Were you happier in the Celtic Tiger or are you happier now in the Failed Economy???

HellFireClub

I noticed lately that I've a lot of mates who are unemployed, I was so myself until very recently... But at the same time, people seem to be utterly relieved that the big charade of the Celtic Tiger is over, albeit that they may be unemployed, the pressure to buy a house and then another house is gone, no need to get decking, your neighbours no longer feel proud of that 5 Series in the driveway, three sun holidays a year and a Crimbo shopping to NY, ask me arse now seems to be the attitude to those things of the Celtic Tiger...

People now seem almost more proud to admit that they are completely broke and haven't a pot to p*ss into... It's like this great big relief that we no longer have to go around codding each other with the pretensiousness that was the Celtic Tiger, personally I never bought into it, the whole thing disgusted me, loo-laa's working in a job for 6 months, getting a mention for a management job and next thing they have to go out and buy the BMW...

OR, were you happier back when you were obviously more flush, three sun holidays a year, Crimbo shopping trips to NY, weekends in London, Dom Perningon in Lillies, the 800 Euro Louis Vutton handbag, the 700 Euro Jimmy Choo heels???

AckwelFoley

with money > no money

phasers

No real difference, although I miss doing a weekly food shop

grrrrrrrrrr

I preferred the naivety if believing every RTE and Politicians said. Now I dont know what to make of any of them and it really fcuks with my head.

3DataModem

I flipped off to another country when the poop hit the fan. So yes I am happier. I'll be back after you sort out the debt lads, sorry for helping cause it.

wyndham

Schadenfreude makes me hard!

TanG411

I was much happier in the Celtic Tiger years. Probably because I was 7-8 years old and had no worries about the real corrupt world.

mojesius

I was a broke and busy student during the boom, now I am reaping the rewards. :cool:

The cheaper booze helps too.

wantano

i didn't benefit hugely from the boom. But happy out now though broke.
anyone who spent like that generally couldn't afford it anyway. and people who are full of crap are still full of crap i find!

whiteonion

Reckless consumption makes me unhappy, seeing people being more frugal makes me happy. Austerity is the path to happines people.

westies4ever

happier during the boom - i don't mind having no money but i hate worrying about paying the bills and the pressure/stress that brings. we're both working but income seriously reduced and hubbie is getting seriously manipulated by his employer (slave labour for a lot less money).

never bought into the big house/car/3 holidays thing but it was nice to be comfortable.

Krusader

Never thought i'd say it but i really miss working for my sanity 1st and foremost and the for money 2nd. As i didn't purchase a house and probably never would've been abled to if the economy didn't crash i'm relieved in that sense its over

SafeSurfer

At least during the boom you had choices. If you wanted to buy a BMW because the neighbours had one chances are you could get a loan to do so. Now in the bust people's choices are much reduced whether its big ticket items like holidays, cars etc to eating out the type of food they eat heat or light etc.

I for one am happy when I have the freedom to choose.

I was a broke student then so I'm happier now

clouds

I didn't do any of that boom crap.
And still don't. So not much has changed for me. Am luckily still employed though so ask me again next year

bonerm

Happier now. Much easier for me to buy a house now on the cheap.

I'm happier because I'm travelling.. I was lucky, study during boom, get a good job at the start of recession and benefit from cheaper rent etc. Now I'm gone and have my experience.

If I came out earlier, I definitely would have been an idiot with money and would probably have a house.

Pauleta

The celtic tiger was a magnificent era in our nations history, possibly our greatest. This place would be a dive if it never happened. People shouldnt hate it because we messed it up. Its like hating an ex girlfriend because you acted like a dick and messed the relationship up. People flocked to Ireland to live the dream of freedom and wealth. We were on top of the world and we must strive together to raise the Celtic cubs into ferocious, meat hungry, stealth like assassins just like the mother that raised them. A mother who we killed and sold its fur to poachers.

Saila

As long as the country can get back on track [and by that I dont mean celtic tiger attitudes to money and the inflatable prices of houses ] and doesnt end up like Haiti or somewhere like that Il be happy and content

smk89

Rent is cheaper, food is cheaper and those dicks who criticized me for going to university instead of working in the construction industry are now silent.

ricero

it hasnt affect my life at all its all the same being honest

Mike 1972

Always knew it would end in tears so I moved North in the early days of the boom and missed out on most of it and the subsequent bust.

Not going to let myself get too smug though as I suspect the full effects of the bust in the UK have yet to be felt although If the shyte hits the fan Im toying with the idea of relocating again beyond these shores.

SafeSurfer wrote: »

At least during the boom you had choices. If you wanted to buy a BMW because the neighbours had one chances are you could get a loan to do so. Now in the bust people's choices are much reduced whether its big ticket items like holidays, cars etc to eating out the type of food they eat heat or light etc.

