The Consumer Credit Counselling Service has seen a boom in demand for its services in the past year, with a 65% increase in clients. However at the same time, charity Citizens Advice said it had seen a 15% increase in debt cases year-on-year.The bottom line was that it’s the older male and the single mother who are in most trouble.
The latter are problematic because one has to ask why they’re single. This gets into age, the lessening attractiveness of marriage and the unwillingness of the new male to take on the burden of a partner with a more feminist ‘in it for myself’ perspective.
It’s partly his own debt problems and partly the new hedonism. With the new girl giving sex virtually on tap [the pub scene], there’s no incentive for any young man to tie himself down any more and provide for a girl.
As for the older male, aspiration and the spiralling costs of affording key items like houses and cars, together with trying to maintain the ‘good life’ and re-mortgaging have pushed these people into credit debt upon credit debt and the result is always the same.
The answers are: for the girls - only have sex with someone you intend to marry and who intends to marry you and for the older males – live within your means and cut your lifestyle to suit your wallet. To both – use no credit, only debit cards.
If the answers sound glib, I say it’s perfectly possible. It just takes a little willpower.
but I'm rich mentally!
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that older guys alone are likely to have been divorced at least once? That may be why they are in financial difficulties. Does that change your advice?
ReplyDeleteB^)
Possible, James, but it's very difficult.
ReplyDeleteJames--
ReplyDeleteThis is waaay too un-nuanced. I was once a poor, single mother. Mainly because I bought into the contract "you stay home and raise the kids and I'll make the money." Which he did, right till the moment he walked out the door and I had to scramble into the job market, trying to support the eating habits of three teenagers and a younger child. It was hell. Debt would have been an improvement.
As for your comment:
With the new girl giving sex virtually on tap [the pub scene], there’s no incentive for any young man to tie himself down any more and provide for a girl...
I have to disagree with the point of view behind the words. I know a # of young men who wouldn't go near someone who is offering "what's on tap" for whatever reason. There are many who are actually looking for a relationship with a relatively sane woman. Not easy.