Sometime ago the Office for National Statistics published its report Wealth in Great Britain: main results from the wealth and assets survey 2006/2008. According to it on average half of our wealth is tied in non-income generating real estate; or put in another way in our houses. This should not come as a surprise: people in the UK see their houses mostly as an investment. More seriously, we see our houses as our main investment. Our houses are our castles and paying off the mortgage gives us a sense of security and achievement.
How big is your jar?
Here is the thing! My jar is large and you can see it on the picture. A long time ago it was full of Japanese peanuts; delicious but very bad for your waistline. After the peanuts were only a memory and there was a need for new trousers (or one…