to believe the Mumsnet High Earners?

[LigPatin]

Every time there's a thread about earnings, there's always multiple posters who claim that most people on the thread must be inflating or plain lying about their salaries.

Whilst I recognise that people lie, especially on anonymous forums, I find it quite sad that people prefer to dismiss these posts as lies rather than take inspiration/education from them (or just not care).

I come from a poor background - we never had enough money to the point that food and electricity use was rationed. We weren't on the streets, but that was a looming possibility. We lived (mostly) within the midlands.

I fell into nannying as a career (having dreamed of being a primary school teacher) and my first job was in Kensington. The housekeeper had been gossiping about the rent on the house we worked in - it was £3k a WEEK. This was 2012-ish. I remember wondering how on Earth anyone could afford paying £200k+ a year on rent alone, when - in my mind - earning just £50k was amazingly rich.

I remember walking through Kensington and Knightsbridge and Chelsea and seeing thousands and thousands and thousands of these houses, all huge and grand and all presumably commanding similar rent or sale value than the one I worked in. They were all clearly lived in and used.

Perhaps it was arrogance, or naivety, but I figured that if there were enough people who could afford to pay £1k, £2k, £5k+ a week on rent (or buy million pound houses), then there must be a lot of money out there to be earned, and I couldn't see any reason as to why I couldn't find a way to get a share of that money.

That's sort of how I feel about these earning threads - hundreds of people are posting about their high salaries and instead of scoffing that they must be sad-sacks who hang out on Mumsnet to lie about their lifestyles - I think it's inspiring and encouraging to see so many women out there making amazing money and securing their futures.

FWIW - I was 21 back in Kensington, amazed at the £3k a week rent. I'm coming up to 30 now and my average yearly income is about £120k. I remind myself every day of how lucky I am, and how 21 year old me would have been incredulous. Though I'm, of course, absolutely nowhere near being able to rent a £3k a week house

@LigPatin

First few replies spectacularly missing the point

I don’t think you’ve made your point very well.

Secondly I always wonder who is posting their income and if it's true. Not because it's boasting (as most seem to believe), but because where I'm from you are taught never ever to disclose anything about finances.

I don't think I've ever talked about my salery with any of my friends. I'm always amazed people seem to know how much all their friends earn. I could certainly hazard a rough guess at my friends incomes but it would be just that, a guess.

@UrAWizHarry

"I run a recruitment agency"

Oh dear.

Why “oh dear”? Recruitment agencies are standard in most types of employment.

Did you think everyone advertises for nannies in “The Lady?”

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7

I don't think high female earners are rare, or a very small minority. Over £100k was a crazy amount when I was growing up, and I didn't know anyone who earned that, and didn't even know it was attainable. However probably about 40% of my friends do now - we are mid thirties. Most of my peers on a similar level do. There can be busy periods when we are working late, but ultimately its not crazy long hours. I think its really amazing that more women are becoming high earners

Your day off too is it?

Or, like a few others on here who have big important jobs with massive salaries, you have the time and ability to post on mumsnet, at 11.57 a.m. on a weekday?

Again, LMFAO.

Also, like a pp said, I find it disgusting and repugnant that some people declare that if you are NOT a high earner, it's because you're useless and lazy, and simply didn't work as hard as them!!!

Nasty.

So OP LigPatin what do you do to earn £120k per year from being a nanny? I am curious as I earn £150k but I did not start out as a nanny.

It's not about other people not being happy about it. Most people do not like arrogance. It's a very ugly trait

OP didn’t come across as arrogant to me. I found the post inspiring and interesting.

Well there must be an awful lot of skivers because a lot of those claiming six figure salaries are on here all bloody day that's why they're not believed.

I prefer inherited wealth. So much easier thsn working for it.

I agree. It is possible with enormous amounts of hard work. My dh and I own companies worth in the region of £15m (£27m pre COVID) built from nothing, it’s taken 17 years of hard work, long hours (100+ per week), 7 days a week, paying ourselves absolute minimum just to keep a roof over our heads and pay bills while constantly reinvesting any profits back into the companies. No holidays or treats. I went to Uni, dh didn’t, he’d come to the UK with nothing, just a change of clothes and started working as a labourer on construction sites. He learnt a lot though and we started a construction company with just him, me doing the paperwork, a van, my credit card and my job which paid for our living expenses for first 4-5years while dh earnt nothing. Then when dc were born I went on mat leave and never went back, continued doing the paperwork for very little / no pay.

Pre COVID we were working much more normal hours, Saturday afternoons and Sundays off work. this last year we’ve had no household income at all as we’ve prioritised keeping company from going bankrupt, taken out massive loans, tons of debt but we’ve survived, just about. Were ready to sell the house last autumn but luckily didn’t need to in the end.

