Depressed about salary

@Friarclose it's not about whether OP earns plenty, an incidentally it's expensive being single, it's about whether the investment in her career and education in terms of the time and money was worth it.

I earn 28k. Dh 30k. If you're on more than this then YABU, you've got plenty

I think with regard to stocks etc you need to be able to afford to lose money and I can't. I know ds (20) has put some money into a share tracker but I think that is for a more long term investment. He also has a lifetime ISA to help him buy a house in future but you have to be under 40.
I do think it is important to save small amounts regularly and name their purpose (I won't add rainy day money to holiday money) as they do add up. I am 60 next year so I'm just trying to muddle through to dd3 leaves school and ds finishes university.
Good luck on your journey.

I do have a chase account. I havent got a help to save so will check that out. Chase give a good amount of interest per month. I just wonder if there are some other kind of ways to make my money work for me instead of the other way round. i know investing/stocks is meant to good but i have no idea where to start on it.

im not trying to be greedy either, if there are any other avenues you know of please let me know

I've got a £1000 in mine at the moment but our roof is leaking so I'm hoping that will be enough. I've not had much work since the week before Christmas but I put £10 for every day I work in my Help to Save account (very worthwhile setting up) up to max of £50 a month. I always pay into this first as I'm hoping to give it all to dd3 when she goes to university. Then I have another pot, it was Christmas but I have to change the name now and put £10 for every day I worked in that. I'll probably call it piano exam as dd3 has her grade 8 this year. I had to buy glasses in December as my bag with them in was stolen from work and I paid on my credit card (£199). I also pay £10 for every day I worked off that so almost paid that off. I get paid weekly so if it looks like there's a lot in my current account I move surplus into my rainy day.
It can be stressful but that's how I manage it. Good luck. I have an account with Chase and it's very easy to set up pots on it. They also give interest on the pots (about 5%) and 1% cashback - and I also do round up with them.

How much is in the rainy day pot? Im trying to build mine up now for this reason.

Universal Credit tops it up but if it's too long I have to sign on. Basically we live very frugally. I'm hoping at some point I'll be taken on permanently. Also when I do get paid I put it into different pots so it builds up - I also have a rainy day pot.

im in a similar position, zero hours. how do you make ends meet without work?

It's not forever. The age/stage when you have young children may likely be the poorest time for you. As mine grew up and needed less after-school care, no care, left home , I gradually built up my hours and roles. Now they're adult, I'm flying.

If a new starter would earn more than you do, you need to raise this with your line manager and push hard for a pay rise to reflect your experience. I had similar circumstances in 2012, found out new grads would start on 25k (I started on 23k two years before), and got increased to 30k to reflect experience. I've argued salary quite a bit over the years (in a positive light). If you don't push you don't get.

I think pretty much any workplace is nicer than education...

The flexibility and benefits are part of your overall package - your salary is only one part of your remuneration package; flexible working, maternity benefits, sick pay, pension - all of these put together would probably equate to a much larger cash "salary". Comparison is the thief of joy - you are on more than the "average" worker, you have a great maternity package and you are so close to meeting your long awaited beautiful baby - congratulations, and I hope you find your joy x

Yeah from what I’ve seen in the workplace the people doing apprenticeships are getting paid (a lower salary yes, but they could be at uni paying crazy fees and not earning anything), earning work experience, getting a degree they’re not paying for and then start the graduate schemes with other graduates but without the debt, with money, with work experience and at a younger age as well! Perhaps they’re getting more competitive now people are realising this but I didn’t get that impression they were because I think there is still that stigma with the word ‘apprenticeship’, but yeah, there are still bad ones out there too I imagine!

That's true. But are graduate jobs less competitive than apprenticeships?
@Blah12345678999 All employers with turnover above a certain amount have to pay the apprenticeship levy. As a result, many try to make full use, offering excellent apprenticeships alongside graduate schemes. The latter more often than not is a 'degree' apprenticeship as well, so the apprentice and graduates as part of 'early career' schemes end up in the same place.

