General News Thread

[Leicester_Loyal]

45 minutes ago, Parafox said:

And there you go again.

 

Unqualified rhetoric.

 

I'm not going to labour the point or get into an unnecessary argument as I don't want this topic shut down again.

So the original point I stated, illegal immigrants aren’t attending foodbanks for food? Only the legal ones. 
 

I’m including everyone in that statement, a vast majority of us are fed up of paying for everyone else, including our own lazy citizens. 

[Samilktray]

14 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

I think they are right about that, a lot of young people still want to go on holiday, have the latest i-phone, eat out a lot, coffees on their way to work, netflix subscription, car on finance list goes on. Then moan they can't save money (and btw I am a young(ish) person 

I agree that we should all live really miserably and not enjoy a flat whites, stranger things or chicken select meals, then we’ll have enough money to buy a house and then die. It’s the dream for me 

[JonnyBoy]

2 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

I agree that we should all live really miserably and not enjoy a flat whites, stranger things or chicken select meals, then we’ll have enough money to buy a house and then die. It’s the dream for me 

not sure if satire. Is it that hard of an ask to reduce spending so you can end up affording a deposit for a house that you can own? 

Edited 7 August 2025 by JonnyBoy

[Samilktray]

3 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

not sure if satire. Is it that hard of an ask to reduce spending so you can end up affording a deposit for a house that you can own? 

No I agree, forgoing £3.30 for a coffee will be a big help towards a house deposit 

[Leicester_Loyal]

20 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

I think they are right about that, a lot of young people still want to go on holiday, have the latest i-phone, eat out a lot, coffees on their way to work, netflix subscription, car on finance list goes on. Then moan they can't save money (and btw I am a young(ish) person 

The actual problem is that the average cost of a house now is about 9x salary, cutting out iphones, takeaways, Netflix and the odd coffee isn't gonna make a huge difference. In the 1970s it was about 4x salary.

 

I don't blame anyone for enjoying themselves, live a dreadful boring life for 25 years to afford a house that will probably be taken off you to pay for care fees in your old age.

 

It goes back to my earlier statement, there's no incentive for people to work hard and pay their own way, most of us will still end up in the same position during our later years. 

[leicsmac]

And a lot of this comes back to income equality.

[Tommy G]

3 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

I wonder how many people who hate (yep) immigrants would stay put themselves if they lived in a war-torn country with rubble for a home, no work, dirty water, failing crops and raiding militia groups?

I agree with this.

 

On the flip side - how many people would happily house an illegal immigrant in their family home, I'm talking straight off a boat into their family home. Its a difficult conversation, I wouldn't do that - I'm sure 95% of people wouldn't either if they were honest.

[JonnyBoy]

4 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

No I agree, forgoing £3.30 for a coffee will be a big help towards a house deposit 

 

nice immature response, don't be bitter about some decent advice. i sacrificed loads and now on the property ladder. Just takes a bit of using your brain 😉

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

nice immature response, don't be bitter about some decent advice. i sacrificed loads and now on the property ladder. Just takes a bit of using your brain 😉

Survivorship bias and thinking personal experience can apply to everyone is a thing, though. 

[Tommy G]

8 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

No I agree, forgoing £3.30 for a coffee will be a big help towards a house deposit 

I think the general point you've missed is there are cumulative sacrifices that need to be made - can even involve opting out your company pension scheme, or lift sharing or shopping at a different supermarket. 

 

Not disagreeing how hard it is to get on the property market, I've owned a property for about 10 years and it's really hard at the start, until your wage increases.

 

I think its a balance, but there are a group of people that will sit there whinging about it with a car on the drive taking half their net take home pay and scratching their heads. 

[Samilktray]

4 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

nice immature response, don't be bitter about some decent advice. i sacrificed loads and now on the property ladder. Just takes a bit of using your brain 😉

Thanks for the advice buddy

[JonnyBoy]

13 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

The actual problem is that the average cost of a house now is about 9x salary, cutting out iphones, takeaways, Netflix and the odd coffee isn't gonna make a huge difference. In the 1970s it was about 4x salary.

 

I don't blame anyone for enjoying themselves, live a dreadful boring life for 25 years to afford a house that will probably be taken off you to pay for care fees in your old age.

 

It goes back to my earlier statement, there's no incentive for people to work hard and pay their own way, most of us will still end up in the same position during our later years. 

 

I think majority of people could maybe save £200 a month if they were really careful on spending (some more, some less obv) thats £2400 a year extra (that's without taking into consideration a car on finance) I drove a car that could get me from a - b a lot of spending 300-400 a month on a new car, for what reason?, average first time terrace house in Leicester? 180/190k? 10% deposit - 18/19k if you are single. Does help. Agree about housing costing a lot more now versus in the 70's 

 

where is the 25 years figure from? 

