To be amazed at how much money some people seem to have?

[EverythingTurnsToSkittles]

I'm talking about people who just do totally normal, average/low paid jobs, but just seem to have money coming out of their ears!

Someone that I know has one child and lives with her partner, who works in a manual low skilled job. She doesn't work. In the past year they have been to Dubai, flying first class, Cyprus, Center Parcs three times, plus several foreign weekend mini breaks in Europe. They also live in a really nice house and certainly don't seem to go without in terms of clothes, eating out, cars, etc.

Do a lot of people who live like this on a seemingly low income have family money? I have come across quite a lot of people like this recently and am intrigued about how they do it?!

We don't have a mortgage as we both individually bought houses really young, sold one when we got together then paid off the small mortgage in our early 30s. This means our salaries definitely go further and we have a modest house rather than stretching ourselves. We are good at budgeting and plan across at least a couple of years.

My best friend was a single mum on benefits when I was a teenager, she received income support and managed to get plenty of credit, store cards, next account and credit cards so it is possible to get credit. No idea how, but she had no partner or family either so all in her name. She bought gucci sunglasses, designer clothes, holidays etc so it is possible although she certainly couldn't have afforded things like in the OP.

My best friend was a single mum on benefits when I was a teenager, she received income support and managed to get plenty of credit, store cards, next account and credit cards so it is was possible to get credit

I'm quite sure someone on benefits would not be able to do that now. Many people on zero hours, fixed terms, casual don't qualify for credit.

I'd also like to point out that manual low skilled workers are not always on a heap of benefits. We aren't for example. Dp is 37 hours a week low skilled, I work just 10 hours a week cleaning. We are entitled to nothing apart from child benefit and tax credits. We are slightly above the housing benefit threshold too. Even when I wasn't working we only got a small amount of housing benefit certainly not enough to buy posh clothes and holidays to dubai

I know a couple - one a part time art teacher and the other a handy man but mostly out of work. They live like they have a six figure income. One of them is an only child and one of their parents was also an only child. Basically the value of a house (from dead granny) fell into their laps, they spent all that. Then, ageing parents downsized (think 400 to 200k house) and so another 200k is being dripfed to the couple to support their lifestyle. When the parents finally die, another 200k plus any savings will also drop into this couple's lap. Childcare provided free by granny on other side of family.

I don't envy them as both are utterly horrible people. My friend in this scenario is the poor cash cow who is one of the parents. She's essentially emotionally blackmailed into providing money all the time.

I'd also like to point out that manual low skilled workers are not always on a heap of benefits. We aren't for example. Dp is 37 hours a week low skilled, I work just 10 hours a week cleaning. We are entitled to nothing apart from child benefit and tax credits. We are slightly above the housing benefit threshold too.

uh you are on benefits,they are means tested

how can you say your not

Olly - you are probably right in most instances but I am not sure it is always the case.

It's interesting isn't it. I know a few people like this and the reasons are many;
One works as a Receptionist (used to be married, kids are grown up) her father sold his land & business and now funds her lifestyle - she is 50's, they are 70s.
One is re-mortgaged up to the hilt with multiple properties.
One did an import/export deal worth £1M and saw to it that HMRC couldn't get at it (they tried for many years).
One worked for a Saudi price for a couple of years and had a 'golden goodbye' of hundreds of thousands.
One inherited.
One works in the black economy putting it mildly

Is anyone else at the £80k credit card debt mentioned up-thread? I couldn't sleep.

Saudi Prince

A great many people have had very large PPI payouts over the last few years which accounts for a lot of car sales and I expect other large purchases, lots of people have had multiple claims and have received thousands of pounds back.

Remember the Foster Family - from the outside they had it all - massive mansion, daughter at private school with her own horses, nice cars, entertaining all the time. Underneath it was all done on the never-never and he was just trying to keep up appearances. Ended up shooting his family and burning the mansion down. Tragic.

I think I'd rather look comfortable than rich.

True Grumpy. Two of my siblings have had close to £10k each and DM has had a few k too - some have had tens of thousands.

I know some of the payouts are interest but it makes you wonder exactly how many loans and cards they have had in the past to have paid that much in PPI alone and what a set of crooks the banks have been.

