Is Society getting too difficult for the young?

Myself and my wife have been talking about starting a family soon and it really got me thinking about society in general and how hard it is for young people currently, and how much harder it might get.

1) Getting a job - Can't get a job without experience, can't get experience without a job. This really sucks for young people and there is no easy way around it. Take an internship and deal with low wages until you have a few years behind you.

2) Getting a driving licence - You need to do a theory test, at least 12 lessons and pass a driving test. Sounds easy enough but the laws around unaccompanied learners mean you will probably need to pay for way more lessons to get practice in. Then you have the insurance. Its not too uncommon to be quoted 3 or 4K for third party insurance in your first year. You won't get insured any kind of reasonable price for an older starter car.

3) Property - Lets face it, most young people don't want to live at home well into their adult lives. The only option they really have is to rent. But eventually they'll want to buy their own place and realize how tough it is to buy while paying a large percentage of your salary towards rent. More and more are left moving back home with their parents or getting a lend from parents if possible. Single people have no hope unless they have a very very good job.


4) Having a wedding - Most young couples want to have a wedding, its a traditional thing to do. Unfortunately a very expensive thing to do also. Average wedding is probably somewhere between 10 and 20K these days.

5) Savings / Investment / Pensions - Most young people have too many things to pay for now and can't even get any of these going until much later in life.

In previous generations for example, it seems like 2 minimum wage workers could be married, have a house, have some kids and a family car all by the age of 25. Thats closer to 35 now.

Anyways, I don't really want this thread to turn into a who had it harder debate... but more what do you think it will like for the next generation?

Do they stand a chance without major changes in society? What do you think society will look like for a young person 10 or 20 years from now?

whiskeyman

All those things have always been hard for young folk.
I'd be more concerned about the state we're leaving the world to them (environmentally and huge wealth inequality) and the over reliance on technology and its impact on basic social function.

One eyed Jack

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Do they stand a chance without major changes in society? What do you think society will look like for a young person 10 or 20 years from now?

I think those young people who are prepared for their future stand a better chance than those young people who aren’t prepared for their future. That’s one thing that won’t change over time, is preparing young people to adapt to changes in society around them, and being able to change fast so that they’re not left so unprepared as some of the scenarios you presented in your opening post.

whiskeyman

whiskeyman wrote: »

All those things have always been hard for young folk.
I'd be more concerned about the state we're leaving the world to them (environmentally and huge wealth inequality) and the over reliance on technology and its impact on basic social function.

I have a feeling that always been hard will eventually change to unattainable. Particularly in relation to property. I don't see any steps been taken that will help to improve the crisis.

I do also agree on the points you raised though.

Del2005

Every other country manages to learn to drive with similar or stricter restrictions. So if they can manage so can we.

Property goes in cycles. So by the time your children are old enough to buy it could be easily affordable.

For work we don't know what type of jobs there will be so experience will be for nothing.

BattleCorp

Deleted User wrote: »

Myself and my wife have been talking about starting a family soon and it really got me thinking about society in general and how hard it is for young people currently, and how much harder it might get.

Some things easier, some things more difficult.

1) Getting a job - Can't get a job without experience, can't get experience without a job. This really sucks for young people and there is no easy way around it. Take an internship and deal with low wages until you have a few years behind you.

It's not that difficult to get a job, especially if you have skills. And I don't mean the Liam Neeson type of skills. If you have a good standard of education or are willing to work hard, then you'll get a start somewhere. The problem is that kids want to start at the top and don't want to put in the hard yards to get there. That's not much different from when I was a kid.

2) Getting a driving licence - You need to do a theory test, at least 12 lessons and pass a driving test. Sounds easy enough but the laws around unaccompanied learners mean you will probably need to pay for way more lessons to get practice in. Then you have the insurance. Its not too uncommon to be quoted 3 or 4K for third party insurance in your first year. You won't get insured any kind of reasonable price for an older starter car.

Took me four attempts to pass my driving test. And that wasn't today or yesterday. Insurance was a bstard for my generation too.

3) Property - Lets face it, most young people don't want to live at home well into their adult lives. The only option they really have is to rent. But eventually they'll want to buy their own place and realize how tough it is to buy while paying a large percentage of your salary towards rent. More and more are left moving back home with their parents or getting a lend from parents if possible. Single people have no hope unless they have a very very good job.

I was 37 when I bought my first house. But yeah, I'll give you that point. It's more difficult now to rent/buy a house in certain areas. Good value outside of Dublin or main commuter towns but rent in most places is a lot higher than I faced years ago.

