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 😊

MotherOfRatios something really needs to be done about that. Our friend’s ex was room renting, roughly around the same as you are paying, it’s a ridiculous amount for a bedroom, share of kitchen and bathroom. They could no longer afford it and have no family to help so now live in their car, it’s really sad.

We haven't got the time to reply, that's why. Only the 100k plus MN's, who only have to reply to an email a day...get the time to peruse the Internet all day. All minimum wage workers are working every hour.

We're probably slightly better off than average but still average.
I earn 43k and partner earns 28k. However I'm only promoted temporarily so will then revert to 33k. We've no kids and a mortgage that is cheap as chips (for now) - under 350pm.

We have a lovely house, pets, plenty of holidays and great social life. One second car relatively newish and one old car. I don't have enough money left per month to buy lots of new clothes etc so I use vinted and have tried to cut back on food shopping with the cost of it all. I have a small savings buffer for emergencies.

I always feel 'skint' but really it's because we do so much social stuff and travelling. Having been brought up in poverty I know we're actually very lucky.

I suppose I think no matter what you earn you can spend it. My friend with the best salary is 'skint' sometimes but when you go to her house you see why.... all food shopping from marksies, more expensive versions of toiletries, makeup, clothes etc. I think rich people buy the same things give or take but just more expensive versions lol so I'm not sure that less well off people are really losing out unless of course they're in poverty because that's awful.

Once thing I will say, I went to a decent school and uni and all my friends have 'good' careers... yet most are on 40k and noone earns over 60k I think. I sometimes think these mners on mega bucks are bullshitting... there can't be that many of them if I don't know any lol 🤷

Single parent with no support from exh for most of my 3 children's lives.
Went to uni as a mature student got good quals but raising 3 kids with additional needs meant a long career break doing jobs that fitted in. All adults but 2 still at home due to needs. I have a mortgaged 3 bed semi in northern England, no money for holidays,or pretty much anything other than basics but can manage an occasional meal out together.
I work in the third sector so never going to be rich but I know that I make a difference each day which helps make it bearable. I'm actually happy. I love my kids they're decent humans. I have a small life and am mostly happy

Average median is 35k per household in London it is slightly more just over 40k now some households have only one adult whether young single or a widow, other households may have four working adults for a time. Most common is one adult full time one part time. Because of pensioners and students etc this is why average household income is not much above average full-time salary, as only a relatively few households have two.full time workers, because Mumsnet is largely parents with children rather than a couple of empty nesters or pensioners or indeed single young workers the demographic is not an accurate representation of population as a whole

You sound quite up your own ass. Do you find it hard to believe that some people have the skills to survive and be content on a low income ?

We’re average, 55k of income, but working to increase it as we rent and want to have our own house and want reasonable pension pot. Also we have a son now and want to have money to help him out with education. Maybe not private school, but to pay for his accomodation at uni, take him for holidays abroad to show him world etc.

Average £2,500 per month that’s for 2 adults 3 kids.

Not great but we get by. 14 year old car. Usually have a couple of trips camping throughout the year.

Oh and we don’t own our own house. We private rent.

I wonder what @chopc thinks of us who need state top ups?

@Devilsmommy The exact same as me. No differences at all. And I too am happy with it ☺️

That does make sense.

One thing I would add is that it is (largely) household income that matters here, because a household with an income of £35k still has most of the same bills as a household earning £70k.

I’m a single parent on 36k and I get some UC and also a 25% reduction in my council tax, but other than that my bills are exactly the same as a household of two people earning the same wage as me. My 3 dc also need exactly the same things as if there were two parents providing for them.

(This country really screws single parents over IMO.)

I'd say I live a very average life and am happy/content. Maybe slightly below average since I split from my husband, but I make ends meet. 30k salary, 1 child, dog, mortgaged 3 bed semi, uk holidays once every 1-2 years, drive a 7 year old peugeot without any finance.
It would be nice to have more, but quite honestly, I don't want to work for it. I like the fact that I leave work and don't think about it until I walk back in the next day.

I'm below average, just over £18k a year. Single parent with no help but lucky enough to own my property thanks to inheritance. My job is average too but I'm happy.

