Quality of life here. How is yours?

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786112#Comment_119786112

It's like the old saying.... money doesn't buy happiness, but it certainly makes it more attainable.

I recall someone saying to me "money doesn't buy happiness but at least you can be miserable in comfort" 🙂

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786841#Comment_119786841

Yep, same sentiment here. As my Nana was wont to say "it's far easier to be miserable in a Mercedes and fur coat than it is a hovel"

What's very worth noting too amongst those who think equating wealth or even just a degree of financial security, with quality of life is that there is a huge volume of studies now from developed countries that demonstrate a significant link between poverty and mental health issues and crises.

Being poor is hard, it places huge stress on people and it drives both physical and mental health down like a bloody pile-driver.

Some interesting reading and a good start is

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/mental-health-statistics/poverty-statistics

GiftofGab

Majority of happiness in this country comes down to being single or not. As you get older, it's pretty hard to be deeply happy if you're single. Being in a great content relationship changes everything.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786374#Comment_119786374

Yep. It badly needs to legislate for euthanasia. 😉

In which regard, Terry Prone has a good column in today's Examiner: https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-40990031.html

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786374#Comment_119786374

Or perhaps less??....if they'd just stayed out of a number of areas and stopped manipulating to make jobs for the boys or leave a "legacy" after them I honestly can't help thinking this country might be in a better place in some respects....

They should be renumerated based on the quality of life (as objective a measure as possible), performance of the economy and how sustainable (economically/environmentally) they've left the country in my opinion...but it's not like those turkeys would vote for Christmas.

Ham_Sandwich

Goverments job is too look after people more free services remember when the council used too do the bins lets go back to that

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790170#Comment_119790170

Do you understand that waste costs have gone up dramatically? When people didn't pay they didn't recycle once the charges came in the recycling rates shot up. If people had just been more responsible it may have been avoidable but there are those who wouldn't and will not without charges

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790404#Comment_119790404

If the government really cared about recycling they would make it free,

The biggest cause of litter & non recycling is poverty , People in poverty have more pressing matters ,

The Mighty Quinn

I think my quality of life has been on a downward trajectory over the last 6-7 years. I'd be strung up and flogged if I said that at home. In that period I got married, bought a home, saw the arrival of two children.

However, I also have seen my stress levels shoot through the roof. I'm earning more now than I ever have been, but I also have relentless constant bills and expenses. Managing household finances at the moment is a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Counting of pennies and always keeping several balls in the air. Thus far all bills and mortgages and loans and expenses such as creches etc are paid, but the constant need to monitor dates and switch money around and keep a running order of who to pay when, and what income I can expect each fortnight (hourly rate contractor, so it varies) is so **** wearing. It's exhausting. And all those expenses are met but it doesn't give breathing room because the next outlay is tomorrow, or two days away.

So, my QoL has dipped, and it's because of stress. Many people have commented to me that they were the same when they'd a young family, going from pillar to post every month and that one day they kinda broke through the cloud and the sun came out, they found that they'd finally more 'disposable' income, every expense didn't require heart palpitations or quick mental arithemetic. So without wishing my life away, I really really hope I get to this stage and that it's not one of those things that "used to be the case, but is no longer the case", and that the 'rat race' isn't permanent feature of my life. It'll kill me. Affects relationships, social life,etc.

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790604#Comment_119790604

((HUGS)))

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119787154#Comment_119787154

Single and deeply happy. We are all different!

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790604#Comment_119790604

Honestly, those others are right. It's a hard phase in early married and family life but it does pass and it often does so unperceptively. It's a gradual thing. It will get better and will become a dim image of the past.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058268633/quality-of-life-here-how-is-yours

ah yea, the great scam that is modern life, everyone running around the place, trying to make it all work, while getting jumped on by every tom dick and harry, and you d wonder whys theres a significant rise in mental health issues!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790467#Comment_119790467

How come "people in poverty" seem to have so much more rubbish to discard around the place than the rest of us?

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795692#Comment_119795692

They don't they just don't , they just have less means to get rid of it,

I’ve spent time either living in or visiting many of the countries people throw out as having a better quality of life than we have.

Not seeing huge differences between places like Ireland, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Netherlands etc. All of them have similar issues, though not necessarily at the exact same time. Not enough young people and loads of old people living to great ages is common across all of them though.

We’ve a much higher quality of life and community than Britain and the US. I’d argue Canada and Australia as well.

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790467#Comment_119790467

Insulting. I am poor by any standards but I recycle and I do not litter. Nor do others in my situation.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795849#Comment_119795849

You've said before there's no bin service on the island and you burn your rubbish?

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795849#Comment_119795849

What is your definition of poor ?

Be honest what type of device are you using to post,

Sgt Hartman

I think my quality of life has improved significantly in the last few years. I met an amazing partner and we finally managed to get ourselves out of the rental trap and get a place of our own. I moved from a toxic department in my workplace to a far better one with a great team of people, and I'm currently availing of opportunities that I never got in the 12 years I busted my ass in the previous department. The anti anxiety medication I'm on has definitely helped also. I've found that I have returned to my old easy going self again instead of the stressed, overthinking wreck that I was turning into previously.

Money wise we're not exactly flush but we have a fairly good handle on our finances. I have a good system of calculating our monthly outgoings and bills so that we have a idea of how much we have for the month. To cap it off we have a great family and some amazing friends as well as getting a beautiful dog back in April to share our home with. Im just so grateful for what I have at the moment and I've definitely learned from the hard times and the mistakes and have become a better person for it.

mojesius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790604#Comment_119790604

You perfectly summed up my situation too. I'm trying to make things slightly easier on myself (not committing to too much, trying to get exercise/sleep/good food in), but yes these years are tough.

Graces7

Simplicity and responsibility are the keynotes.

Dickie10

very good thread, i regularly think of this question, Im very finanacially secure, i have a civil service job thats pretty stress free and my own farm business and its doing very well, i have a great social life and no real money worries. BUT i do believe that i have all these things because i have stayed single and child free. this has been a concious decsion. I really feared that having a partner or child would be detrimintal to the life i wanted. at the minute i dont feel lonely or any great need to have children , im 39 now , that may well change. but at least once a week i find myself saying, "thanks be to God I have no kids or partner and can do as I please" then when you think of children with special needs etc , it really gives me the shuddders to think how my life would change if that happened into my lap. it also helps greatly i have a mortgage free house, which my parents still live in naturally , so it lets me build up good savings to maybe buy an apartment or something when prices settle down in a couple of years. definitley would say life is great, also have my own fuel source of turf and sticks so not really affected by heating my house either. definitley delighted to have chosen my path so far in life.

I've spent years turning down promotions and salary raises that would impact the work-life balance I want. I invest too much time into my children and hobbies and training and self improvement to allow any more work responsibilities to impact it.

So far it has been working and my salary has increased enough to off set inflation and so on. I am far from rich but we have always had enough money for the present and some long term expenses we prepare for.

But this year is the first time I am starting to feel a pinch where I have had to start wondering if I need to rethink things and give some more of my balance over to work from life. If things keep going as they have - it won't be long before things get too tight.