I come from a working class family and married a high earner. AMA

[randomlife1980]

For privacy reasons I will not explain exactly how much my husband earns, but I will say he earns over 150k a year due to taking over his family buisness. I also will not mention what his buisness is due to that being identifying information obviously.

Me and my husband have 2 children.

This post is more for people to ask about lifestyle, work-life balance, etc

Are you still friends with any "working" class people?

I came here to say the same thing…but you did it better. 😊

Looks like OP has departed anyway.

Husband is a management consultant, earns around £300k. His family of origin were all tradespeople.
I am a vet but no longer in a clinic and earn around £150k including benefits.

“For privacy reasons I will not explain exactly how much my husband earns”

🙄🙄🙄🙄

I think the whole point of an AMA is that you ask a question if you have one. You don't pile on and make lots of sweeping comments about how the OP was wrong to post. Whilst mentioning your own nearly 7-figure income, your school fees and dozens of friends who are on substantially more.

I do find the OP's situation interesting. It's not about whether we find £150k a lot of money (it is), it's about somebody's adult life being materially very different to their childhood. I grew up dirt poor. We only managed a holiday because my dad would take on cash in hand work doing nights while we were on holiday. So we'd sleep in a caravan, oblivious to the fact that dad was getting up and going out to work overnight. A rare and remarkable treat was a portion of chips shared between all of us. I married a man from a middle class family and was amazed that they could have a portion of takeaway each and on a normal Tuesday rather than a very special occasion. We are now both professionals, earning less than 150k combined btw, but it still feels strange to me. I am still the only person in my family to get a degree. We run 2 cars. I can have lunch out or go out to dinner without saving for it. And my family find it strange, I know they do. It's an entirely different world to the Northern, working class mining community I come from. Doesn't matter if Sue on MN is a multi millionaire who couldn't scrape by on two professional salaries. For me, it is hugely different, judged roundly by some of my family and still so surprising to me on a weekly basis in myriad, unexpected ways.

Agree. This is comfortable, not rich, depending on where you live.

I definitely grew up working class with money in short supply, and married a middle class man who now earns similar. It does feel weird at times, but there were a number of things along the way that made it less weird, including higher education.

It doesn't define me - the things that do are things that I have achieved (education, ny doctorate, my family, career etc) through my own efforts and not to do with how much DH earns. I won't lie, though, money does help make some issues go away, and it is nocw not to have to worry too much.

I don’t get the AMA, that’s pretty standard household income where I live and I also know a lot of families with your set up.

Weird thing to brag about. Many of us have way over that and didn't think it would be something anyone else would want to know.
But love how you ignore those statements.
Most of us on more also earn because we are able bodied to so why rely on someone else and not contribute... You'll be royally............ When he starts doing the secretary.

This lol

If you look at take home a 150k for one is the same as two 60k incomes

And actually 2A 2C with 91k annual income after tax puts you in the 82nd percentile. So almost 1 in 5 has more money 🤷‍♀️

An AMA from someone in the 1% might be interesting, not someone in the 18% we are boring

I disagree- 2 top of the salary but not promoted teachers (Scotland) will have a combined income of over 100k. Combined middle management in NHS will be around the same. A professional couple in most sectors will jointly earn around 100k. A professional couple both in mangement will be jointly earning120-150k.

I’m in the same situation OP. It never occurred to me that it was unusual enough that people would want to ask me anything.

You need to get over yourself.

My income is 30k, I have dependents and I never have to eat beans on toast.

Genuinely, how are people on high incomes still short on money?

There is no income threshold to enjoy a plate of BBoT. Nobody has to eat them.

People on high incomes may be intentionalluly short on money. The returns on cash holdings arent great so they've kept a small readily available cash amount but heavily invested the rest and have a nice tidy portfolio. They also usually have higher bills, higher mortgage repayments, school fees, more outgoings generally. Lifestyle choices.

We have a very high joint income.

And I still love beans on toast! As do DC and DH!

You know that you can eat a basic meal because you want to, not because you have to…

@Cheeseandolivesplease weren’t you financially dependent on your high earner ex?

What do you class as a high income? If you’re on £30k I imagine you might consider £80k a high income.

At that level you’d lose all child benefit so you’re £200 down each month there assuming two children (more if additional children).

The take home pay assuming student loan and pension contributions (10%) would be £4,114. Mortgage payment could very easily be £2.5k+ for a modest family home in London or the south east. That leaves little over £1.5k each month to cover council tax, utilities, food for a family of four+, phones, internet, clothes and school uniform, school trips, modest holidays and birthdays/Christmas etc etc. and that’s before saving anything. It really doesn’t stretch that far.