Are the majority of people on here well-off?

[ThisBloodyNoiseInMyHead]

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?

[quote qualitygirl]@ufucoffee we are not in the U.K. [/quote]
Makes sense

[quote Landedonfeet]@TheSmallestGiraffe

What do YOU do?[/quote]
I'm a lone parent and I earn my own salary to support my children. I work in finance.

@sala7

TheSmallestGiraffe - What is your point though? If you are married, of course your DH’s salary will affect how wealthy you are. Especially if you’re a SAHM.

It's just a bit lame really. Boasting about what somebody else does as if it's your own achievement. I find it sad that so many women don't pursue any financial independence and rely on men to provide for them.

@TheSmallestGiraffe

This thread isn’t asking about what your job is.
I was responding to others posts saying they’re skint but they are paying lots into pension./ mortgage.

The relevance of ex being a teacher is that it’s well known they have decent pensions. We made choices as a family. Then those choices are taken away on divorce.
I work in education sector if you really must know.

And what’s your job/ role?

They are rich but only because the buy 1 whole chicken at the beginning of January and it feeds their whole family all year round ( including Christmas Dinner) and they only do 1 load of washing a week =)

“I find it sad that so many women don't pursue any financial independence and rely on men to provide for them”

Well what’s that got to do with this thread?

Just because you’re a single mum - so what? If you were in a two parent set-up, then obviously, that would determine how “well-off” you are. Eg. if he was a gambler with massive debts you would be less “well off.” If he earned many times what you earn, you would be much more “well off” have a totally different lifestyle. It is what it is .

And why are you a “SmallestGiraffe” and then a “GiraffeinScarves”?

Of course you are still considered wealthy even if you personally didn't earn/win etc the money. If your spouse is wealthy then you probably are too. If your parents are wealthy then you could be too, if they share that wealth with you.

Earning money and having money are two different things.

They are rich but only because the buy 1 whole chicken at the beginning of January and it feeds their whole family all year round ( including Christmas Dinner) and they only do 1 load of washing a week =)

🤣🤣🤣

...but they could always take in some ironing if the chicken (unexpectedly) ran out the week before Christmas!

“I find it sad that so many women don't pursue any financial independence and rely on men to provide for them” Why are you so intent on banging the drum about this? Is there maybe a bit of envy creeping in - because it has fuck all to do with you how other people arrange their financial lives - as long as it's legal of course!

I would say we are comfortable, we live in a nice area with a joint income of 100K. We have a 4 bed detached, with 1 child. We don't have to pay for childcare aside from holiday clubs. We have an expensive holiday once a year (we spend about 7K) and get to eat out a lot. But we don't wear designer clothes, we don't drive a flash car and we only have one car between us because that's all we need (we both WFH). We have friends who earn much more than us, both have expensive cars, they wear more expensive clothes, have stretched themselves with their mortgage. Although ironically we have a bigger house, which we are also extending. But they have less spare case and have to be more careful each month but they "look richer" from the outside. My point being its not always how it looks, I know some who have the latest range rovers on PCP but no spare cash!
We are well off and have a Volvo V40!

How does anyone know what their friends spend on clothes, cars, houses? We have lots of friends and I haven't a clue what any of their clothes and cars cost. Or what their mortgages are or if they even have one. It sounds more like a competition than friendship.

Its not at all, its my husbands best friend from school they are close and they talk. He has discussed that they are tight on money at times and have got into a pickle with the help to buy scheme. We discuss pensions, shared ideas for the kids savings accounts etc. We are all adults and can have open conversations without it being a competition.

@Enzbear

How does anyone know what their friends spend on clothes, cars, houses? We have lots of friends and I haven't a clue what any of their clothes and cars cost. Or what their mortgages are or if they even have one. It sounds more like a competition than friendship.

My friends would know how much my clothes cost - as they know what I like, they ask where I buy stuff - but not the annual spend. They would also have a fair idea of what our car cost - but not many would know about our mortgage. And they would know what our house was worth...because house prices are common knowledge. We are not out of step - so it doesn't feel like a competition...if we were out of step, I think we would all be less open.

