AIBU - We’re struggling to get by on £200,000 a year

[BreakingDad77]

next.ft.com/content/d6f1e58e-20c9-11e6-aa98-db1e01fabc0c

Just actually gobsmacked by her comments -

“In theory, with our household income, we are in the top 5 per cent of the UK population and yet it does not feel that way,” she says. “If you’re earning millions of pounds, then you’re OK — and at the other end of the spectrum you get everything paid for. We are caught in the middle where we are paying for everything.”

Yeah because you know those on benefits get such a cushy deal...WTAF

Just all feeds into why UK is one of the mist unequal countries in Europe.

Its ironic as with the EU ref Brexiters going on about how all the other EU countries are crap and yet we have some much bigger problems closer to home.

[emilybrontescorset]

Perhaps we could all have a whip round and buy her a new Range Rover along with a huge bouquet of flowers and an expensive bottle of champers.


It must be so so hard to scrap by on a meagre £200 k.

Seriously I have no idea how those top incone earners manage to feed their families.

In fact I might offer to swap incomes for a while, perhaps that might help.

[Lasourisverte]

^^What enter said.

The point of her article is that with a 200k salary she shouldn't be struggling to pay school fees / childcare / mortgage etc.

Of course she could take her child out of private schooling or move to a smaller house. But she and her partner have achieved high salaries; they should be able to afford these privileges.

Her article was a little crass in places though.

[GreatFuckability]

If both parents are used to a certain lifestyle then they may not have the skills required to live more cheaply.

then i suggest they learn. its really not rocket science. dont buy a £700,000 house, pay private school fees, probably drive 2 cars. there are people on this planet who are starving, i dont really have time for this kind of numbfuckery.

[manicinsomniac]

Wow!

I can totally see how someone could be struggling bon 200K - but not because there's no choice. It would be down to choices; probably poor ones.

I'm a single mum of 3 earning just over 40K and I tend to think of myself as relatively affluent!

[BrendaFurlong]

The vitriol is aimed at her total lack of insight into the lives of most of the population, not the fact she's rich. I agree however that the language is unpleasant.

[ClarkL]

So ignoring this womans stupidity - what salary makes you middle class?
Is it the point you earn too much for benefits?
Do you include Child benefit in this?

My husband and I earn about £60k between us, we are both self employed, we dont get benefits but we do still get child benefit and I've always assumed that makes us middle class....are we getting above our station?!

[MaliceInWonderland78]

I wonder what people (on here) think the upper and lower limits are for "squeezed middle"?

I'd venture its a joint/family income of between £50-80k. That's just a guess.

[dodobookends]

£200k a year? Awww Diddums.

[Hodooooooooor]

So ignoring this womans stupidity - what salary makes you middle class?

Salary has very very little to do with class.

[wannabehippyandcrazycatlover]

Hahahaha 'the squeezed middle'- she is NOT the squeezed middle on 200k a year.

This is pretty grotesque considering the amount of working families having to use food banks to survive. How many suicides there has been due to cuts in benefits. I am so angry at this article and the ludicrous things some people come out with- she does not know what it means to struggle financially and they live in a different world.

[PrimalLass]

dont buy a £700,000 house,

I do agree with this, but I read the article elsewhere and there was a picture of the house. It looked like the sort of house you'd get for 200k outside London.

[PrimalLass]

dont buy a £700,000 house,

I do agree with this, but I read the article elsewhere and there was a picture of the house. It looked like the sort of house you'd get for 200k outside London.

[PrimalLass]

Oops

[AddictedToCoYo]

I'm struggling to understand why anyone who can afford 700k on housing would chose to spend it in Croydon though.

[bogofeternalstench]

I would jump at the chance to swap with her. We'll take the £200k, no benefits and a child and she can have our £20k, still no benefits, and can't afford to have a child.
We're both the squeezed middle so it's fair, right?

[runningincircles12]

Absolutely idiotic for her to equate those on benefits ('everything paid for') with people earning 'millions' (although, who actually earns millions..?). If she was just whining about how her salary doesn't cover her aspirations, then I would be less angry. But to assume that people at the very bottom, who are on benefits and yes, get prescriptions paid for, council tax and some shoddy substandard accommodation, are somehow in a better position than her is just unbelievably ignorant.

[AddictedToCoYo]

Malice I'd say 50-100k as well. But I think it depends on your circumstances too. For example, if you are not especially well off but come above the threshold for your DC to get any help with university fees or grants for living expenses, but you had children very close in age going through uni at the same time and you are expected to help both with their accommodation costs simultaneously.

Also if you rent then your eligibility is not only about how much you earn but also about your family size, so HB is more generous the more children you have, whereas if you own your home you have to limit your family to a size you can afford to house.

[GreatFuckability]

I wonder what people (on here) think the upper and lower limits are for "squeezed middle"?

I'd venture its a joint/family income of between £50-80k. That's just a guess

I dont know, but for this area (south wales) those would be pretty decent incomes. probably less so if we were in london for example. for me the squeezed middle would be those who are just outside the range for recieving help i spose?

[Sadik]

"I wonder what people (on here) think the upper and lower limits are for "squeezed middle"? I'd venture its a joint/family income of between £50-80k. That's just a guess."
Median household income in the UK is around £25k, but of course that includes single people, pensioners who've paid off their mortgage etc.

I'd say 'squeezed middle' for families with young children (so paying a mortgage or rent, childcare costs etc) would be around £20-£30k household gross income outside of the South East.

[Frenchboat]

This article is just designed for click bait.
I would say squeezed middle is a range of 30- 80k depending on your outgoings and where you live etc

[Sadik]

Complicated a little because we run a business, but DH and I have annual income around £80k and we're definitely not squeezed . . . (But older so no childcare costs.)

[e1y1]

YABU -

Mumsy and us had to live on this amount when daddy left for a tramp woman from the office. We had to let servants go and start buying one's fare in Waitrose, so embarrassing. Oh and the ruckus it caused when our garments had to start coming from Debenham's, oh the shame .

What a stupid woman, she should try having to make a real choice heating her house or eating, that unfortunately so many people seem to be having to make, these days.

Our household income isn't anywhere near that, and I consider myself ok.

So no, YANBU at all, she needs a good dose of reality. Sometimes I think they print these stories to rile people up.