If you are middle class do you feel your lifestyle is eroding?

[ceramicwitch]

Now I know that as long as we can afford to heat your home, pay your mortgage / rent and afford to feed yourself and your family you can't complain too much. However I am interested if you feel you used to have a a middle class lifestyle, able to afford nicer bits or activities if you feel that is being eroded?

I think I am feeling it, we used to be quite free with putting nice things in the basket at waitrose (not where we go all the time but where we get treats and more premium things) and not we are holding back quite a bit more. We usually go to the Theatre a few times a year and the ballet, especially at Christmas but this year we are giving it a miss due to ever increasing costs. We've stopped going to cafes if not on holiday.

I have good friends who live in quite an expensive part of town, He is a Doctor and they seemed to be quite oblivious to cost of living the past few years but the other day I was talking to him and he was saying how he doesn't much enjoy eating out these days as the cost of it sticks in his throat, even cheap and cheerful is quite pricy now.

Anyone else feeling that quality of life even for the supposedly well insulated middle classes is in decline?

Well everything costs a bit more but we had a huge amount of slack in our income versus outgoings so we are personally doing fine. Plus we had a great year with our investments. Now can sometimes be the time for deals as business have offers as less is being spent so they give incentives.I bought a pair of shoes today and got a second pair half price as the shop had an offer on.

We still eat out about the same amount but we tend to go to the city centre less and eat more locally as I resent the car parking charges. Plus as much as many towns are looking a bit down at heel with empty shops there is a real grimness these days to the nearest city to us.

I remember on another thread a poster saying she goes to Florida for 6 weeks every year, and I wonder how many people save up their fun activities like eating out, shopping, days out etc. for when they’re overseas where it’s better value for money and guaranteed good weather, and how much the UK economy loses out because of that. A friend gets her hair cut and coloured in Poland when she goes over to visit family because it’s a fraction of the price it is in London.

Do you drive on roads? Where do you think the doctors, nurses and teachers you have relied on were educated?

Do you phone for a private ambulance, have personal security guards for your property? What will you do when your house is on fire?

You have always relied on the state.

Chip + shoulder.

I didn't say I haven't relied on parts of it, but I don't owe it anything. And, actually, many of the doctors and nurses I have dealt with were not educated in the UK.

I remember on another thread a poster saying she goes to Florida for 6 weeks every year, and I wonder how many people save up their fun activities like eating out, shopping, days out etc. for when they’re overseas where it’s better value for money and guaranteed good weather, and how much the UK economy loses out because of that

We are away currently although in the UK on a city break. We have been eating out loads & paying to see attractions & it made me realise how I have really cut back in day to day life. We often went out for lunch as a family or on a day out on a normal weekend, now I save it for the holidays.

All because since 2008 every government has done everything in its power to keep the housing bubble inflated. For 25 years now instead of encouraging people to invest in productive ways in the economy, they’ve just been selling the same housing stock to each other over and over again at ever increasing prices. Now we have a massive housing behemoth that sucks all the wealth out of everyone below 50, but also crumbling infrastructure, productivity levels through the floor, and no economic prospects for middle earners other than paying more and more and more tax just to service it all.

We made ever increasing house prices a cornerstone of our economy which has invariably damaged younger people's prospects. I don't know how we break the downward spiral though and see productivity growth.

I’m not sure if I count in this discussion or not, as I’m in my 20s so only just emerging I suppose in lifestyle.

However I would say my parents were middle class, both medical professionals. I remember mum being on £50k when I was a young child, not sure how much she’s on now. My dad had his own private practice. Generally speaking, even when my dad’s business wasn’t going well, my mum’s income was enough to stabilise them. They own multiple properties for example.

Anyway, I basically earn £50k now and have done for the last 2 years. It’s weird, earning what my mum used to earn when she had 3 kids, yet not being able to make my money go as far. Equally I get people around me that feel I’m on a good salary for my age (like my mum) but it doesn’t really feel that way given how high my bills are. I’m certainly not heading towards a house deposit, but I don’t think people like my mum realise how tight things can be.

I would say that living alone on £50k is tight. I have to think twice about holidays or even day trips across the UK. I even feel sometimes that I overspend eg on fitness, when I feel like I earn enough that I shouldn’t have to overthink a gym membership or personal trainer.