4) Having a wedding - Most young couples want to have a wedding, its a traditional thing to do. Unfortunately a very expensive thing to do also. Average wedding is probably somewhere between 10 and 20K these days.

Cut your cloth according to your measure. If you don't have €10k - €20k, have a cheaper wedding. Or go to a registry office. A big wedding is an optional extra, not a necessity.

5) Savings / Investment / Pensions - Most young people have too many things to pay for now and can't even get any of these going until much later in life.

I'd safely say most of our parents had none of those things either.

In previous generations for example, it seems like 2 minimum wage workers could be married, have a house, have some kids and a family car all by the age of 25. Thats closer to 35 now.

People are living longer, therefore they are starting families later. I certainly wouldn't have been mature enough for a wife and family at 25 years of age.

Anyways, I don't really want this thread to turn into a who had it harder debate... but more what do you think it will like for the next generation?

Do they stand a chance without major changes in society? What do you think society will look like for a young person 10 or 20 years from now?

Some things are better.

Years ago people lived in damp poxy houses with fcukall heating. That's changed mostly now. And yes, there are homeless but I'm talking about houses in general.

My generation had were forced to emigrate in huge numbers. That doesn't happen as much now.

Road deaths are lower.

It's not all doom and gloom.

ELM327

This has always been the way, nothing new here.
Arguably things are better now than 20 years ago not worse.

BattleCorp

Del2005 wrote: »

Property goes in cycles. So by the time your children are old enough to buy it could be easily affordable.

I'm in my late 40's and apart from the most recent recession, property has never really dropped in price.

And if property is very cheap due to a recession, then finance will be hard to come by.

I can't ever see a time where housing will be easily affordable.

Dr_serious2

My grandfather left school at 12 and was in England at 14 working on the building sites sending money home to his parents. He moved home to avoid ww2 and raised six children in a two bedroom house, the first few years with no electricity.

Life was always hard.

Like the older generation, the younger generation have to "cut their cloth to measure". Being early middle aged myself, I feel there is a growing sense of entitlement amongst the young.

super_furry

Internships are such a horrible scam and should be outlawed - pay people money for their work. The only people who can afford to work for free are those from a rich background, with parents that will cover their costs.

It's why there are so few working class voices in the media.

BattleCorp

Dr_serious2 wrote: »

My grandfather left school at 12 and was in England at 14 working on the building sites sending money home to his parents. He moved home to avoid ww2 and raised six children in a two bedroom house, the first few years with no electricity.

Life was always hard.

I'll trump your grandfather leaving school at 12 with my Dad leaving school at 10 to learn the ropes as a butcher. And he worked on the buildings in England too.

I've had it infinitely handier than he had.

average_runner

Deleted User wrote: »

I have a feeling that always been hard will eventually change to unattainable. Particularly in relation to property. I don't see any steps been taken that will help to improve the crisis.

I do also agree on the points you raised though.

Property was always bad for people. Alot of people got burnt in the last crash and they were in there 20's/30's.

I don't think property prices are higher than they were in 2008 at its peak!!

Trigger Happy

I think kids born today are the luckiest.

Yes, they will have challenges that previous generations never had but they will be a lot more comfortable, more healthy and with a wealth of opportunities that were never available to us.

Potential-Monke

I personally think you shouldn't be allowed to even apply for a mortgage until you're 30. Get out, live a little, then think about settling down. Actually, having owned a house, I personally would never recommend getting a mortgage. It's like a 30 year cloud hanging over you, with no idea if it will rain or shine, and it could change at any moment. I also think we, as a nation, are too over-reliant on being part of the normal adulthood, family, kids, pets, mortgage, etc. It's a trap, it's what the rich want, to keep the common folk in a cycle.

Jobs, it's only natural to have experience before getting a better position. No one should start off on the employment ladder near the top. Working your way up teaches responsibility, ensures you're actually able to do the job (if internal processes are correct that is). Too many kids had their heads filled with 'You can be whatever you want to be'. No, you can't. You can look for something you're interested in, but only a small % of people get to be what they want to be.

I think schools should teach less religion and more social skills/adult skills. Everyone coming out of school today should be thought how to cook, clean, provide for yourself. They should be thought how to manage money, save, do taxes, etc. Life skills. Make a language a choice, not a requirement. I did French for 6 years, and have never used it since I left secondary school. Waste of time.

