Is mumsnet aimed at rich families ?

[starsparkle08]

I’ve seen quite a lot of threads on here where families seem to have a huge amount of disposable income .
Im a single parent without a huge amount and wondering if I am in the minority on here ?
I’ve noticed there seems to be more people with lower incomes on netmums ? Am I generalising or have others noticed this also

I don't think it's the income level that is different, education and values/beliefs maybe. You're more likely to get huns and babez on netmums, I've also seen some shockingly ill informed posts with no one challenging them on NM. You won't get those things on MN, I like that.

Like PP, I don't think it's so much a class/income bias as an education bias. Plenty of well-educated or intelligent (not necessarily people who went to university) people here, which then skews class/income upwards.

Personally, I am the child of a working class single mother. I have a degree that I don't use. I am a stay at home parent, while my non-graduate raised-middle-class partner works minimum wage. We get by because we live in a cheap part of the country (one where we still get tax credits, at that) and have always lived frugally (but comfortably) without trying too hard. We also have a significant buffer from inheritance which should be going towards buying our own house soon. We both loosely identify as working class (with middle class privilege - him for upbringing, me for education).

I easily pass for middle class (not intentionally trying), and have good enough luck in charity shops to frequently look like I have money. Not that that's relevant on an internet forum.

I'd say it's quite representative. Threads about how much you earn attract high-earners, but there are also threads about struggling with debt and making ends meet that get tons of replies from people in similar situations.

The vast majority of people probably fall in the middleand have little reason to mention their 30k salary and 3-bed semi.

A lot of folk seem to aspire to being middle class on here, however in real life no one really talks about which class they’re in.

I do chuckle at the “just get an au pair” suggestion that always seems to crop up on childcare threads. Where are they going to live? Under the stairs with Harry Bloody Potstain?

I think MN engages those with a slightly higher intellect. That’s all. The money and stuff povavbly does follow. But I think it’s a smarter place than nethuns.

I don't think it's necessarily aimed at rich families,but just happens to attract them.

Oh god yes, it really is for the more well off. I used to be on netmums years ago. World of differmece between that site and this one (as in, you can tell the more wrll-off frequent this one)

Of course it's not aimed at wealthy people. It's aimed at parents. There is a huge range of posters in a huge range of situations and wealth brackets. Maybe it's a bit skewed towards the comfortably-off middle classes, but there are still tons of people just getting by. The really wealthy posters just stand out to you because you find their situation unfamiliar. They probably, on the other hand, really notice the posts from poorer posters, because that is unfamiliar to them.

Most people are somewhere in the middle, but posts about things like private schools, house prices, designer handbags and longhaul holidays are likely to attract people from opposite ends of the scale.

No, Providing one is computer literate, then anyone can use Mumsnet Money status irrelevant.

Nah MN is full of poorer people! You just need to hang around for longer. Full of single mums too.

There are a very good number of MC posters, but that's what makes for interesting perspectives. I personally love to read the "DH was forced to take redundancy so now we only have 80k a year, so we've had to cut back hard, stop shopping at waitrose, get rid of the 2nd car, and put DDs ballet lessons on hold until this whole freelance thing starts producing results. However at least DMIL is covering the school fees for now, or we'd really be in the shits then"

I think certain posts will also attract those with something to brag about. Guaranteed if I started a 'What job do you do and how much do you earn?' thread, I'd get a slew of replies from people with great careers earning three times the national average.

People are not going to say I work as a cashier in Aldi or Tescos. What I think is bad though is a snobby attitude to those with less. That I hate.

Otherwise I love to read how others live with more wealth than me. It incentivises me to do the best I can.

I would imagine there are lots of us in the ‘middle income bracket’, we don’t earn enough to join in the S & B threads (even if we wanted to ) but we fortunate not to have to make a chicken last all week so have the sense not to post on the ‘I’m skint’ threads.

I did raise my eyebrows at a poster yesterday who gives her teenage DD, who lives at home, a monthly allowance of £250, but I refrained from commenting.

Remember that not everyone will tell the truth online about their lifestyles, OP.

you are right, on average the average mumsnetter is better off than average, is more left wing than the general population though not as left wing as Corbyn, they are generally in favour of remain, are less religious than the general population and it is quite London centric
that said about averages there are lots of poorer than average people, there are those in favour of brexit, those who live rurally, there are Christian prayer threads etc
whenever people are posting about anything it skews the consensus as people don't run threads about just being comfortable financially about having a reasonably good marriage or sleeping babies

there are some extremes those that can solve poverty by making a single £4 chicken serve 6 people for 4 days plus soup, there are others that roast a chicken use both breasts then chuck as they don't like leftovers

when your household income is 15-25k, people moaning about being skint on 60k or even 40k sounds like a bad joke and that they don't live in the real world

of course there is not much leftover spare money if you are on 60k and housing costs £2000 a month but for many people on lower incomes they can't choose £2000 housing costs because it is actually more than their total earning so they have to chose somewhere with £800 housing costs max, whatever the schools are like. This is where sometimes the 60K people find it difficult to understand that the £1200 difference in housing costs is actually a reflection of a choice they have that the 20K people don't and that £1200 is part of disposable income as they had a freedom to make that choice which leaves them with less each month for other things; they prioritised housing in an area with good schools over other things

I did raise my eyebrows at a poster yesterday who gives her teenage DD, who lives at home, a monthly allowance of £250, but I refrained from commenting.

I also said nothing

What on Earth makes you think that op...there’s people from all walks of life here

Panick - I didn't mean to suggest that it was easy for those people who are asset rich but disposable income poor! I just mean it's not the same as being actually poor.

I am sure this isn't the case with you, but what you do find in some cases is that a poster has made a decision to move to an expensive house in a very middle class postcode, and to send their kids to private school. Those things are choices. Choices that eat money. Not having disposable income because you have made those decisions isn't the same as being a single parent in council housing on benefits, who is forced to make a decision between food and heating.

I think there is a genuinely squeezed middle somewhere between those two also.

*I think people tend to notice the extremes, particularly if at the opposite end to them

This. Someone posts they earn fifty k a year and they get their arse handed to them about how they are loaded about how posters could on,y dream of fifty k a year and had to borrow two bits of read from their mum to eat,

Which does indicate it's the posts at the opposite end folks only remember as it's very clearly not a website for thr rich.

When i first used mumsnet people seemed baffled that people lived outside of London thankfully that bubble burst although some can't comprehend not livingin England

Agree. I'd say we were comfortable yet quite a few on here seem to have way more than us spare a month.

I have spoken to friends who have went to MN meet ups who have said those attending in the main were not wealthy.
I suspect certain threads attract well off people. Like how much do you earn, or how much savings do you have. And I do suspect a lot of stuff is made up as well.

I think the thing which most defines MNers is they are fairly intelligent, opinionated and always up for a bit of humorous debate. This sort of intelligence and confidence often leads to a good education and a good job so there are a lot of people who are in that situation. You won't be judged by your income and your lifestyle though, but by your spelling and grammar and the insightfulness of your posts. It doesn't matter if you went to a Russel group university, but whether given the right circumstances you could get that degree.

Mumsnet is like a parallel universe to most of my world.

I think the main indicator of class on here is the language used. It's a cut above.

Yeah, there's a dog whistle for the how much do you earn/ spend on food/ splash on holidays that get wealthy mnetters tripping over themselves to self declare.

I don't think it's aimed at wealthy people but just as with parents of children with SN, those people have found their people. We're far from poor and some people on here talk of budgets that are mind boggling to me.

Plenty of people here do live psycheqie to pay cheque, but that's not so pleasing to write about.

And do be aware that some people live out their fantasies on here.