Your lowest point during the Bailout Years

syklops

Plates wrote: »

The last few years have been a wet dream for Joe Duffy and his "tell me something awful" band of followers. There seems to be a huge chunk of the population who refuse to acknowledge that things are getting better.

Wheres my NAMA joe?

Wanderer78

Youngblood.III wrote: »

After really cutting back everything for years and using savings to also get by...its really only starting to bite in badly now.
Next on the cards is not fully paying the mortgage.

im deeply concerned of the thousands of families in arrears here. this is a ticking time bomb for the country

conorh91

syklops wrote: »

Wheres my NAMA joe?

Actually I always thought that was a fair question.

I always thought that if you were going to prop-up any properties on the banks' balance sheets, surely you should start with the ones that have people living in them. Maybe there's something I'm missing. There was something odd about the idea of paying a developer to erect buildings in the middle of a collapse in demand.

Wanderer78

conorh91 wrote: »

Actually I always thought that was a fair question.

I always thought that if you were going to prop-up any properties on the banks' balance sheets, surely you should start with the ones that have people living in them. Maybe there's something I'm missing. There was something odd about the idea of paying a developer to erect buildings in the middle of a collapse in demand.

you just hit the nail on the head. theres very little out there to protect the ordinary man and we re the ones propping it all up

blackcard

shuffles88 wrote: »

My lowest point was when I managed to get a part-time job after being out of work and ended up worse off as a result. It was one of the bad winters we had and I couldn't afford to heat my house. I had to go to bed with gloves, a hat, a hoody and two duvets on the bed to keep warm.

There were a lot of stories of people like you going to bed, often hungry, just to keep warm. You have to admire the spirit of people who came through such times

catbear

The first low point for me was the day the bank guarantee was announced. I was seething at the gombeenism. Workmates laughed at me, they just couldn't see what it meant but they all came around in time.

I had worked in construction related industries until 06 when the writing was clearly on the wall so I took a pay cut by going to a service job that nobody wanted back then that I knew would get me through the property bust. My net pay was never affected as pay increments swallowed the tax hikes and because of deflation I actually had better purchasing power than during the bubble. We got some great holiday deals!

However the atmosphere in work had gone from very good in 2007 to terrible by 2010, the management went on sadistic power trips because they felt people were desperate for their jobs and they took advantage of it. Around 2010 my wife lost her job and after that we both said we'd had enough, packed out bags and went to Australia in 2011. I told work I was leaving six months in advance and they didn't bother me after that.

Back now a few months, we've both had no trouble picking up work. Don't know how long for, but my rainy day fund is being expanded so I can live for a few years in a cheap sunny country if Ireland goes nuts again.

Looking back on it now I'm still far more scared by my low point in the 80s than recent times. Materially it was far worse, part of rejoices everytime another young person abandons Finna Fail.

Realist2

it didn't affect me, i have been going on more holidays, around 4 a year, i don't have a house, if i ever did buy a house, i would pay for it in cash, cut out the middle men, auctioneer, bansters, just a clean buy, didn't effect my job, work private sector, no kids, so its all good

RobertKK

The bailout years...in farming there wasn't a big boom in the Celtic Tiger era, it was seen as very unfashionable and by some rather backward, given the money to be made elsewhere.
So when the recession started and the bailout came, it didn't initially make much difference, farming can be like a steady boat in a stormy sea.
There were cuts in farm payments, the rural environment scheme was cancelled once the five year plan was up, replaced by a far inferior scheme with a lot less money.
If one lived in a disadvantaged area farming wise, that was cut.

