What do they do that I don't?

[BoujiSnail]

Dd goes to a quite alternative school in a big city. The class is made up of very different kids but one thing I find strange is that the parents never talk about work. We live in an expensive part of the city and it seems to be me and dp are working full time, some of the European parents work ridiculously hard yet we all live in smaller houses in rougher areas. There is a large majority of parents who live in huge, £300,000 houses who do every pick up and are always on the WhatsApp group all hours of the day.
I always imagined that they worked from home during school hours and maybe stayed up all hours on Skype calls to China but during the Covid drama I've realised that this doesn't seem to be the case as they're all out on bike rides, teaching intricate geography lessons using the various items they've collected on their world travels and genuinely having a lovely time. They don't want to send their kids back until September so obviously not struggling too much.
If I sound jealous it's because I am! What is there secret? How can both parents be free every day and not seem to struggle financially? I'm dying here, working every day, striving for that promotion, promising that I will definitely play Lego as soon as I've done this meeting. Just for us to pay the mortgage on our ex council house. I pull up to little Jago's massive house where the mum is an artist and the dad is a gardener and think what am I missing?

Most people on the thread are missing the point of OP's thread.

Most are focusing on the £300k house, but the price of the house has nothing to do with it.

It's the principle. Of wondering how others do it. Which is valid.

And all those saying inheritance and lottery wins? That's unlikely.

Nearly every family I know from ds1's football team, all earn well, and nearly all of them have had NO inheritance. Nearly all have had no family financial help at all. I know you might question how I know this, and yes they might have lied, but it's unlikely I hope : so because it came up in conversation when a friend that everyone knew lost both parents, and we all discussed it and nearly all said that their parents were still alive, and had never helped them.

So inheritance and lottery wins isn't the issue with most of the families I know.

In fact, Ds1 gets invited to tonnes of parties, and more than 50 families live in lovely houses. One is a solicitor, one runs his own estate agents, one is very senior at BA. All normal people. Very good jobs. Bet some of them have worked very very hard at certain points.

OP's question is actually a very interesting one.

LoveIsland is on £230k which is a substantial income!

@Oblomov20 thank you for considering my OP. I used to work in a local health food shop several years ago so I knew the mums and dads from there too. Back then, before they had dc's, it still seemed money was not an issue. They regularly spent £80 just on snacks/treats/ales for the weekend. I used to see them a lot but I didn't ask what they did. Two were reiki practioners, that's all I could remember, I remember another mum told me she was a teacher.
Now that our children all go to the local alternative school, I still feel like that poor, young girl who they take pity on by inviting my dd to party's or on play dates. Even with the returning to school issue I still feel the undertone is 'good for you snail, so glad that you can send your dc to school as a key worker!' Yet it's not good enough/ safe enough for their children.
The school currently allows you to send your children part time so most pick their dc's up at 1.30 and don't send them on a Friday. I can't afford to do that, my dd often asks why she's the only one in all day, why she's the only one in breakfast club etc. I think I made a mistake by sending my dc's to that school, it's like a world I'll never be a part of. At the moment I've got my face pressed up against the glass.

But your are a decade behind them career wise and life wise. Apart from the children