Yes, Barbera but some were on mortgage protection, packaged bank accounts and not all loans are bad, lots of people borrow money for good reason. I know someone who got back 24k compensation, nice amount if both partners already work, they had a loan for an extension and could well afford the loan. If you can be sensible with a credit card they are not intrinsically a bad thing.

I meant things like income support, job seeker allowance seasidesally. Out of work benefits. Only the higher earners are not entitled to child benefit and most people i know are on child tax credits.

And I don't exactly have a flash car and foreign holidays on the amount I get on tax credits

In every case where I've thought that someone seems to have loads of money whilst doing seemingly average paid work, there has been family money bankrolling them in the background.

One woman in particular is a SAHM who is married to someone who does a bog standard job. They seemed to have a lot of holidays and she has expensive new clothes all the time, as does her toddler DD. Turns out her dad is loaded and has several holiday homes so he pays for their holidays, and they often stay in one of his homes. Her dad also gives her several hundred pounds each month (sometimes more) to buy clothes for her and her DD, and to pay for her gym membership, hairdressing appointments, nails, that kind of thing.

There is also a family living locally to me with 2 DC; the dad is a postman and the mum doesn't work. They all look like they've stepped out of the Boden catalogue (not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but it's certainly an expensive thing!), drive a brand new 4 by 4, have nice holidays and live in a gorgeous cottage that is expensively decorated and furnished. I have over the years found out that they actually inherited the cottage that they live in as well as several other cottages in the villages that they rent out, and also inherited a large sum of money.

I think more people that we realise have inherited money or get spoilt rotten by their parents in adulthood!

I know a couple who lived like this and people couldn't understand it as he had a low-skilled job and she was a SAHM. They had exotic holidays, big nights out, flash parties, new clothes.

It was all credit cards. They lost their home overnight when he hadn't been paying the mortgage. I say overnight, it obviously wasn't to him but she didn't have a clue and was literally homeless overnight and he did a runner with shame.

Ha! I've been that person that others are talking about.

When we moved to the village both DH and I stayed at home for 6 months. I was still in full receipt of my Army wage for 3 of those months. So 'unemployed', but still bringing in 3k a month. We have a tiny mortgage on a big house because I saved for 24 years, DH saved his retirement gratuity and we only needed £50k to buy it and do it up.

After 6 months I went back to work on a short contract because I was bored at home. That contract finished at Xmas and I'm home again now.

We both get a military pension. Mine is enough to pay all the bills, DH's is enough to live on. The only 'benefit' we receive is CB (and that is paid into DDs CTF as it happens). My retirement gratuity is in the bank and premium bonds. We'll use it as and when/if we need to.

But someone is obviously gossiping about us as DD has had a couple of kids at school make some remarks about 'being on benefits' 'can't afford that holiday now' 'you cant afford to go on the residential' 'As if you'll have a birthday party this year, stop lying' etc that scared and upset her.

I get that adults gossip about other adults, but to tell a child, or to allow a child to overhear is bloody wrong. DD had worked herself into a right state by the time she told us and I was ready to swing for the dickheads that bought it on.

My point is. You (OP) have no idea how the family make their money, and neither should you because it's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. But I hope to God you are only doing your gossiping on MN and not exposing anyone else to your musings - you don't know what damage you could do.

I work in a job which many people perceive to be low paid - I have often had disgruntled members of the public tell me I'm in a shit, going nowhere, minimum wage job (their views and words, not mine to be crystal clear). Actually, I earn 30k base plus commission and overtime; it's not unusual for colleagues to earn close to 40k although I tend not to hammer the overtime.

We also did the classic buy and renovate in an up and coming area, sold and cashed in a very solid chunk of equity. We're not especially frivolous in terms of cars (although OH would much prefer a flashier car!), tech, clothing etc.

We're also child free, which frees up a lot of cash.

I'm sure a number of our friends and acquaintances find our finances bemusing as we're fortunate to have plenty of disposable income and have just booked a wildly extravagant holiday but we probably don't seem like we should be able to.

