To be so annoyed at this woman's financial incompetence

My human child costs less than her dog 😂

It's just publishing nonsense to wind people up.

They look for these ridiculous people and then stick them on the front page.

Indeed. And honestly, off they fuck. The kind of people who make decisions solely on the basis of maximising money vs human connection, being in a place that you know, tradition, culture etc. are probably the same people who minimise their taxation burden and are not terribly community minded in the first instance. This ceaseless pandering to rich people is just nauseating.

I would do anything I could avoid taking a lodger. I am a sociable person but do not want a stranger in my personal space at this stage of life. I’m surprised at how many people suggest lodgers to a single parent with kids. It feels like a very risky situation potentially.

High earners are leaving in droves

Citation needed.

basically this, thats the thing different parts of the country yes i agree, but at the same time its like if you were eg a millionaire but all other costs and expenses were inflated then it some ways it still costs

I earn slightly less, live in a 3 bed semi in the NW and also single. I have a cleaner, hair, nails etc regularly done but there needs to be some benefits to the level of work I do, qualifications, constant need to research and develop up with trends etc.

Also don’t spend nowhere near as much as she does. I think she wanted to make a point around the reality of disadvantages of being a single person household. I’d also assume that was probably her intention and it’s been turned into click bait.

However I do think she’s overspending. What the hell is she getting for £500 a month for food?

Typical British attitude at the moment - tall poppy syndrome.

She works and makes loads of sacrifices, sounds like her job involves a huge contribution to the community. She deserves to be remunerated well.

Many decide to have kids before having an established career amongst other things and these are the same people moaning on this thread.

High earners are leaving in droves, then who will prop the rest up ?

OP - I notice this is your first post on Mumsnet. I'm quite interested in why you chose Mumsnet as a good place to vent about her?

Well said!

Having read the article, anyone else jealous that she has a cleaner, someone to mow the lawn and another to iron her clothes for circa £250 per month - bargain!

I mean you don't know how the story was sold to this solicitor - she could've been asked to talk about expenses now that she is single. I think it is common knowledge that it's more expensive when you live on your own. The Fail could've completely twisted it to make out she's a spendthrift - they've got form for this.

It's clickbait, and quite likely made up. They do them because people respond like you are!

"I take a few holidays each year." That makes you comfortably off.

I voted YABU - for reading this FUCKING TRASH

Trying to work out the dog thing - we have 2 spaniels, and allowing for pet plan, insurance, food/chews plus 2 group dog walks a week (so that they know both the other dogs and the walker/sitters when we go on holiday because we are totally soft), it’s £240pcm per dog. It would be half that if we stopped the walks, so £250 pcm for two very dogs.

Maybe she has a Burmese mountain dog on a raw food diet?

I think the point is swapping your car every 3 years is for mugs, whether you buy or lease. Buying and keeping for a longer period of time is a much cheaper way of having a car, especially if you look after it by driving properly/carefully, having it serviced regularly etc.

The average lifespan of a car today is 13-14 years.

And despite what people would have you believe, most "older" cars remain perfectly reliable and don't cost a fortune to repair, at least to around them being "middle aged", i.e maybe the 7/8/9 year mark.

Leases are typically 3 years because that's what makes the lease firm the most money!

@LovingLimePeer I am just agog at the food! £500 per month for one person???? bloody hell! she must be having caviar every night!

hahaha same, musn't let my dog see the daily mail, he'll be putting in all sorts of expense claims

Well done, you're reacting exactly the way this pathetic excuse for a newspaper wanted you to react. Stop reading shit and you can save your annoyance.

That’s the total cost of running the car, she won’t have anything flash for that.

Yes YABU to waste your precious time and energy worrying about this stranger's financial situation; she certainly isn't spending her time worrying about yours!

It isn’t actually. Spending your savings on a depreciating asset is far more foolish. There are lots of 0% lease deals so leaving your money in an interest bearing account and paying for your car out of income is much more astute. As you never own the asset someone else is taking the depreciation hit.

Honestly this. Your blood pressure will thank you. And I'm not being snarky. I used to wind myself up reading it.

I voted YABU because although you're not wrong you've fallen for the ragebait and driven clicks towards the site, meaning that there will be plenty more articles like this in the future.

I have a dog. I doubt he costs me a huge amount to keep though he does need grooming once every 8 weeks (doesn't moult, which was a deal maker for me in buying him), is insured, and fed, of course. He has lots of toys. My car will cost me over 1k this month (tax and insurance) but I like it and I choose to pay for it - and I do not complain that I cannot live on my income. I do not have a cleaner.
Poor financial management takes no account of intelligence or income, sadly.