marty wild Loc: England

Recession looking back 20 years I did work long hours and had more money to spend. Well I suppose it’s better to have family time, it’s no good haveing no extra cash to spend this is the fraction to get us out of recession.

Work longer = more cash
More cash = spending
Spending = making
Working long + more cash \ by spending = more productivity
Productivity = better lives. No recession

So by working long you will get a better living standard. Better living standard is better family lifestyle 40 hours working week is no good to man nor beast. In a egg shell it’s called the feel good factor

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

20 years ago, I worked 50-60 hours per week. Not because I had to but because I was having the most fun with a job than I ever had prior. That continued for the next 3 years. Then, the company laid off 3500 of us and pretty much disappeared in the local area. I had a great time, plenty of free time, and money to spend enjoying that free time. I also had a significant amount in savings. I'd go back to that in a heartbeat.
--Bob

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I did my work, and now I'm retired. I have lots of time, but I have to watch my spending - no more raises.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

No more raises....ain't that the truth

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

One of the very few regrets I have in life is retiring a few years too early.....not because of the finances, but because of the work, yes I missed it....

WarpedWeaver

When my spouse and I were in our late 20's and our 30's we were workaholics doing long hours during the work week. However, we also lived large on the weekends and vacation time with trips, expensive toys and hobbies, etc. Forward 15 years and a serious illness pretty much wiped out all savings with what insurance did not cover. I am now semi-retired and don't have as much money, but I have learned how to work within a budget. Am I sorry we spent all that money? Not really, it was a lot of fun while it lasted.

Largobob

I started work as a high school science teacher (with both B.S. and M.S. degrees) in 1972 for a salary of about $7,200/year. I had several months off in the summer...had all the legal holidays off...2 weeks at Christmas....a week during Thanksgiving...had health, vision and dental benefits covered....had a state pension in retirement....had 10 sick days/year which accumulated with pay-out at retirement for all unused days....bought my first new car (Ford, Grand Torino Sport), bought new clothes and had a nice apartment.

AND, I had more disposable money then, than before I retired earning well into 6 digits.

My state pension has an automatic 3% annual COLA...and since retiring in 2005, that is a 39% increase in benefits. Social Security and other investments make up the difference....and have increased and appreciated in value as well. Two homes, no mortgages, Medicare with Plan F Supplement, no outstanding debts.

Times change. Most of my career, I was just a lowly classroom teacher. It paid off. I think I did well.

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

I worked off and on. The longest job I had was in an office six years, working 50-60 hours s week. I quit to start my own business and then husband's company transferred him from Oregon to Wisconsin to Michigan. He retired after 38 years with a 401k that followed him through six company owners. We don't have expensive tastes and want that money to last the 20 years more we are likely to live. One of his goals for retirement was to pay off the mortgage early so when we made that last payment he put in his notice. We spend about 5000 a year on vacation on the cheap, mostly national or state parks in cabins or houses with kitchens.
When he retired as a programmer I was afraid he would miss the job but he's never looked back and has this and that project to work on around here.

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

I am going to be quite honest. I worked in ad agencies and had a design studio that did very well.
Last was a production company that did really well. Worked for big corps. Because of investment
strategies and the dishonest financial companies we were hit in 2008. I was 65. My daughter had
problems my autistic grandson (doing well) and her husband was awful. I had been helping them
survive for years just getting better now. Ton of money to keep them safe and have winter coats.

I am working when I can producing videos and content marketing in FL. We were well off but not
anymore. I dont regret this wonderful life. And helping family. Have to work. Wanted to spend
my time working with disabled children and raising funds for charity. I do work for Autistic children.
First Responders. The homeless. Battered women etc.
I am 75 now am very able to carry and shoot with camcorder all day.
I have been to 30 countries and their is not "slow down" for most people in the US and worldwide.

