To think most rich people don’t understand how the rest of us live?

[MyAmusedOpalCrab]

I keep seeing advice from wealthy people that is completely out of touch with reality - things like “just buy a house instead of renting” or “take a year off to travel and find yourself.” Even when they mean well, there’s a lack of awareness about how difficult things are for the average person. I’m not saying all rich people are like this but it does seem that extreme wealth can create a bubble where they forget what it’s like to struggle.

AIBU to think that most rich people genuinely don’t understand how the rest of us live? Or do you think this is unfair?

I very much think of this when someone on a thread says 'being well off is relative to your outgoings' as if someone on 26k paying 1200 a month on rent is in a similar financial position to someone on 70k spending 2500 on their mortgage a month....

Define “rich”…

I think this is even true for those who have only experienced middle class lifestyles as well. A lot of my in-laws and peers would fit this and why not rich they’re all comfortable and have very little understanding of what it is to struggle financially.

And I don’t think those on a low income understand how those on a high income live either. You see it all the time on here. Oh you earn £100k you must be rolling in it! Well not exactly. When you take off tax, nursery fees, mortgage, council tax, bills, the fact that you get zero child benefit or any other benefit; the take home pay is certainly not four times what someone on minimum wage with UC top ups gets.

Well, the examples given suggest that the defining characteristic of the suggester is that they are a stupid person, regardless of their income.

Absolutely, look at recent thread being condescending and judgemental of those who never leave their home area, and that those that don't travel and live in a multitude of countries throughout their lives are close minded and haven't lived properly!
There's so many people who can't even get funds together to leave their parents home, never mind multiple countries across the world!

This is precisely the problem with politicians. Although they’re not all super-rich, they’re wealthier than average, some of them were born into wealth; they make decisions which affect the poor much more than the rich (who can pay accountants to work around them), and many politicians simply have no idea how poorer people live. As I have said before, we need a requirement to have worked minimum wage for a year before entering parliament.

I've never known anyone well off to be that out of touch. We are comfortable enough but have been on the bones of our backside for many years when younger. I'm not rich but would have thought today me was at the time we were really struggling. To me then, rich was anyone who could just pay all the bills when they came in. I haven't forgotten what it was like. They were also the happiest years of my life, in spite of the struggles.

This

I know what you mean OP,

I was on a very low income as a single mum 15 years ago. I had days I wouldn’t eat so DD could have a good meal. I’d quite often be at the shop with a handful of 2Ps to buy a loaf of bread. We were happy but we struggled.

I met DH during that time and we dated for 2years before moving in together. He had his own business, money he’d inherited and his own house.

He’s never experienced the struggles I had. He is the most kind, generous person I know and would help anyone, anytime he could but he just doesn’t understand how anyone could “not have enough money to pay their electric bill” or not have enough to buy “their kids new trainers” he seriously can’t fathom that some people, although they work hard, can still be left with nothing once bills are paid.

I try my best to explain to him that he’s always been very fortunate. He’s never been in the position of having to go without food so your child can eat, or without new shoes so they can go on a school trip.

I like to think that I’ve remained understanding of different peoples circumstances and although I work and earn a decent wage, I know that 75% of what we have is down to him.

It’s a mix.. some people are clueless. I have friends who were born rich and don’t understand why I take the bus or tube 😂

I can see that this might be true , DH and I come from working class backgrounds , both our parents lived in poverty as children . I would say we are comfortable but aware of the differences . Our DC - despite our best endeavours have no idea what it feels like to have nothing . Describing it just isn’t the same as feeling hungry or cold

I agree but then most people on mumsnet are fairly well off and often don't understand how many on low incomes manage.

I don't care about anything outside of my lane.

You clearly know some very stupid rich people @MyAmusedOpalCrab

nobody I know would ever say such utter bollocks.

If that’s a pressing issue for you, you can always start your own thread. It feels unfair coming to someone else’s post to discuss another issue.

Its all relative is line trotted out be people who either can't empathise of really do not want to.

The more money you have the more choices you have, if you choose to stretch your finances that a choice, living payday to payday without choices just getting by is not the same in anyway to having over stretched yourself

agree - and define “keep seeing”

I agree OP, some people do make some out of touch comments that must grate when you ponder day to day realities. But as @Pavingprincess pointed out, often people quickly dismiss any hint of complaint from what they perceive to be high earners.

The group that really annoys me though are those who benefited from huge house price growth, free university, reasonable cost of living to the point where we had a choice to have 1 partner stay at home, final salary pensions etc. They'll happily lecture you despite having favourable circumstances.

Yeah apart from that argument is “I have so little left after bills”…which could be reduced with some lifestyle change). Not “I can’t cover the bills and I have nowhere left to cut back”

it’s like comparing beans on toast and a tiara. They are not alike.

It may not be 4 x universal credit but even with mortgage, childcare and higher bills there is still spare disposable income. And a house that is being paid off to provide security.

I don't think it's just the rich, we're all guilty of this.

Every socio-economic level forgets the rung below them and only looks to what the rung above has because humans are aspirational.

I'm from a poor family but a high earner now. I don't really think about the times my parents couldn't afford things, because it's in the past and human nature is to look to the future.

How often do you think about being grateful to have hot, running water on tap, which 2 billion people in the world don't have?

Agree. There are a lot of people on high incomes who live counting pennies due to lifestyle decisions they have made. My sister is like this because she has a SEN child who she put into a private secondary school. She could have decided not to do this and still be able to go on holiday but did what she thought was best for her child.

She’s made the right decision - the transformation has been incredible - but she’s certainly not got much spare money from her £95k salary.

So are thry just giving general advice to everyone or are they saying 'poor people now,what you need to do is'

And i dont divide people into rich and 'rest of us' that is just as judgemental to me, people are people and have different things in their lives than others

It works both ways.
Some rich people don’t understand poverty. And a lot of people with lower incomes think anyone on a decent wage is rolling in - not understanding the higher tax rates, lack of child benefit or funded hours etc.