[goosepimple]

OH just called an hour ago to say that he will have to take a 50% pay cut to keep his office going.  We have no mortgage, live somewhere beautiful and have 2 brilliant kids - we ended up singing 'always look on the bright side of life'.  His best friend lost his job last week (we're all architects) and he and his wife are so positive. We are all SO lucky.

[happygolucky]

Goosepimple thats the way to be, you have all you need.......well all thats important.......although I do get a little peed off that my X is loaded and can visit Austrailia anytime, I am hopeing to save to get a 2 week stay sometime, we have a funny predicument, if steve is not at work our income is dependant on the B&B so if thats quiet too we are stuffed!!   We hope to sing that tune when we are morgage free!!! 

[goosepimple]

It's taken us a LONG time and a lot of moving around before we became mortgage free and it's so easy to get in debt again, we are determined not to do that, not even for £1,000 as it's a slippery slope.  We haven't had a holiday abroad in 10 years, only a week here and there, nothing special, we were going to try to have one this coming year but looks like that's scuppered now, oh well, it's nice here at home anyway.

[Oneeyedhen]

I think the trouble today is people want everything now, no planning and saving like you used to have to do. Kids get far too much money spent on them. I was brought up on hang me downs clothes and never thought I was hard done by. Most mothers nowadays have to buy the best for their children which they out grow in no time at all. Too much food ends up in the bin. My mother taught me that a roast chicken could do 3 meals. Sunday roast then picked clean for a chicken and mushroom pie. Bones made soup. She passed down lots of ideas that i still used today. The young just cannot be bothered. Or do not have the knowledge. Time we made more of an effort in this country.

Couldn't agree more.

[goosepimple]

Make do and mend. 
 
We live in a throw away society as there is so much slave labour and things are bought so cheaply now. 
 
Saying that though, the charity shops are always full of good stuff, almost as good as Marks&Spencer these days!  Maybe that's why they're not surviving.

[mab]

All too true!

I feel positively wealthy now I have my own place (no mortgage  ) despite earning much less than the minimum wage atm.

Over the years I've been surprised how often folks who have huge houses, big new cars, smart clothes etc, are quick to point out how poor they are and how they had to rough it when they moved in. -  I have to resist the temptation to point out that mortgaging yourself to the teeth to get to the top rung of the property ladder isn't the same as actually being poor.

on a similar note I liked this article i read today:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20243493

"This austere lifestyle - and the fact that Mujica donates about 90% of his monthly salary, equivalent to $12,000 (£7,500), to charity - has led him to be labelled the poorest president in the world."

Can't see DC or any of our lot giving away 90% of their salary anytime soon 

m

[jaykay]

I'm glad some of you are mortgage free.

But some of us have paid mortgages for over 20 years already and have nothing at all to show for it, for various circumstantial reasons. We're still fortunate in the terms of DITW original poster - but the worry about a roof over your head, particularly when you get older, is not a nice one. I could live on a pittance but for my mortgage.

[deepinthewoods]

well said jaykay. reality check. who gives a damn if youve got a mortgage or not? youll only have to sell your house to pay for your old age care anyway. born with nothing die with nothing, having been in bedsitland with a 7 yr old daughter then a rotten cold caravan for 2 yrs, im soo grateful for the roof now, i dont care who owns it.

[goosepimple]

My apologies if I have offended anyone, I didn't intend to be flippant.
 
I care if I am mortgage free, it's the only thing of any value to hand down to our children later in life.  I hope their life is easier than our's has been, I don't hold great value in 'I've had it tough then so should you so get on with it'.  We had a mortgage for over 20 years also and we are extremely grateful for having our roof over our head's too. We're not greedy people or desperate to crawl up the ladder, just want to have our own home and not have to owe anyone anything.
 
I can appreciate that other people work hard too and it just hasn't worked out that way but I am also aware that my OH may lose his job and then we have no money, but we have our roof thank goodness.
 
It's all a worry in these desperate times.
 

[happygolucky]

I had a business from 16 with my mum and saved for a deposite on a house that cost all of £2,400, then married at 21, from then on we had a house, it was in the early 70's and even that price was a little high, luckily we were able to move to a larger house, then my parents died and I had a share of her house, so it was put towards a larger house, that house doubled by the time of my divorce but I did not come out of things too well but was able to buy a house outright, that was necessary as i was at uni, I had to come out after a year as I could not afford to run a house etc so went to work...etc etc, my issue was if I did not buy that house I would have used up all the money, at least it gave me something......when you have a property its hard to get rid of it and use the money in other ways.....anyway, I was always lucky to sell for more than I bought for, this time its different, we will loose money and I would be just as happy in a shed in the forest but I would like to use the money from my house sale as well as possible, and I think house prices will continue to fall   IF, I was starting again I would rent, not all people need care as they age, I have a young husband, so that helps I doubt so many people will be able to own thier homes in the future but times are sooo sooo different now than they were when I married, my mum and dad rented until very late in thier life, then they borrowed a deposite on a tiny new bungalow and struggled to pay it back  but then we ( mum and I ) had a very sucsessful cafe that nearly saw in in hospital ill for 2 mths......anyway, hope to get a little log cabin in a forest sometime

[Backinwellies]

After 2 trips to Tanzania, 1 to Kenya and 1 to Bolivia to help build schools and community buildings I am totally aware how fortunate I am. (look up Soapbox Trust)

 In Kenya this year we gave a book to a school teacher to thank him for his hospitality.... he would have had to use a months salary to buy it himself!  I've been blessed with meeting many Africans who thank God every day for what they have even when they have nothing, and who will offer hospitality to visitors that is totally humbling.

I also met my husband to be (in 5 weeks time!!) on the Tanzania trip so have further reason for feeling lucky.  And the icing on that cake is the impending move to Wales to start our own smallholding.... 

 As a child I always dreamt of visiting Africa and having my own farm but being from a less well off family I considered it just a dream............ life really has begun at 50!!