 

I dunno, I work hard and earn a good living so there is an incentive to work hard? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 7 August 2025 by JonnyBoy

[Leicester_Loyal]

2 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

I think majority of people could maybe save £200 a month if they were really careful on spending (some more, some less obv) thats £2400 a year extra (that's without taking into consideration a car on finance) I drove a car that could get me from a - b a lot of spending 300-400 a month on a new car, for what reason?, average first time terrace house in Leicester? 180/190k? 10% deposit - 18/19k if you are single. Does help. Agree about housing costing a lot more now versus in the 70's 

 

where is the 25 years figure from? 

 

I dunno, I work hard and earn a good living so there is an incentive to work hard? 

 

 

 

The thing is the average person to save 20k in deposit, it'll take years. My mates who earn the average wage, they haven't got £300 a month spare to shove into a house deposit, the only option they've got is to live at home to try and save it, if they pay rent, they'll never own their own home. Their only options are to do nothing, never go out, no hobbies, no takeaways, nothing, then they'll probably have the £300 a month spare, but they have to do that for years. 

 

25 years as in a mortgage term, average is probably 30 or more though now for a FTB.

 

I'm exactly the same, do silly amount of hours at work every week, never had a car on finance, only debt is mortgage, but I'm fortunate to earn a decent wage. Those who earn the average (or less), they're screwed. 

[Torquay Gunner]

2 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

I think majority of people could maybe save £200 a month if they were really careful on spending (some more, some less obv) thats £2400 a year extra (that's without taking into consideration a car on finance) I drove a car that could get me from a - b a lot of spending 300-400 a month on a new car, for what reason?, average first time terrace house in Leicester? 1870/190? 10% deposit - 18/19k if you are single. Does help. Agree about housing costing a lot more now versus in the 70's 

 

where is the 25 years figure from? 

 

I dunno, I work hard and earn a good living so there is an incentive to work hard? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s great for you, but unfortunately there are many people working hard who will be on 25-30K, struggling to pay their rent and other bills, who won’t be able to save anywhere near £200 a month.  Unless a relative dies and leaves them a property, realistically they are going to struggle to afford to buy their own home. That’s really depressing. 

[Leicester_Loyal]

10 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

I think the general point you've missed is there are cumulative sacrifices that need to be made - can even involve opting out your company pension scheme, or lift sharing or shopping at a different supermarket. 

 

Not disagreeing how hard it is to get on the property market, I've owned a property for about 10 years and it's really hard at the start, until your wage increases.

 

I think its a balance, but there are a group of people that will sit there whinging about it with a car on the drive taking half their net take home pay and scratching their heads. 

I know you're a massive advisor of investing into pension schemes (as am I), and this is an option, but it just causes problems down the line and is one of the biggest reasons we're in this crisis, as it'll be the taxpayers who foot the bill when you're older. 

 

I genuinely don't know the answer, but taxing us even more is just gonna cause an even bigger black hole IMO. If they start increasing income tax etc. People will just do less hours, a 40% tax payer who already pays student loan and NI, why would they go to work for 8 hours to come out with 3 hours pay, minus your petrol/commuting costs, you'll be earning about 2/2.5 hours wage, for a 9+ hour day. So the Government loses out on even more tax ££.

[leicsmac]

At this point, I'm also reminded of a quote:

 

"'You get what you deserve'. It's an old saying. One that survived the years, because it's true. For the most part. But not for everyone. Some get more than they deserve. Because they believe they aren't like everyone else. That the rules, the ones people like me and you, the people that work and struggle to live our lives, just live, don't apply to them. That they can do anything and live happily ever after, while the rest of us suffer. They do this from the shadows. Shadows that we cast. With our indifference. With a pervasive lack of interest in anything that doesn't directly affect us, we, in the here and now. Or maybe it's just the shadow of weariness. Of how tired we are, struggling to claw our way back to a middle class that no longer exist, because of those who take more than they deserve. And they keep taking, until all that's left for the rest of us is a memory of how it used to be before the corporations and the bottom line decided we didn't matter anymore. But we do." - Ben Urich

Edited 7 August 2025 by leicsmac

[JonnyBoy]

1 minute ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

The thing is the average person to save 20k in deposit, it'll take years. My mates who earn the average wage, they haven't got £300 a month spare to shove into a house deposit, the only option they've got is to live at home to try and save it, if they pay rent, they'll never own their own home. Their only options are to do nothing, never go out, no hobbies, no takeaways, nothing, then they'll probably have the £300 a month spare, but they have to do that for years. 

