To ask what people consider rich....

[Imoen]

I'm possibly going to be flamed but Im genuinely curious. I keep reading on thread about its ok for the "rich" or the rich are getting richer etc....

I've also had several conversations with friends/family and often the throw away comment is "its ok for you, you're rich".

Thing is, I don't think we are. To me rich is not having to worry about working again.

WE both have very very good salaries which I'm grateful for an I know we're lucky (me 90K, him 60K) and we have a mortgage on a 4 bed house worth 280K. (130K left to pay).

But I would not say we are "rich".

I struggle with this all the time, but I think you're rich! Those are whopping salaries, way above the national average (35k), and a manageable mortgage. I'm guessing you have a very nice lifestyle, eating out when you want in nice places, taking regular international holidays staying in fancy hotels, and I bet your house is pretty plush. Very jealous. Most people have to think twice about where they shop for food, limit eating out, are gutted by bills when they hit and have to consider any holidays very carefully. I think anyone in the UK is rich in comparison to most of the world, and that after that it's all relative to who you know. I thought we were doing okay, and that I shouldn't complain, and would acknowledge that I was wealthy around most people, even if I'd love to have more:

Household income: 70k
Savings: 35k
Home worth: 400k
Mortgage: 250k (London, the flat has increased in value by 30% since we purchased)

But I guess a lot of my friends don't earn enough to save for a deposit for a house and aren't getting any handouts. But then again, a lot of my friends have had their parents buy their homes outright for them, will privately educate their children and don't have to work full-time. Yet even they don't think they're rich, because they know people who don't have to work at all and have multiple homes or one in a more affluent part of London... Imagine not having to work!!!

This has all made me feel a bit panicked about what on earth I'm doing in such a low-paid job with a baby on the way, when I had thought we'd be fine...

NunoGonClaves who said anything about 200k. The poster mentioned 500k and her she earned more. So I was referring to people who earn 6 and lower 7 figure incomes. My point was that people see super yachts and private jets and a coterie of staff and thin that on a few million s year, that's the lifestyle. It's not. Most people who 'earn' a few mill a year have a chunk of it tied up in shares and options and not have the funds to be buying £35m yachts. Doesn't mean they aren't doing very well. I'm just pointing out that the Murdoch/kartrashian lifestyle costs a few bob more.

@Breaker do you want to adopt me?

I'll clean your not very expensive yatch? I can even cook, I make a pretty mean pasta bake.

I can be a nanny... please adopt me.

That's a good point poopypants re yachts etc. There's a gulf between rich and super rich.

NC for this obviously and it’s anonymous so....We would be classed as “rich” in that when DH sold a company, we received £40 million (around £20 million after tax). We have property worth around £9 million in total, mainly in London, Apart from that, most of the money is tied up in investment schemes and not that much is actually liquid. Apart from the DC in independent schools and we don’t worry about eating out etc, we have very similar lives to most people around us and as before. No yachts etc - that’s a whole other level.

A lot of this thread has made me feel repulsed by a general attitude of greed. All these people saying they have this and that and the other and hundreds of thousands coming into their household each year but they aren't rich. They could have more. Somebody else has more. They don't have much at all. They can't afford everything they can imagine possibly having. What is the point in having all that money, all those expensive houses, all those things if you still aren't pleased with the amount of stuff you have? It is tasteless. It is vulgar. We do not have anywhere near the amounts being talked about on here as 'not much really' but we have a good life and we are pleased with it and we would never complain about not being able to afford fancy holidays or anything else in front of people with less money as we have a bit of decorum.

in front of people with less money

Nobody on this thread is in front of people. We're all in front of a computer/laptop/phone/tablet and have chosen to open a thread entitled "AIBU to ask what people consider rich?" The subject matter is pretty clear and everyone has chosen to be faced with the inevitable inequalities and vastly differing experiences. Nothing to do with decorum.

What is the point in having all that money, all those expensive houses, all those things if you still aren't pleased with the amount of stuff you have? It is tasteless. It is vulgar.

how ridiculous.
What's tasteless in wanting to have a decent life, and more than just "surviving".

No one is saying they want to buy a private island, 3 yachts, the crown jewels and a few private jets. You are not rich if you depend on a salary from a job you can lose tomorrow for a start.
Wanting to provide for your children is the opposite of vulgar.

You might be happy with your good life, well great, but I want a nice life now and tomorrow, I want to support my kids and my retirement without being a burden to them. I want to be able to help them as much as possible.

I don't want to live in a grotty terraced house with the neighbours from hell that so many posters have to deal with. How is that a life?