Things are looking up though, should hopefully get back to where we were in the next 2 years and be able to pay off the remortgage money we invested into the company. Dh says he wants to stop at 50 and sell up, he’s 42 now , I don’t know if he actually could sell everything, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

I believe them when they state what job they do to earn such wild amounts.

I’m currently a student so 50k a year would be amazing for me.

@MrPickles73

So OP LigPatin what do you do to earn £120k per year from being a nanny? I am curious as I earn £150k but I did not start out as a nanny.

It’s already been said upthread- she has mentioned on another thread that she set up a recruitment agency.

Oh,something I think about...high earners...what is your take on homeless people and those living in poverty? Are they lazy, uninspired people? Would you help them or give them a 'share' of your £120k a year salary as OP used to want a share of it?

I understand where OP is coming from. Basically a lot of posters don't believe it when other posters say they earn a high salary and say they are all lying or it's all bullshit..

Of course some do but it isn't so unbelievable.

I personally know quite a few women who earn high salaries by late 20s ( so 8 years experience or so onwards). Those who works in finance, banks, asset management ( not at high Street banks- am talking about big firms who manage billions),tech, corporate law and some niche HR roles would typically earn onwards of £70-80k by that point. Even in public sector - some departments offer >£100k at c 12 years experience for some roles. This is very common in London. Even if you don't work in London but work in one of the big accounting firms in a regional office, you will also be paid well - the London uplift for those roles aren't that significant compared to differences in living costs.

I find it quite sad that people prefer to dismiss these posts as lies rather than take inspiration/education from them (or just not care)

It's rather patronising to say that low-earners should "take education" from high-earners on social media, OP.

Not everyone is inspired by six figure salaries and it's not everyone's definition of success. If you were inspired/educated by high-earners, then that's great for you, but not everyone thinks the way you do, so don't feel sad for them.

I'm not at all surprised to find a high earner posting at 11.52 am on a work day. She might not be in the UK; she might be on annual leave. But most of all because highly-paid jobs are also very often high-discretion jobs. If you're a receptionist for Big Pharma, you'll probably get a bollocking for SM use at 11:52 am. Someone pretty high-up? Not so much. They're probably not monitoring her in the same way, now, are they? I'm sure she gets her work done.

Peculiarly enough, there was a story in The Daily Mail about how a handful of nannies (with extraordinary qualifications and talents and experience) make up to £120,000 a year - exactly the same salary as what the OP states.

Hmmm, of course there are (female) high earners, who earn £100K plus, but they're as rare as rocking horse shit. And a VERY small minority on here earn that.

Any career that pays £100K+ a year, would permit very little spare time/leisure time. And as if women with a high flying career, that pays £100K+ a year, would be chatting shit on mumsnet, in the precious few hours per week they get to themselves...

You realise NHS consultant basic salary is £82,096 to £110,683? That’s if they’re not also working in private practice.

That’s actually a fairly normal salary for medicine, law, finance - finance is often much higher.

@MrsTreglowan

Well there must be an awful lot of skivers because a lot of those claiming six figure salaries are on here all bloody day that's why they're not believed.

This. ^

Yes and? Capitalism will always have a percentage of people who get lucky. That's part of how it works

@LobotomisedIceSkatingFan

I'm not at all surprised to find a high earner posting at 11.52 am on a work day. She might not be in the UK; she might be on annual leave. But most of all because highly-paid jobs are also very often high-discretion jobs. If you're a receptionist for Big Pharma, you'll probably get a bollocking for SM use at 11:52 am. Someone pretty high-up? Not so much. They're probably not monitoring her in the same way, now, are they? I'm sure she gets her work done.

Yeah, ^ that's a load of crap.

All that just to tell an anonymous forum you earn 120k . I had scrambled egg and toast today for breakfast...

I tend to disbelieve anyone who says they earn megabucks, but won't say what they do because itvs so highly specialised and niche they'll be instantly identifiable from the merest vague job description such as "I'm in HR" 🙄

I don't see how a high income is something everyone should strive for.
I'm not inspired at all, and wouldn't want to live like the high earners.
It would be too much stress for me, and too many pounds of flesh to hand over everyday.
Having to wait for annual leave before going anywhere, I'd need more than a month or 6 weeks off per year.

We are all different, so to presume people stealth boast to make themselves look better is sad, especially if they do this.
Not everyone is governed by money, consumerism, and working for others.
Although, there is nothing wrong with living like this and for those that want to, I'm pleased for them, certainly not jealous or aspiring to be them.