To think the problem with wealth inequality is that rich people don't know how rich they are?

[Neeroy]

Article in the Times today saying that people earning six figures 'don't feel rich'.

Because they are surrounded by six figure earning peers they are comparing themselves to people who have more rather than the 90% of the population that have far less. This is why the budget is poorly received in the news, because rich people think they already shoulder too high a burden when in fact compared to everyone else they still have far more disposable income. Even if they have to cut down on the number of holidays they go on. They aren't sitting in the dark under a blanket. Or only making food that doesn't require turning on the oven.

I don't think they realise how so many people have to live.

www.thetimes.com/article/1fb46414-8f65-436f-8f95-451d69626148?shareToken=8061d939633164c0dfbd805240c8e008

So why aren't nurses on that sort of lifestyle instead of stockbrokers and salesmen?

So they had children they couldn't afford.

I don't think they realise how so many people have to live.

No. They do not. Which is why I give absolutely no fucks about their 'outlays' and tax 'burdens'. 🙄

I just think the thing those of us want to emphasise who are in this specific boat is, we genuinely do not have a lot of disposable income - it is similar to those of people on much much lower incomes, once you take into account the costs of paying market rate housing costs, nursery fees, extra savings needed because UC is not going to pay the mortgage, etc.

There is definitely a set of people who "just think they are poor because they're comparing themselves to the Joneses" - in fact 5 years ago pre-kids and while London rents were low during COVID I was in this category. But I did actually have thousands a month "spare" then. Now I literally don't. It is a different category.

And that’s what you are saying about someone whose income is spent on living in a basic two bed terrace, paying for full time childcare and travelling to work. What a sad state of affairs. They are contributing over £34k of tax and NI and therefore putting far more into the economy than they are taking out. But you still criticise them.

As for choices, no one should have children with the aim of them being supported by the state. But that is not is what happening here. Even if they got a reasonable amount of childcare support (as they would in the rest of Europe), they would still be contributing more than they take out.

Can't afford them though going by thier income/expenditure.

They can afford them. They just aren't swimming in cash. It's really not the same thing.

Then why are you on here bleating that they have no disposable income?

Do you not know what "disposable income" means?

Not being able to afford them means that you are relying on someone else to pay for them (ironically that someone else includes the single parent on £100k). That is not what is happening here. We’re talking about whether someone is rich or not.

And as for choices, no one has control over the other parent fucking off and not paying a bean towards their child.

This

I read somewhere that we are giving the royal family a huge amount of money every year .
They are already wealthy people..why do they need more ..just greedy

Btw, I have no mortgage, no debt, no children I have to support etc. I pay my CT annually, and there is no way I could live on £225 per week to pay every single bill I still have like food, toiletries, heating and cooking, petrol, insurances, telly, broadband, phones, haircuts, clothes etc.

I'm not sure how thay can afford them...

People have to be financially incentivised to actually bust a gut every day trying to be excellent and contribute fully to the economy. There is carrot as well as stick to that persuasion. Being an underachiever is not meant to be pleasant or bring rewards. I don't mean that unkindly but it is a brutal truth.

Yes, zero for the person you're on about.

I'm not really sure what your point is anymore. Are they rich, or are they so poor you don't know how they get by?
You see how it's really not so black and white after all?

Very interesting… a different way of approaching taxation. Thank you for this post. Switzerland often dues things differently. Or do other countries do this as well I wonder.

That doesn’t detract from the fact that some business owners are exploitative sharks. Look at how Amazon warehouse workers have been treated, especially in the US.

Not rich, but living well beyond their means because of the choices they have made. Sorry their partner left them with a shitshow (really am), however, they are in the same position as a single parent on UC and the only one out of the two who would be judged on here as "unable to support a child", is the latter.

THAT's the point I'm making.

Could you give me an example of an "under achiever"?

They're not in the same position though are they? So I'm still not sure what your point is.

@SalmonOnFinnCrisp nails it.

We are Susan and Doug. So much of the past 25 years have been dedicated to working 12 hour days and evenings/weekends. Dh flying back from family holidays to deal with work crisis. Me taking work calls from days out at the zoo or theme park. The amount of pressure we are both under now is hard to cope with.

My kids aren't in private school
We get a fair amount of holidays but he odd week in Europe, not zanzibar, skiing and Thailand.

No designer clothes. Our cars are 7 years old (premium marque but nothing fancy).

Bedraggled furniture, no time to replace. Semi detached house, shared drive, right on a main road.

Not much pension. Can't afford to retire.

I live the same or worse lifestyle than friends earning much much less than me.

I guess we are spending it on meals out at our local independent coffee shop and Italian. We are often knackered and a meal out at the weekend is a bit of a chance to decompress. You'll excuse me if I don't consider this rich. I'd have thought lobster and champagne, not a pizza and a glass of house red was the rich lifestyle.

Don't get me wrong. I know I'm privileged but it's not what I was sold as the lifestyle that comes from working hard and doing every right, always putting your job first over friends and family.

My bosses kids went to private school and they went on 3 week trips to Australia. They had second homes in lovely places.

Rich lifestyle certainly not the same now I'm the boss.

Just goes to show that some people in high paying jobs who "work really hard" can't understand plain english...

This is making an assumption that everyone you consider ‘rich’ is responsible for underpaying their staff. A huge number of ‘rich’ people have no responsibility for staffing.