Money

I often wonder when all these countries have money problems who are they all borrowing from!

Re: Money

I think China are holding quite a bit of investments. They are getting a bit tetchy about the loss of the triple "a" rating in America because of its level of debt. They are worried their investment there will now be devalued.I don't know if there is a lot of scaremongering going on but it's all a bit worrying. The international level of debt is going from one crisis to another makes you wonder where it is all going to end.

Re: Money

Oh no dont worry good old england will divvy up although we have children living in poverty, and where are the government.... on holidays.

Re: Money

Anne good question to which I don't know the answer
I know many countries sell bonds which other countries buy so this is a form of borrowing .

Also there is the International Monitory Fund ( IMF) to which participating members including the UK contribute. Presumably there are charges and conditions for a loan so if we borrow from them we are paying to borrow some of our own money

Re: Money

I wondered that too, because off late most of the world is in hock..

Re: Money

Yes and I see gas and electric is going up again, is this a ploy to remove the elderly from the face of the earth by freezing us to death over the winter!

Re: Money

I am not surprised at the level of debt .

It was drilled into me 'what you can't afford you don't have' and I have been horrified for years watching people spend money they didn't have on credit card purchases and taking out mortgages which far exceeded their ability to pay.

I wondered where it would all end and if this has been going on globally which appears to be the case then it is not at all surprising three quarters of the world is in the poo.

I may have a shabby house and belongings but they are my shabby belonging owned exclusively by me and I sleep well at night knowing this.
It makes me angry that I am now having to 'pay' in many ways for the profligacy of others including our own succession of governments who don't seem to appreciate the basics of housekeeping.

''My other piece of advice, Copperfield, said Mr. Micawber, you know. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery. The blossom is blighted, the leaf is withered, the god of day goes down upon the dreary scene, andand, in short, you are for ever floored. As I am!''

Good advice from Mr Dickens

Re: Money

Exactly!!

Re: Money

Couldn't agree with you more Meg. I was also brought up with 'if you can't pay for it, you don't get it'. This has stuck with me all my life.

Will be interesting to see how all this 'debt' owed by different Countries pan out!

Re: Money

Well it makes a change from ignoring us completely I suppose, if they freeze us all to death, but on a more serious note when we were young and got married we were content to have hand me down furniture and to do without some luxury goods at first, but then it all seemed to change and you had to have a house kitted out with everything new before you could possibly leave home.
I am pleased to say that now some sense prevails and shabby chic is in fashion and it is the thing to recycle furniture etc, so maybe there is some hope out there be it only a very small glimmer.