High earners - how do you spend your salary?

We concentrated on paying off the mortgage first.

kids activities
high end skincare & make up
m&s food
organic food
designer clothing
cleaner
gardener
nails every 2 weeks
David Lloyds membership

take home pay of 150k a year between us

Absolutely @Topgub which is precisely why there needs to be levelling up rather than levelling down. The London Borough in which we lived had not one state school that offered a classical language, a choice of MFL and three separate sciences. It's an absolute disgrace. Brompton Oratory did; as did Sacred Heart - we are the wrong religion. Grey Coat did in Westminster; Lady Margaret in Fulham.said they did but then we found out they didn't. My DC are both linguists and plugged into the liberal arts so Tiffin wasn't an option and Sutton Grammar/Wallington too difficult a journey.

Something has to change.

I'm personally incredibly grateful for my public school education experience. I gained 5 A* and 5 A grades at GCSE, went on to do A Levels, and then university 3 times (BSc, MSc and most recently to complete a PhD). I now earn a fair way above the national average salary in a professional role I've worked and studied hard for. I came from a background of relative poverty and a one parent family. It's what you make of it, I guess (certainly in my case anyway).

I know 😞 my husband is much less stressed about it than I am
But I'm always stressed about it

You make a lot of assumptions.

The points I made as to the benefits of private school over state are what is listed on the majority of private school prospectuses - have a look if you don't believe me.

Save for the comments made at the end about the social hobnobbing myself and friends have witnessed whereby people going to the schools make social connections that are advantageous long term.

That's just what it is like....

If you don't like people who have wealth, why are you on a thread discussing how they spend it?

Why do you want to know the current cost of private school ski trips and music lessons etc when you aren’t even planning on having kids for a few years yet? Seems very odd.

@Howmuchwood

How great would it be if all kids could have that opportunity?

@jmaho I agree that some privately educated children can be awful, as they get older they see what their parent's money has bought and they do look down their noses at others. I only have my own experience to go on but when I've met people like this they are usually from very rich families but actually struggling academically and their parent's money is a sort of defence mechanism. Its sad to see.

You clearly care a lot about your DC and I you've obviously done a wonderful job bringing them up. I think all teachers would agree that parents are the biggest influence on younger children. Teaching DC respect and the value of education and serving others is always going to stand them in good stead.

Unfortunately in state schools the polite and well mannered children can get overlooked when the teacher has to spend all their time dealing with the 5 or more disruptors. I moved from state to private for secondary and it was a world of difference. In state school I was mocked for getting top marks, in private I was applauded. In state I was laughed at for putting my hand up to answer the teacher and for trying to help others. I was top of the class in both schools but I had a lot more competition in the private school and a lot more opportunities and was pushed in a healthy way to achieve my best. I would never have had the confidence and self belief to do what I have since without those years of private school. I am very thankful for the opportunity.

God you're hilarious. I suggest you go back and read your previous post where you listed out the positive points about private schools compared to state. And you have the nerve to accuse me of making broad sweeping statements! You're a snob that looks down on people. And the reason you're a snob is that you earn a lot of money and therefore think you're better than those who don't. I might not earn as much as you but I'm a decent person who has bought my children up well and they certainly don't look down on anyone and I hope they never will.

well this is depressing.

@Robinni

My attitudes appear prejudiced?

Mmmmm.

OK then 🤣

'my nephews are both privately educated and are rude, obnoxious little shits who have cash thrown at them. It always makes me chuckle'

You sound bitter @Jmaho

(It's 'extravAgant').

All of DH family went/go to state schools. DS is at a state school, but looking at moving. Plenty of friends went to state schools..... family of teachers.... Next?

Your attitudes appear very prejudiced... Children in private schools work hard too. Pretty normal for parents to prioritise their available money for the benefit of their children.

Without high flying careers and salaries we are able to attend every school event, help with homework and all eat dinner together around the table at night

And as we all know, once you hit 6 figures, the law is that your children will be raised by an army of butlers and nannies and the only parental involvement is limited to once yearly inspection.

@Jmaho very defensive.... we have a balance of friends from private and state schools, some educated in state have extremely high flying careers. The fact is the majority of kids in state schools are fine, but you do get some who have problem families and they cause disruption for the class, as was my DH experience and as we're seeing now for certain family. State schools are more tied by bureaucracy so it is harder to get the difficult ones shifted on. DS is in an excellent state school but we are looking at moving now due to the large class size and because being in a prep, as for me, would give a higher chance at grammar.

Nobody is looking down on anybody, we are answering specific questions put to us. There is no need to make broad sweeping statements about privately educated children based on your limited experience with spoilt nephews. Just as it would be unfair of me or anyone else to conjecture that all state school kids are problematic - they aren't.

Me & DH aren't high earners but we have low bills so a decent disposable income each month. We make sure we live debt free & save each month. Aside from that, meals out, activities with DS, one family holiday a year.

👏🏻

Yes, people might as well say they only earn a million pounds a year because they live in Beverly Hills and gosh, the houses are so expensive there.🙄

@Howmuchwood

Thats nice, I guess.

Tax efficient though eh?

Given that a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet I’m not sure we need a thread populated by rich people discussing what they do with their mountains of cash.

Do you post on every thread discussing DC that as many people struggle with infertility, we don't really need threads about having DC3?

@Robinni

How do you know how things are dealt with in state schools? What is your experience of them?

Mmmmm. I'm successful and economically secure. My children will be too.

Id rather everyone was than a select few who are only successful because of daddy's money rather than their own hard work or talent

@topgub our spending is keeping plenty of small local businesses going. My DH employs 6 people in his company, all on decent wages and well above industry average. I lead a team in my company and buy them birthday presents and pay for a meal out once a month because that way noone has to skip the lunch or feel bad about it. In my experience people who earn well, including many that earn more than me, are generous and like to treat others.

@citygirly as PP have said if you can afford full time childcare from age 0-5 then school fees won't be an issue. Save up for your maternity leave and for the first 3 years where there's no funded childcare. If you earn over £100k by then you'll get no taxfree childcare account and no child benefit so save as much as you can now. A live out nanny is currently around £15-£18ph gross in my area plus payroll and pension costs so its a big chunk of take home pay.

School fees in my area are around £15k per year for a day school with a lot of extra costs like music lessons, sports clubs on top of that.

I'd read through all the nonsense about £140hk not being a high salary plus the usual ridiculousness about it not going far when you have a big mortgage and childcare to pay. But now we're onto how state schools are utterly shit full of feral vile children and I can't bite my tongue. Some of you are so out of touch with the real world its laughable. Because you earn lots of money you look down your noses at the rest of us like we're dort at the bottom of your shoe.
My children attend state schools and are well mannered, extremely bright and going to do really well in life. Above all else they're well adjusted and in touch with the world around them. Oh and most important of all they're happy! As we are talking anecdotally, my nephews are both privately educated and are rude, obnoxious little shits who have cash thrown at them. It always makes me chuckle as when we attend their extravegant birthday parties it is my children whose hands are up answering questions and getting involved when the private school children sit there sullen faced and looking bored
On a recent visit my nephews both sat in their rooms playing computer refusing to either say hello or goodbye to us whilst my feral poor state educated children were downstairs either helping out with the food or talking politics with my brother in law
Whilst we don't have the money or inclination for private school we make up for this with time. Without high flying careers and salaries we are able to attend every school event, help with homework and all eat dinner together around the table at night. So you can all piss off with your assumptions that your children are more intelligent and better people because of the education that you pay for

Jars of dirt ☠