 

25 years as in a mortgage term, average is probably 30 or more though now for a FTB.

 

I'm exactly the same, do silly amount of hours at work every week, never had a car on finance, only debt is mortgage, but I'm fortunate to earn a decent wage. Those who earn the average (or less), they're screwed. 

 

Yea when you look at average/low age obviously less, if they are living at home and on average wage, say 2 grand after tax? i suppose board parents charge can be anything from £50 to £300a month average? your mates that are living at home, what are they doing with the £1700 left? 

 

A big problem is a lot of landlords all selling up because of the renters rights bill and being tax'd on full revenue rather than profit. The renters end up absorbing the cost because of supply and demand. 1/2 bed houses being rented out for £800 - £1000 per month. I think the average rental cost has gone up £400 in the last four years 

[urban.spaceman]

Young people need to stop whinging and make sacrifices. Cut down on your Netflix, your Starbucks and your avocado toast. 

 

[urban.spaceman]

"Well of course, we had it tough"

 

[leicsmac]

The problem is systemic (as are a few others) and the solution needs to be too. 

[JonnyBoy]

4 minutes ago, Torquay Gunner said:

That’s great for you, but unfortunately there are many people working hard who will be on 25-30K, struggling to pay their rent and other bills, who won’t be able to save anywhere near £200 a month.  Unless a relative dies and leaves them a property, realistically they are going to struggle to afford to buy their own home. That’s really depressing. 

 

I agree with you, but my original comment was about at least trying to save more for people who spend a lot every month and don't have their priorities in order. I wasn't referring  people on lower salaries who are also renting and paying bills 

 

I know people who have good salaries but don't spend their money wisely - i.e. car on finance instead of owning an older car outright. Then complain they can't save 

[The Doctor]

2 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

I would say on balance that JKR and Farage are both having huge success in their endeavours in the past couple of years, (no doubt much to your irritation) so I don't expect they are too worried what each other thinks.

I wouldn't call it to my irritation so much as fear, given that psychopath is using her wealth to try and make it impossible for me to exist in public (at least when it finally reaches the ECtHR the UK will be told to grow the **** up), but I do appreciate the far right eating themselves over this. If I had more faith in the UK I'd say the point where you're calling Farage woke because his party had a rare correct take of "maybe we should have a duty of care to prisoners and not knowingly facilitate prison rape", is the point where people stop listening to you and pretending you're not a violent bigot but I'm not going to pretend the UK is decent enough to do that.

[urban.spaceman]

3 hours ago, The Doctor said:

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/lifestyle/jk-rowling-suggests-nigel-farage-is-woke-396373/

 

heartwarming, all the worst people you know are fighting.

It's been astonishing to watch her descent into hateful madness. The biggest squandering of the biggest amount of goodwill I've ever seen. 

[Robo61]

3 hours ago, Tommy G said:

I agree with this.

 

On the flip side - how many people would happily house an illegal immigrant in their family home, I'm talking straight off a boat into their family home. Its a difficult conversation, I wouldn't do that - I'm sure 95% of people wouldn't either if they were honest.

I am sure you are right,  and I wouldn't take one off straight off a boat either,  though I did volunteer for the Ukgraine scheme.  Isn't that though why we elect governments and pay for  public services. 

 

 I would also not  carry out an operation (I hate the sight of blood) but does that mean we should not expect the state to find someone to do it our behalf.  

Edited 7 August 2025 by Robo61

[Leicester_Loyal]

10 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

Yea when you look at average/low age obviously less, if they are living at home and on average wage, say 2 grand after tax? i suppose board parents charge can be anything from £50 to £300a month average? your mates that are living at home, what are they doing with the £1700 left? 

 

A big problem is a lot of landlords all selling up because of the renters rights bill and being tax'd on full revenue rather than profit. The renters end up absorbing the cost because of supply and demand. 1/2 bed houses being rented out for £800 - £1000 per month. I think the average rental cost has gone up £400 in the last four years 

I don't know their specifics but what I can think of, say 2k after tax every month.

 

£300 board

£100 fuel (commuting costs)

£80 a month car insurance and tax

Random bills like car maintenance that crop up, MOT, service, call that £70 a month?

Phone and sim £50 a month

 

That's £600 before you've even done anything, no takeaways, no subscriptions, no eating out, no hobbies, no nights out, no LCFC, no holidays. 

 

For those that live at home it is possible, but those who pay rent, they'll very rarely make it onto the property ladder, they have to move back home to save a deposit. 

 

My neighbours house is rented at just over a grand a month, my mortgage is half that, it's madness.