@Enzbear

How does anyone know what their friends spend on clothes, cars, houses? We have lots of friends and I haven't a clue what any of their clothes and cars cost. Or what their mortgages are or if they even have one. It sounds more like a competition than friendship.

My friends and I discuss wages, mortgages etc. We all find it very helpful as can discuss the best deals and have all gone onto earn professional high incomes as share advice. Its definitely not a competition

@Enzbear

How does anyone know what their friends spend on clothes, cars, houses? We have lots of friends and I haven't a clue what any of their clothes and cars cost. Or what their mortgages are or if they even have one. It sounds more like a competition than friendship.

But surely you see the cars your friends drive You visit your friends homes You hear about your friends holidays You see the clothes your friends wear

I'm not sure what cars my friends have actually, I wouldn't know what they cost as I'm not interested in car., I don't notice what clothes they wear unless I particularly like something, I wouldn't have a clue where any of them cost or came from, could be fb, ebay etc. I might be hearing about a friend's holiday but don't immediately rush home and look up the cost of their holiday, I would never know the cost unless it was the kind of holiday we would go on. Neither do I go on Zoopla to see what they paid for their house, I don't know where half of them live and some of them bought theirs 20/30 years ago I like my friends for who they are not what job,house, clothes, car, holidays they have. I couldn't give a shit about who 'looks richer' than who.

@Enzbear

I'm not sure what cars my friends have actually, I wouldn't know what they cost as I'm not interested in car., I don't notice what clothes they wear unless I particularly like something, I wouldn't have a clue where any of them cost or came from, could be fb, ebay etc. I might be hearing about a friend's holiday but don't immediately rush home and look up the cost of their holiday, I would never know the cost unless it was the kind of holiday we would go on. Neither do I go on Zoopla to see what they paid for their house, I don't know where half of them live and some of them bought theirs 20/30 years ago I like my friends for who they are not what job,house, clothes, car, holidays they have. I couldn't give a shit about who 'looks richer' than who.

I don’t need to rush back to look at prices of holidays to have a vague idea a holiday in maldives or a 3 week South African safari is going to be pricey

I too know very little about cars and don’t give a hoot about them but I can distinguish between a Jaguar and a Metro, a BMW and a Focus and the relative values involved

And I’m not interested in property but I can hazard a guess that a 3 bed one bath terrace is going to cost less than a 5 bed three bathroom with expansive garden just around the corner without going on zooplankton

implantreplace
You obviously do your research on the things your friends have more than I do
And it's a bit daft to say x costs more than y because of a brand. Depends on whether things are second hand, gifted, brand new, limited edition etc.
Holidays vary massively on who you book with and when you go.

I don’t care about my friends financial situation unless of course they were to be struggling
But to say you know nothing about your friends financial situation is daft

Seriously

How can you not know a holiday in Maldives is going to cost more than a holiday in Skegness

How can you not know that a large pile is going to cost more than a 2 up 2 down

I’m genuinely confused!

Yes you do seem to be confused about the fact that some of us don't care how much money our friends have.

* I know this type - live in a big house with flash cars and holidays but not a scrap of decent food in the*
fridge..."we're not that rich" is how they speak condicendingly to the little people like their cleaner, nanny etc
Everything is for outward show without actually having to say anything to brag. They're aren't actually that rich because they are slaves to their incomes. If they lose their jobs they can't compete with other social climbing brayers like themselves.

You might not care about your friends (and nor do I but I can obviously tell the difference when I visit one in her huge pile and the other (my neighbour!) who’s in a terrace home) but it’s clear you know what represents having money!

* We've never been on a six figure income and have a lovely home in a nice location, two rental properties, savings, no mortgages, been on lots of luxury holidays, always had a decent car, never had to be tight or frugal. I guess some people are just more financially savvy than others.*

Surely you know the above, which you spend on, costs x amount
So should give you a fair idea what y costs

But it would appear… not (at least according to this thread )

Ok simply put
We are going to center parcs, 6 of us, has it cost us £400 or £7000? Because both and anything in between is possible. If it's £7000 then it is more than the Maldives holiday we're planning next year which also has a massive variation in prices depends on time of year, star rating etc.
Clueless.