Middle Class/Upper middle class most frugal with money (in a good way!)

[Montana7]

Out of our friends with dc the same age as ours the most middle class & upper middle seem to be the most frugal & love a bargain.. Many are very high earners yet dc wear second hand clothes, uniforms, the families are very good with food & pride themselves on zero waste... Have great holidays think safaris, multiple ski trips pre covid but always prided themselves on getting the best deals... I think its bloody brilliant & after realising how much disposable cash DH & I fritter away especially around Christmas I aspire to be more frugal... Aibu to suggest the mc/umc appreciate the value of money more or is it just the ones we know...

Adding in the same families have horses & multiple dogs which ard expensive to keep but they are frugal in every other way..

You're not being frugal if you keep horses ffs

Zero waste but going on multiple ski trips and safaris etc makes them sound dense

I think that that's because quite often they don't have any money.

Middle class people who over extend themselves with their house (incredibly common) then have to wander past you and ask you if you're planning to eat the other half of that sandwich. (TRUE story)

or like you say, they are determined to keep their dogs or their horses even though really it's a bit of a pinch.

I think it depends. I have certainly found that income doesn't equal spend. I could afford a lot more luxuries but I do not see the point in spending more in things that are only more expensive for its name rather than quality. I shop for clothes, make up and accessories mainly in supermarkets.

I'm very frugal apart from my yacht and aeroplane which I use at the weekends

Education is a different matter some are private, others good state or church school (feigned religion since their dc were born). However without fail all the families are deeply invested in the dc's education regardless of if their paying for it or not..

Yes because non upper middle class people aren’t invested in their kids education at all

Feigning religion is shit

I think you are definitely unreasonable to say that the middle class or upper middle class appreciate the value of money more. I am in a skilled but low paid job, and there have been months where I have been down to my last pound, trying to work out the best use for that pound, because after that I had nothing.

You learn the appreciation of money when you have nothing. It's also easier to be frugal when you actually have money.

Lastly, class doesn't equal high income.

It’s much easier and more palatable to be frugal when it’s a choice. It’s also much easier and more palatable when you already have everything you need and an abundance more. Frugality in the little things feels really good when you can comfortably afford to pay for the big things.

@araiwa

I'm very frugal apart from my yacht and aeroplane which I use at the weekends

What only one yacht, I bet it’s only a 50 footer too?! My 50 footer is my spare one, I’ve got a 200 foot one and an aeroplane to take me to Waitrose 😂

I think it's very easy to make a CHOICE to wear 2nd hand. When you know you have enough money to buy brand new clothes - it's a luxury to choose not to. If your peer group do this it's also a kind of badge.
When you have no choice (because you can't afford to) then elements of shame creep in.

Its different attitudes to money. If you are weathy you've nothing to prove so don't mind admitting you scour the charity shops for bargains. I used to work in debt advice, and we found those with the lowest budgets spent the most at Christmas, for example, because it was the one time of the year they had for treats and indulgences. We also used to find that those with lower budgets would spend on "silly" things for appearances sake, so they didn't feel embarrassed about not being able to afford things. I've been to homes where there are threadbare carpets, whilst all the kids are wearing designer sports gear, so it was certainly an outward appearances over home comforts thing.

IME they're a lot stingier with anything they don't think is justifiable expenditure, eg don't get bounced into putting money into collections at work, bring sandwiches to events rather than paying food truck prices and especially don't pay for flashy designer brands etc.
They focus more on their enjoyment and the quality of the experience than looking good/rich.

@Ninkanink totally agree with your post

It’s lovely to be all ‘oh let’s scour eBay for second hand Boden for Tabitha to wear at the stables’ when you know you could pop out and drop hundreds on new clothes if you needed to

I told you already- I'm very frugal

Being frugal is a nice hobby unless you have no choice but to be frugal...in which case, it's bloody miserable!

Quickly add that some, not all on low budgets, just like some on high budgets spend money like water.

@Blueeyedgirl21

Zero waste but going on multiple ski trips and safaris etc makes them sound dense

Quite. Ski-ing is one of the most climate-wrecking holidays you can do, unless you live in Norway and do cross-country ski-ing from your front door.

@Blueeyedgirl21

Yes because non upper middle class people aren’t invested in their kids education at all

Feigning religion is shit

Selection for schools by religion is sh*t too.

On second reading of this post, it reads like a lazy journalist 'wind em up and watch em go' kind of thing.

@JuergenSchwarzwald fair point you’re not wrong

I'm a single mum but in a professional "middle class" job and am paid about twice the average wage.

The bulk of my money goes on a mortgage because I wanted a house in a nice area with good schools. I drive a 10 year old car (mid size German brand). I tend to buy quality but make it last - some of my practical coats and boots are 5 plus years old. I don't care about designer clothes and expensive beauty treatments, just get the basics done - hair cut and colour, pedicure, brows. Do everything else myself at home. Spend a bit on good quality outdoor gear, running shoes, hiking boots because they get a lot of use.

No horses. Can sail but don't have a boat, may buy a small sailing boat when DD is older, if she takes to sailing. No multiple ski trips though 😂. DD and I are planning a foreign holiday and a U.K. holiday this year. Plus a few weekends away.

Think I'm pretty frugal on food and clothes. Food shop is mostly Aldi but buy stuff at M&S and Booths too.

Think I'm lower middle class, due to being a one income family. If I had a DP earning a similar amount, then we'd maybe be upper middle class. I don't really put much thought into it, as long as DD and I are comfortable and happy.

@ANameChangeAgain

Its different attitudes to money. If you are weathy you've nothing to prove so don't mind admitting you scour the charity shops for bargains. I used to work in debt advice, and we found those with the lowest budgets spent the most at Christmas, for example, because it was the one time of the year they had for treats and indulgences. We also used to find that those with lower budgets would spend on "silly" things for appearances sake, so they didn't feel embarrassed about not being able to afford things. I've been to homes where there are threadbare carpets, whilst all the kids are wearing designer sports gear, so it was certainly an outward appearances over home comforts thing.

I thought the upper class all have threadbare carpets according to some posters on MN?

No not a lazy journalist at all just a mum wondering where I can start clawing back... An example would be school teacher collection, I gave 20 quid to put in pot as it was an "open" amount, had coffee after with one of the high earning mums & she asked me to pass on a fiver to the mum who was collecting... Also grumbling about having to give 3 other fivers for her other kids collections... I put 20 into each of my kids collections as I assumed that's what the others would do.. ( v affluent state school)