to think how do you know they have got more money than you?

[Mmmdoughnuts]

I read on a number of threads on here, and people comment in RL "they can do x but don't and I know they have more money than me".

How do you know all these people have more money than you?

Do you know everyone's payslip, or do you presume because of their job that they have more money, or do you presume because of their lifestyle they have more money than you?

If due to their income they have more money than you, how do you know that they don't have more outgoing commitments than you, something I'm aware of, the more you earn the bigger your bills tend to be, i.e. if you can have a bigger house, you have a bigger mortgage, you have a higher council tax bill, your heating costs are more etc. So your disposable income is not more.

If you are basing it on lifestyle, how do they know they are not living on never never credit to fund their lifestyle, or that they are being frugal in other areas (normally the one that you are complaining that they won't do x for as "they have more money than me"), to fund what is important to their lifestyle even if not important to your lifestyle.

I see what you are saying Kal, but once you aren't on te breadline it can be muddling. I have a friend who always has her nails beautifully done, once a week in a salon. I feel jealous cos I don't have the spare cash for that. But it is ridiculous of me because I choose to spen my spare cash on a cleaner, which costs more than the nails! I could choose either, but my friend can't choose the cleaner. So people at the school gate might assume she is richer than me, but in fact it is the other way round. ( because nails and clothes and hair are obvious and cleaners and second homes not always).

Agree entirely with Hexagonal. Not sure why it matters to others what everyone else has though.

If you ahev nails done every week, cleaners, holidays to france then you are pretty well off. Even if you have one of these you are probably better off than most people.

The super heads who are going into schools, and although they are are on a basic of up to £112k, they can get over £100k from Government for other initiatives.

LOL at Hexaganol a £2k mortgage in a lot of parts would get you a two bed terrace

And therein lies another thing about "wealth" it is entirely subjective.

But for crying out loud, Mmmdoughnuts, they are not teachers!

Everyone knows that a deputy head earns more than a teacher, that a head teacher earns more than a deputy head and a super head earns more than the Prime Minister.

The super head would be many years away from being a teacher.

That's like calling the Chair of Barclays a bank clerk.

That is the extreme end - but I have friends/family who compare the "teacher" friends/family with the "computer programmers".

And comments are made that the computer programmers, are loaded and the teachers are poor. I know for fact that these teachers are on treble (£80-£90k a year compared to the £25-£30k of the computer programmers.

But I also not to take for granted the two aspects as I am also aware that some of my teacher friends are on £24k, and other computer programmer friends are on £800 per day.

But there are many more people that I know that they are teachers, but I have no idea where they are on the scale of money, but would not make the assumption that they were at either end, or in the middle. And the same as the computer programmers.

Then there are the office jobs, that I wouldn't have a clue what they are earning, whether it is £10k or £100k.

marriedinwhite, I was using the examples of what people have to illustrate that wealth is deceptive and it's hard to guage how much money others truly have. It doesn't matter to me what others have though, I am happy being me :)

TheQueenofDenial, I'm guessing that would be in central London though? Houses aren't particularly cheap where I live but as you've seen from my other post it buys a lot more than a terraced house.

Not necessarily hexagonal I think £2k is about a £300k mortgage, give or take. Not sure that buys you anything resembling a house in vast swathes of the South. Certainly not anything that could remotely described as footballer-esque.

We're in the South, maybe the people I know had their mortgage on interest-only.

I have a friend. She lives with her Mum who pays all the bills and she pays a nominal sum for her keep. I know how much she earns because she has discussed it. I know how much she spends on clothes because she shows me them all. I know how much she spends on nights out and holidays because she tells me all about it. I know how much she spends on her hobbies because she drags me round craft fairs and Hobby Craft and I know how much she has in savings because I've been with her when she's paid money in.

So, when she refuses to leave a tip when we eat out, eats the most expensive things on the menu and then wants to split the bill when I've had a bowl of soup because I'm stony broke or boasts about avoiding paying for things at busy craft stalls I judge massively.

I also judge when she gives my kids a pack of Haribo from the Pound shop for their birthdays, when she claims not to be able to afford to donate to leaving presents or joint birthday presents or any of a hundred other occasions over the years where she should pay her way and I can say with total honesty that I DO know that she can easily afford it.

I do not think you can neccessarily tell if people are 'rich' or not. We are lucky enough to have a beautiful home, bought many years ago with the help of parents, and to whom we must pay back what they loaned us (as well as the bank!) Due to DH's illness we are now a one income family- and that income is part-time. We keep our heads above water, which is all we need to do right now. I can pay for what we need to do-the mortgage, the utilities and my commuting, but when fees go up in January things will start to look a little grim. I am even currently managing to save a little bit as we would like to go to a B&B for a weekend sometime. So I think we are 'okay', and I am happy to be able to afford what we need, and think that makes us lucky. But others, based on our home think we are 'rich'.

This was brought home to me quite forcibly last year when the son of a a 'friend' (not any longer, as I am petty) was climbing Ben Nevis for charity. I donated 10.00 (I do not really know the boy, just his mother) and his mother actually sniffed in disugust and told me that she thought I ought to 'have been good for' a whole lot more than that. Well, yes, technically maybe i could have donated more, but I based a donation on my own assessment of what I was willing to spare. She thinks we are rolling in it as we have a house and a garden. I think we are doing bloody well, because we manage to get by, but there is not actually alot of 'fat' to our fiannces.

I would judge your friend too, Whippoor based on that.

I think a headteacher of a large school can get about £120K no?

Where do I sign up for the £250K teaching job please?!

I know for fact that these teachers are on treble (£80-£90k

???

My HT only earns £50k! Where have you found several teachers all of whom earn 80-90k??

Top of the pay scale for head teachers in England and Wales is just under 106K

In that case-they would clearly be described as the head of a massive secondary school and not just a bog standard teacher!

I know deputy heads/heads that are on this, and they have got enhancements for taking on failing schools, going into other schools in a supporting role.

But my point is to some lay people they say that teachers are poor, not all teachers are poor, not all people in the city are loaded, not all actors on television are millionaires.

You can't say because you know what someone's profession is that you know what their salary is.

Also due to the type of some professions, even if they are not on the top salaries, they can be keeping up with the joneses, and spending like they are at the top of their profession.

210k?!! He must be a super 'super-head'. Most are on 50-70k.