To think you are not skint on £70k, even in Central London??

[LottaLou]

Just had a ridiculous conversation with a friend who lives and works in Central London. She is in digital marketing, which is a field where salaries can vary significantly, so until now I had no idea what kind of salary she might be on. She is single and childfree, so no dependants.

She always complains that she does not have enough money to do this and do that, how skint she is at the end of the month, they should pay her more for her job and so on. I usually listen to her and sympathize, as I have had money problems in the past, and I know how tough it can be.

Well today she (accidentally) revealed to me that she is on bloody £70k, which is more than twice my salary!! I am stunned as I genuiney thought she was on some "barely above NMW" money, given how often she complains about being skint!

I love her dearly and I will always be her friend, but AIBU to tell her to STFU the next time she starts complaining about being skint?

I don’t know why everyone is getting het up trying to prove she’s not skint. Of course she’s not skint. That doesn’t mean she has any of her wages left though.

How insulting to skint people!

And how tedious to have to sit there listening and sympathising about her woe is me tales of poverty every bloody month. She sounds like a moany pants that can't see past the end of her nose.

I think I'd aim to speak to her at the beginning of every month when she's not "on her knees" crippled by poverty and self pity

In London you can earn a lot and be short of money because of rent/mortgage and travel costs and it's a pricey place to live alone,. That said, I'd still expect someone without kids to be OK on £70k unless they are spending frivolously.

rent and travel costs more In London. utilities do not!

plenty of cheap clothes shops , or buy fewer. blubbing about popcorn and ugly nail costs gets no sympathy.

They think nothing of spending £8 on an artisan coffee and pastry on the way into work and then a further £12 on sushi for lunch.

Jesus, these kinds of exaggerations are tedious.

I’ve been skint on a huge household income. Huge debt! The debt was more than the income, cry. Don’t miss those days.

She's being a dick, as is everyone else who says you can be skint on £200k if your outgoings are £200k. Well, yes, you wouldn't have any money, but that's down to you and making choices you can't afford. I live in zone 2 and I'm on £35k and I'm absolutely not skint - after rent, £1000 into savings and bills I have £1000ish left over for the entire month.

But I choose to live in a grotty flat with cheap rent precisely so I can save and afford to do fun stuff. I could just about afford to rent alone but to me it would be pointless to throw my salary away just to have flashy surroundings when all I really do at home is eat and sleep. I'd do the same if I was on £100k - stay in my shabby flat and save a shitload of money. If you earn loads but make choices that make you skint you're a bit of an idiot and clearly value materialism over anything else

£8 on a coffee I know! Like anyone would pay £8 for a coffee. Londoners aren’t aliens you know

Where do you get all that money from johnny?! Does your partner pay half of all that?! £35k is £2,250 take home so how can you save £1k have £1k left and still pay rent and bills?!

£3.5k a month if she has a student loan and pays 5% to a pension. I totally get why she could feel skint if she pays £2k rent. It’s all relative.

I agree it relative. But skint is the wrong word.

^THIS

I am single, no dependents, live in central London on £35K salary and I'm nowhere near skint. She either doesn't know how to live within her means or is attention seeking. Likely both

For reference
£800 mortgage
£50 gas and elec
£90 council
£220 service charge
£50 internet
£30 phone
£200 food
£80 travel
£30 insurances

=£1550 on a £2200 take home = £650 to spend on extra and save

Johnny is that 35k net or gross?! How little is your zone 2 rent?

Londoners seem to have cheap council tax and travel costs

There is also the point that when people say the live in central London they could mean a garden flat In Chelsea, or they could
Mean a gritty bedsit above a take away on the old Kent road

DerelictWreck Can I ask whereabouts you are to have such a low mortgage? I’d love to be more central.

Well you can’t buy it now derelict has probably lived there years

DerelictWreck your council tax bill is very low. is that typical of London?

Jesus, these kinds of exaggerations are tedious.

So, you know my DH’s work colleagues then? As you obviously know so much, you tell me how much they are spending?

You can’t spend £8 on a coffee. It’s not available, whether you know your husbands work colleagues or not.

£8 on a fancy coffee and pastry in central London sounds about right.

Thought it was just a coffee. Then £12 on sushi.

My friend lives in Kensington, but I have never been to her place so not sure what kind of place it is. I know she rents though, so no mortgage.

Could be a grim flat on an estate in north Kensington or a penthouse on Chelsea harbour. Who knows. They’re not similar rents though

£50 phone, £100 internet and TV and £370 pcm car costs on a depreciating asset.

Plus £300 pcm on other stuff...

Obviously those are your choices but I honestly cannot comprehend feeling skint with that much.

If I lived in central London I would hire a car when I needed one as I’m 90% sure it would be less than £4.4k a year if I used zip car or something.

The others again are choices I wouldn’t personally make.

But if I did make them and still had £1200 pcm for holidays, food, clothes, I’d be pretty chipper. But I spend about £100 pp pcm on food and probably £50 pp pcm on clothes so that would leave £1050 for holidays which is a hell of a lot of holiday. It would still be £550 a month if you saved £6k a year, and spent all the other money.