There are five houses in our family, and yet here we arestill shelling out for rent.
Honestly, Im so used to this ridiculous situation that it barely raises an eyebrow anymore. Let me explain how it came to be that were surrounded by family property, but forced to rent our own place.
My husbands parents own their own flat and have two more dotted around town, which they let out to other people. They always chuckle and tell us that they slogged for every brick and floorboard themselves, so we ought to do the same. They seem blissfully unaware that, back in their day, you could bag yourself a council house, or pick one up for a song if you worked at a factory. These days, scrimping your way to owning a home while paying rent is about as easy as winning the lottery.
My own parents arent much better, to be frank. When my dear grandma passed away, she kindly left her flat to me. Problem was, I was still wet behind the ears, so my parents decided to rent it out until I turned eighteen. Now here I am, fully grown, but Mum and Dad have gotten rather fond of their monthly windfall, so moving in is out of the question.
So for years now, my husband George and I have been renting a poky little studio. Nearly all our earnings go straight to our landlord. Some months, honestly, we had to choose between heating and eating. Im on maternity leave nowmy wages were never anything to write home about, but before the baby, we somehow scraped by. George works two jobs to keep our heads above water. He never went to university; joined the army straight after school, and then we metso no fancy qualifications.
The thing that grinds my gears most is Mums weekly phone calls, asking for advice on her next dress or blouse purchase, while Im over here worrying about affording fruit and vitamins. She keeps reminding us we must stand on our own two feet. According to her, we should be helping her and Dad, because they want to travel the world and have grand adventures.
I honestly cant bear this attitude from both sides of the family. Theyve got it all and then some, yet wont help their own children out, even a smidge. I get that they shouldnt have to scrimp and save to support us, but if youre sitting on extra houses, why not help out? The way they treat their kids just baffles me. I swear, when I have kids, Ill spoil them rotten.
Friends try to comfort me, saying well inherit the lot one day. Truthfully, Im so fed up I dont want a penny from them. If it were up to me, they can take their precious houses with them to the next life.
