Are you happy with life in the UK?

Are you happy with life in the UK?

Right - highly opinionated, but it would be interesting to hear what people have to say about this.

Are you happy with life in the UK these days - what with war, social problems and whatnot ... how about :

- taxes increase massively, 66 stealth taxes since 1997
- Council tax increase for the 10th year in a year
- energy costs gone up 70% in just a few years
- transport fuel costs way ahead of inflation
- manufacturing at dangerously low levels
- oil prices tripled in the last year
- reposessions up massively
- insolvencies up massively
- unemployment increasing
- debt at an all time high, in fact UK debt accounts for two thirds of the debt of the whole EU
- retail sales down to lowest point since 2nd world war
- house prices to earnings ratio the highest in history. Increase to between 6 and 8 times in income depending on which survey you subscribe to.
- current house prices are simply unaffordable to most
- UK economic growth down to one of the lowest in the EU
- Pensions crisis
- first time buyers at an all time low, down to 12%


.... I know alot of people on here are young and might not even care about these things - but im wondering how many people out there are a bit jaded with how things are these days...

... or am i being overly negative? Come on....

When i say this im not trying to be disrespectful - but who pays for your life?

By that, i mean your a student right? Which means tuition, food, accomodation, nights out ..... etc.

Is it all being paid for from your own hard work, or do your parents foot the bill... or are you paying for it all out of loans - By that, does it mean 'life' will be waiting for you at the end of your degree.

Its an interesting question, obviously alot of people have different takes on it all - I like my life, but i have lots of criticism of how its changed and how it is compared to other places ive been.

Its a slow day.... this forum is like a chill out room at a hard house club on a monday .... zzzz

Fair enough, if your incomings cover all your outgoings and your financially sound - then i guess thats the key to happiness to alot of people.

Its interesting - because its something people of our ages generations below us had a different set of expectations on life.

Things have changed alot.

Yep i completely agree with you - When i came back from Peru it made me incredibly happy just to be able to see roads in a decent state and know that there werent shanty towns and slums on every corner ...

... BUT alot of people i know in their mid thirties and the like talk about when they finished school or college and even on very meagre jobs, walk into their first house or whatever without any debts or whatnot and start life that way.

I reckon its quite interesting how expectations of life have changed for alot of young people these days.

I do pay 40% on my earnings - im a higher rate tax payer. Once you earn a certain amount, anything you make over that amount is taxed at 40%... the big wedge before that level is at 30% aswell. Then once you put in national insurance and whatnot its a fair whack eh.

Im not rich in the slightest. Maybe i have a half decent job and whatnot but im definately not minted.

Juts because im "ok" doesnt stop me wondering about other people and things .... My brother has just finished uni, alot of my friends are getting married and having kids ..... sometimes it makes you think about the life they have and whatnot, especially when so many people are emigrating these days.

Absolutely not - you can have a completely different life, set of expectations and experiences compared to the UK.

For instance, you can go to Australia and even someone with a very standard job, can buy a house and support their whole family ........ BUT, alot of people come back because the lack of any established culture or whatnot forces them back. But alot of people stay.

Or Canada, which is screaming for intelligent people - if you like what they have to offer then alot of people go there and stay. Alot come back.

Personally im in no rush to emmigrate or anything - i just find it quite interesting because it IS different in other places. massively.