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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do you consider this ‘wealthy’?

518 replies

haleeeee · 05/10/2024 18:03

Two kids in private school since primary. Two buy to let’s of around 250k value each. One holiday home value 280k. Own home mortgage free. Income allows for a few holidays a year circa 3k each time.

Wealthy? Well off? Or just better than average?

OP posts:
Bellatrixpure · 05/10/2024 18:25

Wealthy. They need a reality check, they are definitely not struggling and if they are maybe they could sell a property or forego a holiday.

They are taking the piss because people there are people genuinely struggling

MereDintofPandiculation · 05/10/2024 18:25

Poppins21 · 05/10/2024 18:07

I would say in the top 10% not billionaires but very comfortable.

More like 5%. Top 10% starts at a lower level than you probably imagine.

I bet they worked bloody hard for all they have Oh yes, the standard argument of the well off. They worked hard for it and didn't have any luck or privilege along the way. Unlike all those people working bloody hard for a low wage who clearly aren't really working hard at all, or made "poor choices", which makes it OK for them to be treated like shit for the rest of their lives.

pilates · 05/10/2024 18:26

Wealthy

Ponderingwindow · 05/10/2024 18:26

I would say they are well off. People often become well off, not just by being lucky by birth or by having a good job, but by being frugal.

Good spending habits help your money grow.

ByMerryKoala · 05/10/2024 18:27

Not yacht wealthy. Which seems to be the metric by which people who have money like to feel hard done by.

Anothernamechane · 05/10/2024 18:27

Compared to me they’re loaded (and I’m doing ok these days), but someone will of course be along to talk about the squeezed middle and how mortgages and school fees are crippling I’m sure.

Newyorkcity123 · 05/10/2024 18:28

MereDintofPandiculation · 05/10/2024 18:25

More like 5%. Top 10% starts at a lower level than you probably imagine.

I bet they worked bloody hard for all they have Oh yes, the standard argument of the well off. They worked hard for it and didn't have any luck or privilege along the way. Unlike all those people working bloody hard for a low wage who clearly aren't really working hard at all, or made "poor choices", which makes it OK for them to be treated like shit for the rest of their lives.

That’s quite an extrapolation. I have met many very wealthy (multi multi millionaires) in recent years and not one was lucky. They all worked really hard. It would be equally ludicrous for me to suggest all poor people are lazy. Lots of people work hard. No one gets rich through luck other than maybe lottery winners.

ChickpeaPie · 05/10/2024 18:28

My husband is a high earner but I'm still incredibly tight, because of my poor childhood. Wealthy doesn't mean they aren't tight

Jc2001 · 05/10/2024 18:29

haleeeee · 05/10/2024 18:03

Two kids in private school since primary. Two buy to let’s of around 250k value each. One holiday home value 280k. Own home mortgage free. Income allows for a few holidays a year circa 3k each time.

Wealthy? Well off? Or just better than average?

I think you know the answer

AliceS1994 · 05/10/2024 18:30

Very very wealthy, I could never even hope to have any of this.

Goody2ShoesAndTheFilthyBeast · 05/10/2024 18:30

Yes, they are well off.

User37482 · 05/10/2024 18:31

I’d say well off until they have paid off all the mortgages and then very well off.

AutumnTimeForCosy24 · 05/10/2024 18:31

magneticpeasant · 05/10/2024 18:10

They're millionaires?

Maybe suggest they go on a budgeting course next time they whinge. This one's free:

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-business/mses-academy-money/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab

Having assets is one thing, having cash flow is another.

they may well be 'struggling to meet there commitments' which they see as struggling. Private schools on a single wage 2 leased vehicles, is going to put a dent into his monthly pay.

and given they have mortgages on two rentals the rental may even be costing them at the moment.

yes they have the beach house, maybe they could sell that, but perhaphs they choose to skip dessert instead.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 05/10/2024 18:31

They're not wealthy, no. They're very comfortable. Wealthy would mean that they own all the homes outright and certainly wouldn't be worried over spending too much on dessert. As far as their own home goes, they might own it outright and it's a very nice position to be in, but they still need it to live in, it's not as if they could sell it to use as an income.

