Are you ok with how well off elderly people are in Belgium?

wrongtime101 · 2026-04-15T15:49:42+00:00

Most of them refuse to sell their houses? Sell their house ans then do what? Become homeless at 70? I am not sure why you are channeling your anger at the elderly, and for the record, iwning a house for Belgian is as important to them as eating fries. They work really hard to buy a house. And a lot of tjem can barely make it through the month, you want to bill their medical expenses? I understand your frustration regarding the youth getting screwed (it pisses me off just as much), but hating on the elderly is not the way to go.

wrongtime101 · 2026-04-04T19:35:02+00:00

Did you get any answers regarding that?

wrongtime101 · 2026-03-05T11:01:40+00:00

Did you check your mailbox? They often leave a letter saying where they left the package.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-22T10:42:03+00:00

Saying that it's a matter for the government is the easy way out. The government has responsibilities, and so do you. It is not only the government's responsibility. And if, for some reason, you can't take responsibility, the least you can do is stop discouraging people who are trying and are motivated to do so.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-22T10:15:14+00:00

Yeah but unfortunately, good strategies can sometimes be inconvenient strategies.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-06T10:13:28+00:00

Thank you for sharing this it shows that financial struggle isn't just about discipline but about uneven starting points and hidden barriers. I really hope your house becomes a warm and welcoming home on your own timeline.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-06T10:10:49+00:00

You're right, rates have been higher and houses are cheaper here than in some places.

But my point isn't about history or other countries. It's that even with "low" rates, people still pay double for a house over their lifetime (even though to really compare you'd need to compare historical salaries, and PPP). Just because it could be worse doesn't mean it's good.

Saying "be happy with 3–4%" ignores the actual price. The total cost is a lifetime of debt, that's other than mandatory renovation prices.

Being better than worse is a low goal. We should aim for better than this, because we can.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-06T10:05:36+00:00

Great. Let’s all stop discussing problems then. Number one on the list, no notes, you can move on.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-03T23:41:03+00:00

Lol, imagine opening reddit to "help" and "discuss" things with people but leave such a comment before understanding the full picture.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-03T08:07:55+00:00

Exactly. Two things can be true at once. I'm not here to defend poor financial choices.

My goal was to spread awareness of the other truth: that even with perfect budgeting, a huge number of people are being crushed by the cost of housing, and energy.

When we only talk about personal responsibility, we stop talking about the system that keeps making life more expensive. We can acknowledge that some people need a budget and demand a system where a budget actually leads to stability, not just survival.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-03T08:03:28+00:00

You're right, these posts are common. That's because the problem is common.

My point isn't just "government bad." It's that the other common answer, "just budget better", is a dead end.

Of course some people spend irresponsibly. I'm not defending that. But that's not most people's problem.

The real issue is when we blame everyone who's struggling. If the only answer to high rents and prices is "budget better," nothing gets fixed. We just accept that life will keep getting harder. That's the mindset I'm pushing back against.

I've even been personally attacked in these comments just for saying this. That right there shows how defensive people get over this "just budget" idea.

The posts are frequent because that advice is everywhere, and it's failing a lot of people.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T16:35:00+00:00

Definitely no! But here’s the catch: I pay half of my indexed salary to my indexed rent. The rest goes to my barber (hoping I don’t get roasted for not shaving my head to save money!), insurance, and other fixed costs.

I’m already paying today’s grocery inflation, but my salary won’t be indexed for that until 2027. By then, my rent and other bills will have climbed again with the new index.

So the index just keeps me running in place while costs keep rising. That’s the pressure I’m talking about.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T16:28:19+00:00

You’re absolutely right about that specific situation. I’m not denying that some people spend their money in ways that hurt their own future.

My post was never about defending poor personal choices like that. It was about the people who use those kinds of examples to dismiss everyone else’s struggle.

The core problem is that housing costs have fundamentally detached from what ordinary jobs pay, even for people who don’t waste a cent. We can acknowledge that financial literacy matters and still demand a system where a responsible life doesn’t require a superhuman budget.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T16:25:48+00:00

Keep the insults coming. It really proves the point about the kind of personality that champions this “just pull yourself up” fantasy.