Largobob

Thanks, Tom for your candid response. GOD bless you and family.

marty wild Loc: England

I’m a ground worker! I’m on the same money now as I was on in 1994. The interest rates where 15% ! I had £ 1000 in a saving bond which paid £10.00 a month. The same bond now pays £00.10 per month 😂

Largobob

Hi Marty. Not exactly sure what a ground worker is, but perhaps a different profession/vocation/job, might have been in order?

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Thank you Largobob for you good wished. My daughter wrote a book about kids with autism.
She has become well known. My grandson with autism is doing well. In special school
swims, rides a bike but he will need help for the rest of his life. We are doing fine.
I have 5 grandchildren. And still creating and learning.
With all of the rants and politics invading UGH wondered what would happen
with the post. The world is not easy for many people in our country and around
the world. Thanks for the support means a lot to me.

marty wild Loc: England

I install drainage systems

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Trouble with the UK now is that wages have been stuck for past 15-20 years. Those coming in to work are on minimum wage. Inflation over the last 15 years has wiped out most people's savings if they had any.

Pension age for those men born before 1955 was 65 women before 1959 was 60. Pension age is now increasing year on year, So I will work 1 year more(66) and wife will work till she is 66 (Equality law).This could also change because last year my wife 'Could' retire at 65...but it has gone up one year 'very quietly'. Who knows when we will retire or IF.

In the 1980's and 1990's several 'pension schemes' went bust! Since then several companies have 'propped up' their accounts by investing their company pension schemes in themselves....then gone bust.So very few pensioners have more than the State Pension.

In 1972 Ted Heath (the Prime Minister) warned that the state pension did not have enough money going in to have any chance of meeting future demand. This Government (Late 2016) decided that all workers should have a private pension....as there is a pension crisis....(Surprise surprise).
Employers have to contribute a minimum of 2% of employees contribution....which means inflation will negate ANY financial security that is promised.

The UK Government bailed out several banks in the 1990's, 2000's and 2010's for tens of thousands of BILLIONS. Since then they have curbed Public spending, Local Government spending and public services across the board. They call it 'Austerity' everyone else including The United Nations call it 'victimizing the poorest' and the weakest.

Currently the waiting list for 'Universal Credit' is 3 months (for no reason that can be explained to the UN investigators) other than to 'dissuade claiming'. Many benefits are now 'reviewed annually' by a 'tribunal'. None attendance means 'you don't contest their decision'. Appeals are now running with a 40 - 45 week delay before even a date is set. It is suggested that 71% of appeals are found in favor of the appellant. But The UN could not get an answer as to why the tribunals are not more stringently checked. (Outside companies run the tribunals and are ignoring DR's and Consultants advice....HM Justice hears the appeals and has access to all paperwork...)

The poor in this country are no longer the 15% witless and useless....but working people and those that have put in a full working life.(The once middle class) There seems to be no-one stopping the top 17% increasing their income year on year. (They have had two tax reductions in the last 2 budgets) Whilst Food banks, Clothes banks and soup kitchens have increased 37% in the last two years.

We no longer have a 'middle class' we have Poverty, Working and impoverished, and The Rich..and getting Richer... (Brexit deal includes a cash advance to the EU to cover UK EUMP's pension contributions.......)

We used to have a Labour Government that helped curb the excesses of Conservatism....But that ended with Harold Wilson in the 1960's. Successive Labour Governments have been more right wing (Conservative) than even the Liberals.

The worry about coming out of the EU is that UK citizens will no longer come under EU law....NOR have any chance of stopping the erosion of 'British Fair Play' in Government..
The rich will continue to get a 'Government' that meets their needs and sod everyone else.

Britain: The Country that once ruled the World is now on the verge of having its population becoming the poorest of any western country in the space of one generation. Having given away Wales, Scotland and Bowed to Northern Ireland, we should now trade solely as England.

'Welcome to the Tax Haven of England....Should Global Warming make you feel a bit Tacky....we have lots of Punka Wallas to cool you down!

not having fun