How the hell do some people manage to afford so much nice stuff?

[ElephantSuperhero]

As per title really.

DH and I both work in decently paid jobs and we don't struggle as such, but I am often gobsmacked at the amount of nice stuff that people who work in similar levels of jobs to us seem to buy.

I'm talking things like Mulberry bags, Louboutin shoes, 3 or 4 holidays per year in luxury hotels, huge clothes buying sprees in expensive shops, £400 hair extensions every 8 weeks, that kind of thing.

Someone on my FB friends list had her wedding anniversary last weekend. She is a SAHM and her husband works in a job that is seemingly average wage. They went to a luxury hotel overnight and he bought her loads of expensive presents; a brand new ipad, Louboutin shoes, two designer dresses.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about my life; we're happy with our holiday once a year and our clothes from H&M, Tesco and Primark, but seriously, HOW do people afford it? Is there a trick I'm missing out on??

[Mumteedum]

Debt.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

Credit cards? Homes mortgaged to the hilt? Loans to pay off loans? Money from family?

[Dutchcourage]

Credit cards.

[nectarini1983]

Credit cards!

[ElephantSuperhero]

Hmmm yes I thought it may be debt however credit runs out at a certain point and these people seem to spend as though it doesn't.

Lucky buggers if they're getting money from family!

[tribpot]

I must be missing something with hair extensions - can't you just grow your hair for free?? (I thought people used extensions when they wanted to change the length of their hair overnight).

Do you know for sure what kind of salary range is likely for other jobs? There may indeed be other sources of income, i.e. I have a friend who earns a packet but his parents pay for their summer holiday every year, as a way of passing on money to them before they die (rather morbid as these people are only in their sixties).

[mishmash1979]

We bought our first house right before the prices shot up in 2000; I reckon that has helped us immensely as we r now mid thirties with 1 parent working and me SAHM to 4 kiddies and have a large 4 bed with about 80% equity in it. We r not rich but we r comfortable and I am sure good timing is what has helped us out

[CountryLovingGirl]

They could be mortgage free or have inherited money. However, they could be up to their necks in debt. House could be an interest only mortgage. I know a couple like this. The mum drives a big 4 wheel drive BMW and is a SAHM. The dad works away a lot. She spends and spends. He is aware of her spending and admitted they have an interest only mortgage. I think he is starting to get a bit worried now he is over 40!

[midnightmoomoo]

My friend calls is 'two bmws on the drive, no food in the fridge'!
I think it's either money from family, credit cards or very frugal living to keep up with the Joneses.

[chanie44]

It could be due to good money management. For example, he could have been putting money aside every month for a year without 'missing' the money.

The items could have been picked up cheaply eg there is big price difference between the different iPad models. The shoes, bags dresses could have come from outlet stores.

I suspect it probably isn't the case, but it could be possible.

[SueTrinder]

I would assume credit cards or at best no savings and a live in the moment attitude. I'm often amazed at what other people can afford on salaries that must be lower than DH and mine but we do save lots (and overpay our mortgage) so maybe it's just priorities. Or it's because they only had 2 children and have grandparents nearby and so don't spend as much as us on childcare.

[Ememem84]

Probably depends on their priorities.

We have friends who live in a tiny one bed flat. They don't like it. They could afford to rent a bigger place. But they prefer super lux holidays and material things.

I would love a 4 bed house big garden and a car of my own instead of having to share with Dh. And a pony. It's doable. But we'd have to cut back elsewhere.

[Mycatsabastard]

You would look at us and think we have everything but we really don't.

We live in a lovely three bed house, with a conservatory and garden. Rented. We had to sell both our properties last year after dp's divorce cost us pretty much everything we had.

Any money left from that went on paying a year's rent and the rest went into savings accounts which haven't been touched so we have a vain chance of getting back on the housing ladder.

We own my car, a mondeo which looks really nice but cost £500 at auction, a VW camper van which is worth a few grand but cost less than that as dp built it himself and tomorrow we are picking up a 3 series BMW convertible which dp bought on ebay for £2k. His car has sadly gone to the scrapyard in the sky.

Our holiday is camping locally this year. I'm happy with that. I won a competition on this site which has paid for most of my DD's 18th birthday presents and I have just upgraded our phones for nothing with our provider. DD is getting an iphone, her first one. Dp and I are getting Hauwei phones and DD2 will get my old phone on a PAYG sim.

Outwardly we seem to be well off. We aren't but no one wants to hear about how we are stressing about paying the rent come October when dp's wage won't even cover it, never mind the bills.

What we don't have though is debt. I would rather do without designer clothes, shoes and bags and luxury holidays as long as I'm never in any debt again. There's nothing more stressful than worrying about owed money.