How do middle-class people attain those lifestyles?

[YourPoisedFinch]

Young professionals on 30k a year, multiple holidays a year, parties, concerts, outings etc. ... how do they afford it?

Also @YourPoisedFinch whilst my DC and their partners are earning well, they didn't spend their years from 18 to now partying. DS and DD took firsts from Oxford and Cambridge, DS went the Masters/PhD route ( working part-time), DD started her first job as a teaching assistant and qualified under the apprentice scheme for teachers.

DIL and BF both attended RG Uni's. BF is stem. BF then undertook arduous professional quals with one of the Big 4.

DS and DD speak fluent French, BF speaks fluent German.

Whilst I accept they are privileged, they are all also hard workers and very driven.

I can see that the thread has moved on from your original question and you are actually asking career advice.

But in response to your original OP I just want to comment that these activities are not just the preserve of middle class professionals.

DS and his partner are similar age to you and on similar salary/just below £30k. They would most definitely ID as working class. But they do all these activities - several gigs a year, both small and high profile bands, weekends away UK and Europe plus a couple of holidays abroad each year. Probably do them more cheaply than you would like - eg staying Travel Lodge or AirB&B and Ryanair flights but still having the experiences.

Neither went to uni so they've been working since 17/18, no student debt. Small midlands town, low rent, DS walks to work.

Obviously you are in the situation you are currently in and hopefully your health is being managed and things will get better for you. But I do think that sometimes schools don't give the best advice for people.

@ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea yep indeed- these activities aren't just the preserve of MC young professionals!! Do they think everyone younger and working class is busy raising 8 kids and pigeon racing or something??

DS is 27yo and on £100k pa. Not magic circle, and didn't go to Oxbridge. Lots of out of date misinformation on this thread.

The ones I know lurch from payday to payday.
Champagne lifestyles on beer money:

Posh hotels
Spa days
Eating out ALL the time
Designer clothes

They admit they have no money by the end of the month! 😳

Yeah. Oxbridge doesn’t equal £100k+ salary. It isn’t a prerequisite. I know someone who went to an online uni or some really poor uni (can’t recall) but now they’re earning £150k+ in financial services after doing graduate scheme for B4. They’re not the only one to take that route and not come from target schools. I also know someone at a US law firm who studied via Open Uni. Also on a lot of money. Oxbridge isn’t the be all and end all.

I’m not sure any of these incomes (30-50K) would be classed as middle class?

I guess by spending all of their money rather than saving and opting out of pension schemes. DH and I earn well and could well afford to live a glamorous life but instead we save and live below our means. Different people have different priorities.
My niece earns around £25k and lives with parents. She's just bought an Audi with cash and goes on 3 holidays a year. I guess if you're living at home and bringing that in just for yourself then you can have a pretty nice life.

I'm paying £580 a month in private tutors. Long story as to why but I would be a lot better off if I wasn't. Children are expensive so if it's just a couple then they will have a lot more money. Running a house on your own with children to pay for is very expensive. Two incomes and no kids means you will have half the cost of bills and a lot of spending money.

I stopped having a mortgage by the time I was 40...that allowed for quite a lot if extra disposable symptom and not worrying about taking more time off work as don't need to cover what is normally the biggest monthly bill you have.

Wait, you mean they aren’t?! 😂

@AllTheChaos it seems not - my very lovely friends t' up north ' who I'm pretty sure would say they were working class appear to like wine bars, gigs, posh food , holidays abroad and interior decor.

When I was a graduate I spent money on concerts and travelling and most of the time had no money by the end of the month and ate cereal for the last few days before pay day.

Whats BF?

@ssd sorry boyfriend, dd's boyfriend.

Parental help during twenties.

Trust funds during their thirties.
Inheritance in their forties.

For the lucky few that is!

I think it's less.

@marmaladeandpeanutbutter yep- my son works in IT ( not software) in a pretty responsible role- he's on £38.5 in London - he's 26 - but I would certainly say he's a young professional