How are people affording this lifestyle?

[AmusedTaupePlayer]

Just curious if anyone can shed liJust curious if anyone can shed light on this. I know a couple a few years older than me (late 20s/early 30s) living in Newton-le-Willows. He works as an admin/warehouse inventory clerk at some small frozen and she did not go to uni, she has no LinkedIn, never mentions any kind of work or side hustle.

And yet they’ve been on a couple of holidays in the last year, seem to eat out occasionally, and post pics of family days out etc. It’s not luxury by any means, but still — two kids and one modest income??

Are they just really good with money? Family help? Universal Credit top-ups?

Genuinely trying to understand how people make it work on paper when everything is so expensive these days.

Believe it or not, people have different circumstances and lifestyles. Your lifestyle and finances are not the default. People who are different to you aren’t suspicious. Use this moment as a learning experience to get some different perspectives. I hope these people aren’t on here feeling totally outed, you’re being a bit creepy tbh.

A holiday, the occasional restaurant meal and some family days out hardly screams drug money??

Maybe they have had money left in a trust fund
its not really anyone else’s business you can try to be happy for people who don’t have financial burdens although people who have unlimited wealth tend to be a bit crazy !

Newton le willows rent or mortgage really cheap. I know people in St Helens paying £300 a month for their mortgage.
What's it got to do with you anyway?

She could be selling feet pics, OP…

I guess your attempt at a bashing thread didn't quite go your way did it OP?! Focus on your own life. Bitterness is ugly.

These type of threads are soooo fecking TEDIOUS and utterly and completely POINTLESS

Unless you have the brass neck to actually ask the people concerned (and they don't tell you to Go To Fuck) you will never know how they can afford it.

Give it a bloody rest why don't you.

I am now replying: I guess the reason why I feel angry is that the social contract seems to be broken. e.g. I go to uni and work hard and can afford a lifestyle.

But they can afford a lifestyle too without high-flying careers and uni education.

There have always been well paid careers that didn't require a university education.

There has always been inherited wealth.

These aren't new things.

I get that it can be grindingly demotivating to work hard and see very little benefit for it, but you can't get angry at an individual couple when you know very little about their lives.

So what can i get angry about

Move to Newton le Willows I guess.

Of you have the right work ethic, there is absolutely no need for a degree for many careers. I left school at 16 with just O levels, and did an ONC on day release. Apart from when my daughter was young and I was able to stay at home, I’ve worked hard for my entire career and not having a degree has never held me back in the work I’ve done. It used to be the norm to work after you left school and a much smaller proportion of people went to university and generally studied much more academic subjects; nowadays almost anyone can get a degree. It’s hard work that helps you to be able to have a nice lifestyle, not having a degree.

Why do you care so much? So what if other people have things that you also have. It's odd that you think they don't deserve them because you're better than them because you went to uni. They live in a relatively cheap area therefore they probably have more disposable income than if they didn't.

I also live in Newton le Willows. I didn't go to uni. I don't have a Linkedin account. I earn £4500 per month, my partner who also didn't go to uni earns £2500 per month and my rent is only £650 per month so I'm sure you'd hate me too probably

Ohh fuck off with that bollocks.

I'm not sure there was ever a social contract that said if you don't go to university and have a high-flying graduate career, you can't take your kids in holiday and go to Pizza Express once in a while. 😕

Weird take. You could, um, I don't know.... be happy?

Well how do you feel for example about people like electricians, builders, plumbers etc? Probably haven’t been to university or have what’s deemed as a “high flying” career - but can earn upwards of £50k, is that breaking the social contract?

So, basically, you’re cross that you drank the Koolaid with regards to the whole’ university’ bollocks and now you’re finally realising that it wasn’t actually the financial benefit they sold you! And you’re bitter that the people that didn’t waste their time going to university and worked hard from the get-go of leaving school are now in the same or better financial position as you are?!

right-o

What has ‘hard work’ got to do with it? You can not go to uni and still work very hard. There was a thread recently about what tradespeople charge and a few posters complaining that they should be earning more than tradies at their desk job because they ‘went to uni and worked hard’. It makes no sense.

Right wingers … oh wait, you’ve done that one.

Are you just generally a very unhappy person? You do come across that way in your posts. Life is too short to get angry about things that actually don’t affect you.

Your situation is not their fault. If you need to be angry then direct it more intelligently than pointing your finger at people you claim to know and implying they have something they don’t deserve.

l’m picking up a vibe that you think you’re better than them because they’re ‘trade’ and you feel ‘professional’, am I wrong about that?

I’m ‘professional’ too many bloody certificates and letters and sodding CPDs, has no relation to my salary, have sat bang on national median wage my whole life because of the career I chose. My friend is a vet and her husband is an electrician - guess which one brings home twice that of the other (both very useful friends to have tho, I recommend seeking out that combo if you can).

So you are annoyed that your university education and lifestyle is the same as other people? You must be really dissapointed that you "worked so hard" for to be ordinary and the same as your neighbours.

I mean imagine being so angry that you begrudge a family a meal out and a holiday !

I know nothing of this social contract. I'm late 30s and people were advised against doing 'Mickey Mouse Degrees' when I was younger and told unless they require a degree for a specific career they should look for an apprenticeship or vocational course instead.
I needed a degree to be registered in my profession. Easiest 3 years of my life to be honest. It's not fair to assume those who were actually in employment didn't work as hard as someone who has a degree.

Ah yes, the classic British pastime: politely peering over the metaphorical fence while clutching a calculator and muttering “But how??”
Let’s break this down, shall we?
First, appearances are not spreadsheets. Just because someone went to Albufeira with the kids and posted a snap of fish and chips doesn’t mean they’re secretly rolling in it. People prioritise differently. Some folks would rather skip the £4.50 iced oat latte every morning and put that cash toward a long weekend in Butlins. Shocking, I know.
Second, let’s not underestimate the mighty power of:

• Family help
• Child Benefit + Universal Credit top-ups
• Free childcare
• Off-the-books side gigs (not every hustle has a LinkedIn page, darling)
• Buy-now-pay-later sorcery

Also, Newton-le-Willows is not exactly Mayfair. Your money stretches differently depending on where you live. A semi in Zone 2 buys you an entire cul-de-sac up there.
And finally, can we take a moment to consider that maybe — just maybe — they’re just very good at living within their means and don’t feel the need to loudly broadcast every spreadsheet they make to justify their happiness?
Wild, I know.