My entire adult life I have had people assume and pass comments on me being an unemployed or poor bum (usually does not happen in the village I live in)
I'm guessing by the comments made its because I'm a single parent who externally just appears to be a bum who potters around not doing much of anything often wearing wellies ripped jeans and jumper.

The reality is I have never been unemployed not once since I was about 14 I work a shockingly high amount of hours but mainly at very antisocial times and have never had a low income I just have more important things to do with my income than the things most people associate with high earners (not a criticism of anybody who likes fancy stuff I just need to pay for the upkeep of a large very old pile of bricks several round the clock carers and generate enough money to make sure than my disabled children will be ok when I peg it) I do have a nice vintage car collection but day to day I drive a shit heap.

People often make assumptions about things they know nothing about based on things that have no relation to reality.

Often life is nothing but smoke and mirrors

im amazed at the amount of people that seem to get parental help when they themselves are adults

in my small group 30's - 40's nobody has parents that have given deposits,new cars,monthly allowances,school fees

as much as i hate saying it in these instances i think its very much a class thing,as that is what it would be seen as,money is kept that way by giving to older dc's and kept within the family

the ones at the bottom dont stand a chance,thats life i suppose

I know a lot of people you describe seasidesally including my ddad and his siblings who were bought their first homes by dp's. The couple that bought our old house were downsizing and giving their grown up DCs house deposits from the difference.
Our dp's have paid for holidays, school uniforms, cars, given out big cheques for Christmas, give dc pocket money etc. I have never added it up before but I suppose it would be around £5k a year we have never asked for a penny and they know we don't 'need' it. They always say they want to be around to see us benefit.
I don't know if anyone has mentioned critical illness insurance but I know of people who had cancer and their mortgage is now paid off and thankfully they are in remission.

Yes it is a class thing. I will inherit nothing except photos and a few sentimental things, my parents have nothing to leave.

I think people underestimate how much of a difference money being given and inheritances make. We have one car, we can not afford another. Being given a car would make a massive difference. But everything we have, we have earned (except for a £1,000 when DP mother died).

It isn't always a class thing. My father died at 55 and left my mother, 47. She worked at a stressful not much higher than minimum wage job until she was 63, then she died suddenly before retiring. Their whole life savings that was supposed to be for retirement was evenly split between my brother and myself. I would much, much rather have had my parents alive than have the money.
I married only six months before my mother passed, she never knew me as a married woman and never knew me as a mother myself. We have tried to honor her memory by making good choices by what we spent the money on, currently we have enough saved for ds university that will enable him to get a good start without student loans. We are in the States and tuition will be at minimum 30K a year.

Hmm - you never know the full story so it is hard to judge guess.

I had friends who were always substantially better off than us despite on the face of it only having 1 average-ish salary coming in. I just guessed it was because they did not have a mortgage as had inherited a house. I also knew that there was the odd bit of "undeclared income" as they were quite open about it. Fast Forward 20 plus years and the couple in question unfortunately split up. I was asked to help the DW out with her finances. She genuinely didn't have a clue about money, bills etc. It transpired that they actually had received substantial tax credits since they were first introduced (have 4 children) and the "undeclared income" was in fact almost a salary in its self! - Goodness what a mess this has been to unravel!!!

yes it does seem that way

my dads family were working class (down the pit) and eventually moved away and done ok (bought a tiny 2 bed flat) and in their relatives eyes were rich

but could never subsidise their childrens lifestyle and their children never would of expected it

its the same with this generation ,cousins etc have "done" better than their parents but have never had an advantage of parental money as an addittion we have just never had that expectation or thought

but MN weighs heavily on the more affluent i know so thats probably why there seems so many,in my world it just dosent happen and there is no expectation for that to happen from our parents, how i was bought up it would be looked down upon and we as adults would be expected to support our elderly if anything

i suppose my family and many others see it as pride as you support yourselves were not in jobs that paid hugely and that has carried on,though the family would be very close and on paractical terms there would always be a babysitter on hand and a cup of tea and chat were always there

they also only lived 1 to two streets away from each other and if you hadnt been seen for 36hrs they would worry as it was a daily thing to check in with the grandmother normally daily

ok that turned into a huge waffle,havent explained my self to well and the grammar rubbish but hope you get the gist