I for one am happy when I have the freedom to choose.

Even if this means living in a fools paradise ?

weldoninhio

They say money doesn't make you happy.


I'd just love the chance to put this to the test.

Mike 1972

weldoninhio wrote: »

They say money doesn't make you happy.

Money can buy Prozac

clouds

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Money can buy Prozac

Eff buying happiness, it can buy feckin ecstasy!

Not condoning drug use btw

smk89

weldoninhio wrote: »

They say money doesn't make you happy.

I beg to differ, several UK studies show that earning over £50k means you are happier. It also decreases your scumbag co-efficient considerably.

PrincessLola

I was a young teenager in the celtic tiger years and couldn't do anything fun.

So yeah I'm happier now that I'm old enough to go out and stuff.

clouds

Earning over 50K - I thought it ws £39k stg, btw - may make you happy but it doesn't keep going up. There's a limit, over which more money makes no difference.

There are lso studies which say tht winning the lotto or any other big windfall doesn't make you any happier once the initial excitement has worn off. After 12 months people are back to the levels they were t before the win.

Alter-Ego

Same ol', same ol'

seanbmc

Finidng a part time job now when you're a student is a bitch, places don't want to even look at you if you don't have any expierience or if you're not willing to work full time.

So I have to rely on the Ma for money, which isn't much at the moment. You know things are bad when you're looking through a change box before a night out. :pac:

HellFireClub

Pauleta wrote: »

The celtic tiger was a magnificent era in our nations history, possibly our greatest. This place would be a dive if it never happened. People shouldnt hate it because we messed it up. Its like hating an ex girlfriend because you acted like a dick and messed the relationship up. People flocked to Ireland to live the dream of freedom and wealth. We were on top of the world and we must strive together to raise the Celtic cubs into ferocious, meat hungry, stealth like assassins just like the mother that raised them. A mother who we killed and sold its fur to poachers.

Hard to run with this analysis... I think the Celtic Tiger showed us up as a nation for what we have aways been. A lazy and fearful constituency of sheer gobshytes who were afraid of hard work, afraid to take a punt on ourselves, hence why most of the employment that was initially generated here when the boom started, was by way of FDI that was imported here by the IDA throwing money at multinational organisations. Then when a bit of money started knocking around, the popular business activity became investing in property and the "no brainer" business opportunity. To me, real entrepreneurship has always been about risk and reward. The only time people in this country put their back to the enterprise wheel was when they thought that (1) it didn't involve any risk, sure won't property always keep going up and (2) it didn't involve any hard work, just lunches with your relationship manager in your branch and rinse lather repeat.

For a while now, I've been completely and utterly ashamed to be Irish after what I've seen in recent years, the dysfunctional work ethic of the place, the ingratiated smugness after a few short years of higher than usual growth, the false modesty, the need to buy cars with certain brands to make a statement about yourself because underneath the style that you can bolt on to yourself by way of a BMW purchase, you have absolutely no substance, f*ckin' overweight spastics paying 40 Euro in a restaurant for a bottle of 5 Euro LIDL wine congratulating themselves on being on the top of the world, "aren't we all just great altogether?!?" you could go on and on...

clouds

There's lot of truth in what you say HellFireClub.
I have a half baked theory about that which I don't actually stand over, only in very cynical moods. Our ancestors who survived the famine, they neither emigrated nor died had the streak of the gombeen in them Thus the gombeen gene/culture proliferated exponentially through the population.

HellFireClub

clouds wrote: »

There's lot of truth in what you say HellFireClub.
I have a half baked theory about that which I don't actually stand over, only in very cynical moods. Our ancestors who survived the famine, they neither emigrated nor died had the streak of the gombeen in them Thus the gombeen gene/culture proliferated exponentially through the population.

I haven't yet managed to shake off the utter distain that I have for this place since the Celtic Tiger years. Now that the sh*t has finally hit the fan, we are being shown up for what we are and always were, a nation of hill billy idiots that could't organise a p*ss up in a brewery, always looking to someone, somewhere else to do the heavy lifting for us in terms of job creation. How we ever managed an uprising in this country against the strongest empire in the world at the time, within the last 100 years is something I can't get my head around...

fontanalis

HellFireClub wrote: »

Hard to run with this analysis... I think the Celtic Tiger showed us up as a nation for what we have aways been. A lazy and fearful constituency of sheer gobshytes who were afraid of hard work, afraid to take a punt on ourselves, hence why most of the employment that was initially generated here when the boom started, was by way of FDI that was imported here by the IDA throwing money at multinational organisations. Then when a bit of money started knocking around, the popular business activity became investing in property and the "no brainer" business opportunity. To me, real entrepreneurship has always been about risk and reward. The only time people in this country put their back to the enterprise wheel was when they thought that (1) it didn't involve any risk, sure won't property always keep going up and (2) it didn't involve any hard work, just lunches with your relationship manager in your branch and rinse lather repeat.

