To think there must be dodgy financial activity going on with this couple?

[TurkeyTeethLookAwful]

A couple that we know (but are not friends with as such) both seem to have a very extravagant lifestyle that is totally at odds with the jobs that they do.

The husband works as an assistant manager at a shop; not a superstore or anything like that, just a small branch of a chain store in the local town. The wife works two days a week as a hairdresser. They have four children aged between 16 and 2.

In the past five years they have:

Totally renovated their semi detached house to a very high standard. They have an instagram account about their home (not many followers, less than 200 so are not earning from that) and have tagged many high end products and tradesmen, such as a bespoke bed and 2k chandelier type light for the bedroom.

Taken multiple luxury foreign holidays per year; not budget holidays but five star holidays. And regular weekends away at Disney Paris, too.

They, and the kids always have very high end designer clothes; the woman wears dresses that cost £400+ when she goes on nights out, and on the holiday they are currently on she has posted on social media that she and her two daughters are all wearing matching swimsuits that cost £100+ each.

The woman has hair extensions, brow lamination, lash extensions, botox, fillers, nail extensions, and probably loads more stuff on a regular basis. All done at high end salons.

They have very regular expensive family days out and weekends away, such as travelling on the train first class to London to see a musical and then staying overnight in an expensive hotel.

In the past, I've known of a few other couples who live that kind of lifestyle and it's turned out that they are earning money drug dealing. This couple both absolutely do not have rich families; both of their families live in council housing. I feel like they probably have not had a lottery win as I feel that if they did, they'd buy a massive house, seeing as they like extravagance. I can't imagine a mortgage could be obtained or a house bought on drug money...

And yes, I know it's none of my business, but I'm curious.

AIBU to think they must surely be doing something illegal to have this lifestyle?

Cash in hand/tax fraud? We know a couple that do this to fund the extravagant lifestyle they can't afford on their normal salary. Estimate between £50k-75k tax free in tax fraud plus used a covid business loan at £100k to buy a house and renovate it. Madness but they've so far got away with it 🤷🏼‍♀️

I know loads of people like this - loads of holidays, big cars, meals out every weekend, tons of money spent on the house. I can only assume it’s debt, some people would rather max out credit cards now and worry about it later.

Don’t underestimate his salary as a retail manager, a friend told me how much another friend’s husband earned as a manager at Curry’s - megabucks! Plus hairdressers can earn a fortune and pocket the cash.

I worked for a very rich guy once who had been adopted as a baby. A private detective tracked him down as it turns out he was the sole heir to a fortune left by a relative of his birth mother. Never met them, never knew them but as this person died without a will they had to trace the nearest living relative.

You will never know what’s going on with your neighbours so stop looking.

They use the extra money for exotic holidays, PCP payments on flash cars, renovations and their massive mortgage!

Curiosity doesn't equal jealousy in my book, and I'd be curious too
I'd guess inheritance from a distant relative or a lucrative side hustle somewhere
Could be involved in drugs, but whatever it is, they're not discreet are they?!

Surely you'd be more discreet with your spending if it was drugs? A local couple were raided for this recently and everyone was surprised as their car and lifestyle seemed so normal.

Think the less you know the better.. If it is something dodgy like drugs, there is no benefit to you knowing for sure rather than just suspecting.

Only fans

Inheritance can come from anywhere, doesn’t have to be parents. Me and my sister were left a lot of money from a third cousin. He was 90 odd, we’d probably seen him twice in the last 35 years. It came completely out of the blue. We had no relationship with him. We didn’t tell anyone apart from our husbands. You have simply no idea how this couple afford the things they do. They sound a bit flash and naff to be honest.

It could be

• workplace fraud
• drugs
• lottery win
• Only Friends
• online influencing

Or they are in an absolute shedload of debt 🙄

Intriguing though isn't it 🤔

Sorry meant Only Fans not Friends 😁

How old are they? If they bought their house a long while ago they could be mortgage free. It’s possible to live well on modest salaries if the house is paid off.

