Cost of children, online scammers working hard - and wealth gaps in friendships
Happy Sunday, and happy Diwali - it’s the festival of lights! Time for the candles to come out in full swing.
I also started reading a book on hygge last night. It’s all about blankets, warm lighting and candles - time to get cosy and hyggelig 🕯️
1. The UK’s birth rate has plummeted, but we literally cannot afford to have more children
Glamour
More than half of parents say they cannot have another child due to costs, while one in 10 mothers are quitting their jobs due to childcare pressures. A year ago, 15,000 mums and families marched across the UK (I don’t remember this) to protest the prohibitive cost of childcare. Unsurprisingly, nothing has changed since then 😒
2. The coming weeks are the busiest of the year for online shopping - but it’s also when scammers are working harder
Money Week
I know we’re all digital natives, and really smart. But. Scams are just becoming more and more prevalent, and sophisticated. It’s a massive growth industry! This article is worth a read just for a refresher.
And, remember that investments and pensions are the biggest targets for scammers. So it’s worth talking to parents and other relatives about their finances - just to check that there’s nothing fishy going on there. I heard about a couple (friends of someone who attended a money workshop I ran this week) who had saved their whole lives, and got scammed out of their pension 😢😢😢
3. Is the wealth gap ruining friendships?
The Guardian
Increasingly our society “seems to place huge status on wealth and equate it with personal worth.” Facts. I was at a lunch yesterday and the bill was split evenly - coming to £90 per person. But I had vegetarian food and no alcohol…! I had to speak to the person organising it, who sent me £20 back, but… still.
By contrast, I hosted a dinner earlier this week and took time to split the bill properly, because I don’t think it’s fair to make people pay more than they need to. I think it’s different if you have a group of friends, where it will even out over time. But, awkward conversations might still be something worth having, if it’s something that matters to you 🍽️