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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:
Mrsmch123 · 04/03/2022 22:47

It's relative tho. We have a combined income of around £70000. I would say we are comfortable.
we have a tiny mortgage
Two new cars which we own
No other debt
We budget 10k per year for holidays and roughly another 2/3000 on weekends away here in the uk.

DSGR · 04/03/2022 22:48

We are high earners… the idea that we’re making up stories is just insulting.
We’re high earners but with a big mortgage.. I think you’re probably better off than me if your mortgage is paid off?
Also grew up with nothing so I’m not going to say sorry for having got a well paying job..

DreamTheMoors · 04/03/2022 22:48

In a month, I can pay my mortgage, food, utilities, maybe a takeaway or two, the essentials, and come out with a few quid at the end.
Am I rich? Hahaha NO.
I consider myself fortunate.

JTK392 · 04/03/2022 22:55

We are high earners… the idea that we’re making up stories is just insulting.

I really wouldn’t be insulted if on an anonymous internet forum people don’t believe everything you post.

SpikeySmooth · 04/03/2022 22:55

Well paid for the job I do (public sector transport) but only just enough to keep up a mortgaged 2 bed leasehold flat in London. DH is a keyworker but earns significantly less than me. Got a fair bit of debt that I'm trying to pay off ASAP because I want us to move to a house somewhere in the Midlands. DD is in state school. Got about £3k in savings, so not much. I regard myself as average in all ways, definitely not posh.

EatSleepReplete · 04/03/2022 23:00

No. I have a chronic illness that is gradually getting worse as I get older, although it's not supposed to be progressive. I think it's just an age thing, I hope it'll get better when I get to menopause. It's very limiting. DH lost his job due to the pandemic & can't find anything else yet. Not a lot locally, virtyally everything in town is minimum wage zero hours retail or seasonal, & public transport isn't fantastic. We only manage because I get PIP & we don't have a car. No idea how couples who are both unemployed manage to run a car, it would absolutely destroy us financially. We don't even pay an especially high rent, we're up North in social housing.

Living in a house with no mortgage (or rent) to pay, even on our monthly income, sounds pretty good though.

Disneyblueeyes · 04/03/2022 23:01

@Laptopsandmouses

Does that include London?

Anyway, I never said 32k made you well off, I'd say it's a decent wage though. There is a difference.
I'd agree that it's a bit surprising the OP would consider it as well off though.
But then again, it's all relative isn't it? If I was on half that I might consider someone on 32k to be well off. It depends doesn't it.

LottyD32 · 04/03/2022 23:02

I think an awful lot of the majority on here are economical with the truth.

Bluelillies · 04/03/2022 23:05

We own our own house
My in laws bought it for us
We have 8 kids between us and probably earn £25-30k between us
We live simple lives and don’t go on posh holidays or spend loads on ‘stuff’
In fact 99% of what we do own is second hand
We’re happy which is what matters

SoItWas · 04/03/2022 23:06

I'm not.

ISpyCobraKai · 04/03/2022 23:06

I live on Disability benefits.

BottlingBurpsForGrandma · 04/03/2022 23:07

I think this thread is so typical of Mumsnet. I mean the couple earning £50k between them, so paying minimal tax, probably a take home of £3600ish(?) After pension, with no mortgage and no kids, but describing themselves as certainly not well-off, what do you do with all that money every month?! Our total income is a couple hundred quid less than that, with 4 kids and a mortgage, and we have (what I would consider) a lovely lifestyle. I would consider us financially incredibly fortunate.

ShipwreckSunset · 04/03/2022 23:10

@DSGR

We are high earners… the idea that we’re making up stories is just insulting. We’re high earners but with a big mortgage.. I think you’re probably better off than me if your mortgage is paid off? Also grew up with nothing so I’m not going to say sorry for having got a well paying job..
Agree with this.

Not sure why we should think high earners posts are necessarily made up, any more than I would say that someone living on benefits is making up their posts, even if I have no direct experience of that.

OpheliaThrupps · 04/03/2022 23:11

@JTK392

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.

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

I remember reading somewhere that if you ask just about anyone how much income they need to begin to feel financially comfortable, people always give a figure about 30% above what they currently make, no matter what they currently make!

If you think £25k is hard up there are people on £18k who would kill for your money. If you think you'd be just fine if you could just break through the £30k barrier there are people on £35k who are struggling to feed themselves.