I was doing ok, until 2009 my cattle/cows got TB. It went on for two full years, I had young cattle not fit for a factory, and you can't sell on the open market as your herd is restricted.
What was worse it was my main source of income that was being hit, milking cows were getting the TB.
I had told the department of agriculture about dead badgers turning up, and thankfully they decided to cull badgers when the problem was not going away, and still doing it to this day. But once they started culling, the TB problem got solved.
Whatever about cuts to payments from the state, th TB problem cost me thousands and thousands, a five figure sum, had to buy in much more feed for the extra animals and the loss in milk.
But you get through these things, but at one stage you would wonder if it would ever end.
That to me was worse than any recession or bailout.
I wouldn't have been too badly affected by the recession, because just like farming wasn't affected by the celtic tiger, it wasn't overly affected by the recession, and had positives like making farmland much cheaper.
People need food in good and bad times...

Raging_Ninja

Tbh my life has only got better from 2008 onwards.

Youngblood.III

Some people here miss the point of the thread..."lowest point"
Now feck off and start a "it didn't effect me at all thread" somewhere else

thebaz

and Fianna Fail support continues to surge :-

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/fianna-fail-in-poll-boost-as-fine-gael-big-losers-31317155.html

Were they not in power for a decade before the crash , then was it not there leader who agreed to the Bailout and was in power when the IMF took over the country .

That was less than 5 years ago , and people still think they are fit to rule. My mind boggles.

Wanderer78

thebaz wrote: »

and Fianna Fail support continues to surge :-

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/fianna-fail-in-poll-boost-as-fine-gael-big-losers-31317155.html

Were they not in power for a decade before the crash , then was it not there leader who agreed to the Bailout and was in power when the IMF took over the country .

That was less than 5 years ago , and people still think they are fit to rule. My mind boggles.

oh dont be surprised now come election time! im ready for it, are you?

average hero

Well I've had an interesting few years! I suppose it all came to a head around a point in 2009-ish or so. My family had lost the (small) business in construction and my father was struggling with bills and the mortgage. He was probably going through some issues mentally too. My mother just left the family to eventually move in with the man she was having an affair with and my brother had dropped out of school due to both his behavioral issues and the stress around the house at the time.

Me personally, I dropped out of university twice (2007, 2008) and had a horrible breakup with a girl I was seeing. She was a toxic arse at times and I was to be better away from her, but I was responsible just as much but in different ways. I was dumped and I took the breakup very badly. There were weeks I had NO money in supposedly the prime of my life but I took it on the chin and marched on

Luckily I am a fighter, have completed a 4 year degree, am currently on a paid-for Masters course (not in the industry I want though ha) and have something of a career going. Martial arts saved my life - I kid you not.

Wow - just reading that now. Puts a lot into perspective.

tayto lover

Plates wrote: »

The victim mentality is alive and well unfortunately.

Thanks to your crowd many people have hardship.

tayto lover

Streetwalker wrote: »

Yes because putting FF/FG/Labour in time and again has worked out well for us

I don't believe we would be any better with Lefties or SF either.
Just like the other parties they will probably be there just for themselves.
Politics is rotten.

Wanderer78

tayto lover wrote: »

I don't believe we would be any better with Lefties or SF either.
Just like the other parties they will probably be there just for themselves.
Politics is rotten.

id agree with you there. i dont think theres anybody capable of sorting this mess out. it deeply concerns me. it seems like we re going around in circles. im expecting fianna fail to waltz back into power. as the asians say, same same! nothing has really changed in this country. i dont think we ve learned a thing.

eviltwin

Couple of low points, losing my job, my husband losing his job, being subject to a repossession order and subsequent court stuff, day to day worry about how to pay this or that....its been tough and its still tough but life could be worse. I only have to think of the families of those kids in the U.S. to realise how lucky I am really.

dreamers75

Lending money to mates to help with mortage/rent,.

It wasnt pleasant going to liquidated companies and removing stuff whilst staff were there demanding wages, altho some liquidators are utter *****. One **** springs to mind in a womens fashion shop she was going around picking clothes and shoes for herself whilst staff where there protesting for their wages.

Thankfully never had a single issue with ex staff in these places, they knew we were just doing our jobs and didnt work for the liquidators as such.

