Sep

27

standing up to the green-eyed monster

Filed Under plonkee | 15 Comments

Being envious is dangerous.

I’ve got a friend who is a few years older than me who has been in a long term relationship for about 10 years. Together they own the house that they live in and have another investment property. They have a sports car, which their selling to replace with a BMW. In the past year they’ve been on four foreign holidays.

There are a few key reasons why my friends can afford so much more than me. Because they are a few years older, they purchased their first house prior to the recent housing boom. They have friends who work for airlines and so they can get discounted travel. They earn on half as much again as I do, each. There are two of them, and this gives savings. They also carry credit card debt and have a car loan.

I’ve been deeply envious of my friend since we met. I want a nice house, a relationship, foreign holidays, and all the trappings of success. Its a good job that my fear of debt has meant that I haven’t acted on my jealous feelings, I reckon I’d be owing the credit card companies thousands and thousands.

On the other hand, I’m still allowing my envy to affect my own life. When I don’t look at their lifestyle, I am actually happy with mine. I don’t really want their house (because mine is beautiful) or car (driving kills the planet). I’d love to go on holiday a lot, but I genuinely prefer - and can afford - budget travel. I may not have a boyfriend, but I have my much valued independence and many wonderful friends. I’d rather be young, on balance.

I vow that from this day on I will no longer look at their lifestyle with envy. Instead I will remind myself that I am living my dreams. It might be in a small way, but they’re still being realised.

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Sep

26

seven great ideas for packed lunches

Filed Under frugal | 1 Comment

Its now officially autumn, and I’m entering into another phase of trying to be good. This time I’m trying to stop money frittering out of my wallet at lunchtime by bringing my own packed lunch to work where I can take advantage of a microwave. Here are seven of my current favourite ideas:

  1. Beef chili burritos. Delicious either hot or cold, made from a big pot of chili con carne and flour tortillas. In my house the ingredients for chili con carne are minced beef, onion, tinned tomatoes, red kidney beans, garlic, chili powder, cumin and Worcestershire sauce.
  2. Soup and bread rolls. I cheat and take tinned soup in, with a couple of rolls (preferably cheese bread). I like the rolls that you can buy part-baked either from the chiller or the freezer as they only take a few minutes to finish off in the oven.
  3. Hamburgers. I generally buy good quality burgers, a nice piece of mature cheddar, seeded hamburger buns and maybe some onion. I take them to work unassembled, reheat in the microwave and then put them together.
  4. Banger in a bun. I have to admit that I don’t like frankfurters, but I do like a great British sausage in a hotdog bun. Excellent hot or cold with good quality relish or mustard.
  5. Egg fried rice. This can use up all sorts of leftovers, together with the rice. To take to work, I make a little omelette and cut it up, adding it to the rice, probably some chopped onion, red pepper and peas if I have them. I heat up at work and add soy sauce to taste.
  6. Jacket potatoes. I know that they taste better baked in the oven, but a jacket potato heated up in the microwave at work, with some nice strong grated cheddar is very filling and quite delicious.
  7. Leftover curry. Unfailingly better reheated the next day, leftover curry is a great lunchtime treat as the cold weather comes in. I find it easier to take naan bread to accompany my curry than rice.

Sep

25

class, money and education

Filed Under education and career | Leave a Comment

Being in somewhat of an education minded state recently, I noticed this article on the BBC news website, that stated that you are significantly less likely to go Oxbridge if you went to a leading state school, compared to a leading independent school. There isn’t really too much surprise there as Oxbridge is known for being elite and independent schools give a good education. I was surprised, however that this bias extends to the Sutton 13 universities (Cambridge, Imperial College London, Oxford, the LSE, University College London, York, Warwick, Bristol, Nottingham, St Andrews, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Durham).

Now its not divulging my secret identity too much to tell you that I went from a state comprehensive (as in non-selective) school, and then onto one of the Sutton 13 universities. I’m surprised that is less common than would ordinarily be expected (standardising for educational attainment). It isn’t noticeably more expensive to go to one of the Sutton 13 universities than another less prestigious one - the only difference is in the cost of living, tuition fees being essentially the same everywhere.

I also don’t think that the universities aim to get more independent school or even grammar school (state funded and selective) educated students. I think it comes down to expectations. Reasonably clever students at comprehensives aren’t expected to go to the best universities in the same way that their counterparts at selective and independent schools are.

In many schools, the very best students are expected to aim high (which is indeed code for Oxbridge), but what about the next tier? It would appear from reading the article that if they are at independent schools they are expected to also go to Oxbridge, at grammar schools they are probably encouraged to try for Oxbridge and expected to attend a prestigious university. But comprehensive school educated students or their parents and schools don’t have those same expectations.

This is not good news for social mobility. Getting a degree from a prestigious education (including but not limited to the Sutton 13 group) is a massive step on the ladder towards a well-paid career if that’s what you want. If you or your kids are thinking about university applications, aim high. Its not as hard to get in as you think.

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