New social trend relevant to ED

[Jeremy]

I don't think there's much point differentiating between working class and middle class, because the boundry is so easily trascended these days. There's no reason why people from a "working class" background can't get a good education and good job, and there's no reason why a "middle class" person can't become a dropout. I know some people disagree with me, but that's the way I feel.

[SeanMacGabhann]

sorry Asset, I thought you got upset about class because of the Peckham reference - my mistake

But the OP's question is getting sidetracked unnecessarily by them using upper/middle class as terms to make their point about gotabitofmoneybutfancyspendingabitlessofit

I'm in the "couldn't give 2 f***s" on class and not much more bothered about whether people with money deicde to spend less of it or not. I know that food will be one of the last areas I cut back (long after clothes,cds, books etc).

[JamesG]

?Thriftifarian? I like the original question? Are people going to ?downgrade? from Tandoori Nights to save 25p on a popadom?

I don?t agree with WR V Sparkes as an example. A free range chicken is about ?4 cheaper (25%) in Sparkes than William Rose.

I also think there is loads on nonsense be written regarding class. Of course its not an irrelevant concept. It has changed drastically especially since Thatcher. It?s harder to define now. There is probably more movement from one to another now. Infact there are probably more ?classes? now, the so called ?under class?. I appreciate that many of these words appear ugly but to suggest that the concept is irrelevant is ignoring the inequalities in live and not "perpetuating" them.

I know I?m middle class and I know my parents and parents in law grew up working class, (no shoes, leaving school very young, physical manual jobs etc).

East Dulwich is becoming ever more middle class hence a butcher that sells ?17 chickens and has a queue half way down the road.

[JoeChuff]

hi sorry if wording offended, it came from a newspaper article by Julian Baggini, I just copied and pasted

i think it's driving not so much at thriftiness per se but at the new opportunity for Guardianistas to impress their friends via the medium of thrift by tapping into some romantic notion of austerity or linking cost cutting back to Guardianista hot buttons - e.g.

"I'm taking a sewing class at the WI, why keep throwing clothes away?" - WIN

"I've cut my Amazon spending in half, after all it's important to support our local libraries" - WIN

"Restaurants are so over-priced, we've started holding more dinner parties/board game/bridge nights" - WIN

"No foreign holidays this year, we're doing a historical walking tour of London instead, y'know, you can live here for years but never really *see* the place" - WIN

"Who wants to pay 3 quid for a pint of Carlsberg? I've started drinking ale, it's cheaper and much more flavoursome, and it's important to support England's ale-making traditions" - WIN

but

"Frozen food's actually not that bad, and if you go to Somerfield right before it closes you can get it at reduced prices" - FAIL

"When I go to the pub, I just buy a coke and then slip some vodka in from a bottle in my purse when no-one's looking" - FAIL

[JamesG]

Agree with it all.

[*Bob*]

Still banging on about that chicken, James?

[????]

mmm. I think that there is more mobility in the mass middle class which captures the most of 'us' nowadays but I think that even the Governemnt stats show that mobility for those in the bottom decile has fallen since the 1960s....mmm...wonder if abolishing Grammar Schools had anything to do with that?

[*Bob*]

And Lo, as surely as night followed day, the writers of goodly newspapers and cheap television programming did spew forth a load of made-up pop-psychology rationale in an attempt to get some kind of angle on the crunch of the credits.

[Ted Max]

I know, imagine have the cheek to poke gentle fun at the lifestyle choices of other people, *Bob*?

[*Bob*]

I know, Ted. It's sickening.

Yours,

Sickened of East Dulwich.

[dulwichmum]

Oh Ted and *Bob* isn't it simply frightful? That people can even make a small fortune out of gently poking fun at the lifestyle choices of other people!!!

Can I offer anyone a glass of Bolly?

[????]

..apart from nurses of course....I'll stick with my Stella darlin'

[indiepanda]

JoeChuff Wrote:

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

> hi sorry if wording offended, it came from a

> newspaper article by Julian Baggini, I just copied

> and pasted

>

> i think it's driving not so much at thriftiness

> per se but at the new opportunity for

> Guardianistas to impress their friends via the

> medium of thrift by tapping into some romantic

> notion of austerity or linking cost cutting back

> to Guardianista hot buttons - e.g.

> "I've cut my Amazon spending in half, after all

> it's important to support our local libraries" -

> WIN

Lol, I am trying to cut down on my amazon habit by using the library more, but I'm not a guardian reader, it's because I keep accumulating more books than I can store, not out of any intention to impress anyone. If I was trying to impress people with my reading I wouldn't buy as many chick lit and crime novels.