Sparklygirl

The recession didn't effect us hugely as we still paid our bills and had good food on the table. We just don't have luxuries like holidays or meals out or expensive clothes. It was more the uncertainty than anything else that kept me awake at night. It was very stressful for my husband as he is self employed. I really believe it hit the men I know the hardest as they felt more pressure to provide and seemed to lose their jobs while my female friends kept theirs. Things are improving but to be honest the real problems will hit our family big time when the interest rates go up and we will have to pay 1600 quid again a month on the mortgage, we pay 1000 right now due to the ridiculously low interest rates. When they rise, there will be many families like ours in big trouble.

It is tough to have children with little disposable income, we would have had more children if we felt we could provide a good standard of living and education for them. We decided it best to have less children and give them a good start rather then more and not be able to provide well for them.

Simonigs1.0

I drove a 1988 Nissan Bluebird that people used to genuinely laugh at. I watched friends and family members take out mortgages, buy new cars, go on holidays etc. All of which they couldn't afford and somehow I was the mad one for not following. Suffice to say they are not exactly living lives of luxury now.

I'm sitting here, in my own house, car in the garage, wife-to-be by my side and a business doing well for itself. Absolutely no debt

blackcard

Simonigs1.0 wrote: »

I drove a 1988 Nissan Bluebird that people used to genuinely laugh at. I watched friends and family members take out mortgages, buy new cars, go on holidays etc. All of which they couldn't afford and somehow I was the mad one for not following. Suffice to say they are not exactly living lives of luxury now.

I'm sitting here, in my own house, car in the garage, wife-to-be by my side and a business doing well for itself. Absolutely no debt

I got laughed at for buying a second hand car, the same people who laughed at me came looking for sympathy when they were struggling to make repayments for their mansions, landcruisers etc

Wanderer78

ah dont throw it back at people folks, we can all make mistakes in life. be glad you some how made the right decisions in life but spare a thought for those that are in trouble. no debts myself but im deeply concerned for the families that are in trouble.

tayto lover

Wanderer78 wrote: »

ah dont throw it back at people folks, we can all make mistakes in life. be glad you some how made the right decisions in life but spare a thought for those that are in trouble. no debts myself but im deeply concerned for the families that are in trouble.

Me too.
I just hate to see the young lads I coached at football having to up and leave because of the greed of others and seeing the pain of their parents at them leaving. That prat Noonan saying they leave because they want to was a kick in the balls to very good and decent people while he looked after his cronies.

Capt'n Midnight

JustTheOne wrote: »

Unfortunately lads the world over, the main cities is where the work is, it's just the way things are.

No surprise really as it's been that way for the last 9,500 years.

JustTheOne

tayto lover wrote: »

Me too.
I just hate to see the young lads I coached at football having to up and leave because of the greed of others and seeing the pain of their parents at them leaving. That prat Noonan saying they leave because they want to was a kick in the balls to very good and decent people while he looked after his cronies.

Nothing to do with people borrowing way beyond their means, nope it's someone else's fault.

eviltwin

JustTheOne wrote: »

Nothing to do with people borrowing way beyond their means, nope it's someone else's fault.

Some obviously did but not everyone and young people just out of college certainly didn't.

JustTheOne

eviltwin wrote: »

Some obviously did but not everyone and young people just out of college certainly didn't.

There was a recession the world over, people have always had to emigrate to find work in countries the world over.

The bailout had nothing to do with the recession, my father told me this is the 4th recession he has seen Ireland come out of in his lifetime.

It's a cycle that will happen again in years to come.

eviltwin

JustTheOne wrote: »

There was a recession the world over, people have always had to emigrate to find work in countries the world over.

The bailout had nothing to do with the recession, my father told me this is the 4th recession he has seen Ireland come out of in his lifetime.

It's a cycle that will happen again in years to come.

That has nothing to do with the post you commented on.