Driving licence, yeah, it's a pain to get these days. So more planning should be required. Or schools should start teaching how to drive, so some may be able to leave school with a licence. More life skills! Insurance is a joke, hopefully if you do have a family by the time they get to insurance age this country will have it properly regulated and make it more affordable.

Wedding, more and more people are having non-church weddings. One of my close mates got married a couple of years back. Civil ceremony in the registry office. 30 people max. Same group to their favourite restaurant for dinner, onto the penthouse of a hotel for the afterparty. One of the best weddings I've ever been at. Cost them €5k. The big weddings of yesteryear are a pipe dream to most, it's too expensive, especially the church. My brother got married about 8 years ago. Had it on a Wednesday, church, dress, hotel, dinner, usually craic. Cost them €12k, would have been €25k if they had it on a Friday. Weddings can be as expensive or as cheap as you make it.

Graces7

BattleCorp wrote: »

I'll trump your grandfather leaving school at 12 with my Dad leaving school at 10 to learn the ropes as a butcher. And he worked on the buildings in England too.

I've had it infinitely handier than he had.

Harry Palmr

My grandfather lived in a puddle

and he was lucky as it wasn't too deep

BattleCorp

Graces7 wrote: »

My point was that my Dad had it much tougher than I had seeing as he had to leave school and work at 10 years of age.

I've had a much cushier life than he had.

And I've no reason to believe that our kids will have a harder life than I have had.

seamus

1 - Always been the case. It's way easier now to get a job in general because the whole nod-and-wink and "jobs for the boys" culture has been erased. It's a much more level playing field. In the past someone from Finglas who didn't go to a private school had f-all chance of becoming a doctor or getting a decent job in a big firm of solicitors. Now they have a waaay better chance.

2 - Young people don't need cars. They're in fact shunning them more and more as they realise they don't need to sink huge chunks of their money into a vehicle that sits idle for 22 hours a day. By the time anyone born now is in their 20s, vehicles-on-demand via a subscription service will be a feature of their daily lives rather than having a car in the driveway, and short trips will be walked or cycled rather than driven.

3 - Probably the most obvious problem facing younger people, and it's mostly caused by a culture which both looks down on renting and encourages hoarding. A person is considered a success if they own multiple properties. But if you own 3 properties, then two other people can't own. The generation from the 40s-70s have pulled up the ladder behind them in terms of property and we need legislation to rebalance it, and make it so that the profit margins on investment property are very narrow and largely unappealing.

4 - Getting married in Ireland costs €200. Everything else is optional window dressing.

5 - The only difference here is that pensions are much rarer as part of a job package than they used to be. Employers realised that they could stop offering pensions and anyone under 30 wouldn't even care. This again just needs to be rebalanced.

The younger generation will get along just fine. In his 30s, my Dad spent £30000 on a house which for the time was miles out in the middle of nowhere. His own father thought he was out of his mind, having bought his last house for £1000.

The big game changer that will hit Ireland is the roll out of broadband countrywide, which will begin the process of decentralising Dublin as the only place to work, thereby bringing a better level to house prices and more mobility to workers.

Trigger Happy

Harry Palmr wrote: »

My grandfather lived in a puddle.

Flash bastard with his daily baths.

Irish Praetorian

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Flash bastard with his daily baths.

Pshaw, he was lucky to have a puddle, all we had was a bit of cardboard. Every day we'd wake up two hours before going to bed, march down to pit work twenty hours and then come home and our father would kill us.


But you tell that to the young people today and they don't believe it!

Wanderer78

Increasing worker insecurity is good for the economy, hence good for society, the wealth created trickles down!

Potential-Monke

Potential-Monke wrote: »

I think schools should teach less religion and more social skills/adult skills. Everyone coming out of school today should be thought how to cook, clean, provide for yourself. They should be thought how to manage money, save, do taxes, etc. Life skills. Make a language a choice, not a requirement. I did French for 6 years, and have never used it since I left secondary school. Waste of time.

Thats a great point actually. The education system is in need of an overhaul.
I think most people would prefer their kids to learn these kind of things.
Religion doesn't need to be thought in secondary school.
The Irish language is dead, waste of time teaching it.
Basic geography is very useful. Learning about rocks and erosion / deposition... not so much.
A lot of people never even use half of the maths they learn in school.
Maybe advanced maths should be more for college courses for careers that require maths.

BattleCorp

Deleted User wrote: »

Thats a great point actually. The education system is in need of an overhaul.
I think most people would prefer their kids to learn these kind of things.
Religion doesn't need to be thought in secondary school.
The Irish language is dead, waste of time teaching it.
Basic geography is very useful. Learning about rocks and erosion / deposition... not so much.
A lot of people never even use half of the maths they learn in school.
Maybe advanced maths should be more for college courses for careers that require maths.

