Any 'average' Mumsnetters still lurking in the bowels of this forum?

[Armyofprawns]

I have been on MN since my ds was born 19 years ago and although it can be a vicious place at times (yes AIBU I am referring to you), in general I still love to come on here however as I find it entertaining and interesting but increasingly I am feeling like I don't belong here. More and more threads seem to be all about people's huge salaries of £100k+ which are often wfh and working just a few hours per week with talk of private education, nannies, cleaners, dog walkers, multiple luxury holidays per year, driving high-end vehicles and residing in luxury homes worth hundreds of thousands.

Can I get a shout out for those on here who live average lives like myself? GCSE educated, has a job rather than a career (never see anyone mention they work in Tesco/at the local bakers or care for a living), drives an older car, lives in a standard 3 bed semi, eats out (when they can afford it) at a Toby Carvery or Beef Eater. The people like me who know they will never earn mega bucks per year but even so, are actually quite happy with their lives as they are and am wondering if these people are no longer on MN?

And before I am slaughtered I am not meaning to be derogatory towards those who are earning well and can enjoy a luxury lifestyle in fact I am in awe that you have done so well for yourself and are reaping the fruits of your labour but I just wanted to know if there are others like me on here, you know, Ms or Mr Average?

I see plenty of posts from those sorts of people. Usually on posts about kids or schools, UC etc because that's the stuff that concerns the average person. I consider myself average. I rent my home work part time and drive a ten year old car.

Yes me! 🙋🏻‍♀️ Very ordinary, struggling with debt, live in a deprived area. Similarly was on MN back in the day around 20 years ago.

I'm less than average but I see you. I doubt the majority of posters are in the 1%. I've heard some horrendous views here recently but assume they're not views the majority hold.

I'm here. Mrs Average. No qualifications, didn't go to uni. Worked from leaving school, have my own business but the profit is shit and work in a bakery to keep us afloat. Nothing special in my wee corner. Am I happy? Yes, my kids are good kids, the house is warm, I have food in my belly and I still fancy my husband. Would love to have more money but it's not my lot. I'm content.

Plenty of people struggling from one pay day to the next on here

Ah, you are still here, makes me feel a little better.

Joined Mumsnet when my boy was born. He is 23 now!

I will reassure you. He is a Cambridge graduate, I am in International law, but we live in a 2 bed flat

Me, well I have a career not a job, but nothing like those salaries!
Single, 2 kids, 3 bed flat, 12 year old car, no holiday for 2 years.

Three bed semi here and debt.
Nowhere nearer 100k salary.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a post of someone earning £100k a year saying they only work a few hours a week, tbh.

We are pretty ordinary compared to many on here-one car, 7 years old, 3 bed semi (though with a loft extension), both have post/grads and ‘careers’ but work in the public sector so salaries are lower and stress still high. DH WFH, which is excellent for his work/life balance (no more 4 hour a day commute) but I can’t, so am still plodding on the hamster wheel out of the house for 10/11 hour days and that won’t be stopping till I’m 67.

The people I know who are the most comfortable are those who were able to retire at 60 or have got large inheritances.

Most other people are struggling with rocketing mortgages, large nursery bills and pretty stressful jobs. I agree about those who can WFH though-that has been a real deal-changer for many and is making a lot of colleagues I have consider leaving their (inflexible) role, for more of a balance.

You are probably seeing more and more posts about higher earners because

a) due to inflation more people find themselves in this bracket - about 1 in 20 workers.

b) at this point you lose childcare support so a lot of people with young kids are reaching this point and going realising there’s no financial benefit / are actually losing money

c) I suspect people are less willing to have those conversations ‘in real life’ because we as a society tend not to talk about money!

The very vast majority of people don’t earn that much, don’t use private education, don’t have a nanny.

Id be sceptical about anyone who is claiming to work very few hours and entirely WFH on that kind of income however.

There's loads of "average" people on here. I earn £26k.

I’ve been here years, and yes sometimes feel like my life/worries would be alien to a lot of other posters. It’s a shame as I come for a connection!

