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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What would your households annual income need to be for you to be happy/content?

125 replies

TheTortoiseWon · 18/02/2022 19:52

I'm coming in close to £150k. I don't believe this would make me truly much happier in life but it's what I would like

Savings, investments and pension - £50k
Bills and groceries - £12k
Holidays x 4 - £25k
School fees x 2 - £30k
Days out/dining out - £5k
Clothes, accessories, and beauty treatments - £12k

OP posts:
Mabelface · 19/02/2022 08:42

30k per year net would be fine and dandy for me. I'm not bothered about gyms or shopping etc, just need enough to pay bills comfortably and be able to buy new boots when I need them.

Mulhollandmagoo · 19/02/2022 08:45

We're on much less than that and we are ok to be honest, we live in a cheap part of the country which I think helps us out loads and we live within our means, we can't spend 25k per year on holidays but we do get a couple of cheaper UK holidays in through the year which we love.

Onionpatch · 19/02/2022 08:52

@Boombastic22 but would you need a proper life of luxury to feel happy/content?

Woahthehorsey · 19/02/2022 08:53

@Grumpsy

Increased income usually equals increased stress and decreased work life balance.

It does mean you don’t need to worry about finances though.

This isn't my experience at all. We know several high earners, DH included and whilst there are phases where they all put in extra to get things over the line, they all have much better work life balances and flexibility. DH does drop off most mornings and swimming straight after school one day, he's on close to £100k. My friend on over £100k uses no wrap around care because she can choose to work when it suits her. Another friend works a 4 day compressed hours week so he can do a day with his preschooler. Much better than the teachers, hospitality and customer service workers I know that get crap all day from people and very fixed hours where they have to be actually in work.
anothersmahedmug · 19/02/2022 08:54

Op didn't say life of luxury though

She said happy and content

Quite different

tygh787 · 19/02/2022 08:55

everyone who says they are on less than that and are happy - most family incomes are not 300k so yes people can obviously be happy on less

Thatsplentyjack · 19/02/2022 08:56

12k for bills AND groceries a year? I'm 12k a year not including a mortgage, council tax or groceries 🤔

Thatsplentyjack · 19/02/2022 08:56

And we're un under 50k combined!

HogDogKetchup · 19/02/2022 08:57

@TheTortoiseWon

I'm coming in close to £150k. I don't believe this would make me truly much happier in life but it's what I would like

Savings, investments and pension - £50k
Bills and groceries - £12k
Holidays x 4 - £25k
School fees x 2 - £30k
Days out/dining out - £5k
Clothes, accessories, and beauty treatments - £12k

You mean £150k take home which is probably nearer to £280k income.
ThePlumVan · 19/02/2022 08:59

Yes £150k would be nice.

But nicer would be sitting near a beach in a motor home after an epic walk with my dogs and the slow cooker on. Priceless.

OutlookStalking · 19/02/2022 09:00

Wow crazy incomes here!

60k would be amazing. Id love private healrh insurance too. As xenia says health is a huge thing and lack of money is causing my health to get worse so this would do it for me.

It wont happen though 😔

hupfpferd · 19/02/2022 09:01

If I can get to £40k I'll be very happy.

SockFluffInTheBath · 19/02/2022 09:01

@ThePlumVan

Yes £150k would be nice.

But nicer would be sitting near a beach in a motor home after an epic walk with my dogs and the slow cooker on. Priceless.

Sounds perfect.

I’d like what we have now but it magically appearing in the bank account so I could spend all day on coastal dog walks and pottering in the greenhouse.

radioactive4 · 19/02/2022 09:02

@TheTortoiseWon

I'm coming in close to £150k. I don't believe this would make me truly much happier in life but it's what I would like

Savings, investments and pension - £50k
Bills and groceries - £12k
Holidays x 4 - £25k
School fees x 2 - £30k
Days out/dining out - £5k
Clothes, accessories, and beauty treatments - £12k

That's a very very cheap mortgage?

Less than £1k a month mortgage but kids in private school? Where are you living?!

Auntieobem · 19/02/2022 09:04

Ours is just over £100k pre tax. I'm v happy with that.

Flaskfan · 19/02/2022 09:10

We were content on 70k combined. So content, we could afford to move house. Mortgage isn't much more than before.

But everything else has gone sky high, including the fuel we both need to drive to jobs some distance away and there are more things to fix in the house than we thought. So now we can't do things like have nights out without stress. In fact, we can't even have a conversation without stressing over money.

I bitterly, bitterly regret going into a job that I thought would be interesting, and had a good starting salary, rather than a boring one which led to higher pay.

DonGray · 19/02/2022 09:10

Welcome to MN
Contentment is a state of mind

Ladylornax12 · 19/02/2022 09:12

Single person here in 17k! Have massively adjusted my lifestyle and my outgoing date very low but I don’t struggle. I have anxiety and would rather work less and have less money. Time for myself is more valuable and necessary to my well-being than working more hours for more money.

Bluesheep8 · 19/02/2022 09:15

Ours is 50k. I am happy and content. It's been double that before now and I was less than half as happy.

SoManyTshirts · 19/02/2022 09:19

I am happy and content on 25k after paying off the mortgage. Bit worried about inflation over the next few years, but will deal with that as and when.

Mirrorball2022 · 19/02/2022 09:19

I’m pretty content with my lot atm and I’m on 24k. Partner is on a few thousand more.
Reading that is bonkers 1k a month on clothes and beauty etc? 25k on holidays?

Don’t get me wrong I’d love a bit of a higher wage for the work that I do and we all plan for a money win I’d like a little more to be able to save more, maybe do more with the house rather than one job at a time and maybe longer holidays but having really large amounts of money doesn’t buy happiness in the long run and I’m not materialistic as I age it becomes less important to me.

There’s just two of us, we are both very happy in our relationship. we have 2/3 short city breaks or Lake District type hols a year, we go out to eat/drink and socialise when we want to, have a small mortgage that we overpay. I’m NHS staff so I’m in a decent pension and I manage to save monthly. I can buy clothes if I want to but I buy less as I get older. We live in a nice area and aren’t currently in poverty. We have great friends and family who we are regularly. That’s what life is and what makes me content.

WouldIwasShookspeared · 19/02/2022 09:20

About £20,000 more a year than we currently make would do it.

TracyMosby · 19/02/2022 09:22

I bitterly, bitterly regret going into a job that I thought would be interesting, and had a good starting salary, rather than a boring one which led to higher pay.
Snap. My MIL had what Id consider a boring job. She has a great pension, gorgeous house and despite being mid-70’s, she occasionally still does a days work when she fancies a city break, to cover the cost of it. There is no way I will be able to be in a classroom with teenagers at 75. And all the focus from the govt on teaching salaries is on the starting salaries. Theres very, very little difference in their plans for pay of m1, and where ups3 have been stuck for years.

camperqueen54 · 19/02/2022 09:23

Ours is currently £90k and I could always do with more. You just spend into what you earn I think.

Nidan2Sandan · 19/02/2022 09:28

To live our current lifestyle, but with enough disposable income to do holidays abroad and not worry about bills or unexpected expenses I think we need a household income of around £120k-£150k.

We're currently at around £92k and starting to really feel the squeeze of increasing costs. We do live in an expensive area though & DHs pension payments are huge.