For a while now, I've been completely and utterly ashamed to be Irish after what I've seen in recent years, the dysfunctional work ethic of the place, the ingratiated smugness after a few short years of higher than usual growth, the false modesty, the need to buy cars with certain brands to make a statement about yourself because underneath the style that you can bolt on to yourself by way of a BMW purchase, you have absolutely no substance, f*ckin' overweight spastics paying 40 Euro in a restaurant for a bottle of 5 Euro LIDL wine congratulating themselves on being on the top of the world, "aren't we all just great altogether?!?" you could go on and on...

Unfortunately I agree with too much of this.

Wicklowrider

HellFireClub wrote: »

certain brands to make a statement about yourself because underneath the style that you can bolt on to yourself by way of a BMW purchase, you have absolutely no substance, f*ckin' overweight spastics paying 40 Euro in a restaurant for a bottle of 5 Euro LIDL wine congratulating themselves on being on the top of the world, "aren't we all just great altogether?!?" you could go on and on...

Reminds me of a dick I worked with. He paid €14K for a wristwatch. I stood there wondering why he thought the watch made an overweight, unhealthy, stressed out, debt ridden dickhead into a better person.
He got up at an unearthly hour and left the bank's house in the bank's mercedes and stressed in the bank's traffic jam until he got to our foreign master's job. There he stressed until after his children were in the bed and his dinner was in the bin and finally he drove home to open all the bills.....

Dudess

Was happier in the sense that I had a better job and there were lots of other jobs out there if I felt like changing, whereas now there's feck all else out there and my job ain't great (but at least I have a job). There's also a sense of overall gloom and negativity because of very real concerns - and getting that vibe off friends and relatives obviously affects one's happiness. I worry about friends and family who are affected too, and people are starting to emigrate so it's sad to see them go. During the "boom" there was a really happy vibe, even if built on sand.
Otherwise though, I'm far from one of the worst off. I wouldn't say I feel less happy, just... different. More cautiously happy I guess...

Dudess

HellFireClub wrote: »

I haven't yet managed to shake off the utter distain that I have for this place since the Celtic Tiger years. Now that the sh*t has finally hit the fan, we are being shown up for what we are and always were, a nation of hill billy idiots that could't organise a p*ss up in a brewery, always looking to someone, somewhere else to do the heavy lifting for us in terms of job creation. How we ever managed an uprising in this country against the strongest empire in the world at the time, within the last 100 years is something I can't get my head around...

Well maybe drop the "we" and bear in mind that not everyone here is/was a hill billy idiot, or indeed a self-hater?

JOSman

Y ah, but I can't look down my nose today as I'm as broke as the next gobsh'te.

I miss being overcharged for a pretentious little cup of coffee in an overpriced chipper by staff who looked down on me.

1966

Wicklowrider wrote: »

Reminds me of a dick I worked with. He paid €14K for a wristwatch. I stood there wondering why he thought the watch made an overweight, unhealthy, stressed out, debt ridden dickhead into a better person.
He got up at an unearthly hour and left the bank's house in the bank's mercedes and stressed in the bank's traffic jam until he got to our foreign master's job. There he stressed until after his children were in the bed and his dinner was in the bin and finally he drove home to open all the bills.....

Good story - what became of him?

HellFireClub

Dudess wrote: »

Well maybe drop the "we" and bear in mind that not everyone here is/was a hill billy idiot, or indeed a self-hater?

I've described what I percieve this country to be like, of course not all Irish people fit into my analysis of what this country is like, but there is a sizable constituency of people in my opinion who do, especially folks in their 30's upwards, hence why the country is in bits. Give us two quarters of economic growth and we'll be right back to where we were before, 2 hour commutes to work and 2 hours back home again, 4 deep queues at the bar, insecurity issues about driving any car older than 12 months, the false modesty of having to tell all your mates at the bar that you're going on your 3rd sun holiday this year but you really don't want to, it's her that is making you and you'd rather stay at home, etc...

Am I imagining that this was the way it was back in the boom??? And I can't accept that the same bullsh*t was going on everywhere else...

Dudess

The really OTT flashness was there undeniably, but from where I was anyway, it didn't seem that widespread - instances of it still raised eyebrows. I certainly didn't partake of it, neither did my family, nor most of my friends (yeah a few went nuts).

HoneyRyder

HellFireClub wrote: »

How we ever managed an uprising in this country against the strongest empire in the world at the time, within the last 100 years is something I can't get my head around...

Yeah well we did. With little more than shirts on backs and the will to do it. Ireland then didn't need cynical commentators spouting smugly from the sidelines and neither does Ireland now. We need to summon the same strength and solidarity that has already been proven to achieve so much.

