People Living Beyond Their Means.

[keef]

Edit: Do you have your setup featured in the members gallery?

I'm not quite that ... addicted.

God, I used to lose evenings lookinh at those set-ups back in 2005. Now every bugger's got a bigger one than me (don't!).

But then I've got no debt

[gf3]

I must say I’ve got a 32” flat screen paid £279 and it’s the best thing I have ever bought. Got my computer plugged into it and a wireless key board on my lap as I speak brilliant. But if you only watch tv on it and its in the corner of the room where the space behind it is useless they are a waste of money. I have a keysonic keyboard I would really recommend. Once you have got a computer in your living room you will never look back.

[keef]

Once you have got a computer in your living room you will never look back.

I can't remember what this thread was about now ...

[Garry AKA Pod]

I'm not quite that ... addicted.

God, I used to lose evenings lookinh at those set-ups back in 2005. Now every bugger's got a bigger one than me (don't!).

But then I've got no debt

I stopped checking it when folk started taking pictures of their Kitchens and felt the need to line up every electrical item they have in front of their screens.

[Sof]

What else do people tend to waste money on?

I'd put forward mobile phones. So many people can't really need one, let alone constantly upgrading to the latest model.

[Spoony]

Lets say your house cost £3500/square metre.

Old CTR TV takes up 0.6 square metres.

Replace with Flat screen which takes up 0.1 square metres.

So, £1750 of the house freed up. That makes the TV FREE.

I wouldn't always agree with that. A lot of people have their TV in a place which is designed for a tube TV so putting a flat screen in will not make any more usable house space! Eg the corner of a room or on a built in shelf next to the chimney breast. If you stick a flat tv in there the space behind it is wasted whereas it could have been giving a good home to a CRT .

[Garry AKA Pod]

What else do people tend to waste money on?

I'd put forward mobile phones. So many people can't really need one, let alone constantly upgrading to the latest model.

T-Shirts. I know plenty of folk that are happy to pay £70 for a sodding t-shirt.

[keef]

I wouldn't always agree with that. A lot of people have their TV in a place which is designed for a tube TV so putting a flat screen in will not make any more usable house space! Eg the corner of a room or on a built in shelf next to the chimney breast. If you stick a flat tv in there the space behind it is wasted whereas it could have been giving a good home to a CRT .

Yeah, I find it interesting that new builds are designed differently now - they're no longer built with the TV point & main plug sockets in the corner of the room as standard.

Hang on - what am I doing talking about houses in the Plasma Screen thread?!

[Spoony]

Tsk! When it comes to flat screens bigger is always better.

I'm gonna get a 65" plasma next. You can probably guess what my hobby is

My second favourite forum:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/plasma-televisions/

I wonder how many avforums members are also educated in matters of HPI. I wouldn't knock it. People on here do have other interests in their lives than just a HPC.

[Garry AKA Pod]

I wonder how many avforums members are also educated in matters of HPI. I wouldn't knock it. People on here do have other interests in their lives than just a HPC.

From my reading of AVForums, most posters have more money than sense.

[BrickandMortar]

One of the underlying causes of people living beyond their means is the celebrity lifestyle culture which is so prominent here in the UK.

For years, fly-on-the-wall programs was shown, showing WAGs in their house castle with that 70” plasma, the designer kitchen , the multiple 4x4s and the Aston in the driveway.

Add that to the availability of cheap credit, and you have one of the biggest debt-fuelled boom in modern times.

[Spoony]

Yeah, I find it interesting that new builds are designed differently now - they're no longer built with the TV point & main plug sockets in the corner of the room as standard.

Hang on - what am I doing talking about houses in the Plasma Screen thread?!

LOL. Thats an interesting point. How dare they put the sockets in a silly place just to encourage me to buy a silly LCD TV.

[blackhole]

From my reading of AVForums, most posters have more credit than sense.

Just a slight correction

[Sof]

I wonder how many avforums members are also educated in matters of HPI.

I'm one.

[blackhole]

One of the underlying causes of people living beyond their means is the celebrity lifestyle culture which is so prominent here in the UK.

For years, fly-on-the-wall programs was shown, showing WAGs in their house castle with that 70” plasma, the designer kitchen , the multiple 4x4s and the Aston in the driveway.

Add that to the availability of cheap credit, and you have one of the biggest debt-fuelled boom in modern times.

What I'd like to know is where did consuming lots of material **** on credit became living ???

[Garry AKA Pod]

Just a slight correction

Well spotted

[pete.hpc]

What I'd like to know is where did consuming lots of material **** on credit became living ???

boomers

[juvenal]

What else do people tend to waste money on?

I'd put forward mobile phones. So many people can't really need one, let alone constantly upgrading to the latest model.

Agree 100%

[Spoony]

What I'd like to know is where did consuming lots of material **** on credit became living ???

I blame America. It started in America. Its global. Must be true. Brown said so.

But all that Bling bling idea did sort of start off there and all that gun/knife gangsta culture that has infected our teens has spread into the must have WAG/RnB must haves held up as icons by todays 20 somethings. i work with plenty of these people who have no concept of saving up to buy something.

[ScaredEitherWay]

This is what happened in the 90s, when at the extremes people could not move for 10 years because they couldn't afford to pay the negative equity

And then it was £10-30k

Now it's more likely to be £100-300k

[miko]

Agreed.

For me, the interesting difference will be the number of people who are unable to ride out negative equity this time compared to the 90s.

I suspect that people are substantially more leveraged than they were in the 90s and that we will be buying houses from banks rather than from people .......

YES ,

In the 90's I knew a few people who were in negative equity 20 or 25 thousand pounds. The worst one I knew was a guy at work who bought for £62k and sold for £27k years later . When he sold he owed 57k and borrower it off his father in law paying him back over ten years . He was not bothered as his wages had gone up quite a bit over the few years he had had the flat and the extra would cover the loan. When he sold his flat he bought a three bed house for £55 k less than he had paid for his first flat .

However this time around I already know lots of people who are already not far short of being £75k in negative equity , how long before its £100k . With low inflation and low pay increases if any it will take a life time for them to clear these debts . Especial as many of them are on interest only mortgages , something that was not there last time . In the 90's if you were £20-25k in negative if you had a twenty five year repayment mortgage you knew one day you would pay it off and own the house . Not this time around if you are on interest only.

[Badger]

I got an LCD recently, 32" Samsung for £299 thanks to a mate's staff discount. It's worth it for me for the Xbox 360. Plus I managed to get a second hand blu-ray player for £100 and you really notice the difference with HD. It really helps save space in my tiny rented flat too.

30 quid off! nice one..

[Badger]

Sainsburys near me have shitloads of 40" Sony Bravias for like £582 (was £599 before the VAT cut).

Cool! although I only want a 32" despite having a huge living room, & prefer the finish of the samsung, less 1980's.

[puppee]

It's not just 4x4s. How many cars do you see on the road that are older than 5 years old? Apart from my banger that is.

you're not the only one i refuse to pay more than 1200 for a car then run it into the ground and buy another will need one in 09 maybe i will stretch my budget if something really decent catches my eye no more than 2k though and it will have to last me longer buying new is a waste of hard earned cash

[keef]

you're not the only one i refuse to pay more than 1200 for a car then run it into the ground and buy another will need one in 09 maybe i will stretch my budget if something really decent catches my eye no more than 2k though and it will have to last me longer buying new is a waste of hard earned cash

Having monitored www.autotrader.co.uk & www.biketrader.co.uk in recent weeks I can promise you that you'll not need to stretch yourself, mate - prices are truly collapsing.