General Chat

Somehow we were all led to believe that we would always be able to afford everything and that ownership was the most important thing of all.

I remember hearing on a radio programme hoe a council, I think it was possibly Bristol, often had calls from people who needed expensive repairs to the council houses they had bought and thought the council would still be liable for them.

As a born pessimist I always assume things can only get worse and that what I have today I will not be able to afford tomorrow.

see i don't follow the norm, i get what i can when i can,

dont get me worng i did get caught out when i was younger, store cards , but it was a lesson well learnt, and made me realise its better to put a small amount " even a £1" is better than nothing

obviously people fall on hard time, but there is other ways, but better to plan ahead than be stuck, the companys should be capped, but then again people know when they go into them what there getting into, if they read the small print

A programme about when coal was king the other night was very interesting. Wages were good then in the coalfield towns and villages, most people paid a lowish rent. Yet a considerable amount was spent by the end of the weekend and many families struggled till next pay day.

David is quite right. It is usury - an old fashioned word, but correct. Barclaycard was the first "acceptable" face of this form of theft. Anything more than 10% above bank rate is usury and should be banned. There are caps in many countries.

And universal credit will send many more into the hands of these usurers :-(

I don't really buy this idea of having to borrow for Christmas.

It doesn't sneak up unexpectedly. There is a very good chance that it will turn up every year.

Those who 'save-up' can end up penniless. Remember this news in 2006?

'The Farepak hamper collapse'. The collapse of Christmas hamper firm Farepak has cost thousands of families their annual savings.

The post office was always the place to put your little bits of savings but that is no longer available I believe. It was always where I saved for whatever I wanted.

It was handy for those who were not able to get a bank account too, because banks don't want people they might not be able to profit from.