Anyone on here on an ‘average’ wage with an ‘average’ job living and ‘average’ life?

[Handcreamqueen]

Before I start, I want to say that I am not knocking anyone. I am just being nosey/inquisitive.

I’ve frequented MN since the birth of my ds, 18 years ago.

Back then I don’t recall people discussing their lifestyle and salaries etc (but maybe I was looking more on the baby topics to much!?).

So many threads these days start with ‘My husband earns over £100k+‘ or ‘We have a joint income of £160k+‘ and asking questions about luxury cars, private schools, exotic holidays etc.
It has me wondering if most Mumsnetters from high earning households these days?

I only work very part time, that’s mainly down to some health issues I suffer from and I also care for my mum who has dementia. DH works very hard as a road engineer and also covers the road gritting in the Winter to boost our income (he loves his job and has been doing it for over 30 years). We have an extended 4 bed semi (which dh built himself to save money), we both drive older (but paid for) cars, own a touring caravan so holiday in the U.K etc. All distinctly average.

Our 18 year old ds is training to be a bricklayer and 15 year old dd is still at school. Neither want or wanted to go to uni.

Before anyone jumps at me though, I’m not jealous or envious, I am happy with my lot and appreciate being a high earner is not all milk and honey (We have a few friends who earn ££££ and know how exhausted they are at times) but it often has me wondering, how many people on MN these days are regular, average earners living a regular life? The average household income is around the £35k mark which puts us just above but not by much. How many of us fall in that category?

Are many of you like us living an average life, not a super earner and have a ‘job’ as opposed to a ‘career’, with an ‘average’ car and ‘average’ house but are happy and content?

Hello to you if you are on here 😊

We are the average family, joint income of around 50k, I work part time. We share a car, 2 bed house, kids. We are comfortable but careful, only have 2 English holidays a year don't go out much or spend stupid money on clothes and shoes.

Hubby earns around £38,000 standard job not a career I run a business make enough to give us a few treats. Nice average house and new car paid off mortgage not interested in career type stuff. We just enjoy the basics and simple living . We are really happy .

We manage fine, DH works full time, me part time, joint income about £60k gross, so a bit better off than some, but not wealthy. Mid terraced modern 3 bed house, small back garden, paid off mortgage, 2 teenage DS (mine, age 16 and 19), one at 6th form, other about to go to uni. We have a touring caravan, holiday in the UK and love it. We don't do expensive things like restaurants, just live simply growing veg in our garden, cooking at home and entertaining ourselves at home with board games and films on TV. Meet friends for free country walks or occasional coffee. We don't desire more stuff or a luxury lifestyle, we think ourselves lucky in this world.

I think I'm average when it comes to earnings.

Earn just under £50k a year which isn't much these days, I got much more for my money on 40k 5 years ago.

Live in a suburban 1930s semi with 2/ 3 of the mortgage paid.

Hubby brings in around similar to me earnings wise so around 6k take home between us.

Sounds loads but it only just seems to last us.

We’re bang average. DH works in a builders’ merchants, I’ve worked for the NHS for 2 years after 20 years in various retail jobs.

We rent because we could never get on the property ladder after having our first DS when we were pretty young.

DS1 also works for a builders’ merchants and DS2 has just finished college. Neither wanted to go to uni. DS2 has worked pt at Tesco since he turned 16 so is planning on staying there for a bit before he decides what he really wants to do.

I grew up in a low income working class family so never had holidays abroad, I’m still waiting to be able to have one at 43.

Because DH and I never had much growing up, we’ve always made sure our kids never felt like they went without. We’ve struggled over the years but I think we did a good job.

I do sometimes wish for a bit more, but really I’m pretty happy with our life.

Me.

41yo, earning 35k, but been given an increase this month, so now approx £38.5 with a decent workplace pension.

1.5 years into a 27 year mortgage, costing £460 a month for a large 2 bed flat.

Drive a a 10 year old car, which I have a small loan for and paid 50% deposit on.

I have 1 late teen DC, who has just started an apprenticeship.

Only £1500 left in savings after paying my car deposit, but should be able to top these up by a decent amount each month from now on.

No holiday this year due to needing the new car and some house repairs/purchases, but hopefully a decent long haul next year, for the first time.

Me, 42 single mum earn 35k per year.
3 bed flat with mortgage, no car, holidays rarely.

