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 do think there are a lot of fake people on here these days, people just put to wind others up.

I don't think it's a competition. And no, in the circumstances you give, a high salary cannot prevent certain things happening. It does however cushion you against a lot of the issues that people on average or lower in one's face - in many cases, it can give you security that your home cannot be sold out from under you, potentially leaving you homeless, it can make it possible to see a private GP or a consultant to get a diagnosis, even if you then go back to the NHS for treatment - it speeds up the diagnosis, you can probably afford private dental care whilst others can't, you probably don't have to ask your state comp if they have any secondhand uniform, even if it doesn't fit perfectly, because you simply cannot afford everything new. As much as there is a misconception that excess salary above national average is all disposable, there is also an inability to understand that for average to lower earners, it is not always possible to 'just' save up six months salary as a cushion, or to 'just' get a better paying job or a second job, or to ask adult dcs to contribute to the household finances and then 'just' save it all up and hand it back to them as a house deposit. I absolutely agree there needs to be more understanding about people's circumstances, from all sides, but I also think there needs to be fewer goody threads with high earners fretting about the fact they can only afford Waitrose caviar and not Fortnum and Mason like they used to!

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?

Please note my original thread. I did not start this for it to become goady or to spiral into an argument about a rich/poor divide. Please don't be that person who goes out of their way to derail a thread and turn it up n to something it isn't. If you wish to raise these points then you are more than welcome to start your own thread.

I am a caring person. I care for a living and care for my terminally ill loved one. I show kindness and give support to friends regardless of their social or economic backgrounds and situations. This thread was started so I could give out a little hello to those in a similar economic background to the one I'm currently in, nothing else, just that.

I am fully aware that emotionally life is tough for everyone, believe me, I know!

Fake galore. With big egos, having the need to manufacture figures and occupy normal mentally healthy folk with their amazing made up problems, like lol, should she go to 4 days

Or the other way, if they were such a high earned, why wouldn't they ask a financial expert but need to post about in om mum and baby forum

I totally agree.
As an OAP who slogged her guts out as a nurse and was always the main breadwinner because H was self employed, I can’t imagine what earning more than £40k feels like.
Until recently we lived from paycheque to paycheque, three bed ex Army semi detached house, never had a car that wasn’t several years old when I bought it, never had any help with childcare so did night duty for years. No holidays abroad, the odd week away every few years.
My health has suffered as a result on manual handling nursing practice, I have arthritis in my shoulders, neck and back.
The winter heating money was a godsend, obviously we’ll manage somehow but it feels like a kick in the guts to those who have no choice other than to keep trying to make ends meet somehow.

@cantpullthetrigger We are women. Just talking about lived experiences. Most people have expressed that’s just who they are and how it is. No resentment here!

Why does every nice thread get ruined 😠