To think that 60k is a lot of money to earn a year?!

[MinkSlink]

I think it is a lot of money to earn per year but it seems a lot of people on mumsnet don't think so, am I in the piss poor minority here or what?!

kensington - do you not get that this is how some people work in London?

All this whining about 'OMG, too expensive on 60k a year' - well, this is how other people manage it!

If you don't have much choice, you manage with what you have.

Its what the lovely Shirley Porter tried to do in the early 1980's .....

You actually sound jealous of the people on housing benefit. How freaky is that?

I AM jealous, actually. It's taken 34 years' graft (between me and DH) to afford to live here.

Whereas my HM neighbours get to live here for free.

They don't work, btw, Sock. The only other SAHM is a banker's wife.

kensington
i) HB may not cover all their rent so they may not be living for free
ii) You will have an asset in the form of your property - the HA might be a bit pissed off if they tried to sell their house!
iii) Surely a mixed neighbourhood is good otherwise it will because an exclusive little enclave (next step gated communities?)

Chaz I've absolutely no issue with HB if recipients work in central or inner London.

I don't understand why you need to live in the centre of London, the most expensive part of one of the most expensive cities in the world, if you don't work, and other people have to subsidise your home for no reason.

(I don't understand all this "to be near their families". I'd bloody love to live nearer my family, but it's a privilege I can't afford and so I cut my cloth accordingly.)

TBH a bin is not an essential.
Rubbish can be put in a spare carrier bag on the back of the door and then put out in the wheelie bin daily.

And anybody in the UK who has the space who is NOT taking advantage of the "rent a room scheme" is barmy.
£4250 a year tax free, non means tested - AND it provides housing at £82 a week for people : now that WOULD start to bring rents down ....
www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/pimmanual/pim4001.htm

bloody hell they are going to turn out to be another one of those fabled fuckers who turn up on your doorsteps boasting about how they are rolling in money and laughing in your face whilst letting you know the ins and outs of there life arnt they?

otherwise how on eart would you know what they recive and what they do?

incidently, one may assume my brother is in recept of benefits as he rarely leaves his expensive house but ummmmm nope he retired by 40 with mega bucks likes to dress in rags and keep himself to his self all whilst bumbleing merryly about his day.

How about because if you are a cleaner or hospital porter or a bus driver and your shift in Central London starts at 4am (before the Tube starts to run) you could face a 2hr commute by bus if you lived further out and you can't bring a car because parking is impossible and you may be hit by the congestion charge on your way home.

I know my neighbours, Sock. I've already asked you to bring a TV crew in to check out our respective homes and lifestyles if you don't believe me.

I've often thought it would make for a great documentary about London.

Chaz, that's exactly how hospital cleaners and porters live (and doctors and nurses in flatshares, incidentally) live at the C&W or Hammersmith Hospitals.

If we asked non-workers to move elsewhere with their £1473, perhaps those people who commute for hours could have a chance of living closer to where they work.

I've suggested this earlier Talking but i don't think those who are 'struggling' on 60K were interested in it

i expect if that where actually the case one would have already filmed it given the current media stance on benefits.

ken, I understand what you feel and was in a similar boat when I was younger that someone in a council house was livig right next door and could afford kids and holidays while smoking and claiming benefits. Here we were, 2 professional couple discussing when we can afford a child. But now, only 8 years on, we own out house (atleast a good part of it) and maybe can leave a nice legacy for our kids. What will the benefit scroungers leave?
I am all for the state helping people when really needed but not when said benefit scrounged gets a tan, highlights and holidays and husband and I on good income have to discuss finances before we go shopping for groceries.

kensington
I know quite a lot of people who live in Zone 2 in social housing because shift work makes living further out a nightmare.

calling bingo in the mn benefit bashing catchphrases

I want to earn £60,000- what profession do I train for? ! I'm sure I won't find it a relative pittance...

Can I do it through the Open University?

I'm not even joking...

theBigJessie
My FTE is well over £60k - but I like doing Yoga most mornings instead.
Beancounting has its benefits

Crumbs - with a take home of £3500 a month on a 60k salary, after my usual outgoings, we would be debt free in 4 months. Where do I sign up?!?

Accountancy? I've been considering AAT courses at evening classes. Not sure if they would realistically make me empoyable or not. Each level is more than £500. (I actually wanted to be an accountant when I was taking my A levels, but I thought you needed an accountancy degree, and university wasn't an option at the time.)

))))))Accountancy Degrees(((((((
Not worth the paper they are printed on.
The best accountants have analytical skills from pure degrees

TheBigJessie I'm slowly working my way through the CII exams, got 1, doing 2 this year. Hoping that by the time DS is in school, I'll have enough to be taken on as a trainee financial advisor.

It's expensive though, £200 odd per qualification and I need 5 minimum.

Ladyflump
I pay £700 a year for PII and CPD and another £700 a year for software : its worth it.

Ask people like Xenia who unlike many of the idiots above earns the big wages HERSELF and KNOWS how lucky she is to be able to provide well for her kids.
Dodgy views on some other things, but is the breadwinner ...

I seriously want to be out of manual labour by twenty years' time. My family ancestry is worrying. I want money and I want to earn it without heavy lifting.

Thank you Talkinpeace2, shall look into that.

I really, really want a decent job. I want to be able to provide a good standard of life for my son. I want to be able to afford university for him, and trips and to get him nice things.

At the moment, I'm spending £550 of my £810 a month take home on childcare and it's killing us. We managed to pay our rent this month, with £3 to spare. Been eating junk out of the freezer for a week.

This effing sucks. I'm a clever lass, I just need a goddam break so I am actually DO something about it.

talkin i am also the breadwinner in my family (single now but always have been the higher earner)

and im damn lucky to be able to provide for my children.

i also dont think benefit claiments are scroungers or scum or that there children should be well i dont know, polishing my lose change and selling there eyelashes because if they dont they are not productive. or what ever it is people who do feel that way come out with.

and i am certainly not jealious of anybody who has the misfortune to claim benefits