Awww, I miss the laughing emoji - 🤣 one just for you.

@Hardhats A big issue is the divide between income vs wealth. You can be on 50k which is a decent salary for your age statistically but family help would make that income go a lot a further eg someone on 25k whose family helped them get on the ladder may find their money goes further. Someone on 50k who had help will definitely find it goes further.

Re what you spend your money on I do think there is an element of social media normalising a certain lifestyle eg quite a few of my younger colleagues have signed up for a new David Lloyd. I think it's a crazy expense but then some of them don't want dc & think they are a crazy expense. They are!

@Hardhats I get what you’re saying to an extent about feeling squeezed, but living alone has always been expensive, which is why most people in their 20s share. In the northern city in which I live, a one bedroom flat averages £1K a month to rent, with food and bills on top you’re talking the best part of £2K a month to survive.

We are going away to London for 2 days (1 night) and it’s costing us around £1k which is ridiculous. The cost of train there, premier inn, theatre show (£500 for 4 of us!) and food while we are there. It’s just madness.

@VanillaImpulse We are away for 2 nights without theatre & I reckon we will have spent just under that.

Yup we all are. Whatever your class. Lucky to be middle class so we can do less ‘nice’ things instead of being in poverty 😢

I would be considered upper middle class and haven't felt any real impact on my lifestyle. No mortgage or other debt and our wealth is growing considerably.

We've stopped take aways and eating out, unless it's a birthday. We've stopped going out for a coffee, because the price is unreal! And the coffee isn't that amazing for the price! We used to get our pumpkins from a field where you pick your own. But they've started charging per person entrance fees?! So it would be £20 for my family to enter, then at least £5 per pumpkin, depending on weight. So that's £35ish just to get 3 medium sized pumpkins! I've bought them from the supermarket this time for £2 each!

No.
But obviously, I observe, listen and worry a lot.
Doesn't help much, does it?

Also, have massively reduced buying clothes as they seem so low quality for what you get. I don't think there are any good quality children's clothes available anymore - recently bought DC some mini Boden and it ripped within days. I'm now buying a lot of my own clothes at Sainsbury's. Why would I pay Jigsaw prices when the quality is so low?their t-shirts used to be lovely, but the last few I bought went hard and scratchy after one wash - now they are my gym t-shirts. I recently also looked at cardigans at Seasalt and they definitely didn't feel warm - they definitely didn't feel like wool.

🙄

Not to mention just generally living in a society with law and order, ok I’m sure some people would question how well we are doing that right now, but I wonder how that nice big house would feel in say the Democratic of Congo vs the UK.

I have obviously noticed things go up but haven't cut back at all in fact my costs have increased through being retired now , I’m just doing so much more socialising, art classes and travel . Probably eat out at least once a week . I did read a thread on here about a guy who wrote a book called Less about consumerism, in years gone by people didn’t have much and were just as happy . Having been inspired by that I wrote a list yesterday of ‘only spend on things that I value ‘. So I’ve made my list and going to be a more mindful spender .

I remember as a child we never ate out.Apart from a fish and chip supper sometimes or a tea and cake .DH ate out regularly with his family .Holidays abroad as well . TBH I think we are somewhere between the two .DH retired now, and I am still waiting for my state pension ( small private pension). ATM We are thinking twice about lunch out ( having tea and cakes instead) .Shopping is my favourite store Ebay! I have worked PT /been a SAHM for many years .DC have never been in CC. Mostly British holidays. and weekends away a couple of holidays abroad.We have always eaten well at home and had a good Christmas .My Son earns well and has his own home.Other Son still at home .they will have very different futures I feel.I think if we were younger now would have been more difficult.Food has increased hugely .

I grew up middle class but parents were stretched paying school fees and renovating a house abroad, so we never went to restaurants in the UK or splurge supermarket shopping then either. My grandmother bought food in M&S, which was considered to be for the wealthy, one down from Fortnum's I suppose.
Swathes of families living like kings is a 2000-2020 UK phenomenon that is probably nearing it's end. It isn't sustainable with hospitality and entertainment workers etc expecting decent pay and living standards.

Don't ask the question if you don't like the answer.

I didn't mind the answer at all. It's useful because it tells the govt where to direct their tax rises