The question by the OP said “how people can afford to live” This poster has answered that for their position, but that’s not an answer you like and think it is stealth boasting?
Depending on which statistics you look at, the estimates are that around 7.4 million are struggling to pay bills. That’s less than a quarter of UK adults. A further 10 million are managing, but vulnerable to more increases etc. That leaves half of the nation’s adults who are doing fine. This will not be believed by the users of MN because when posts like this come up, every single response is about how poorly off people are doing. The reason that’s the case is, when people like @Siloportemanswer in a way that shows how they are managing, they are accused of stealth boasting, or not reading the room etc. So Mumsnetters get a skewed view of how things actually are.
My household is two higher rate tax payers, and one disabled teenager. We can afford to live because we have jobs that pay us a good wage and we live quite modestly. That’s just a fact, not a stealth boast, nor is it passing judgement on others. I am well aware of the privileged position we are in, mainly because of the opportunities we’ve had, that others wouldn’t have had. We’re not from wealthy backgrounds but we had solid families and we both happen to be academically smart. Society is set up to benefit people like us. I don’t like that, but it’s another fact. I spend a lot of time trying to help people who haven’t had the opportunities we had, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re doing fine.
If this forum allowed people to be honest about that, rather than jumping on anyone who isn’t living hand to mouth, a more representative picture would be painted.