To wonder how people are coping?

Please tell us what you spend your money on, I'm intrigued to see what is costing you so much?

We take home just over 4k a month, £1800 is disposable (after groceries). we have 3-4 holidays a year and I buy pretty much what I want for groceries.

“Higher salaries often come with higher outgoings. I know that we pay a fortune on mortgage, council tax, insurance”

Thats the mistake. Why would you take on higher commitments without adequate margins for inflation and interest rate rises?

“Mumsnet rich”
What is that?

Is this really about how the working poor are coping in this country?

We are coping very well thanks.
No kids at private school.
No subscriptions ( other than NF)
We eat well.
Both kids are earning/ studying and earning.
No mortgage.
Live in the NW.

🥱 another boring thread how they can’t possibly survive boo hoo 😭 maybe contact citizens advice see if they can help you budget abit better 😶

But the point other posters are making is that they are feeling very comfortable with a small fraction of what OP has. Indeed I feel positively wealthy with a small fraction of what OP has.

The main difference might be housing costs. Or it might be carelessness with money . Or greed. But it is certainly possible to feel very comfortable on a lot less

You’re not MN rich, you’re rich. Is this a weird stealth boast?

Not really, we have a 3 bedroom house on a housing estate and who pays lots of council tax to keep up with the Jones'?

Barely managing only for the kindness of a friend. It makes me sick to my stomach when people can't afford the basics yet fukwits like Trump are being given banquets.

Where did your money go that you’re saving from the private school fees? This doesn’t really add up, unless there’s a debt issue

Expected responses from mumsnet.

I think the point OP is trying to make is that with a joint income of such an amount, one would expect to feel very comfortable, if not wealthy, but this is not the case. You get told that if you work hard, make sacrifices and you climb the career ladder, life will be good, but it doesn't feel like it at the moment.

I agree with you, OP. My DH and I are not making £170k but we both work in demanding professions with higher range salaries. Higher salaries often come with higher outgoings. I know that we pay a fortune on mortgage, council tax, insurance. With the amount we make, I would expect us to feel comfortable, have holidays and be able to save, but we only go on holiday once a year on staycations, and we always run out of money at the end of the month.

Everything feels more expensive, we get taxed out of the wazoo, services are of poorer quality, potholes, poor healthcare services, school struggling to deal with SEND kids, it all just feels like a shambles.

170k household income. Poor you! It would take me nearly 10 years to earn that! Some people don’t know they are born!

I’m coping. I gave up buying a new pair of Jimmy Choos each week and we only drink Laurent Perrier now instead of Dom Perignon. I briefly considered exchanging my Bentley for a simple Range Rover but just can’t bear it.

"Mumsnet rich" household here, too. Income from rentals, domestic and commercial properties.
I absolutely understand where you come from.

You really can’t complain on that amount of money. Ridiculous, sorrh

OP is basically fine and having to cut back a bit but their lifestyle will still be better than most. However it does signal that there is something fairly fundamental going on here in regards to living standards. The cost of everything is rising, new taxes are appearing (tourist taxes for example) and wages are stagnant with many people especially professionals experiencing a real terms cut in pay.

We're all noticing that little everyday/week luxuries like tea and cake in a café, your favourite magazine are becoming too expensive while quality drops and therefore are no longer worth it.

Right now a lot of us are getting by, cutting back, redefining our expectations and its ok but the general trend isn't good. If people who supposedly have money can't afford extras like meals out, trips to the cinema or theatre, music lessons for the kids that has a knock on effect on the people who work in those industries and who provide certain services. I was in my local town the other day and the shop that used to be a fancy chocolate shop has shut and instead it is rented out by a man selling literal junk, not interesting antiques or memorabilia but stuff that wouldn't even make it on to the floor of a charity shop. His shop front signage is all on sheets of paper written in illegible hand in felt tip and the window of the shop is littered with old empty bottles of cola and instant noodle pot. It was disgusting and sadly isn't the only example of such a thing. Sure on one hand he's probably just trying his best to make a bit of money but it speaks massively of an economy that is in serious decline.

Your mortgage must be enormous? But if you're in London that's understandable. Surely the reduction in costs from school fees would cover that though.

We are definitely feeling the pinch but can still afford Netflix and a few other subscriptions, and a holiday.

Yeah, our combined wage is just over £62000, we rent privately, get no UC or anything, run 2, all be it, oldish cars and I think we’re in a nice comfortable place.
We don’t have much in the way of savings and are both heading into state pension territory within the next 10 years.
I find it difficult to understand why people earning 3x what we earn struggle.

we have a household income of just over £100k and have 3 teens. They go to state school but we have prime video, netflix, disney+ etc

Not everyone lives in London.
Gasp, horror some people live up North. DD and her partner recently bought a four bedroom detached house for £270k.

What are you spending your money on? You must be raking in the best part of 10 grand a month. I get by on less than £1k.

Brilliant 😂

On £180k here and can't afford private school. It's the London mortgage.

This is ridiculous.

OP if you come back please post a list of outgoings so we can pick it apart, as this is absolutely ridiculous to be worried about Disney & Christmas food.