JustTheOne

eviltwin wrote: »

That has nothing to do with the post you commented on.

It has though.

The poster said young people were leaving because of peoples greed.

Im pointing out the recession wasn't to do with greed, it was a global recession which was always going to happen.

pablo128

JustTheOne wrote: »

Nothing to do with people borrowing way beyond their means, nope it's someone else's fault.

JustTheOne wrote: »

It has though.

The poster said young people were leaving because of peoples greed.

Im pointing out the recession wasn't to do with greed, it was a global recession which was always going to happen.

A bit of a climbdown there?

ComfortKid

Happy to say you're debt free and saving to get back in to even more debt? :-/

JustTheOne

pablo128 wrote: »

A bit of a climbdown there?

No it's reality, it's the mentality of this country blaming everyone and everything, constant whinging.

ihavenoname3

Simonigs1.0 wrote: »

I drove a 1988 Nissan Bluebird that people used to genuinely laugh at. I watched friends and family members take out mortgages, buy new cars, go on holidays etc. All of which they couldn't afford and somehow I was the mad one for not following. Suffice to say they are not exactly living lives of luxury now.

I'm sitting here, in my own house, car in the garage, wife-to-be by my side and a business doing well for itself. Absolutely no debt

Aren't you great. Nothing worse than self praise while having a go at people you were probably jealous of at the time they had the nice cars etc at least they got to experience nice things while you drove your bluebird:pac:

pablo128

JustTheOne wrote: »

No it's reality, it's the mentality of this country blaming everyone and everything, constant whinging.

So what caused the recession then? People overstretching themselves, or just a global thing?

FWIW many people who were financially prudent, young and old, lost their jobs.

JustTheOne

pablo128 wrote: »

So what caused the recession then? People overstretching themselves, or just a global thing?

FWIW many people who were financially prudent, young and old, lost their jobs.

Exactly, it is inevitable every 15 or so years a recession will happen.

I think we're agreeing here.

The poster i was replying to was blaming Noonan for the recession and young people leaving.

Such hyperbole and misinformed waffle you hear soon Paul Murphy and Ruth.

eviltwin

JustTheOne wrote: »

It has though.

The poster said young people were leaving because of peoples greed.

Im pointing out the recession wasn't to do with greed, it was a global recession which was always going to happen.

That has noting to do with people over stretching themselves

Iseedeadpixels

ComfortKid wrote: »

Happy to say you're debt free and saving to get back in to even more dept? :-/

So I should spend 1200 a month on rent instead and never own a house?

Greyian

eviltwin wrote: »

That has noting to do with people over stretching themselves

I think the point he was making was that people who overstretched themselves during the "good times" suffered particularly badly during the recession because they had overstretched themselves.

There are plenty of people who didn't struggle to meet their mortgage repayments, for example, because they bought very modest houses during the Celtic Tiger, so when their pay fell, they could still cover the mortgage comfortably.
For people who took our big mortgages and car loans etc, they had no flexibility, and that was because they took out excessive loans.

pablo128

Greyian wrote: »

I think the point he was making was that people who overstretched themselves during the "good times" suffered particularly badly during the recession because they had overstretched themselves.

There are plenty of people who didn't struggle to meet their mortgage repayments, for example, because they bought very modest houses during the Celtic Tiger, so when their pay fell, they could still cover the mortgage comfortably.
For people who took our big mortgages and car loans etc, they had no flexibility, and that was because they took out excessive loans.

And for every person up to their b0llox with a McMansion and a Landcruiser, there were families like mine who were left jobless with 1200 rent. You cant cover mortgage/rent comfortably with no money, regardless whether you overstretched or not.

I'd like to add a thanks to everyone who expressed concern earlier in the thread at our situation at the time. We are doing fine now, thank god. It turned me into a complete tightwad though. I let rip at my mate recently for buying a new wooden side gate for his house, when I could have made one for him for nothing out of discarded wood out of my job!:pac:

Lux23

The recession was a global event, it wasn't caused by Joe & Mary in Blanchardstown topping up their mortgage every couple of years for a massive holiday. But when the **** hit the fan Joe & Mary should have taken responsiblty for what they did, not just blame it on the government.

