill of €100 per month is ridiculous – are these phone calls really so important that they’re worth getting into debt over? If the kids want to use their mobiles, they can go and get part-time jobs and buy credit themselves.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Transport 127/week car cost are huge...

They’re not that huge – if they are, it’s time to think about downsizing your motor.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

...a pre 2008 family car costs nearly 500/year car tax, remember they will get nothing for free so kids schoolbus cost and child in 3rd level will all have to be paid for ( when money is tight it costs more you cannot buy yearly tickets etc).

Can the kids not walk/cycle? As for yearly tickets, employers very often provide interest-free loans to their employees for these.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Education 3900/year-- college registration 2250 most secondarynational schools have a fee 1-200/family school books, school uniforms not much to save here

Eh, yeah, there is. First of all, the hypothetical third-level student can start making a contribution towards that fee. Secondly, school books and uniforms can be picked up second-hand. Books in particular. There is absolutely no way €3,900 is a typical family annual expenditure on education in Ireland.

everdead.ie

If you plan your week and shop around a family of four can live off 70 euro a week grocery bill no problem.

OldNotWIse

lmimmfn wrote: »

I find the cornflakes BS to be the strangest thing, we had that Kerry man saying his kids were eating a cornflakes box last year and now this.

A big box of cornflakes costs over 5 euro, maybe 6 or 7( i would be eating wheetabix if i was stuck lol ), that would get you a lot of spuds for chips/mashed etc. Its not only that you can easily cook meals for around 2 euro a meal( bolgonase, curry, chilli con carne etc. ), if 4 or 5 people were eating cornflakes all day the box would be finished in less than a day.

Dear God - I'd be eating the box too at that price!

Farmer Pudsey

djpbarry wrote: »

What do you mean any savings will end up paying the mortgage? The mortgage doesn’t seem all that unreasonable – it’s the other expenses that seem to be causing the problems.
That represents a reduction of 25%, which is pretty significant.
I’m sorry - €150 worth of food per week is considered “hand to mouth”? Has the price of spuds increased by about 1,000% since I left Ireland a couple of years ago?
Those bills are pretty big – there is absolutely no way there is not room for reduction there. Sure, you might spend €200 on a particularly cold winter month, but not year-round.
It absolutely is over the top. The most expensive package that UPC offer is only €79 per month – what in the name of jaysus have these folks got?!?
A phone bill of €100 per month is ridiculous – are these phone calls really so important that they’re worth getting into debt over? If the kids want to use their mobiles, they can go and get part-time jobs and buy credit themselves.
They’re not that huge – if they are, it’s time to think about downsizing your motor.
Can the kids not walk/cycle? As for yearly tickets, employers very often provide interest-free loans to their employees for these.
Eh, yeah, there is. First of all, the hypothetical third-level student can start making a contribution towards that fee. Secondly, school books and uniforms can be picked up second-hand. Books in particular. There is absolutely no way €3,900 is a typical family annual expenditure on education in Ireland.

If you had read the orginal post it specificall mentioned College Registration fee which is 3rd level at present it is 2250 euro's. Just another example you can but most School uniforms off the shelf reasonabbly( cannot be got second hand as quality it them will not last much over a year) such as Grey trousers/ blue shirts/navy skirts etc however some schools have a crested Blazer/jacket or school tracksuits which can only be purchassed from a single supplier often they cost up and over 100eoro. Trying to get School books second hand is getting harder when some books are on there11th edition. Most Schools as i stated earlier charge a 1-200 euro schoo fee and on top you may have a cost for materials. not to mind 1-2 euro charity days. Maybe the hypothetical has a partime job and it pays the rest of his costs. Like I stated if they were arounf 40K they would get about 3-6K towards his fees/school costs and if uinemployed they's get 8.5K or thereabouts

It says on the Mabs that the mortgage is intrest only so any savings will have to go towards increasing intrest payments

On the TV/Waste it specified 4 euro/week TV licience ane 5 Euro/week for waste now this translates as 250 for rubbish ( maybe you burn it in your back yard or fly tip it into my farm) and 200 for tV licience.

Yes spuds have got very expensive this year they are at present over 1 euro/kg retail.

