Household income. Where are you?

[chonka901]

https://ifs.org.uk/toolsanddresources/wheredooyoufitt_in

Using this link and putting in everything joint net income ,including child benefit and maintenance which I think it takes into account. It has us at 73 percent. Not a stealth boast before any states that. Genuinely surprised.

I certainly don't feel like this but appreciate people survive on less. It doesn't take into account mortgages, rent, generational wealth, inheritance, childcare etc so is a guide.

It is eye opening though.

I feel poor compared to my friends though. We definitely are not the London elite. Just public sector workers in the North. I guess the maintenance helps. My friends must be in the top 20 percent.

46%. I honestly think we live quite comfortably. We have a UK based holiday each year, have pets, can afford food and bills etc with money left over. DC have clubs they go to which we pay for and we often get take out food, go to the cinema etc.

In fairness this probably feels good to me because I grew up with poor parents. No job, addiction issues, rough area etc. When I left home I started with the clothes I was wearing and a small bag of essentials.

Well, you keep happily driving your car, I'll keep happily driving mine. I'm simply pointing out that for many people who drive rural/remote routes, our "ugly SUVs" are very useful tools. I never claimed it was necessary. I stated it's useful. It's also, just to annoy you more, a tax-deductible business expense for some people.

53%, which feels about right. We're comfortable enough, although obviously it would be nice to have a bit more so we could have a few luxuries. But we have a clean, warm, dry, spacious house, enough food in the cupboards and enough for a few days/ meals out together. So we don't have anything to really complain about compared to a lot of others.

Laughing though at those in the 90th+ percentile saying they don't feel well off.

I don’t think people realise how much money that is. It’s around about 110k a year. That actually isn’t a lot of money if your outgoings, like mine, are around 4.5k a month which isn’t really excessive. Yes like the PP says you don’t have to worry but you’re not rich.

Rich to me is designer clothes, a mansion, brand new expensive car annually, many many expensive holidays a year, second or third homes (and I have friends who do have that. Trust me our lifestyles are very different).

"I'm not rich because I don't have any money after paying for the things that I would not have been able to afford without my income."

Do you people not think before you write?

54%, but will go down to 37% this year when child maintenance and child benefit stop. I feel like I have very little spare money or savings.

@Scirocco I never claimed it was necessary.

You did. The problem with writing things down is that people can go back and see what you have written.

It's also, just to annoy you more, a tax-deductible business expense for some people.

Same as all cars.

47%
Sounds about right.
We have a perfectly adequate lower middle class lifestyle.
Nice flat, able to run a car, kids in extra curriculars, holiday in the UK once a year.
I know a lot of people less well off than us.
When I did this a few years ago it came out higher.
But there's been some raises to the minimum wage since then and some benefit uprating (which is a good thing!) so I would guess that's raised the bottom incomes up a bit so there's less of a difference between us?

94%, 97% once the kids leave! (Yes, income tax and NI deducted). Goes down to 91% with housing costs, which reflects what an expensive area we live in, as our mortgage is actually pretty comfortable.

Contrary to others, I do actually feel it. Very, very fortunate.

66% but honestly, it doesnt feel like it especially since I live in a high cost area

91% using net income with two younger dependants.

We live in a cheap/undesirable area of the South-East though. That makes all the difference for us, a cheaper mortgage allows us room to breathe.

It's 82.
I'm very surprised.
Live in the North West, one child, both work full time.
However I might be losing my job quite soon so could change considerably.

Well despite earning just over the average income, my deductions for work pension and my fairly high housing costs mean I'm better off than a mere 8% of the population, which confirms why I worry about money so much.

You definitely underestimate nursery costs. Ours £76 a day in Birmingham. I bet nurseries in the South East come in closer to £100 a day

I don’t think people realise how much money that is. It’s around about 110k a year. That actually isn’t a lot of money if your outgoings, like mine, are around 4.5k a month which isn’t really excessive. Yes like the PP says you don’t have to worry but you’re not rich.

But those outgoings are only possible because of an income of 110k. My outgoings have to be no more than 2.5k a month because that's all my income is. If your income's low, then you just can't have those sort of outgoings. Outgoings of 4.5k sound very excessive to me, as they're almost double mine.

70% which feels about right. We aren't high earners but we have 2 full time wages coming in and don't live in a particularly expensive part of the country.

99%

Doesn't bloody feel like it when we’re moaning about the price of cat food etc!

94% which seems right.

It's just numbers. I'm guessing that most will actually know how they are fixed without the need for such calculators which only serve to make people who are struggling feel even worse. Those in the top 50% or so who struggle do so because of lifestyle choices including massive mortgages and other "optional" luxuries that to them are normal expenditure.

I expect a slew of indignation for this post. I am in the top 50% and I know it and am enjoying it. Mostly down to choices I made regarding discretionary expenditure.

91 without housing costs, 93 with. I’m pleased with where we are , neither of us went to uni and I had parents who left school at 14 and alrhough they knew that school was important and wanted me to do well never had the ability to guide me career wise. In fact my dad thought any job that wasn’t a manual one was lesser and , after an afternoon in the pub loved telling me that.

We are at 99% which I find very surprising
but then the kids are at Uni so no longer counted 🤷‍♀️

I think you might be mis-reading. Saying something is useful is not the same as saying it's necessary.

Why do you dislike SUVs so much? They're perfectly reasonable cars for many people to drive.

94% but no dc

93%. Things feel slightly tight at the moment as adult Dd has been made redundant so am supporting her.