I'm happy with my lot, but I will say without those threads on mumsnet I would have absolutely no exposure to people earning those kinds of salaries.
It has made me set my sights a bit higher and think, you know what maybe I could be head of department in a few years, why not? That would put me on a 60k plus salary, that otherwise I just wouldn't have thought was for the likes of me.

Also cost of living has made my salary feel like a lot less recently.

Very average here. Both DC have flown the nest so it's just me and DH. DH is a manual worker and earns about £23k, I went to uni in my late 30s and now earn £31k in a marketing role after years of part time supermarket work when the children were small. We manage to save a bit, have one holiday abroad a year and run 2 vehicles. We're not rich, but we're not poor either.

I’m not sure if 50-60k classes as average? Surely it’s well above average? Average household income is £35k.

im well below average by 20k. So classes as bottom 10pc. Single parent. Up until cost of living I was doing ok. Luckily dc don’t ask for much. We were getting by.
No holiday in nearly a decade.
Old paid for car. Mortgage on semi. Didn’t view ourselves as poor even so. Had a roof over put heads etc.

But now I’m really struggling.
Petrol prices are scary as is the cost of food.

We have a very average income of around £38,100 pa / £3200 a month (as per the link from ONS) after all taxes and benefits. £45k DH, £8k me and then child benefit. Interesting to get that perspective so thanks for that 😁With 4 kids we do feel stretched sometimes but....

We have a lovely life with plenty of UK holidays, occasional European ones, 2 old cars (14 and 11 years old respectively) and decent Aldi or Asda food with the odd takeaway. We do have a large 7-bed house with £110k outstanding on the mortgage as we inherited a small 3 bed house in our teens. (Late 30s now).

Why are ppl saying they earn average salaries and then stating income of 50-60k? That’s not average.

my cousin says they have an average income, which is 85k. Get some perspective ppl. That’s not average.

Joint income of 70k after tax. I work part time though. Not in the UK and we (happily) pay quite a lot of tax. Own two cars, house with mortgage, by the sea.

I'm a full-time teacher earning £36k before tax, I'm late 50's. Just got a mortgage on an ex-council house after saving madly (divorced 4 years ago, just got my settlement). My car is owned, 9 years old. It's just me and my cats. I don't go out much at all (too tired tbh), lead a simple life. Most of my furniture is pre-owned I do all my own DIY etc to save money. I go away for a week's holiday every year camping in Wales. I've never been happier.
When I was married we had a very high income and all the trappings that come with that. My ex was a millionaire but we had a pre-nup so my settlement was fairly low after 22yrs (under 70k). But I was very unhappy.
I love my simple (average) life!

You think a household income of nearly £100k is average? Dear lord. Not sure if you're completely out of touch, or this is a humble brag, or you're trying to be deliberately provocative...

@thecatinthetwat Median average according to that link is £35000 before taxes / benefits, but £38100 after taxes and benefits. That's almost exactly our income - £3200 pcm - even though we are on £53k salary between us plus child benefit. We're possibly below average if council tax counts as a tax as that's £3k.

That's not average then, is it?

These threads are pointless because they fill up with people saying 'oooh well we earn X times the median wage but we FEEL very average, so...'

I can't believe you only got 70k from a millionaire ex after 22 years, not accusing you of lying I just can't believe these pre nups are legal.

Yeah according to @ScaredSceptic you need a maths degree before you can even think of posting a reply.

I can't believe you only got 70k from a millionaire ex after 22 years, not accusing you of lying I just can't believe these pre nups are legal

They're not legal in this country after such a long marriage.

£30k household income here and we're OK! Most people I know are in the same boat and we all have very nice houses, go on holiday, nice cars, good clothes, etc. Never personally known anyone on over £30k salary unless they have been my boss.

I honestly don't know what mumsnetters on £50k+ a year actually do with their cash if they think they're average. I guess just overpaying mortgages and having savings?

Trust me after four years of legal wrangling it's true.

Ha ha I wish! I recently had to replace my car ( need a decent one for work) which has wiped me out as I paid out of savings which I'm trying to replace.

Nothing fancy just a 9 yo Ford.

Umm, no you just need to look at what the actual 'average' household income is. Pro tip, it ain't 100k.

This was what the OP asked Are many of you like us living an average life, not a super earner and have a ‘job’ as opposed to a ‘career’, with an ‘average’ car and ‘average’ house but are happy and content?

I'm living an average life, not a super earner, with an average car and house so feel perfectly entitled to answer