Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much do you need to earn to be happy?

93 replies

Dolcelatte · 31/03/2012 12:17

Having been on Mumsnet for 4-5 months now it seems there is quite a cross section of people in terms of money, jobs, status, aspirations etc. Some seem to get by on comparatively little and appear happy, whereas others seem to be relatively rich but complain that they are struggling. Obviously, you can't put a price on good health, family and friends etc. But, that apart, just wondering, AIBU to ask how much money do you need to be happy?

OP posts:
BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte · 31/03/2012 12:19

None. You can't buy happiness.

birthdaygurl · 31/03/2012 12:20

YABU to ask such an odd question. Confused

Maryz · 31/03/2012 12:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GinPalace · 31/03/2012 12:22

You definitely need enough to cover expenses otherwise it is misery. Then the more spare you have the better. Money might buy happiness if you don't have it anyway, but it does buy freedom!! Grin

NowThenWreck · 31/03/2012 12:29

If I re-phrase the question a bit to how much do I need to be secure and do the things I want to do?

50k a year.

HTH

GnomeDePlume · 31/03/2012 12:30

Slightly more than your next door neighbours/brother/sister depending on who you compete with!

inabeautifulplace · 31/03/2012 12:32

More than you spend ;)

NowThenWreck · 31/03/2012 12:34

It doesn't buy happiness, but I agree it buys freedom.

Also peace of mind,(when you can pay the bills) security,(when you can buy a house) physical peace (in that you can move off the estate with the noisy neighbours), holidays, nice food, insurance, gym membership, comfy shoes, waterproof clothing, fresh flowers, yoga classes, decent hair, therapy, curtains you actually like, a bed you can actually sleep on, school trips, cinema trips, a shiny red bike, and driving lessons.

So, not happiness, but something pretty close!

bakingaddict · 31/03/2012 12:35

How long is a piece of string...

Everybody has different expenditure, some down to lifestyle choices and a lot from covering basic necessities such as food, shelter, utilities etc. Obviously monthly expenditure can vary as someone might have a mortgage of £50K whereas another person has a mortgage of 500K ....at the end of the day it's all down to perception really

Maryz · 31/03/2012 12:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tee2072 · 31/03/2012 12:37

YABU because this isn't a AIBU question.

::awaits pat on the head from AIBU police::

To answer the question: depends.

TheFeministsWife · 31/03/2012 12:39

Well I refuse to get out of bed for less than £1 million... Wink

Maryz · 31/03/2012 12:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HugADalek · 31/03/2012 12:40

I just need enough to cover the costs and a little bit extra. Money doesn't buy happiness, but not having it certainly makes you sad and stressed. And embarrassed.

gamerwidow · 31/03/2012 12:42

For me its enough to pay for everything we need i.e. rent, council tax, heating, food, childcare, replacing worn out/broken things + enough to pay for little luxuries like cable tv, fortnightly takeaways + enough to save a little a month.

I don't need expensive things, big houses or new cars but I would feel less happy if we had to panic about how to replace a washing machine if it dies etc.

Tee2072 · 31/03/2012 12:45

Ta Maryz!

Jinsei · 31/03/2012 12:47

I earn just over £50k. DH earns less. For me, it is "enough" and I can afford to do what I want with my life. I certainly can't afford every luxury I might ever dream of - for example, I would always fly economy even though I'd prefer to go first class.Grin But I am at the stage now where I don't really believe that any more money would actually make me any happier.

I think it's less about income, though, and more about a sense of financial security and the level of disposable income that counts. We are lucky to have a very small mortgage, so my salary goes a long way.

NowThenWreck · 31/03/2012 12:48

Fuck all that! I don't just want to get by, eking out the pennies, and have a little bit extra at the end of the month!
I want a good life!

I change my answer to 100K a year. Final answer.
That should see me right Grin

FondleWithCare · 31/03/2012 12:49

As long as you can cover essentials: rent/mortgage, bills, travel expenses, food and clothes then you can be happy. Of course most people would like more but happiness doesn't come from having money alone.

Heswall · 31/03/2012 12:50

I have earnt a lot of money and I have earnt very little money and I can indeed confirm that buy does buy happiness. It actually buys freedom and choice which makes me happy.

laptopdancer · 31/03/2012 12:52

I aim for a min of £100 a day, then anything above is a bonus

FlangelinaBallerina · 31/03/2012 12:55

Obviously you need to earn enough to cover life's essentials. I can't be sure, but I don't think it's possible to be happy without a roof over your head and enough food to fill your stomach.

But once you get beyond that, it depends how you feel about what you've got to do to earn it. Some people would be happier working less and getting by with fewer luxuries. For them, the extra free time would be worth more than the money. Others are the opposite. So a lot depends on how busy you like to be, how much you like your work and how much you like working in general. Most people seem to have a tendency to want more however much they have as well.

babybythesea · 31/03/2012 12:57

We sit at around the £20k per year mark.
If I'm honest, it's not really enough - I frequently get to the shops at the end of the month with not quite enough to get everything I need, but we manage, mostly. But we're not in danger of being thrown out of our house as we can pay that bill, and we are careful with water, electricity, phone etc so we can pay those bills. We don't go out hardly ever. I would like a bit more money to be able to rest easy at the end of the month and not worry that I won't have enough to go to the supermarket, but we have generally have enough to live, and my dd doesn't go without. It would be nice to do more but we have a lot of fun together making use of 'free' resources like the beach as a family which is all I really want.
I have learnt to live by the motto 'Happiness lies not in having what you want but in wanting what you have.'
I have a friend who earns a lot more than we do, saves, goes on nice holidays whenever she wants etc, but she lives on her own. She is happy (and I know she feels sorry for me, struggling financially) but I wouldn't trade her very comfortable life with mine, with my DH and my very precious DD.

Starwisher · 31/03/2012 13:00

Heswell, Seeing as we currently have no income at all I too will concur.

A weeks ago we didn't have to worry about losing our home or what will happen when we run out of babies nappies. We could afford to leave the house. It bought happiness in security, quality of life and less stress

I feel sick if I think too much about when what we have left runs out

samandi · 31/03/2012 13:01

Around £21,000 would do me at present. I'd be able to pay back my debts, easily pay my rent and bills, and have money left over to spend on social activities. It's also the kind of salary I would expect from a self-esteem point of view and would make me more equal in salary terms to DP, so I could take him out now and then. Failing that I wouldn't be too miserable on about £18,000, so long as my travel costs were not too high.