The reality is that a phone is a necissity wheather it is a mobile/landline. Now maybe they can bungle the Phone/TV/broadband and get a little cheaper. And I did not state/month I stated/bill bi-monthly the same with Electricity some thing in OIreland have not changed,

I would not let a dog walk in Dublin and cycling is not really an option for childern if they are going on any of the busy routes. School bus tickets are bought through the school yes you can buy your own from your employer. The last thing you try to do in Ireland is downsize you car for that you have to trade in maybe the next time they are changing it they will but for now they are stuck with it also I think they have four childern I thaught it was posted somewhere but I may be wrong so a people carrier is required

There heating/fuel is 1300/yera this equates to about 108.33333333333333333333 approx/month I would consider it a little below average this is why I consideredthat they might have storage heating on the ESB we have the amoung Highest electricity charges in Europe if not in the world

K-9

Riskymove wrote: »

AFAIK Mortgage protection is demanded by the bank. Its more about if someone died than about losing a job

That would be life assurance. Mortgage protection would be in the event of illness or unemployment.

Hotblack Desiato

^ Or the journalist doesn't have a clue or uses terminology with different meanings interchangeably...

Riskymove

Riskymove wrote: »

That would be life assurance. Mortgage protection would be in the event of illness or unemployment.

In my experience the product required by the bank for you to get and what everyone would have is Mortgage Protection Life Cover

serious illness and income protection cover would generally be expensive add-ons that imo, most people do not take out (especially in boom period)

djpbarry

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

If you had read the orginal post it specificall mentioned College Registration fee which is 3rd level at present it is 2250 euro's.

I did read the original post and I asked why the student in question cannot make a contribution towards this fee?

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Just another example you can but most School uniforms off the shelf reasonabbly( cannot be got second hand as quality it them will not last much over a year) such as Grey trousers/ blue shirts/navy skirts etc however some schools have a crested Blazer/jacket or school tracksuits which can only be purchassed from a single supplier often they cost up and over 100eoro.

Ok, so one new uniform every 2-3 years – we’re still not getting anywhere near the kind of figures quoted in the article.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Trying to get School books second hand is getting harder when some books are on there11th edition...

You’re really clutching at straws now. School books change every few years at most – I remember using English books that my parents used and it’s not that long since I was in school!

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Most Schools as i stated earlier charge a 1-200 euro schoo fee and on top you may have a cost for materials. not to mind 1-2 euro charity days.

I don’t believe most schools charge anything of the sort, but anyway, we have the uniform, school books and stationary and the odd “charity day” or school trip or whatever. Even allowing for the full uni registration fee, there is absolutely no way the educational costs for each of the other two kids is amounting to over €800 every year.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Yes spuds have got very expensive this year they are at present over 1 euro/kg retail.

I was being sarcastic. There is absolutely no reason why a family cannot be well fed on €150 per week – that will buy a hell of a lot of meat, fish, fruit and veg.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

The reality is that a phone is a necissity wheather it is a mobile/landline.

I’m not disagreeing with that.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Now maybe they can bungle the Phone/TV/broadband and get a little cheaper.

A little cheaper? They’re spending €43 per week on “telephone and other utilities” – there is room for a reduction of at least 50% there.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

I would not let a dog walk in Dublin...

As I said above, you’re clutching at straws now.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

The last thing you try to do in Ireland is downsize you car for that you have to trade in...

So?

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

There heating/fuel is 1300/yera this equates to about 108.33333333333333333333 approx/month...

And then electricity is costing them the same again – that’s a lot. As I said above, fair enough if they’re paying that the odd month through the winter, but there’s no way they should be paying that year round.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

I would consider it a little below average this is why I consideredthat they might have storage heating on the ESB we have the amoung Highest electricity charges in Europe if not in the world

That’s a myth. Electricity in Ireland is not especially expensive relative to the rest of Europe:
http://www.energy.eu

melekalikimaka

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

If you had read the orginal post it specificall mentioned College Registration fee which is 3rd level at present it is 2250 euro's. Just another example you can but most School uniforms off the shelf reasonabbly( cannot be got second hand as quality it them will not last much over a year) such as Grey trousers/ blue shirts/navy skirts etc however some schools have a crested Blazer/jacket or school tracksuits which can only be purchassed from a single supplier often they cost up and over 100eoro. Trying to get School books second hand is getting harder when some books are on there11th edition. Most Schools as i stated earlier charge a 1-200 euro schoo fee and on top you may have a cost for materials. not to mind 1-2 euro charity days. Maybe the hypothetical has a partime job and it pays the rest of his costs. Like I stated if they were arounf 40K they would get about 3-6K towards his fees/school costs and if uinemployed they's get 8.5K or thereabouts

It says on the Mabs that the mortgage is intrest only so any savings will have to go towards increasing intrest payments

On the TV/Waste it specified 4 euro/week TV licience ane 5 Euro/week for waste now this translates as 250 for rubbish ( maybe you burn it in your back yard or fly tip it into my farm) and 200 for tV licience.

