To wonder how they have so much money? Or is it just social media?

[Spice22]

I understand how older people have money ; they work for it. But I'm just puzzled by how people my age (and younger!) have so much? I'm in my early twenties.
Whenever I go into Instagram or snapchat, I am sure to see lots of pictures of people "popping over to Australia" or beaming with pride because they just a bought a Range Rover. I am not exaggerating!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not envious - though I am jealous of course. I don't blame them at all for the pictures/posts because I would/probably will when i acheieve these things too. I just don't get how they can do this at 17-24 ?
It's small stuff like eating out twice a week, multiple designer handbags a year, to large stuff like new cars and long distance holidays multiple times a year. How??

I know some these girls have 'blessors' but not all. Anyway, I'm just wondering if you guys know people leading such lives and how they do it ?

A lit of the big young Instagram 'stars' with lots of followers are like you tubers. They are sponsored to shill promote goods and services, free holidays to luxury hotels and resorts, loans of luxury cars (or huge discounts off the purchase price - some just get them for free if they feature them in X number of posts), fashion, beauty, lifestyle products, food, restaurants, EVERYTHING!

There's a lot of money in it, if you're 'lucky' (not my idea of lucky but you know) and so I can see how they can afford the luxury homes (they seem to be mostly rented). It's a lucrative business.

Then there are those who come from wealthy backgrounds with access to family funds. Often they have some elements of sponsorship too (AmeliaLiana is so example). The 'aspirational lifestyle' gets the tills ringing so companies exploit social media heavily.

Don't believe the hype.

*lot not lit

My then partner and I earned in excess of 60k between us at 25. But that was 15 years ago and we didn't have the same student loans or rents as today's twenty somethings. The handbags still came from outlets and the holidays were carefully budgeted for.

A pile of debt no doubt!

Plus I think people underestimate how expensive having a family is. I earn a very good but not massive (for London) salary. But because it's just me to look after I can run a second / holiday home on roughly the same sort of money my friends who are parents say they spend per month on the costs associated with their DC.

OP are you South African by any chance?

Funnily enough a friend just sent me a link I thought I'd include here.

It's a daily mail link so I'll give a summary as I know some don't want to support Daily Mail.
Basically, this 21 year old woman would rather go travelling than save for a house. It says she's down $15,000 travelling Europe last year and plans to do similar this year.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4333714/Woman-debt-travelling-buy-Sydney-home.html?ito=social-facebook

Now I know it's not a perfect example of what I'm talking about, but maybe it helps answer my question? Just giving up on saving for a house and spending to enjoy it now? Don't really know why I'm asking this; I guess my boyfriend and are making plans and I want to know what I want (does that make sense??)

Some people make money selling online or via social media. Video advertising and buying and selling clothes etc.

There were two young sisters on the radio not so long ago, who used to travel to Italy at least once a month to buy second hand clothes for about 4 euro per item to sell online here for £20-30 an item. They sold hundreds of items a week so obviously made quite a decent income out of it.

It sounds like they knew what they were looking for and probably picked up a few items for themselves along the way so their social media presence probably had lots of check ins in airports and bars/restaurants in Italy and showing off of new clothes/accessories as the promoted their business.

Toast I'm in the U.K. but originally from Southern Africa. Why do you ask?

We generally managed to do both. Could have saved more but had a lot of fun spending it in our 20's too.

I earn "a lot" but I don't flash the cash. People who do are living on credit.

I managed to leave uni without any debt- paid my way through.

I drove a sensible car until I was 25 which cost naff all to run. I have 10yrs NCB which keeps my insurance low. I cycle/walk to a lot of places so my petrol costs are low.

I rented within my means. I am frugal- I wont eat out frequently, I will shop in Aldi & I have no qualms in buying own brand stuff ie household cleaners. I shopped around for my energy deals etc.

I have a credit card which gets used only to book holidays etc so I have the credit card protection.

Am I well off- ish. Am I happy- yes. Do I need a Merc & a Mulberry bag- no!

Respect to Noot

Spice I've only ever heard "blesser" used in South Africa so I guessed

what you get to see is never the real pic of whats going on, I think nowadays people want to post all the best bits online. My daughters friend was like this for about 5 years then everything came tumbling down, she had to go bankrupt ( which didn't seem to bother her) i think they think its free money.

It's also about priorities. My DD had a friend that was always dressed in new clothes, mum was ultra glam, they went on tropical holidays frequently. When I took my DD to this girls house for a play date, I was surprised to find the area they lived was the opposite. I was expecting a farm house with gravel drive but they lived in a tiny council house with old washing machines and carpet thrown outside and down the street. What they saved on their mortgage they spent on what they valued.

Agree either credit or low living costs. I'm in my twenties and most people of my age live in small flats which means not only low rent but low bills. Many don't yet put into a pension so have that cash free too. And no childcare costs.

That being said my version of 'fairly comfortable off' was always a week in Spain - there's certainly never been a time where I could afford a long-haul holiday. I know people my age who are definitely dipping into credit on that front.

Bank of Mum and Dad, without a doubt, including living at home for next to nothing.

Or small inheritance.

DH and I were double income no kids, round the world trip between jobs (funded by a £5k lump sum from my parents), deposit on a flat (£10k from bank of Mum and Dad) and a sports car on credit. We both had well paid graduate jobs, DH worked shifts with a whacking premium. Our peak was about 25, I reckon before we paid for our wedding,,then stretched to a house and then children. I am now a dowdy grey haired stay at home wife with three children dreaming of my glamorous ex life!!

I had money From around 18 due to a very large inheritance payout, not that it was anyone's business.

For a lot of people it could be inheritance that you just don't know about, parents paying, earn more than you think or credit but I do think credit is harder to get these days

Everything helena said. Plus people can have wildly different priorities - we eat out 2-3 times a week and our eating out costs wildly outstrip our cost of weekly shop. People can get very odd about it, but it works for us. (It's generally £50 for a weekly shop v £150-£200 for meals out.)

Debt/family handouts/double income no kids

The Range Rover thing tickled me. Recently, a girl I know's boyfriend got to order a new company car (so, not his own car). He ordered a Range Rover Evoque, which I'm guessing she had a hand in choosing. When it arrived, cue facebook post about "their new car". Here's the best bit. A week later it had to go back to the garage for work, as it came off the production line faulty. To apologise, Range Rover gave them a top of the range RR Sport, an £80,000 car, as a courtesy car. Photos of the Sport were promptly splashed across facebook (by her) with the explanation that they "decided to upgrade"!! So - not her car, not even his car, not even the company car which he gets as part of his job! Quite simply, people lie. (They've got the Evoque back now and apparently it's rubbish in comparison! But no braggy post on fb, of course.)

Long haul trips aren't always significantly more expensive than Europe.

People always say how cheap accomodation and food is in places like Thailand and Goa and the flights aren't always hugely more expensive than within Europe, especially if you don't go direct.

What I find more surprising is how high some of the salaries are £30k+ sometimes some years ago in 20s. I think I went from £7k to £16k at that age during the 1990s in a graduate job.

The day I turned 18 I got a huge inheritance payout from my uncle & grandmas death when I was a teen. I had many nice holidays, nice car, was always going out, brought my first property at 19

They could have many ways of doing it

Credit ( not sure it's that easy to get credit now though)
Parents help
Inheritance you don't know about
They go out drinking expensive wine on a Saturday but live on beans and water all week
They still live at home so minimal costs
Designer clothes are fake, bags could be fake too
Holidays abroad they only pay flights and stay in a friend/family members apartment when on holiday