You see holidays as a luxury, I don't .What's the point of working if you just get the basics? Life is too short, you need to enjoy it a bit.

It is vulgar. It is greedy. There is only a certain amount to go around and a very small number of people have most of it. And they aren't rich. They want more. And they are whining away on the internet about how it isn't much. Yuck.

I would without a shadow of doubt consider you rich op!! With those salaries!!

Even if you didn't save you both have so much money coming in

Out of curiosity, what do you and your husband do @Breaker?

It is a strange question. The key is not to tell people how much you earn or to make out to them that you can afford certain things that they can't. If they get the impression that you can afford certain things that they can't then they will envy you . I do think many women have a tendency to drop hints about what they can afford. I don't think men do this.

I agree with Symbol. Why even start a thread about it. You know you are well off. Why do people obsess about whose rich. Life is too short. We aren't alive that long.

There is only a certain amount to go around and a very small number of people have most of it.

just make more, lose your passive attitude and get involved. It takes more effort, but it's worth it.

To me rich is when you don't have to worry about what you spend. I would feel rich if when I fancied my hair done or some new clothes I could just go and spend what I liked and not worry about it. Kot have to save or use credit for everything.

I don't think them wanting more is yucky.

The more money anyone has usually opens up world that little bit more.

Its more sad to me, when I've witnessed and been struggling and see Very well off people ( two flash new cars on drive) paid outright... house paid outright.... other houses... feeling poor because they have richer friends.

I find that sad. They have no perspective and no sense of reason. They cannot enjoy what they have and therefore can't really maximise enjoyment from what they actually have.

I know quite a few people like this and I'm happy I can enjoy and appreciate what we have which is far less.

I consider my DH and i to be well of, we are in our 50s and after years of working 7 days a week and in some cases 18 hour days we gave it all up sold the businesses left the south and are more than happy in our little 2 bed in a village near the coast, we allow ourselves an income of £200 a week for bills food etc. We have a car that is nowhere near new but we dont need anything else. We go abroad once a year and have 4 or 5 short uk breaks or nights away 4 or 5 a year and visit Shetland twice a year
We dont have Sky or any other tv package, our phones are way old but we dont need new.We eat out when we fancy it but its never more than £30 as i always find a deal.
Through bloody hard graft and not wasting money we have more than what we need to see us through to age 70.
Being rich depends on whoose eyes you are looking through

I think the thing with wealth is that you can reach a tipping point where the pool of wealth just keeps multiplying especially if it is reinvested and tax is managed. You can reach a point where it goes way past that which you need and just keeps accumulating. What should you do? start giving it away? maybe so

I would consider you rich OP. Not super yacht owning owning rich, but richer than the majority.

Back when the kids were little and we had no money, I would have considered someone on the income we are now to be rich. We earn a lot less than you £55k joint income, but back then that amount was beyond my wildest dreams and the things it allows us to do (one modest foreign holiday a year, or a theatre trip to London) were completely out of reach.

It’s all relative. People live to their means, so you don’t feel particularly rich, but compared to most people (maybe not most of mums net though) you are.

I often wonder about this. Research suggests that people are happiest with their level of wealth if they have slightly more than those around them. I’ve also read that beyond a certain point (I think it was an income of £50k or do) earning more doesn’t make you much happier - as long as you aren’t surrounded by people who are wealthier than you.

There’s also the exposure to extravagant lifestyles on social media, which must make a lot of young people feel comparatively poor and inadequate.

I’m happy with what I have, I would usually consider myself rich (although I’m evidently much poorer than many here) but was rather poor in my twenties, living in share houses etc perfectly happily and not thinking anything of it. I suppose I always assumed that by my 40’s I would be settled and well established and that has happened to me - and most of my friends.

I’m not sure my children’s generation will have the same experience- this sort of security seems harder to come by - it worries me

Caribbean holiday poorest
Spain richest

Depends on the company

I think your well off

You're not rich but you're at the upper end of comfortable. I say this as someone as a household we have similar income. I know we're lucky compared to some people but we're definitely not living a life of luxury,in fact I think we spend considerably less on cars / holidays / hobbies / clothes etc than other families.

At this level of wealth, there is still a trade off (which for us is basically school fees versus everything else).

I think it all depends on how much another person's lifestyle is. I think mortgage free and earning more than 30k each would make someone rich as their outgoings would be lower, however they may have other financial commitments such as child care which can cost a lot.

Hi,

I would say you are all rich/comfortable earning your high salaries, I would love to just be able to buy what I wanted and not worry about bills and what my salary is.

I wouldn’t call you rich but I’d 100% say you are very well off.