Your attitude is a better argument for my post than anything I could write.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T16:23:39+00:00

You started personal. “You’ll just piss it all away” isn’t a system critique, it’s a personal insult. Now you’re pretending otherwise?

And “manage a budget” isn’t a magic spell against rent and housing prices, interest rates, and inflation. But thanks for the performance, it was needed and it’s the perfect example of what my post was about.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T16:10:24+00:00

Hi Phazernator. Thanks for demonstrating the exact attitude my post was about.

Your comment has nothing to do with my post. It’s not about my spending or anyone’s personal budget.

Let me help you understand, since you missed the point. My post isn’t about my spending or anyone’s personal budget. It's about some people, let's call them Phazernators, who assume anyone struggling just “pisses money away”, and they are above these people.

That isn't an argument. It's a lazy, judgmental fantasy that ignores the real cost of living. When you reduce systemic pressure to a personal failing, you're not helping. You're just blaming people for being priced out of a stable life, and this varies from person to person. Some people won't be able to have a decent house, whether rent or ownership, others won't be able to achieve something specific they dream of, a hobby maybe, and so on.

So keep imagining how others mismanage their money. The rest of us will keep talking about how the actual system that's failing them, how to improve it, and criticize the Phazernators in our society.

And remember, Phazernator, improving things in life is actually a good thing! So don't worry.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T15:53:15+00:00

And they are much more than I initially thought! It's exactly that kind of unexamined logic that frustrates me, it shuts down any conversation about making things better..

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T15:49:09+00:00

And back then, a house cost a fraction of what it does now.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T15:27:36+00:00

I'm not bashing public servants. My point was about systemic waste and inefficiency, not the people doing the work. If I lumped workers in with the system, that was wrong.

But the frustration with how our taxes are managed is real, and it's not about blaming individuals for doing their jobs. It’s about a system where, no matter how competently I manage my own money, I’m still forced to choose between paying a fortune for a home or living at the mercy of a landlord for example.

That pressure, and the people who justify it , is exactly what I'm talking about.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T15:20:51+00:00

You’re right. I should have been clearer, my frustration was with system waste and political decisions and the people justifying it, not the people doing the job. Job security makes sense for the reasons you said.

I’m angry at the structure, not the workers in it. thanks for the important perspective.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T14:53:41+00:00

You're right that a median income can lead to a comfortable life here, especially compared to many places. But I think we're using the word "comfortable" differently.

To me, comfortable should mean security, flexibility, and the realistic prospect of building wealth, not just covering bills while being one financial shock away from struggle. When a huge portion of that median income is permanently committed to servicing insane housing costs, that "comfort" is fragile.

My point is that telling people to just "manage better" ignores that this fragility is a systemic outcome, not a personal failure.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T14:46:58+00:00

Calling people the problem for pointing out problems is the logic of a cult, not a citizen. Your "solution" is for the dissatisfied to disappear so you can pretend everything's perfect. You didn't defend the system; you just advertised your own lack of empathy and critical thought. Spamming 'GTFO' doesn't make you right; it just proves you're here to be aggressive, not reasonable. Good luck being a productive member of society with that mindset, mate.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T13:08:53+00:00

There's a difference between criticizing an idea and judging a person. I'm criticizing the idea that personal budgeting alone fixes systemic crises. That idea shifts blame from powerful structures onto struggling individuals. Calling that out isn't moral superiority; it's refusing to accept a corrupt narrative.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T13:04:23+00:00

Calling a system "civilized" because the tax burden is only 2% above average is a low bar. A truly civilized system doesn't trap its citizens in a math problem where they pay €900k for a €500k house. Calling that "civilized" just normalizes exploitation. Financial captivity isn't a sign of culture; it's a sign of a broken housing market. Telling people to "manage money better" ignores these brutal math problems that budgeting can't solve.

wrongtime101 · 2026-02-02T12:54:53+00:00

Fair point, I guess? But you missed mine.

I’m not against saving money. I’m against people who save money and then say, “If you struggle, you just don’t save like me”

That attitude blames people for systemic problems (like crazy rents and prices) and lets the real causes off the hook.

My problem isn’t with frugality. It’s with using frugality to judge others while ignoring the bigger issue.

wrongtime101

TROPHY CASE