I reckon it's mainly that we all seem get ourselves into financial commitments and lifestyle choices that absorb all our income, whatever it may be. Try living the lifestyle of someone who earns £5k less than you do, and you'll feel much better off!

BoredZelda · 04/03/2022 23:12

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

Just as many go the other way and employ make believe at how badly off they are. MN loves some competitive misery.

MaryAndHerNet · 04/03/2022 23:13

I'm on UC, living on under £1000 a month.

I'm basically the church mouse's poor cousin.

Sweetandsaltycaroline · 04/03/2022 23:14

I would think the person who earns 32k is pretty average in terms of UK earnings.Half of MN seem to earn 6 figure salaries.
We bought our house (with a mortgage) 16 years ago and only one room has been decorated more than once since then!Blush We bought as a do-er upper and renovated and extended over a period of about 10 years. Some rooms definitely need a refresh!

BoredZelda · 04/03/2022 23:17

It all depends on a persons own definition of "well off"

ifs.org.uk/tools_and_resources/where_do_you_fit_in is as good a gauge as any.

hobstey · 04/03/2022 23:17

It's all relative though, DH & I have a good income now (150k) & whilst we are aware of that privilege we don't feel it compared to others we know due to our parents being immigrants who didn't have much. At uni I had friends who were bought 500k flats after graduating. I have school mum friends who need a bigger house & their parents can gift them 200k to help them or pay for their gc's education or a colleague inherits 1m etc. Our parents don't have money to help us & we couldn't live rent free with them due to lack of space so we have a big mortgage. I'd like to leave London but then we can't be there for our parents so much.
I save a lot as we just don't have the safety net like my peers do & I'm very conscious about helping our dc with uni & deposits as that is likely more helpful then a good salary the way things are going.

thepeopleversuswork · 04/03/2022 23:18

Define well off. There’s a massive range on here from what I can tell, from people on multiple six figure salaries to people on benefits. It’s all relative.

I don’t mean to sound trite: there are a lot of wealthy people on here and some of the stuff people post about can make you draw a sharp intake or breath. But it is a pretty broad population.

BoredZelda · 04/03/2022 23:27

If you think £25k is hard up there are people on £18k who would kill for your money. If you think you'd be just fine if you could just break through the £30k barrier there are people on £35k who are struggling to feed themselves.

Back when I was a graduate taking home £800 a month, I thought about people earning the kind of household income we have now and imagined a champagne swilling, first class travel lifestyle. Our life is really comfortable, it’s been a while since we had to worry about money but we definitely aren’t travelling first class.

It’s all relative. Your life expands as your income does.

oldestmumaintheworld · 04/03/2022 23:31

I think that perhaps the missing element is age. At twenty I was broke and a student, at thirty I was a bit better off but sharing a rented flat with my brother because didn't earn enough money to get a mortgage. By forty I was married and earned a very good salary as did my husband, but had a huge mortgage on a tiny house and two kids. By fifty had doubled both salaries and paid off the mortgage. So it really depends on where you look on that timeline. Someone broke at thirty can be comparatively well off by forty.

Whiskersonkittens21 · 04/03/2022 23:38

@BottlingBurpsForGrandma

I think this thread is so typical of Mumsnet. I mean the couple earning £50k between them, so paying minimal tax, probably a take home of £3600ish(?) After pension, with no mortgage and no kids, but describing themselves as certainly not well-off, what do you do with all that money every month?! Our total income is a couple hundred quid less than that, with 4 kids and a mortgage, and we have (what I would consider) a lovely lifestyle. I would consider us financially incredibly fortunate.
I'm guessing you mean my comment from the description you've given here.
Crikeyalmighty · 04/03/2022 23:49

We earn low six figures between us but only in last 10 years or so and hence too old now to mortgage within time frames — my H also insists on living in nice big homes in nice areas that ‘don’t depress him’ — I understand why he feels this way but it can be easy for people on here to presume all people with higher incomes are in ideal financial positions- it isn’t always the case . High rent, kids later in life, helping young adult children out etc, failed businesses etc!! I think there’s a big mix on here which is good—

BottlingBurpsForGrandma · 04/03/2022 23:51

I guess so - I didn't try and hide who I meant, and it's not personal - as we've all said, anonymous forum etc. I guess it's just an illustration of the point above - that most of us spend pretty much what we have. Smile I hope your Mortgage free-ness and your decent household income brings you security and freedom (freedom from financial worries, if nothing else). After all, what's it all for otherwise?