Large companies where I worked - grad schemes were more competitive. Because you only need a 2:1 which is easy if you choose the right uni/course for your abilities. Add in international students and that's a LOT of competition.
But apprenticeships require good A-level grades and (usually) the right to work in the UK which narrows the pool of applicants considerably.

However there's still a large number of 'apprenticeships' that are cheap labour, especially non-degree (Higher or Foundation) apprentices as they can legally be paid less. This is what gives them a bad name! Some catering apprenticeships for example where you do the same job as a fully paid member of staff.. Yes you are supposed to be working towards a qualification but a lot of them can be just documenting what you're doing, not any specialised training for you.

The figures are skewed by people earning millions. Don't listen to data, just decide if you are happy with your job and your pay.

apprenticeships are much more competitive than getting on a degree course

Yeah, apprenticeships were viewed as what the ‘less clever/able’ did, but in recent years I think that’s completely changed, or they probably still have that image but the people doing them seem to be ending up better off! I’d also choose doing an apprenticeship in software development over a computer science degree esp with the way uni fees are.

I'm retraining as a Quantity surveyor.
Not fully qualified yet but already earning much better wage than I did in education sector.
There is a massive shortage of workers in the construction industry at all levels.
It's actually a better work environment than I have experienced in schools and FE so don't be put off!

Posts like this depress me. I earn £25k a year and it’s the best salary I’ve ever had by a long way.
I would love to be on £35k a year.
If your husband earns more you must have a decent salary between you, so can’t you be happy with that? Your life’s worth is not down to how much money you earn

I own my own company and only take around the average as earnings. My DH is in management an earns less than average. We are in an area of decent salaries. We are not depressed about this, we are comfortable and happy. What we earn is not a marker for our worth or, in any way, who we are or the life we have. Someone earning 60k could be working 24/7. Someone earning lower can have a comfortable life with a good work life balance. Then there are the unicorns that earn well and have a good balance. They are the really lucky ones.

This ‘average’ includes salaries in London and other affluent areas where salaries are much higher so it may be that in your area you are actually earning very well in your job, you need the average of your role in your area to really know what a true comparison is if that’s what you want, but you say you were offered a promotion you turned down so, obviously, the role you are in right now, if you are equating it to worth, is not simply ‘what you are worth’.

I agree with PP that a degree isn’t necessarily something that would command a higher salary these days unless it’s a job role that directly relies upon a high level degree qualification. Apprenticeships are hugely undersold by colleges!

Equally, we must remember that as salary stipulations rise company’s will be more ruthless about who they do/don’t keep as they will review performance more closely sadly.

She is a mechatronics maintenance engineer with guaranteed job on completion (at £40k+ from day 1) with Toyota UK. They take all ages! Just apply online - https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
Year 1 (age 16) she was paid £13,000 - the same as her sister borrowed from Student Loans to live on...
Year 2 it went up to about 22k
Year 3 30k (includes shift allowance)
Year 4 35k
Then employed 40k
Later there may be opportunities for further study, degree sponsoring, or section lead promotion etc if she wants to - but as she's dyslexic probably not! She is v smart, and is paying extra voluntary pension already as well.

Apprenticeships are so under-encouraged by schools, or at least they were when I was that age (I'm very reluctant to admit that it was a while ago now and things might have changed, despite how much I still feel like a teenager!)

What sector/role pays that rate for apprenticeships? I'm always looking for retraining ideas!

So true, I am on a zero hours contract earning £11 an hour. For various reasons I am not able to work full time. I also have a degree. Ex dh (long story but still live together) is unemployed. I am happy when I manage to work 25 hours - some weeks I only get 4!

I earn £32,500. It's really shit pay considering I am a professional, with a degree, but working in mental health is not valued and therefore pay is rubbish.