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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are the majority of people on here well-off?

332 replies

ThisBloodyNoiseInMyHead · 04/03/2022 20:13

As the title says, are most people on here financially well-off?

I've read about a woman who earns £32k a year, another who decorates every year, one who has got 1 4 bedroomed detached house, anther who has got a "budget" of £1 million to buy a house.

I live in a 1930s semi (mortgage paid), my husband earns £25k, I don't work (recovering from being very ill last year)and we haven't decorated for about 6 years. Am I the only working-class -strapped for cash- person on here?

OP posts:
FindingMeno · 04/03/2022 20:14

No you're not and I think some employ a bit of make believe.

MiniDaffodils · 04/03/2022 20:14

On the internet you can pretend to be anything you want.
I myself am a millionaire.
You can’t ever know if the majority or minority are well off as only a select few will reply to a thread.

TacoCats · 04/03/2022 20:15

No. I'm lucky if I can pay all my bills for the month!

A lot of it is make believe I think personally.

Rummikub · 04/03/2022 20:17

No mortgage to pay sounds like a guys place to be

I’m on benefits
Big commute
Skint

JTK392 · 04/03/2022 20:17

It’s all relative isn’t it? You own your own home, have a income coming in.

My definition of well-off may not be the same as your definition of well-off.

PurpleFlower1983 · 04/03/2022 20:17

We’re financially comfortable but I wouldn’t say well off.

Moonface123 · 04/03/2022 20:20

" Some people are so poor all they have is money "
l have learnt to live on what is considered in this country a little, yet l read some of these threads and l know l am rich in other ways.

HopeYourHighHorseBucks · 04/03/2022 20:20

Nope, I'm working class and skint as anything. Would be the first sent to a workhouse. I do repaint every year though, thanks to my working class trade DP.

QforCucumber · 04/03/2022 20:21

To us you’re well off though, your mortgage is paid. I earn 27k, DH £30k, but we have a 30 year, 190k mortgage on our 4 bed house and £1000 a month nursery fees.

tyoy · 04/03/2022 20:21

Well threads are often self selecting so will attract certain demographics & of course some will be astronomical with the truth.

M0rT · 04/03/2022 20:22

I think it is relative, you have a paid off mortgage which is unimaginable wealth to a lot of people!
Obviously not as many as a £1m house purchasing budget Grin
We all think we are the "normal" ones. Even among friends we will gasp at what one person spends on clothes while thinking our own kitchen appliance habit is perfectly reasonable.

HopeYourHighHorseBucks · 04/03/2022 20:22

And I have to agree with PP. Owning your home mortgage free isn't exactly strapped for cash to some people.

blubberball · 04/03/2022 20:23

No, I'm single parent on UC and in rented accommodation. Not able to work due to health condition. Drive a 14 year old car. Not rolling in it.

tyoy · 04/03/2022 20:23

The thing I find odd is there are lots of high earners but the mortgage threads are skewed towards very small mortgages. People are frugal but spend 10k plus a yr on holidays 😆

SandysMam · 04/03/2022 20:24

You own a house outright? That would be considered extremely well off to a lot of people!

Darbs76 · 04/03/2022 20:25

I guess that you’re probably going to find more middle class house wives that unemployed working class people on here. You can tell that by the kind of things posted.

I’ve probably been all those things (apart from mega rich). Started off as a teenage mum on benefits, my 20’s struggling with not seeing any value for promotions with the benefit trap, my 30’s separated from father of younger 2 children and now my 40’s more comfortably off on 45k a year. Which isn’t loads in the South East. Of course some people can lie but I’d say that many are on good salaries or have husbands on good salaries

TheYearOfSmallThings · 04/03/2022 20:25

No, loads of us have average salaries and live in houses which need lots of work. When I see someone pondering where they could find a nice family home in London for £1.4 million, and then lots of replies saying "Well, obviously you won't get much for that...", I do feel out of place.

TheBigDilemma · 04/03/2022 20:26

I suppose those of us who are on smaller salaries or more careful on how we spend our money do not have much exciting stuff to report (or nice stuff acquired as a steal that we don’t want to make a fuss about)

Libertybear80 · 04/03/2022 20:28

You're not poor. If you own a home outright your asset rich.

camelfinger · 04/03/2022 20:28

I get the sense that everyone’s either loaded, with private schools, inner London houses etc, or is deciding whether to eat or hear.

Svara · 04/03/2022 20:29

£25k with no mortgage sounds pretty good considering my rent is over £7k a year and I earn £20k!

camelfinger · 04/03/2022 20:29

*heat

countdowntonap · 04/03/2022 20:35

I've read about a woman who earns £32k a year that’s not massively beyond the realms of normal.

GreyTS · 04/03/2022 20:38

Nope, horribly poor, but well educated....took 8 years off to raise my children, husband turned out to be a horrible bastard, left him and doing it all alone on pretty much minimal wage. Terribly in debt but still count myself as lucky, nice home, healthy kids, a lot happier alone etc.....a lot of very articulate and intelligent posts here so I reckon mostly well educated, typically middle class but not necessarily well off

ddshocker · 04/03/2022 20:39

I've read about a woman who earns £32k a year, another who decorates every year, one who has got 1 4 bedroomed detached house, anther who has got a "budget" of £1 million to buy a house.

32k is hardly a high wage
Decorates ever year....and...what's the budget. You could decorate on 200quid if you put your mind to it!!!
1 million budget...well that depends on whether it's cash or mortgage i suppose