I think we should be teaching kids how to deal with adversity. We aren't doing kids any favours with the current method of mollycoddling them.

katiek102010

Its always been difficult. I’m in my 40’s and it was that way when I was 18.

I went out and worked for free for 3 months and that’s how I got experience.

I asked family to contribute to my driving lessons for birthday and Christmas

It cost us 500 E to get married

The only issue we have now is home ownership, having moved back from abroad even with a 60% deposit, we cannot get a mortgage

BattleCorp

katiek102010 wrote: »

Its always been difficult. I’m in my 40’s and it was that way when I was 18.

I went out and worked for free for 3 months and that’s how I got experience.

I asked family to contribute to my driving lessons for birthday and Christmas

It cost us 500 E to get married

The only issue we have now is home ownership, having moved back from abroad even with a 60% deposit, we cannot get a mortgage

Have you both got jobs?

If so, what area are you trying to buy in if 60% deposit isn't enough?

PuppyMcPupFace

I think the problem is that there's no life lessons as a kid. No disappointment to grow from.

I see kids of friends who at 18 or 19 get a bad grade in College or don't get a job they wanted or have a relationship end - it's their first knock back and they can be suicidal.

The best thing parents can do for their kids growing up is let the fail at the small stuff, it'll be beneficial in the long run.

My mother always told me that I could try anything I wanted but unless I was very lucky or prepared to work day and night, I'd likely not make it to the top of whatever I tried. I'm now grounded and sensible and can handle life.

freshpopcorn

When my parent finished school some went to college(those who were well off) and others found jobs locally. However the standard of living was different.
There was no phones, smart devices, gym memberships, broadband, etc to pay for. They essentially payed for a place to stay and food when going out on there own first.
I know my parents had a small wedding under 40 people I'd say. Church, flowers, one brides maid dress and bride/grooms stuff, a meal/cake afterwords. A lot of there friends were similar.
There simply wasnt the money there. There were no wedding loans or things such as candy carts, and some who did have big wedding were paid for by there parents. Those people were told exactly what to do, wear, the menu, etc.

BattleCorp

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I know my parents had a small wedding under 40 people I'd say. Church, flowers, one brides maid dress and bride/grooms stuff, a meal/cake afterwords. A lot of there friends were similar.
There simply wasnt the money there. There were no wedding loans or things such as candy carts, and some who did have big wedding were paid for by there parents. Those people were told exactly what to do, wear, the menu, etc.

And I'll bet they didn't have a fully furnished Taj Mahal of a house when they started out either. Which seems now to be expected.

Deebles McBeebles

BattleCorp wrote: »

And I'll bet they didn't have a fully furnished Taj Mahal of a house when they started out either. Which seems now to be expected.

Jesus you would want to be a space cadet to expect that. I would fully expect to get the necessary rooms habitable and work on the house as I could afford it.

Grayson

Potential-Monke wrote: »

I personally think you shouldn't be allowed to even apply for a mortgage until you're 30. Get out, live a little, then think about settling down. Actually, having owned a house, I personally would never recommend getting a mortgage. It's like a 30 year cloud hanging over you, with no idea if it will rain or shine, and it could change at any moment. I also think we, as a nation, are too over-reliant on being part of the normal adulthood, family, kids, pets, mortgage, etc. It's a trap, it's what the rich want, to keep the common folk in a cycle.

To be fair it's the only way to get security. If you want to have a family, with a family home, it's the best way to do it. just make sure the mortgage repayments are repayable. Too many people in the boom tried to get the most expensive property they could rather than the best for their needs. And remember, because of inflation, mortgage payments technically go down every year (assuming it's a fixed rate).

I do agree a bit though. Renting should be an option but unfortunately there's no security.

I kind of partially agree with the trap thing. There are some who get married etc because they believe it's the thing to do. But an awful lot of people do it because they genuinely want to. And if you want to get married and have kids, then buying a house is the most sensible thing to do.

I think schools should teach less religion and more social skills/adult skills. Everyone coming out of school today should be thought how to cook, clean, provide for yourself. They should be thought how to manage money, save, do taxes, etc. Life skills. Make a language a choice, not a requirement. I did French for 6 years, and have never used it since I left secondary school. Waste of time.

isn't that what transition year is for?
BTW, I've always thought that they should have mandatory first aid classes in transition year. It's one of the few skills you can teach people that may mean the difference between life and death.