And yes there are lots of people who are horrific whingers, everything is an excuse for a bit of a moan.

anto9

Sold a house in Ireland (which was mortgage free ) in early 2008 ,and went abroad ,where i still am .So i avoided Ireland's recession .My bad times were in London in the late 80s ,when i ended up living in a lock up garage for a year .(but still had work ).

Lia_lia

My family never had much money anyway, so didn't notice it at all. And none of my friends were affected by it really. My Mother still had the same job, luckily she is in an industry that wasn't hit much. Still low pay though!

I was also just starting college. I had a part time job all throughout college which was above minimum wage..and as a college student that was great! Also pretty much walked into a well paid job after college.

Many of my colleagues were very badly hit by the ressesion. A lot of them are at the age where they bought houses they couldn't afford and lost them.

arayess

Wanderer78 wrote: »

ah dont throw it back at people folks, we can all make mistakes in life. be glad you some how made the right decisions in life but spare a thought for those that are in trouble. no debts myself but im deeply concerned for the families that are in trouble.

this is important , being smug about your financial state now is probably worse than those lording it up in the boom.
Worse because now you are mocking somebody in pain and distress.

I'm lucky things been pretty even apart from the USC charge for me.
Mortgage is steady and not in neg equity.

my hardest part was watching friends suffer esp those in construction - one night I treated my mate to a night out pints, coke the works but could see the embarassment in his eyes...

kiwiq

Having to ask my parents for money just to eat has to be my lowest moment ever, considering they were struggling as well. I'm happy now living abroad but still very bitter and angry about many aspects of the whole crisis. I honestly don't think I could ever move back now and I am quite happy to raise my children as Kiwis.

cloud493

I was working when my circumstances were so dire I was living on the tesco value range, but when you add in rent, having to support other people who should have been working, travel expenses, and other stuff I should have cut down like (like smoking especially), living on barely minimum wage is a tough call.

tayto lover

JustTheOne wrote: »

It has though.

The poster said young people were leaving because of peoples greed.

Im pointing out the recession wasn't to do with greed, it was a global recession which was always going to happen.

Bulls***t.
The Global crisis had little to do with how our corrupt bankers, developers and politicians behaved. Those of them who lost money were reimbursed while the ordinary man who borrowed was left to fend for himself.
Stop putting your party first for a change.

JustTheOne

tayto lover wrote: »

Bulls***t.
The Global crisis had little to do with how our corrupt bankers, developers and politicians behaved. Those of them who lost money were reimbursed while the ordinary man who borrowed was left to fend for himself.
Stop putting your party first for a change.

Once again recession had nothing to do with the politicians that you like to blame.

It was a global recession and Noonan had nothing to do with people having to emigrate, please try to do some basic research into why recessions occur.

tayto lover

JustTheOne wrote: »

Once again recession had nothing to do with the politicians that you like to blame.

It was a global recession and Noonan had nothing to do with people having to emigrate, please try to do some basic research into why recessions occur.[/QUOTE

Ok continue to hide all the Govt failings, corruption and cronyism behind the "global recession". It will cover a multitude. Ireland never changes, continuous loop.

JustTheOne

Listen the current government were NOT in power when the recession occurred.

They are not to blame for the recession no matter how many times you try type it on a keyboard.

In fact since they came into power we have exited the recession.

They may be to blame for many things but the recession No.

tayto lover

JustTheOne wrote: »

Listen the current government were NOT in power when the recession occurred.

They are not to blame for the recession no matter how many times you try type it on a keyboard.

In fact since they came into power we have exited the recession.

They may be to blame for many things but the recession No.

They made sure their pals didn't suffer.