Case of the green eyed monster, OP?

She may work 2 days a week at a salon and launder money from drugs as if it were 5/6, as she’s self employed there. Salons (though more usually barbershops) are second only to nail salons for money laundering.

I know a couple like this. One in work the other university. More children than us, 2 cars, multiple holidays a year. They are open about the lack of support from their parents, their parents weren’t happy about their relationships and are on benefits so no money there. Their siblings are all on benefits too but they have tried to break away from this cycle. Always has her eyebrows, lash extensions and nails done. Just had their whole house renovated new floors, furniture even had someone in to paint so wasn’t done on a budget. New kitchen and bathroom too. It’s obvious they don’t have this kind of income so I find it strange to be so open about their spending? My dh and I both work in pretty decent paid jobs. We have achieved a lot but it was a long journey. Definitely has me wondering if i’m playing it all wrong and there’s some magic trick!

Yes, but to this level? To start pages and pages of discussion about it? With strangers? This kind of probing and interference is just bizarre to me. Hundreds of posts speculating about a family they don't know. Imagine if you saw a thread on the Internet all about your family. Strangers chipping in, digging around your private business, calling you druggies, escorts, criminals, dirty knicker sellers. Or maybe something things not financially related, but also none of anyones fucking business but your own. It would be so cringey and humiliating. Surely you'd be furious and hurt and rightly so. I'm gobsmacked anyone thinks this is reasonable behaviour. It's nasty and, spiteful and just because the neighbour is anonymous still highly trollish. I am half hoping someone recognises who the OP is bitching about (please don't suggest it is anything more highbrow than this)....goes and tells them and then the OP can squirmingly try and defend this juvenile, petty behaviour.

I highly doubt that they would have the same reaction as you. If they did, they wouldn't be splashing their life all over social media.
Also I don't think people are wrong to speculate. If there's an easy way to make money, wouldn't you want to know?

Also @Fallingthroughclouds not really relevant to this thread, but I used to work in a finance-related profession.
You'd be surprised at the number of things a, erm 'small business' could be used for. Sometimes above board, sometimes not.

A PP was right in saying beauty salons are often fronts for money laundering. Along with car washes, laundrette, mobile phone repair and American candy shops

Oh so she posted in the hope that we would all recieve financial advice. How altruistic of her 🙄

Most people are running this family down and she's loving it.

Oh please.
My sister does aesthetics and works from a salon. She does up to 7 clients a day at £230 for 1ml minimum.

Work it out.

She also lives in a council home and my brother in law works as a Sky installer.

Who are these people to you op? Is it neighbours?

I won’t lie I find it a little concerning the amount of detail you have on their lifestyle and spending, and actually starting a thread to work out where they get their money and accusing them of being drug dealers.

for your own Sanity, stop the focus on them.

Loads of celebrities seem like they are loaded but if you look on tattle life they really aren’t.
Its all smoke and mirrors.
Could be the same for your neighbours.

Yes they are, and no I am not surprised at all, but she has no reason to assume that.
Unless it is effecting her directly, aside from the obvious jealousy she is feeling, then stay out of their business. Or if she must, then report them. She can then keep her fingers crossed that is isn't just her nosing around, they are doing wrong, they will come unstuck and then she can rub her hands with triumphant glee, when their lives come crashing down around them.

Sex work? Drugs?

Oh the irony!
As much as you claim OP's attacking them you are equally invested in defending them. Not sure why you're so quick to 'stand up' for people stupid enough to spread their life details to all and sundry... it's not like she's hired a private detective to spy on them or something. Or that they are vulnerable people who need righteous indignation anyway.

If you don't want people to talk, don't give out info. Simple. Once you do, you can't complain what they do with it.

Exactly, OP listen to this sane woman.

I'm getting far to riled up about your insidious actions, which won't make you see sense, my final thought is you are much more a person of concern than your neighbours though.