To think people on here seem to save a lot more than average?

I save £350 a month into a private pension and then £200 a month into an ISA. I do not put money into a savings account due to being a higher rate tax payer. I would contribute more but I have teenagers and what money is left goes into groceries, sports, shoes.

I definitely don't think anyone would start a troll thread about savings. As you say, that isn't dramatic enough!

But when people start threads asking "how much do you save every month?", some of those responses are true, some are jokes, like "I save eleventy billion trillion quid a day, dont you?", and some people, who have fantasy personalities they like to pose as online, will respond with "well, dh and I are both high earners. I make half a mill a year, dh makes significantly more. So we are fortunate enough to be able to save £10k a month", when they're really on a bog average income, living a bog average life.

I don't even have a problem with it and who knows who is lying or not really? That's the problem with forums like this.

But you definitely shouldn't take what people say on here too seriously, especially when someone posting goes out of their way to paint their life as vair, vair glamorous!

Just imho obviously^^

I'm sure plenty of people on here are lying about stuff but I'm not convinced it's mainly the ones who talk about substantial savings and investments. I just don't see why you would- pretending to be something you're not or that you have some sort of drama going on could at least be a distraction, but just coming on here to say "I have £850k in a defined contribution pension, £420k in global equities in my ISA and £50k in cash" seems completely pointless. Much more likely to be telling the truth.

I think often when people don't believe higher earners on here it's simply because we all tend to know people who have similar incomes to our own, so if you're on an average income you probably mainly know people on average incomes. I remember someone posting that there couldn't possibly be anyone on MN with an income over £300k because if you had that you wouldn't be killing time on Mumsnet, you'd be having a champagne brunch in Belgravia, as if everyone with a higher income is an extra from Made in Chelsea 😂

That said, people who reply to money threads are a self-selecting group. Maybe people are more likely to post on them if they feel financially comfortable. If I was short of money I wouldn't want to read a thread about how well everyone else is doing. So from that pov they probably are unrepresentative.

And the friend I mentioned above who makes six figures in a part time job is the least academic of my friend group. She frequently misuses words and misunderstands concepts. But she absolutely understands her job, which is a very lucrative skill. She makes six figures out of making millions for her clients.

My point stands - how do you know WHICH posters are fantasists, and does it matter specifically who is a fantasist?

I think it's generally a great thing that a woman who was the least academic of the group can achieve so much. She does a huge amount of pro bono work, especially supporting other women into successful careers.

None of which is achieved by the "waaaaaaah, it's all made up" attitudes on this thread.

I am able to save a decent amount, but the salary I’m earning is dependent upon location and I won’t be earning it forever and I also have no children. I’ve been in tens of thousands of debt before and I’m very grateful I’m able to save at the moment. I am also frugal and do make choices to go without certain things.

I’m a high rate tax payer and my savings are around 5k. Reasons; I prioritise pension, my partner is in a stable job and earns decently, mortgage is small, no fancy cars, obligatory outgoings are low, we just like fun money. The savings have come in very very useful for car fixes etc that kind of thing, but it takes me a while to build them up again in this economy with school trips, new shoes, a coffee or two!! I’m always amazed at mumsnetters who have double figures k saved up. Good on ya!!

Social media syndrome, where everybody states the perfect version of themselves that they wish they were.

People always say people lie on here, but people do also save a lot of money.

The only reason we save a lot is because we both have a high income, no kids, and a very simple lifestyle!

I think often people post about the life they want to have, not the one they actually do have. A sort of fantasy/escapism I guess.

You are comparing apples and oranges.
2009?
The UK population increased by 12M between 2009 and 2025.
The white British population decreased by approx 15%.
Pre 2009 migrants were primarily from the EU. Since 2009 the migrant population are predominantly non EU. Humanitarian migrants are primarily from Africa and Asia.
Brexit affected EU migration further still.

I honestly don’t know anyone who saves significant amounts.