So - full time carer for disabled child, single, no family at all apart from kids, council house, money worries…I did well at school but other people’s needs have always come before mine, just my reality. On a plus point - eldest is incredibly successful in their field and has a really good life.

Single mum, long term unemployed due to health problems. Two teenagers, both just started college. Yes money is tight but I am so proud of my sons. They really are the best x

Well, we have a very decent household income compared to the UK average and a nice house, but our car is 16 years old, we have one foreign holiday a year and usually a UK break self-catering, often stay in youth hostels, DC go to state school. So not sure where that puts us in the Mnet ranking!

They are mostly fantasies, OP. Yes, people earn that much, but statistically it's very unlikely that many of them are frequenting Mumsnet as much as suggested.

We are boringly middle. Teacher and Account Manager, average salaries. 3 kids in state school, normal sized house.

We don't shout about our average-ness though, in general as a species.

Yes, Mrs average Mumsnetter here - although I'm more likely to go out for a local curry or pizza than a Toby Carvery .

I don't know why we have so many threads of people earning high salaries and not being able to afford to live. It's become an absolute theme on here lately, very tiresome.

I'd say we're pretty average.

Neither dh or I went to Uni.
I'm a lower manager in a large company.
Dh is a taxi driver.
Both earn in the £30-£40k salary region. Both work 35-40 hours.
Claim CB, nothing else.
3dc in state schools.
2015 car.
3 bed house.
Love a Toby Carvery 😁

No cleaners or gardeners. No 'gifted' dc who were talking at 6 months 😂 No talk of being mortgage free at 40. Certainly no £100k salaries for tapping a couple of buttons a week.

Hello @Armyofprawns and hope the weekend has been a good one for you. No one is average, you are you, like I am me and I've learned, through working with others, we truly are all unique in our way and money, 'stuff' doesn't make for a happy life, although can certainly ease the way. Me, above average qualifications, OK job, don't regret career path and choices, not hugely paid but then I help people and roles where you help others are rarely well paid, but been canny in how I've managed my life. I have no desire to brag, rage about trivial issues, don't put up with shit or horrendous partners (or would chose those that many seem attracted to luckily) that many seem to do, or would make a crisis out of a drama, as life would be unbearable if you did that for more than the few minutes it took to type out a mumsnet response!! I like the really useful advice, comments and life reflections on here (long may that continue), so happily ignore the mood suckers and their constant inhalation of happiness.

I joined in 2011 still watching posts ,an OAP that will have my heating allowance taken away, worked all of my life, never earned over £13 K so quite average. Since joining, the evil MNers have become even more vicious in their comments.

Hiya 👋🏻

Been here yonks and I’m totally average.

Grew up in a council house, GCSE educated, don’t think I even knew what uni was back then.
Married and had children in my early 20s, worked part time retail jobs around the kids so childcare is something I’ve never thought about.
We struggled for money in the early days and no help from family so never got on the property ladder, we have always privately rented. I now earn £24k full time in a call centre, DH earns about £40k.
I’ve recently booked my very first holiday abroad at the age of 44.

I can’t get my head around £100k salaries, multiple holidays, cleaners and paying someone else to care for your kids. It’s just not something that I’ve seen in my, admittedly sheltered, world.

'Fantasist' sub forum perhaps.

I think we're fairly ordinary tbh, not living a mad high life. Combined salary is probably higher than most, but costs are higher as well as we're London commuter belt so doesn't stretch.

I'm middle management for a housing association, DH is fairly high ranking in the Police. We both have older cars, a high mortgage, 3 teenagers, 2 cats and fairly boring lives that are working, sleeping and watching TV. If we eat out it's the local Harvester.

No family holidays, had our first one last year.

We really are boring and ordinary.

I'm pretty average. Been below average for most of my adult life (unemployed, or part time work, on benefits, struggling to pay bills etc.), but retrained last year and hoping to finally start my career now, in my late 30s.
We do own a detached house but we live in a very very cheap area. Partner is an electrician which tbf is pretty well paid but not 100k level of well paid, still falls into average salary category for my country.