Yes spuds have got very expensive this year they are at present over 1 euro/kg retail.

The reality is that a phone is a necissity wheather it is a mobile/landline. Now maybe they can bungle the Phone/TV/broadband and get a little cheaper. And I did not state/month I stated/bill bi-monthly the same with Electricity some thing in OIreland have not changed,

I would not let a dog walk in Dublin and cycling is not really an option for childern if they are going on any of the busy routes. School bus tickets are bought through the school yes you can buy your own from your employer. The last thing you try to do in Ireland is downsize you car for that you have to trade in maybe the next time they are changing it they will but for now they are stuck with it also I think they have four childern I thaught it was posted somewhere but I may be wrong so a people carrier is required

There heating/fuel is 1300/yera this equates to about 108.33333333333333333333 approx/month I would consider it a little below average this is why I consideredthat they might have storage heating on the ESB we have the amoung Highest electricity charges in Europe if not in the world

108 a month is WELL above the average household in ireland

blackbox

Head The Wall wrote: »

They pay 528 a week to the credit union to pay all the bills which includes the mortgage and this works out at 27456 a year.

Delegating the paying of bills seems like a bad idea to me. If you do this how can you keep in touch with exactly what you are spending - no chance of taking corrective action if your electricity usage goes up, etc.

This seems like a general lack of interest in actually managing their own finances and seems like a symptom of not taking personal responsibility to deal with their situation.

Idbatterim

If this story is indeed true and its a big IF, why doesnt he reduce the mortgage payments?! END OF! Poverty, we wouldnt know the meaning of it in Ireland, can give him my dads numbers though (he's German), if he wants to call him up and hear about the poverty of growing up right after the second world war! some of the stuff he told me was truly shocking...

djpbarry

Idbatterim wrote: »

Poverty, we wouldnt know the meaning of it in Ireland...

To be fair, there are most definitely people living in poverty in Ireland, but these folks don't come close.

themadchef

Idbatterim wrote: »

If this story is indeed true and its a big IF, why doesnt he reduce the mortgage payments?! END OF! Poverty, we wouldnt know the meaning of it in Ireland, can give him my dads numbers though (he's German), if he wants to call him up and hear about the poverty of growing up right after the second world war! some of the stuff he told me was truly shocking...

+1

People throw the word around today and it angers me.

Poverty is not having to drop a hobby or two for your kids.
Poverty is not having to shop is Aldi ffs
Poverty is not having to put an extra jumper on when its cold.


These things are common sense.

Poverty is buying a loaf of bread and having to keep it for a day or two in the press till it goes staler so they wont eat as much of it.

I heard this from a woman giving an interview late at night on Radio 1. I was driving home after work, i was tired and coming home to my warm house and my children tucked up in bed


That brought me to tears, for a mother i dont know that cant feed her kids a fresh loaf of bread.

I drive a banger of a car. I call it my poverty cart :pac: but lovingly so. I would hate to have a car loan so i love my banger, warts an all.

tipptom

I can see plenty of stuff that says this family is a bit unrealistic with their sums but i do not see anything wrong with the article itself.
The journalist has reported exactly what this family and mabs have said about their circumstances,I think she has done the right thing and reported how this class of income earner thinks and let everyone else decide if their figures add up or not.If I was reporting it I certainly would not be asking the Guards wife to justify her figures,I would print and let the readers decide if she is in the real world,and it certainly has done that.It even has the Eoghan Harris agenda led witches in the Sunday Independant bitching.

Idbatterim

To be fair, there are most definitely people living in poverty in Ireland, but these folks don't come close.

i honestly dont understand how though, unless they are homeless. We live in welfare wonderland...