“Stiff upper lip old boy, don’t let the sun catch you crying!”
Has the British reserve finally turned a corner and we can say what we really feel? Recent research suggests not when it comes to certain topics
British people are more liberated now than they have ever been, we talk about love, sex and even illness very openly that would make a Victorian blush and run to the water closet. When I saw Paul Gascoigne in tears after being sent off at the Football World Cup in Italy, I knew British people had finally turned a corner,… or have we?
Seems there’s just one subject that still has us clamming up faster than you can say “share with the group”:
Money.
Even though we all need it, use it, and mostly don’t have as much as we’d like of it, when it comes to cash we’re still so secretive, afraid of being judged on our earnings or our debts, and would sooner put the milk in our tea first than ask a friend for advice.
Awkwardness around money is endemic in the UK, with millions going without a pay rise due to fear of humiliation and refusal, while the horror of bill-splitting in a restaurant means the brazen “I only had a salad and one glass” people often get away with it, as a quarter of Brits feel awkward calling out family or friends who don’t pay their share on nights out.
Grown out of this shyness is a huge business opportunity for what we call in the industry ‘The Invoice Bulldog!” These are people are strong minded and uninhibited who chase up invoices directly over the phone for money owed from debtors as the business owners themselves find it one of the hardest things to do!
This shyness is passed down generations:
Only 13% of 18-34-year-olds feel comfortable talking about their finances, as do 25% of those aged 35 and older and 43% of those over 65.
It seems the older you get, the less worried you are about discussing what you have – perhaps because at some point, you’re going to have to decide who get named in the Will.
Those who earn the most, however, find it the most difficult to discuss money with family and friends, as just 1 in 10 (11%) of those earning over £60k a year will happily bring up conversations around money with friends and family. Maybe they know they will be targeted for a loan!
By contrast, almost a third of those earning under £30k will happily discuss awkward money issues with family.
On the upside, when it comes to that national pastime, the pub, most Brits are happy to share the cost of a round of drinks with friends and family.
“British people often face the stereotype of being polite to the point of awkwardness and our research has shown that this is no different when it comes to financial matters, with most of the country finding money an uncomfortable topic to bring up.
“Thankfully though, regardless of our divide on how best to split a bill at a restaurant, we’re fairly united when it comes to getting involved in a drinks round, which just goes to show that although we may be awkward when it comes to talking about finances, we’re a generous nation at heart.”
Expats are no different
Expats have plenty of spending options to enjoy – thanks to their earnings being free of taxation from their country of origin. (Except for US expats, notably.) But expats also generally know that there’s a bit of a trap in play with their tax-free income. It goes like this:
You leave your country of origin to take advantage of earnings that are not taxed by your home authorities. You end up with far more money than you would have if you had stayed at home.
Your idea is to save enough abroad in a short term to retire at home in comfort. But there are many spending temptations abroad. There are travel opportunities, there’s the brilliant weather – there’s a million reasons to put off investing in your family’s financial future. And what’s wrong with enjoying right now? Enjoying the expat lifestyle is all to the good. But it burns through cash.
Can you find a way to live a decent life yet reap financial rewards in the long run?
Not unless you learn as much as you can for yourself or get advice from experts about all aspects of finance even crypto currencies.
Millions of Pounds are being squandered each year by expats living abroad not willing to learn about the financial world leaving cash in their banks to earn less than zero dot something percent each year,
Interest Rates on cash deposits in the United Kingdom average, reached an all-time high of 17 percent in November of 1979 and a record low of 0.10 percent in March of 2020. That’s why your Dad could buy a house back then and kids today really struggle to get on the housing ladder. House prices Via salaries have alienated so many young people now.
Seems we are just too shy to discuss their earning or savings with a stranger or financial advisor. Many people bemoan on social media how we were not taught basic finances at school and how to balance a cheque book yet many are still not willing to learn about it now. Generation X children born 1965-1980 are apparently the worst at this.
contact us for a no obligation chat about actually making some money rather than spending it, oh we are going the pub for the chat? sure why didn’t you say before!
