Could be a product, a type of shop, a service, food from back home, anything. I've lived here 8 years and still end up ordering certain things from abroad or just going without.
What's the thing you keep looking for and never find, or can only get at a silly price or with a three week wait?
Throwaway account. 26F.
Be honest: Is it worth it leaving a life of convenience for a social life in London?
I live about 2hr30mins away from London by train, somewhere in a coastal town. I just moved here few months ago for work.
Everyday I think about life in London or closer, bcs my social and dating life in this town is practically non-existent and my type of men does not exist here lol its in big cities. My problem is IDK if its worth it. Nobody wants to do long-distance when getting to know each other and I just don't know if I should just let it go atp and just be single until I move to a better city. I feel like I am missing out so much living here???
Life here is good, I earn about £49k for 30hrs/week, cycle to work 10mins, I like my manager and my colleagues, work is chill, gym right beside workplace, big Tescos otw home, good butcher a 3 mins walk away, 5 mins walk to the beach, rent is 21% of my income a month for a big ensuite room, in a house share thats very peaceful cus everyone works anyways and I save about half of my income.
Sometimes i think, because of all the convenience i have, maybe its not so bad just to take the train to london once a month (roughly £45 more or less return) either a daytrip or get an accom for a night (+£30), if i wanna do something or see somebody.
IDK. I'm sure life would be completely different if i moved there, especially socially where there is so much more going on :( Or perhaps this time, solitary in a random little town, is the time for me to just focus on myself? Since theres about nothing going on omggg
I'm just always thinking about it, I know grass is greener where you water it but yeah, this sorta bothers me. I always see how people hype up London/living in big cities in your 20s life so bad. Like why am I not out there living it up you know??? I dont think i'd have as much savings or peaceful life though in London. given i would most likely have to commute, do longer hours for more pay and live in a shared house, thats probably not ensuite etc
edit: Not from the UK - went to a RG uni, then worked in a city an hour from London previously. I’m from the capital city of my home country <3 city gallll down 😭🤣
There's one particular bar in Hackney Wick that's just a large empty grey bare room and it makes me rage. Pints are daylight robbery as well
I get the staff are not meant to engage , but should t they at least take a photo, log it, so some enforcement team can build a database and start confronting these people?
Allowing this to go unchecked allows people to think they can get away with more serious crime. I get the impression sadiq khan doesn’t target this as it would be unpopular with his voter base
I'm looking for genuine answers rather than a debate about whether I deserve what I have.
I'm 26 and have built up substantial savings through working, living frugally, and saving consistently. I also received a significant inheritance. I fully acknowledge that the inheritance involved luck and that I'm not a self-made millionaire.
What I find frustrating is that social media is full of people showing off luxury holidays, designer clothes, expensive cars, houses, and other signs of wealth, yet if an ordinary person talks about having a healthy savings balance or receiving an inheritance, the reaction often seems much more negative.
I'm not looking to put anyone down or claim I'm better than others. Sometimes I'm just proud that I've managed to build financial security and would like to talk about it with people who are interested in personal finance rather than immediately responding with "you were just lucky" or "stop bragging."
Are there any subreddits or online communities where discussing savings milestones, inheritance, net worth, investing progress, or financial goals is actually welcomed?
For example:
Has anyone found communities where these conversations are encouraged rather than resented?
Thanks.
When people talk about the UK's cost-of-living crisis, I sometimes wonder whether they're describing something new or whether they're describing problems that certain groups have faced for years.
Low-income households, many disabled people unable to work, carers, long-term unemployed people, and those reliant on benefits were often struggling long before inflation surged and energy prices increased.
That's not to say rising prices haven't made things worse. Clearly they have. But for some people, life was already a constant battle to cover rent, bills, food, and unexpected expenses. The recent crisis may have broadened the problem, but it didn't create hardship from scratch.
Sometimes it feels as though society only started paying attention once people on average or above-average incomes felt the squeeze. Meanwhile, there were people facing impossible financial choices years earlier who received far less attention.
Does anyone else think that, for some groups, the "cost-of-living crisis" is really an intensification of problems that have existed for a long time rather than an entirely new phenomenon?
Hi everyone!
I’m a 26M from the US and heading to London for my first trip abroad. I’ll be there for six days and already have a hostel booked along with a basic itinerary covering the usual first-time sights like Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace.
I’d love some advice on British etiquette or small things I should know before I go. I’m also still trying to figure out the best way to get around and whether contactless payment or an Oyster card makes more sense.
Beyond the major attractions, what local food spots, neighborhoods, or lesser-known things should I check out? I’m not much of a nightlife person, but I’d be open to trying something if there’s a good recommendation.
Any other tips for making the most of six days would be appreciated
We thought it was strange. Return trip from Ireland to Brazil with British Airways. I'm Irish, missus is Brazilian.
We flew from Ireland to Brazil, transit in Heathrow, terminal 2 to 5, no problem.
On the return transit in Heathrow, terminal 5 to 2, my Brazilian partner was threatened with deportation the next time she tried it. She needs something called an ETA.
That is fair enough if we left the airport and had a cup of tea on Oxford street.
But we literally landed from Brazil, got the internal free subway and bus things from terminal 5 to 2, and then were grilled by immigration at the "UK border" outside terminal 2.
Why the fuck is there are UK Border between terminal 5 and 2 on a transit flight?
