New social trend relevant to ED

[JoeChuff]

"Thriftifarian" (noun. colloq. derog. Also thriftafarian. A middle or upper class person who takes virtuous pleasure in making selective economies they do need to make, esp. during times of recession).

e.g. WR -> Sparks

any other examples?

[LostThePlot]

JoeChuff Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "Thriftifarian" (noun. colloq. derog. Also

> thriftafarian. A middle or upper class person who

> takes virtuous pleasure in making selective

> economies they do need to make, esp. during times

> of recession).

>

> e.g. WR -> Sparks

Don't you mean making economies they DON'T need to make?

What's that example mean?

Sorry to be dim....

[SimonM]

WR -> Sparkes is not an ecomomy at all

WR -> a Peckham butchers might be!

[Asset]

why does fucking class have to come into it - boring.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Its not bringing class in to anything to say butchers in peckham are cheaper than rose or sparkes is it?

[Asset]

A middle or upper class person who takes virtuous pleasure in making selective economies they do need to make,

.

OK, I get where the OP is coming from and funny ha ha etc, but it just perpetuates the silly prejudices that are rife around here. The ridiculous class war really gets my goat.

[Jeremy]

I agree with Asset (more or less). I wouldn't have minded so much if the original post said "middle income"... but I just think that "class" is a really outdated and irrelevant concept!

[dulwichmum]

Dear JoeChuff, I love it. I know exactly who you mean sweetie, I see them hiding in the isles in Morrisons. I prefer to be known as a Recessionista myself.

I buy the au pairs diet from Lidl and Aldi, but spend a small fortune on private mandarin tuition for my poppets. I fired the dog walker, dog groomer, tree surgeon, cleaner, gardener and personal trainer. My Lithuanian au pair should put her back into it (sigh)!

Why is everyone so damn cranky on here lately. You are such a bunch of hormonal old ladies! Go sit on a washing machine in the spin cycle or open a bottle for Gods sake.

[Asset]

Less of the old please Dulwich mater

[SimonM]

>>Go sit on a washing machine in the spin cycle<<

Tried it. Dunno what all the fuss is about. Amazed DM knows how a washing mchine works...:))

[dulwichmum]

I used a washing machine, once, when I was a student... But, (OHMYGOD) I didn't take pleasure in it!.

Anyhow, I suppose that this is an outdated concept now, all of our appliances are integrated (sigh).

However, why do you suppose Power Plates are so popular in SE21?

The class divide is alive and well sweetie. You know it. How naieve.

[Sandperson]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> I agree with Asset (more or less). I wouldn't have

> minded so much if the original post said "middle

> income"... but I just think that "class" is a

> really outdated and irrelevant concept!

You aren't living in the same world as me if you think "class" is an outdated or outmoded concept. Just look at how many Old Etonians run the country for a start.

[SteveT]

sandperson wrote:-Just look at how many Old Etonians run the country for a start.

The London Mayor a noted position for snouting in troughs, curiously from same establishment.

That's it, that is what they train them for, how to stick it into a trough, without damaging or endangering their

snouting capacity.

[????]

I thought it was a load of dour, scottish, socialist burecrats who ran the country?

[Jeremy]

Sandperson, look up the history of Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, John Major, Maragaret Thatcher. Look up their parents and their grandparents. None of them are from rich or "upper class" families.

[Sandperson]

That's a bit naive isn't it? I see two genuine 'policy makers' in that list.

[dulwichmum]

Dear Jeremy,

Just because someone is the prime minister, it doesn't mean he gets to run the country, now does it?

[Jeremy]

I see where you guys are coming from... but at least I've provided some sort of substance to back up my point of view!!

I just don't like it when people use "class" as an excuse for various things. Certainly some people are born with advantages over the rest of us... but that doesn't mean that you can't succeed in your chosen field, regardless of what percevied "class" your parents were lumped into.

[dulwichmum]

Yes Jeremy sweetie, you feel you provided substance, but you are still wrong.

"but I just think that "class" is a really outdated and irrelevant concept!"

You are living in a dream world if you do not believe that being from a particular class will provide you with the social network, financial support and even the social nuances and arrogant self belief to succeed in certain areas. You only have to see the entire "You are not in my circle" behaviour of certain people to know that the entire class system is still alive and kicking in this country.