Late 30s, married, net income per month just above £6,900. Husband has a high paying role, I work 5 hours per week in a professional position and care for our preschooler. We both drive old, fully paid for cars. Have £160,000 left on the mortgage for our 4 bed detached, which isn’t in a desirable part of town.

I suspect how you feel about you income has a lot to do with your mindset. I feel just as poor now as I did when I was single, singed off long term due to illness, was having my rent paid by the state and looking down the back of the sofa for change to afford a small bag of shopping. However, instead of struggling to pay for food I am concerned about saving enough for my retirement and comfortably affording my daughters private education.

When I worked in lower paid professional services role everyone I know had an average income and felt this was their lot in life. After meeting my husband most of my circle were earning £80k + in their early 30s. I have gone from earning £35k a year to recently signing a contract where I’ll earn £100ph as a flexible role. I’m glad I’ve had my aspirations raised.

However, instead of struggling to pay for food I am concerned about saving enough for my retirement and comfortably affording my daughters private education

You can earn £100ph but don't have the common sense nor ability to reframe your mindset to realise you're not "just as poor" as when you were single on benefits, because of what you're now wanting? You need a lesson in want and needs. And gratitude.

@Gx44tyh You aren't average then.

Gx44tyh So you are an average U.K. citizen, earning £100ph?……..did you mis-type an extra zero my mistake?

i guess there might still be money concerns but it’s not at the same level as below average people. Whenever I talk to my manager about cost of living he says yeah me too. I think wtf. You are going on several weekends away and a big holiday how are you worried!

I’ve not been away at all
in ten years and only just keeping my head above water!

Worrying about paying private school fees and giving yourself a nice pension pot is not the same!

I’m finding it really interesting that some people on this thread have a household income of NMW and some have a household of £70k and they both consider themselves ‘average

I posted earlier in the thread, £70k household income, evenly split between dh and me. But I think based on the op there are more definitions of average than just money too.

Earning £70k between an office worker and a cab driver, deprived backgrounds, a levels highest qualification, 3 kids in state school, one old but reliable car, renting...it feels pretty 'average' in most ways.

I'd say we're far 'more average' than your households with two City lawyers in London with a nanny, PHDs in unpronounceable things and private school for the dc - which is what I tend to read most of on MN!

most of my 2 income friends households are about the £60-80k mark.

Usually husband on 50k+ and wife on £18k- £30k.

i suppose they’d consider themselves average. Not extravagant life styles. Several holidays, 2 cars, nice clothes, good social life.

Im Much much poorer since divorce. And it shows in what I can/ can’t do.

In the sense that I think that it's clear from the thread that some people just don't seem to see anything beyond an entry level job as being "for them" and I really didn't realise how closed some people's worlds are

Closed or content? I have friends who have never moved away from the small town we grew up in. I envy their close family ties and long standing friendships. If they're content living simpler lives than the stressed out highfliers of Mumsnet, so be it.

On the other hand, I suspect that many on low wages live lives of quiet desperation.

I'm average. I clean farm houses as my job,sometimes after school nanny jobs. Earn around 12k. Just paid mortgage off on my Victorian terrace. No pension as self employed but got a few bonds going.
No credit cards,loans,will keep 16 reg little car for as long as I come.
Eldest dd doing well in retail,she left uni after a year.About to buy a shared ownership with partner.
Middle DC just joined army and moved away.
You gest looking at plumbing or car mechanic courses at college.
One cheap holiday a year.

our household income is exactly average however we are older and have paid off mortgage so have more disposable income we both work part time as have partially retired. In Scotland with no mortgage it is enough to run two cars both about 7 years old we have a UK holiday every year a couple of breaks with family and a European holiday every second year, decent food some organic etc, DH hobby is a bit spendy with fully equipped workshop but he makes some money from it too, also DD likes fashion and her skincare makeup. I try to make ethically and sustainable shopping choices which is easier with no mortgage but not everyone can do this

I’m not sure where to start with this post.

If you feel as poor as when you were looking for money down the back of the sofa… you do know that private education isn’t compulsory?