Wicklowrider

1966 wrote: »

Good story - what became of him?

We were all let go from the job. From time to time I hear he has applied for posts in various companies where some of us got jobs.

Stinicker

same same really, However I think I am happier now during the bad times than I was during the boom. I have seen Fianna Fail exposed as the sheer traitors they always were and best off annihilated by the people who eventually found their vote.

Ireland has been exposed as the crappy little place it always was, having spent the last month and about two to three months abroad a year, homecoming is always a sad affair for me!

Amhran Nua

HellFireClub wrote: »

I think the Celtic Tiger showed us up as a nation for what we have aways been. A lazy and fearful constituency of sheer gobshytes who were afraid of hard work,

Except for the near full employment during the bubble years, and that's with almost half a million new entrants to the labour market.

HellFireClub wrote: »

afraid to take a punt on ourselves, hence why most of the employment that was initially generated here when the boom started, was by way of FDI that was imported here by the IDA throwing money at multinational organisations.

Ireland created tax incentives to attract investment, since there were other more attractive destinations because they a) had larger populations, b) were closer to the big markets, and c) had better infrastructure. It worked really well, and is still working, so I don't see how this can be criticised.

HellFireClub wrote: »

Then when a bit of money started knocking around, the popular business activity became investing in property and the "no brainer" business opportunity.

Banks and investment money wasn't going anywhere else but into property. Even with a good business idea it was damn hard work to even get an audience with the banks. Blame the banks for that one, as well as general government inertia.

HellFireClub wrote: »

To me, real entrepreneurship has always been about risk and reward. The only time people in this country put their back to the enterprise wheel was when they thought that (1) it didn't involve any risk, sure won't property always keep going up and (2) it didn't involve any hard work, just lunches with your relationship manager in your branch and rinse lather repeat.

Even with the difficulties, tens of thousands of new businesses started during the bubble.

HellFireClub wrote: »

For a while now, I've been completely and utterly ashamed to be Irish after what I've seen in recent years, the dysfunctional work ethic of the place, the ingratiated smugness after a few short years of higher than usual growth, the false modesty, the need to buy cars with certain brands to make a statement about yourself because underneath the style that you can bolt on to yourself by way of a BMW purchase, you have absolutely no substance, f*ckin' overweight spastics paying 40 Euro in a restaurant for a bottle of 5 Euro LIDL wine congratulating themselves on being on the top of the world, "aren't we all just great altogether?!?" you could go on and on...

Okay, well maybe you should wipe the crap off your chin and take your little racist rant elsewhere. And no, it's not okay if you're Irish.

UsernameInUse

Everything seemed right with the world during the middle of the last decade.

Everything seems **** now - it's like there is an invisible cloud over Ireland.

Quiet you

Crosáidí wrote: »

Never thought i'd say it but i really miss working for my sanity 1st and foremost and the for money 2nd. As i didn't purchase a house and probably never would've been abled to if the economy didn't crash i'm relieved in that sense its over

I'm the very same. The feeling of uselessness when you go and collect that money is terrible and thats without trying to fill your day with job searching and constant "no's" being told to you.

The money from working is nice and all but its a distant second for me when it comes to the seemingly endless days of rejection and boredom.

The only thing that consoles me is I didn't fall into the getting loans and mortages trap so hopefully when things come good again i'll be in a much better position then i was in.

filthymcnasty

HellFireClub wrote: »

I've described what I percieve this country to be like, of course not all Irish people fit into my analysis of what this country is like, but there is a sizable constituency of people in my opinion who do, especially folks in their 30's upwards, hence why the country is in bits.
QUOTE]

Thats utter horse****e imo. You're pretty pissed off by the waste of the Celtic Tiger and thats fair enough but don't try and blame an entire block of people, most of whom lived modestly at that time.

Poor Craythur

Oddly enough, I learned frugality during the boom because I was a student throughout so had little money in a country with an ever-rising cost of living, meaning my money had to stretch further and further as time went on.

Like I mentioned in another thread, I knew things were gone mad when the the trainee hairdresser who was cutting my hair told me all about her upcoming weekend shopping trip to New York. This was in late 2007.

Poor Craythur

Pauleta wrote: »

This place would be a dive if it never happened.

The country is a dive NOW with an oversupply of poorly built eyesores everywhere.

Liam Byrne

HellFireClub wrote: »

OR, were you happier back when you were obviously more flush, three sun holidays a year, Crimbo shopping trips to NY, weekends in London, Dom Perningon in Lillies, the 800 Euro Louis Vutton handbag, the 700 Euro Jimmy Choo heels???

Never did any of the above.

Would love to say that the bust hasn't affected me; it shouldn't have, but FF ensured that it did by robbing me to pay other people's debts.