AIBU to be baffled by colleague on same wage living lavishly?

It will very likely be inheritance . I’ve had a few friends over the years whose grandparents have died leaving them property so their salaries simply went on enjoying their lives- holidays etc.

Had an ex years ago who would easily spend £10 a day on tobacco and alcohol. £3650 a year. Easily enough for a luxury spa weekend and a city break. Day to day choices can make a huge difference to your finances.

Lots of reasons already mentioned, also, you might just spend more on things she's doesn't, subscriptions, phones, more expensive food shops etc?

However any time I've heard of someone living this kind of lifestyle without the wage to match it's later come out that they're up to the eyeballs in debt, have some kind of sugar daddy, or swindling the company they work for 😁

On a household income of 50K?

You’re on 50k, luxuries shouldn’t be a challenge. Im the sole earner in my household earning £30k and the cost of living crisis hasn’t remotely affected us.
Okay insurance and gas is a little bit more than previous years but an extra £ or two a month isn’t an issue.
If you’re struggling on £50k a year, you’re living beyond your means.

Same. Bit of limited thinking from @Sartre .

No inheritance, no help, DH & I are not high earners.

We didn't go abroad for 8 years, no new car, no kids, no pets.
Minimal takeaways, no takeaway coffees.
Just Netflix subscription, no gigs, buy reduced theatre tickets.

If travelling, buy cheapest seats, no reserving seats.
Cinema, bring own snacks.

So saved a lot from that and now when we do big spends, friends jokingly call us moneybags.

They on the other hand, skiing every year staying at a villa and another abroad holiday.

They have a very expensive hobby.

Have pets that cost £££ and travel first class.

Perhaps does not drink smoke vape etc.

I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to do those things on 50k. I do them on far less of a wage.

She very obviously has a high earning spouse. Or, less obviously, an inheritance from a more distant family member.

our DC’s private school fees are funded from a huge chunk of money unexpectedly left to dh and his sisters after a single great uncle died with a huge secret investment portfolio built up since the 1960s. And of course we’ve never told anyone - no one’s business.

See posts like this make me think the less you tell people the better. What difference does it make to you how she spends her weekends?

Some people spend a lot of time finding deals and vouchers.

Some people have high-earning spouses.

Some people have family money.

Some people have no dependents.

Some people lie about not having debts.

For all these reasons, two people on the same salary often have totally different lives.

This seems pretty simple.

1. she doesn’t waste money on debt. People underestimate how big an impact this has
2. she values these experiences and spends her budget on them. She likely doesn’t spend money in other ways.
3. you mention in-laws. There is a second income in play.

Maybe she got on the property ladder early, or even flipped houses and made a fortune. You just never know. But I have more money than my sister who, with her husband, must earn over twice what we do. Her husband didn't want to buy so they rented for several years. By the time they bought, we'd released some equity to have a 2 storey extension, yet our mortgage was still half of what theirs was. We had a shorter term, overpaid and obviously paid more off the capital and less in compound interest than they have in the same period, so it went down much quicker than theirs has.

There are a lot of variables. But if someone says they are anti-debt then I believe them because I am too.

Rubbish. I don't earn. I haven't worked since 2007. We're on one income, paid the mortgage off at just turned 41 (me) and just turned 40 (husband), whilst going on several holidays. We've taken the kids to nearly 60 countries, some several times (such as Poland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, etc.), and to 20 US states (they've been to New York a couple of times). Sometimes I'll go away with my sister to Eastern Europe or Belfast, or Oslo. We use a credit card to pay for flights, then we pay of the balance. No debt, no car finance, nothing bought on the never never. It is possible.

Does this work place have an internal fraud unit? If so, they are seriously slacking! Or possibly also have fantastically expensive lifestyles 👀

Comparison is the thief of joy OP. Focus on enjoying your own life. People who inherit money also usually have suffered a significant loss. Given the choice between having their loved one back or keeping the inheritance most would pick their loved one.

How on earth can you compare someone else’s lifestyle with your own when you don’t know the full facts? Could be her partner is wealthy, inheritance, won money, savings anything and quite frankly it’s really none of your business

Very high earning husband?

None of your bloody business tbh.

Teehhe 😃

A work colleague of mine, who was a junior had a £1m house, far superior to some of the senior colleagues/partners in the firm. Her gran had died leaving her wealthy estate split between her 2 daughters (mum and aunt to my work colleague). Aunt then died. She had no children so left her now very valuable estate to work colleague.

So possible colleague has an inheritance from distant relative (or a lottery win!)

I think it was a joke

You earn 50k and are wondering why a colleague can afford things. Give me strength. Neither of you are poor. Mind your own business.

Don't be ridiculous

Some unexpected reasons for people I know to have a bigger disposable income:

One breeds puppies and sells on pets4homes but doesn't post about it on social media as they don't want judgement
One had a large settlement after having a stillbirth deemed hospital negligence
One had a parent die when they were a child and they had a generous life insurance policy which means they've always been mortgage free
One is mortgage free following a divorce from someone with a lot of family money and large maintenance payments
One bought their house for almost nothing from family