BattleCorp

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

Jesus you would want to be a space cadet to expect that. I would fully expect to get the necessary rooms habitable and work on the house as I could afford it.

You are well grounded in reality. Unfortunately lots of people aren't.

BattleCorp

Grayson wrote: »

I do agree a bit though. Renting should be an option but unfortunately there's no security.

People now who are renting and are approaching pension age are the people I feel sorry for.

Their income will drop but their rent won't. Cue lots of homeless pensioners.

Harry Palmr

BattleCorp wrote: »

People now who are renting and are approaching pension age are the people I feel sorry for.

Their income will drop but their rent won't. Cue lots of homeless pensioners.

Not to drag this off topic but that is going to be the next big housing crisis for sure.

Buford T. Justice XIX

BattleCorp wrote: »

You are well grounded in reality. Unfortunately lots of people aren't.

Before the end of the Celtic Tiger, many of my neighbours had their houses painted and fully furnished with one or two new cars parked in the drive as they went off on the honeymoon, all financed from the mortgage.


How mad is that, paying for a wedding, honeymoon and new car for the next 25 or 30 years?

The world is safer and more tolerant (in the West) than ever before. Kindness and empathy are considered good personality traits instead of weaknesses, there is less stigma attached to common issues like mental illnesses both mild and severe, physical disability is called challenge these days, when not too long ago disabled people could look forward to a lifetime in an institution. People openly discuss their feelings and show affection, and both parents are involved in their childrens lives. People are raised with an expectation of happiness, and it's okay to value your own wellness instead of being expected to impale yourself on the fencepost of martyrdom once kids come along. Kids themselves are better educated and more informed than ever before. Healthcare and medical science has removed the threat of so many common illnesses, and made many more treatable. Nobody is dying from malnutrition, has wounds that won't heal because of scurvy, has malformed bones because of rickets, or muscles paralysed or weakened by polio. Religious institutions don't get to dictate how anyone lives their lives, or what becomes of them if they hit a roadbump.

There are lots of downsides to life today, but don't forget to look at the good bits too.

freshpopcorn

BattleCorp wrote: »

And I'll bet they didn't have a fully furnished Taj Mahal of a house when they started out either. Which seems now to be expected.

A kitchen sometimes with a sink and a press and basic appliances would have followed.
The living room was a three piece which was often somebodies old one and was a moving in present and a cabinet to put your wedding presents in.

professore

Just went through the driving test process with my eldest daughter. It's FAR harder now than when I did it. No contest.

Jobs are way easier to get now than back at the end of the 80s. Back then getting an interview was a major achievement.

Property and mortgages are worse. And affordable rent is a pipe dream, whereas when I was renting rents were affordable and easy enough to find somewhere. That's a huge issue.

Big weddings are a lifestyle choice. No sympathy there.

goose2005

Harry Palmr wrote: »

My grandfather lived in a puddle

and he was lucky as it wasn't too deep

my grandfather died of thirst, he'd have given his right arm for a puddle, if the Black-and-Tans hadn't cut it off

BattleCorp

BattleCorp wrote: »

People now who are renting and are approaching pension age are the people I feel sorry for.

Their income will drop but their rent won't. Cue lots of homeless pensioners.

Now is the time to build retirement villages. One or two bedroom apartments with on site management, restaurant, shop etc. Personally, I’d love if there was one in my area, now that I’m fast approaching pension age. My 3 bed house would really make a great family home, now that my lads have finally left home, it’s too big for our needs.

ChrissieH

It does seem like things are getting quite overwhelming though, does nobody else agree with the OP? I do totally agree with everyone's points about the choices we make regarding extravagant spending on weddings, fancy houses etc, but even me, personally, being in my early 40s and having never owned my own house, I'm realising that it's very unlikely that I ever will be a home-owner and I'll never have much disposable income - I feel slightly embarrassed sometimes that I haven't "achieved" what I would have assumed was normal in our society, and I am a mature, very independent and well-adjusted adult, so I actually do feel that the younger people in Ireland today do have a lot of huge struggles ahead of them.
That's not to say that it's any harm for people to struggle, but I do agree with the OP that things in our society are just gone out of hand in general, even if you take the young people out of the equation; everything revolves around money now, like other posters have said, in our parents' generation, families could survive well enough on a single income, leaving one parent free to be a full-time parent and maintain the home, along with all the connotations of a *home* rather than a house where people live.
I think society in general is just gone to crap in terms of our values and our priorities.. speaking for myself, I feel drained and fed up a lot of the time from working hard in a mediocre job for an average wage, only to afford the basics in life, and most of my friends feel the exact same way. There's no extra money to enjoy our free time, and not really enough free time to enjoy life, it's a highly pressured and stressful way for humans to live, but I do agree that the current young generation are possibly the first ones trying to grow and develop in this pressured environment