Their holiday home will need maintenance and upkeep etc and depending on what it is there may be large service charges to pay. Sounds like they're letting it out if they go on other holidays, perhaps they're using the income from the holiday lets to go on their own holidays elsewhere? Both buy to lets will also need maintenance, upkeep, letting agency fees etc.

Private school costs a bomb. Plus all the school trips and other activities that the kids are expected to go on. Presumably the income from the buy to lets will go some way to covering the school costs, so in effect it's the same as if the kids were at state school with with neither of the buy to let income, same as the rest of us.

So what they're left with is a house they use as the roof over their head and a holiday home which they possibly let out and use the income to go on holiday with. If they're going abroad 3k doesn't go far on a family holiday these days during the school holidays. I have no idea what kind of salary he earns but presumably it is not enough to not worry about cash flow from the sound of it as everything else seems tied up in assets.

They're wealthy on paper, but unless they sell a couple of assets or switch the kids from private to state school they're not wealthy in everyday spending terms.

Itsnotallaboutyoulikeyouthink · 05/10/2024 18:32

haleeeee · 05/10/2024 18:08

@Poppins21 well whenever we go out they won’t order deserts etc unless someone else is paying and always saying they need to watch spending!

But this type of behaviour / attitude is exactly that of the wealthy and why they end up wealthy.

midlifeattheoasis · 05/10/2024 18:32

user47 · 05/10/2024 18:05

Don't be a dick, that is obviously wealthy - they have £780K in property and 2 kids in private schools.

This

Efrogwraig · 05/10/2024 18:32

Filthy rich.

Movinghouseatlast · 05/10/2024 18:33

Asset rich (ish) but cash poor probably. Their mortgage interest rate has probably gone up massively too.

It's all relative though. I'm poor compared to most of my friends who have high incomes, mortgage free million pound houses and posh cars. But compared to people I know in the village where I live who do minimum wage jobs and live in council housing I'm rich.

DanielaDressen · 05/10/2024 18:35

The BTLs are more about capital investment rather than income generation. If they have mortgages on them, are higher rate tax payers, pay agent fees, repair costs, etc they could well not be making much. So while obviously it’s great to have them I agree they’re more about being asset rich rather than having income.

but yes they are still wealthy to have them, a holiday house and being mortgage free. If they are struggling with income sell the holiday home. Is the holiday home their personal holiday home or do they rent it out? Why have a holiday home and pay for holidays?

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 05/10/2024 18:35

but they don't own their cars, and have mortgages on the other properties.

not wealthy, and def not rich.

better off than many, but less well off than some

AutumnTimeForCosy24 · 05/10/2024 18:35

DrCoconut · 05/10/2024 18:22

@IhateSPSS exactly. People on UC are berated for their "lifestyle choices" and told to cut their coat according to the cloth all the time. No reason why insanely well off people can't do the same. They have more scope to downsize too.

@DrCoconut

well they ARE. They're choosing not buy extras, like dessert. They're not asking anyone for anything, or I'm sure the OP would have said!!

redtrain123 · 05/10/2024 18:35

Yes, they are wealthy.

I’m guessing after all their expenditure, they don’t face much left out. A case of asset rich but cash poor. Maybe they feel stressed having to pay and manage all of it.

toomuchfaff · 05/10/2024 18:37

haleeeee · 05/10/2024 18:08

@Poppins21 well whenever we go out they won’t order deserts etc unless someone else is paying and always saying they need to watch spending!

they didn't get wealthy by buying frivolous deserts. Buckle up those belts for a 3rd buy to let.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 05/10/2024 18:38

Depends what other pension provision he has in place too, for retirement Maybe the buy to lets are his pension and he has nothing else in place.

But if he will have a decent workplace pension plus full state pension and she's also built up some pension then they'll enjoy a very very nice retirement indeed with the income from their buy to lets on top, and they'll no longer have school fees to pay. So they are comfortable now but will be wealthy pensioners.

TwistedWonder · 05/10/2024 18:39

haleeeee · 05/10/2024 18:08

@Poppins21 well whenever we go out they won’t order deserts etc unless someone else is paying and always saying they need to watch spending!

It’s possible to be well off and as tight as a gnats arse. The two are not mutually exclusive

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