Close friend of dh's rents 3 properties inc the one he lives in. Has low interest homeowner mortgages and pays no income tax at all. Doesn't and rarely has worked. Lives a pretty moderate existence but is smug about the fact he'll not have to work or ever worry about reduced income in retirement etc. This bothers me. Not because of jealously, he isn't particularly flash, but the condescending attitude towards other people who work preaching, along the lines of cliches "you should only do what you love/makes you happy and so on..." which is pretty rich in his situation (pardon the pun!). Nor am I particular righteous on the subject of financial loopholes; if a company that creates millions of uk jobs wants to save some tax with an offshore arrangement then maybe that's not so bad, if you pay cash in hand for a few home improvements, so be it. But it irks me that one person can live his entire life and get free education, free healthcare, and his kids (x2) the same (while dodging child maintenance via undeclared earnings!) and pay nothing towards it all. Tbh I don't really want to get a involved, but at the same time I have a socialise with this person and the smug self-satisfaction is becoming increasingly unbearable. Am I just being a grumpy, intolerant old woman or would this f*ck u off too?!