BattleCorp

ChrissieH wrote: »

but even me, personally, being in my early 40s and having never owned my own house, I'm realising that it's very unlikely that I ever will be a home-owner and I'll never have much disposable income

You mightn't be able to afford a house on Aylesbury Road but if you are willing or able to relocate, then there are affordable houses if you are willing to make the sacrifice (such as a longer commute to work etc.).

speaking for myself, I feel drained and fed up a lot of the time from working hard in a mediocre job for an average wage, only to afford the basics in life, and most of my friends feel the exact same way.

This is a big difference from my parent's generation. You can afford the basics in life. They really struggled to afford the basics.

There's no extra money to enjoy our free time, and not really enough free time to enjoy life, it's a highly pressured and stressful way for humans to live, but I do agree that the current young generation are possibly the first ones trying to grow and develop in this pressured environment

There wasn't much spare money knocking around when I was a kid either. A lot of youngsters are putting unrealistic pressures on themselves to have everything asap. Yes, we'd all love to be set up at 25 years of age with a nice house, good car etc. but that's not realistic.

It's not unusual to have a new car nowadays but nobody in the area where I lived had a new car when I was a kid. Nobody.

harr

All things mentioned in opening post are part of life ..my big concern would be social skills and the part social media plays in that.
I was at my nieces 13th birthday party at the weekend and a group of girls all sitting around in same room with nothing being said. Instead they were all chatting through snapchat it was bizarre.
Also the state of our environment is going to be a huge issue.
Plus the fact some parents can’t hold kids responsible for anything and that makes kids fearless when dealing with anybody in authority.

Little Jonny or Mary can do no wrong and this gives growing kids a certain sense of entitlement and expecting everything for nothing.

Just to add manners seems to a very rare thing taught at home these days.

Billy86

goose2005 wrote: »

my grandfather died of thirst, he'd have given his right arm for a puddle, if the Black-and-Tans hadn't cut it off

Luxury. My granddad used to have to get out of the lake at three o'clock in the morning, clean the lake, eat a handful of hot gravel, go to work at the mill every day for tuppence a month, come home, and his Dad would beat us around the head and neck with a broken bottle, if he was lucky!

mikemac2

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Being early middle aged myself, I feel there is a growing sense of entitlement amongst the young.

The exact same was said about you and when the OP is older they’ll say the same too

Moonjet

The middle-aged/elderly people who possess all the wealth will eventually die and the young we speak of here will gradually inherit their parents/grandparents wealth.

BattleCorp

Moonjet wrote: »

The middle-aged/elderly people who possess all the wealth will eventually die and the young we speak of here will gradually inherit their parents/grandparents wealth.

More like the taxman will inherit most of the wealth.

freshpopcorn

harr wrote: »

I was at my nieces 13th birthday party at the weekend and a group of girls all sitting around in same room with nothing being said. Instead they were all chatting through snapchat it was bizarre.
.

Sounds normal enough to me. It's always hard to talk in front of relatives(even when there in a another room when your that age.

The pension post has me thinking.. I'm 31 and no pension. How much would be a good amount to put into one every month? Would 500 do much? What's the advantage over just savings?

Edit: Just looked at a calculator. Without tax relief as I'm not in Ireland, it's pretty brutal. 1300 a month to bring my yearly pension to 32k if I retired at 65. Only 800 after tax reliefs if I was there which is a lot more palatable.

goose2005

BattleCorp wrote: »

More like the taxman will inherit most of the wealth.

no, you can inherit a lot tax-free if you're family

Always Tired

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Like the older generation, the younger generation have to "cut their cloth to measure". Being early middle aged myself, I feel there is a growing sense of entitlement amongst the young.

Yeah, college fees raised. Employment opportunities besides takeaways, pubs and hotels only located in cities with outrageous rents. Social welfare for those under 26 cut to 100 per week.

How do these 'entitled' young people in small towns get ahead? How can they even save to get somewhere better? Are they all just living at home because they're entitled? Or is it because it's financially impossible to get out of the rut their in, unless they get money from their parents? In which case, you'd probably say they weren't entitled and that they pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, etc.

When you're too poor to get anywhere, how are you entitled?