Will the recession make us better people?

[Sysman]

Yes to some extent. Just before my last contract finished I was thinking about upgrading my aging car to a flash new model. More recently I have been spending time down at my partner's shared allotment, which I never thought was my cup of tea, but it is quite calming down there. Not to mention it saves us lots of cash on food and the fruit and veg taste like real fodd unlike what you get in the supermarket. So yes there some positives.

You have something there. When I was benched in the mid-90s I spent quite a bit of time helping my father with his large garden, with a view to making it more maintainable. It was a surprisingly enjoyable experience, and it cost next to nothing - we managed to build an extra shed purely out of accumulated scraps we found in his garage.

[Ruse]

Will this teach people to become less materialistic, or perhaps enjoy life's luxuries with more appreciation?

I know from my own experience of living the contractor dream, then being benched and having to 'adjust' my standard of living to cope with an unforeseen financial future has made me realise that money doesn't buy everything in life and that I'm more happy doing something constructive and meaningful with my life, than simply earning pound notes.

Has the recession / credit crunch affected your life in a good or bad way? Or changed the way you think about life/money in general?

Yes to some extent. Just before my last contract finished I was thinking about upgrading my aging car to a flash new model. More recently I have been spending time down at my partner's shared allotment, which I never thought was my cup of tea, but it is quite calming down there. Not to mention it saves us lots of cash on food and the fruit and veg taste like real fodd unlike what you get in the supermarket. So yes there some positives.

[MrMark]

Will the recession make us better people?

Answer = No. Mugging old ladies so one can eat, does not make one a better person. < Ben Elton mode > Unless of course you get the opportunity to clobber Thatch! </ Ben Elton mode >

[mace]

In money terms, no - My loss of job has been more than offset by the recovery of the stock market.

However, it's made me realise that I really need to focus on a plan B so that I can find something more fulfilling to do with my life before the next recession hits us. I've pencilled this to begin in 2017.

[Toastiness]

Will the recession make us better people?

Will it f***

[weemster]

Meat is a luxury when you come down to it, but if people could cook even meat can be obtained cheaply (tough old-boot beef you have to stew for a day and is then lovely).

I was reading something the other day about the expensive cuts (filet etc) becoming much cheaper and the cheap cuts (braising etc) prices rising.

[Mich the Tester]

Meat is a luxury when you come down to it, but if people could cook even meat can be obtained cheaply (tough old-boot beef you have to stew for a day and is then lovely).

WHS. The cheap cuts of beef, lamb, hogget and mutton are delicious if stewed; I'd rather buy a cheap cut of meat at a good butcher than a cheapo fillet steak at the supermarket.

At our local Michelin 3 star restaurant, one of the most popular dishes is stewed neck of mutton; stewed at a low temperature for 12 hours, it's delicious, and it's probably the cheapest cut of meat you can find.

[d000hg]

Are luxuries going to be meat and food?

Meat is a luxury when you come down to it, but if people could cook even meat can be obtained cheaply (tough old-boot beef you have to stew for a day and is then lovely).

[weemster]

After years of living off credit, a generation taught that you can live now pay later.. people living far beyond their means, low interest rates, new cars, borrowing money out your property because it's worth 10x more on paper than what you paid for it...

Will this teach people to become less materialistic, or perhaps enjoy life's luxuries with more appreciation?

I know from my own experience of living the contractor dream, then being benched and having to 'adjust' my standard of living to cope with an unforeseen financial future has made me realise that money doesn't buy everything in life and that I'm more happy doing something constructive and meaningful with my life, than simply earning pound notes.

Has the recession / credit crunch affected your life in a good or bad way? Or changed the way you think about life/money in general?

Good point.....I suppose it has changed the way I think about these things.

[sasguru]

Has the recession ....changed the way you think about life/money in general?

No. Next. HTH.

[swamp]

I'm contracting at my best rate ever, I've sold my dingy old flat for a nice profit, and the taxman owes me a grand.

What recession?!

[TimberWolf]

Will this teach people to become less materialistic, or perhaps enjoy life's luxuries with more appreciation?

Are luxuries going to be meat and food?

[chris79]

After years of living off credit, a generation taught that you can live now pay later.. people living far beyond their means, low interest rates, new cars, borrowing money out your property because it's worth 10x more on paper than what you paid for it...

Will this teach people to become less materialistic, or perhaps enjoy life's luxuries with more appreciation?

I know from my own experience of living the contractor dream, then being benched and having to 'adjust' my standard of living to cope with an unforeseen financial future has made me realise that money doesn't buy everything in life and that I'm more happy doing something constructive and meaningful with my life, than simply earning pound notes.

Has the recession / credit crunch affected your life in a good or bad way? Or changed the way you think about life/money in general?