To sometimes wonder how people afford their lifestyles?

[Babysafari]

Most people that I know appear to have really nice lifestyles. New cars, really nice houses all done out immaculate and on nice roads. Holidays abroad several times a year to nice places too. I've also noticed that most of the parents at school pick their dc up themselves (I'm on maternity leave). There are loads of dads at the school gates too and a lot of mums and dads do the school runs together. A lot of these people are really young too.

One of the dads is a road sweeper so won't be being paid loads and his wife doesn't work, yet they are always doing the school run together but they seem to have the above lifestyle.

Me and dh have a decent household income, hardly rich but 50k, we're not struggling at all but our cars are old, we can only afford cheap holidays, dh works really long hours and is never there for school runs.

I'm not being deliberately envious, logically I know they could have family help or anything I guess people just make it look so easy, I wonder how they do it.

[practy]

My DP worked from 12 years old and put the money into the first house DP bought (before we got together). DP had to sell that house at a loss during the housing crash.

[Piemernator]

Of course coupling up should make people more economically viable. When single and even when dating I always lived in shared housing. I have never lived alone. So it's not especially being in a relationship it's just living in shared housing.

[catbasilio]

I am a single parent work full time. If I could drop the childcare (£600 a month) I could save for holidays and afford a new car (lease).
I do wonder though, I know of a single mother who hasn't worked for 10 years yet she goes on abroad holidays and did extensive house refurb. On the other hand, I lent her £10 for a cab and she hasn't paid it back yet!