Why does Prince Charles and his red haired boy get away with refering to their chums in vile racist terms? Because people are so very aware of their class! It is horrid sweetie, but it is true.

[LegalEagle-ish]

Go DM!!

[Asset]

I am not denying there is an issue with a 'ruling class' in this country. However as the quote goes "there's the upper class and then there's everyone else".

What about the nouveau rich that send their children to private schools thus giving them the advantage over the best universities and social networks and thus the liklihood of being the next generation of those running the country. They are not 'upper class'. In fact probably most privately educated children come from the 'middle classes' anyway.

My problem is the way 'middle class' gets bandied about and used in a derogatory way. I wonder what is so bad about being 'middle class' anyway seeing as probably the vast majority of this country would be considered middle class.

I mean if we want to get really divisionist we could start breaking it down to 'upper middle class' and 'lower middle class'. Where do we draw the line?

Royalty is a different issue altogether.

[dulwichmum]

Anyhow, back to"Thriftifarian". Ocado is out (why can't they deliver in unmarked vehicles like Net-a-Porter?), Morrisons "The best" range is in (never EVER be seen with a Morrison's plastic carrier bag).

This season is last years Spring fashion, and this seasons high end fashions off Bond Street would be considered social death. Personal trainers and dog walkers are out, Power Plates and exercising your own pooch is the way to go. Entertaining at home is all the rage. The Audi Q7 is gone and the vile Toyota Prius is the vehicle of choice (ohmygod!).

All signs of opulence are out, austerity is all the rage. Expense is considered bling, and that is NOCD!

Hi there LegalEagle-ish :-)

[summerjt]

Hi all, enjoyed reading this post and it gave me food for thought. I think I may be a thriftifarian. I don't think twice about spending money on clothes and cosmetics, particularly haircare, but I get great pleasure if I find a stamp that has not been franked on a letter. I will soak the said stamp in water so that I can re-use it, with just a bit of glue or even sellotape. I've got 5 stamps waiting to be used in this way - makes me happy just thinking about it. Also makes me happy thinking about Philip B conditioner that's sitting unused in my bathroom cabinet...

The class debate isn't one that's going away soon. Its a subject I'm interested in as in my opinion it's not going away, although some aspects of the debate are becoming less relevant.

[indiepanda]

Even to the extent it's possible to be upwardly mobile through classes it doesn't totally change how you feel inside. I do a job which would very much class me as middle class, but my parents background is more skilled working class and I think a fair amount of my beliefs and values are informed by that.

I'm certainly quite concious of having had an altogether more modest upbringing than a lot of my peers at work - not sure it's a complete coincidence that my best work friend has a very similar background to me either.

As to whether I show any thrifty tendancies... Well, I'm pretty god at running through my money it has to be said (or bad from my perspective). But I am still a sucker for special offers - would rather end up stocking up on toiletries if I can get a good deal on buy one get one free or 3 for 2 than paying full price. And I use the library and buy books in charity shops too. Though it has to be said I still buy more than enough off Amazon too...

Need to get more thrifty really, pensions are getting so much more expensive. I'll be working into my 70s if I don't start saving more.

[Huguenot]

Indiepanda, you're clearly middle-class. Skilled working class is middle class. Being a sucker for deals, counting your pennies and loving your family is a character trait, not a class.

AFAIK a working class person is a middle class person who likes complaining, fighting and blaming everyone else for their own poor decisions, ending up skint in the process. It doesn't matter who their parents were.

Since this is a soul destroying activity, intelligent offspring of 'working class' people wise up and spend their time doing more productive things, thus becoming 'middle class'. Their parents bitch about this, because they bitch about everything. Their parents also feel humiliated because their kids have shown them how anything can be achieved if you put a bit of effort in. Their parents bitch about this too, but don't make any effort because then they'd have nothing to bitch about.

This has a statistical knock-on effect that 'working class' people are disproportionately stupid, and blame other people for stealing their brains.

'Working class' is an ironic 'middle' class joke, because the one thing the working class don't do is work. If they worked, they'd be middle class.

It is a nonsense to draw class distinctions between manual labourers, adminstrators and landed gentry in the socially mobile 21st century. Intelligent people recognise this, and become by definition middle class. Stupid people don't see it and are consequently working class, and complain and bitch about it (as above).

Oh, and.... ;-)