Wealthier friends have investments and property. Middle earners have pension pots and might have saved a bit for their children (sometying towards a flat deposit or first car etc). Everyone else is too broke!

The only real ‘savers’ I know are older generation (70+), who never use credit, live frugally and have always ‘saved for a rainy day’.

There are definitely fantasists, all over the Internet, who make up new personas. Sometimes they are billionaires, beating men off with a stick, look really good for their age etc.

Yes those people do exist of course irl, but basically don't believe everything you read on here!

If it helps balance things out, my savings have taken several hits this year and are basically nothing now. I am saving aggressively (which involves me growling at my savings and swearing at them) now to make up for it

I’d say that comes down to what you mean by wealthy? If there’s one thing financial threads mumsnet routinely demonstrate, it’s that opinions as to what wealthy constitutes vary dramatically. I don’t believe the majority of Mumsnet users are wealthy, and I didn’t claim that was the case, but I do believe that a significant number are above the UK average.

The ‘census’ results describe the average user in 2009 as being middle class, London centric, and relatively affluent. You can call a married couple, based in London, both average London earners with a combined income of £100k, ‘relatively affluent’, or even wealthy, by wider UK standards.

No. Think critically. Eight million monthly users and the majority are wealthy. Statistically impossible.
Many users seem to feel better about themselves believing it though.

They're more likely to reply. But also, I think all this cost of living crisis talk has made people think that literally everyone is struggling. I see people talk about their spending/savings and people seem absolutely flabbergasted that some people earn a lot of money. There are jobs out there that pay insane amounts but people get so shocked by it. Plenty of people are still well off. I wish I was one of them 😂😂

”Time after time, there are posts about how MN attracts high earners and upper middle class women is either a marketing ploy or people aspiring or saying they fit this category.”

Because it’s true. It was created by women that fit into that category, and attracted more of the same (conversely, netmums was the ‘working class’ alternative). It has grown and diversified, but there is still a sizable contingent that fit that profile.

https://medium.com/@naiyanjones/online-political-campaigning-and-biscuits-the-case-of-mumsnet-4b4c64dbce5a

Additionally, not all users are UK based (I’m not), or have wealth and savings from employment.

I may be completely wrong, but I don’t tend to think there are as many liars as some seem to believe (or want to believe).

Only if you believe what you read.

Erm. I actually explained how I came to that conclusion in the post you responded to!

It's not rocket science. Wealth usually comes as a result of a good job and you usually only get a good job if you're intelligent. The amount of stupid/low intelligence on here is incredibly high. It simply isn't possible for so many stupid people to be so wealthy.

I have never written how much I have saved but I have posted on money threads with some advice. I’m no money professional but do have above average savings for my age demographic. Did well investing, have a solidly middle class life now but was raised without much at all, family experienced periods of real poverty.

I've always thought half the posts on here are BS. Time after time, there are posts about how MN attracts high earners and upper middle class women is either a marketing ploy or people aspiring or saying they fit this category. However repeatedly insisting on declaring this is the typical user profile doesnt mean its true for a website attracting 8 million monthly users!

People saying that a lot of people lie on here - why would/do they? Whats the point? Do they actually feel better about themselves by lying?!

I don't get it. I guess it could be true, but I don't understand the reasoning for it.

About people saving tens of thousands, I do believe it. In my market town the big houses are MUCH MORE IN NUMBER than the small ones and the flats. Therefore there are many more rich people in the UK than average

It matters because there is Thread after thead of

Ahy don't you buy a 6 room house

Why don't you take 3 holidays a year

Why dont you get a nanny

The advice matters and a lot of the time it is divorced from reality

I posted somewhere I cannot take a man who does not pay up. Whatever this means, it means

A man should marry a woman knowing he is to provide for her and the future offspring. The whole idea of family finances should be the aim to protect the wife and the children's futures because in the majority of cases the man dies first. This was the classic for ages. Now is all sorts of modern deviations to which I do not subscribe, therefore did not chose a man who cannot pay or is stingy

I live off my husband's wage and save mine entirely