Little House Quite Contrary

There is a housing problem in this country that no one seems to be facing up to. In our town and the town next to us, in fact in every town in West Lothian, hundreds upon hundreds of houses are being built.

Unfortunately these houses are now priced so far out of our league we will never get on the housing ladder and I don't know how people are able to afford these houses. Worse still, and in an Emperor's New Clothes moment, the houses are not worth the price they are asking for them!

So we are stuck in the frustration of renting hell.

We have been on the Homeswap site for nearly 2 years now. That is 2 years without promise of a move that would improve our lives significantly and we have lived here for 5 1/2 years now, it is like living in purgatory. You would think we were asking for £1million (actually that would be nice too, please.) Thanks to the right-to-buy scheme and the cooncils apathy in allowing single older people to remain in 3-4 bedroom houses the whole situation is stagnant and will remain so until someone somewhere has a bright idea.

That bright idea would be to make the system fairer. Amazing concept I know.

In Britain now, particularly in Scotland, the only way you can get anywhere in social housing is by not working, having no intention to work and never having had a job ever. That and the ability to fake illness (back ache, depression, stress anyone?) for points. And yes, that would be the points system they supposedly stopped using.

If you become a lay-about not only do you not have to worry about rent or council tax but you also get support to have as many children as you wish and to have enough money to enjoy yourself. Don't believe me?

How many people do you know that are truly struggling on benefits? If they are then at some point they probably were working and therefore don't fall into the professional scrounger league, they missed the training on how to get as much money as possible out of the system.

How many people do you know who work like navvies just to pay a mortgage? Indeed, Noo Labour punishes those on low wages particularly harshly.

It is a ridiculous situation. And what will happen next I wonder, or should that be worry? But for now my biggest concern is for the Hobbits, we need to move nearer their school, it would make life so much easier especially for them. They are missing out on so much and I really try to compensate but when Husband needs the car for work and we are stuck in this town it becomes really hard to see the positive side of anything.

money money money money

There is a saying I stand by and always have:

A true friend will not lend another money but a true friend would not ask for it in the first place.

I am misquoting badly, I'll edit if I remember it so I look cleverer than I is.

Unfortunately Husband is of a generous heart, I am here to say "I told you so" when someone he has helped shows complete lack of gratitude to the point of making a fool of his gesture. One day he will listen.

People in this country are not poor, we have houses, food, electricity. We may not be able to afford it at the rate of taxes and price rises but at least we can go to bed at night not frightened we will be shot, bombed or have nothing to eat in the morning. So next time you bemoan the fact you have no money don't take the begging bowl to friends, have some dignity and learn the lesson of looking after your money better. If you do borrow any money or take favours then make that your priority to pay it back, not just for the person you owe but for your own respect of self. I really should listen to my own advice you know.

Do you know what has given me the best satisfaction this year? Making up a present for a little boy who lives in a country where they have nothing, we have selected little gifts rather than one big one and the joy in my heart at the thought we can maybe make just one person in this world have faith in humanity then I am glad. It does reek of self-gratification but all I can think about is one little boy thinking Santa actually came this year. Giving really is better than receiving.