AIBU to feel middle-class luxuries have become increasingly out of reach?

Britain is not a wealthy country nor does it have a wealthy population.

Depends on your definition of 'wealth'. The accepted statistic is that we're the 'fifth wealthiest country in the world' but people often actually mean quality of life.

I am sorry, political economy clearly defines the working class or proletariat as those who have to sell their labour for wages. There has never been any other definition.

It does sound low cost and fast still. Taking dc for a dry simple cut takes longer and is double plus that.

Sea salt uses high quality organic fabrics, so it’s always been expensive. They have quite good sales though.

Working class never solely meant 'those that work'.

@HollyhocksandPeons I do love a class warrior. Knock yourself out love.

I agree. I remember hearing about the professional class as a child, which I think covered educated people on an above modest income, but not actually wealthy like the middle class.

Yes, and it’s drop in.

But it's also a vicious circle buying stuff to keep people making stuff. It's a bit like perpetuating debt by taking out new loans to pay off old loans.

Sorry, me with my old thing again - there is no middle class - there is only bourgeoisie who live off their capital and don't have to work and there is working class - who have to work for a living - it includes doctors and university professors as well - because they WORK for a living. Obviously, there are richer working class people who earn more and poorer working class people, who earn less. Also, there are skilled working class people - surgeons, dentists, teachers and unskilled ones, even though I struggle to name a job that did not require a skill. And the sooner we realise that, the better for everyone - i.e. these mythical 'middle class luxuries' will stop playing on people's minds.

there is working class (it includes professionals, like doctors and architects and teachers)

@dingodan , at which stages of life though? We saved, but very little. We made investments in our early 40s that are still delivering a sensible income now we're 70.

So, £60 an hour. Which isn't half bad.

Do people save 2k a month ? Really ?

The average family saves 2k a month @foursquares 😆😆

I can get a bit exercised about the value of work. IM not even slightly humble opinion, most people try to deliver too much too fast, and fall short. I'd rather pay a bit more to have the job done well. Probably in a minority though.

You’re right, it is low. It does take her 10
mins though. It’s 2 inches off the bottom, no layers.l, no shampoo.

Erm - I think you've got a decimal place wrong there! A quick search suggests average savings are £288 per month, and the median is around £180 per month. That's for the 80% who have any savings at all - 20% don't have any.

Went out with various vouchers I’ve had for ages for a pizza last week.
Not been in that particular restaurant for years and was astonished how much it was for a pizza that you can buy for 6 or 7 pounds in the supermarket. It was ok, but I wouldn’t have bothered without the vouchers and it definitely didn’t seem as good as it once was. The poor waitress was on at own , rushed off her feet and only had half the place open. The place and toilets were clean though.
It all feels such a rip off. Chicago town pizzas are just as good. (Maybe I’m just jaded by it all though ! Lol)

£10 is less than minimum wage. I'm sure you'll say it's fine because the haircut takes less than an hour, but really? You consider £10 a reasonable amount to pay for an experienced hairdresser? You remind me of my ex MIL who loved talking about how little she paid for haircuts. Ironically, a middle class, liberal Labour voter. Wouldn't surprise me if she's on MN talking about how fantastic Andy Burnham is.

Funny but true story.
My daughters close friend is a great little baker and 2 years ago in school she brought in delicious cupcakes 2 days a week, 50 x 2 days @ £2 each.
This is a private school and she did it as a little hobby.
Both parents are hospital consultants and she is now entering medicine.
She cleared £5k during that year.
She is a credit to herself, will make a fantastic doctor, but clearly has a great business head too.
I did however raise my eyes to heaven at my daughter/me paying this every week.
One day her father mentioned bringing a tray of them in for his surgical team and she charged him!
Great young woman.

@nomas, I have curly hair (lots of it) that grows outwards not down long. I prefer it cut short because I am petite. Understanding my hair growth pattern is the skill that I happily pay for. I live on Dartmoor, and I see shorn sheep daily. I prefer not to look like George Mudge won the fastest shear!

I use kindle because I am learning French and reading French litt. If I don't know a word, I can press on it and get 1. The meaning from the French dictionary in French. 2. Translation of the word into English.

Agree to a point that I earn ok but have less money. I’m having to avoid buying things I might have a few years ago. I don’t buy many clothes now and we rarely eat out.

however, when I was younger it wasn’t the norm to eat out. I’d never see my parents with a takeaway coffee like I see a lot of people walking around now. We didn’t really get takeaways unless it was a treat or a birthday. Toys were for birthdays and Christmas and we circle things in the Argos catalogue. Didn’t have easy access to things like Amazon so it was a trip to b&b or similar to pick bits up. More effort meant less likely to spend more.

but on a whole I agree. I don’t go into town much or walk round the shops as I can’t afford to buy the nice things! And by nice it’s not designer I’m talking about - just standard high street like Fatface or next etc.