To ask you honestly what are your first thoughts on seeing this?

[gemful]

NC’d for this

A couple. 2 dc (no childcare)
A brand new, new build house. Mortgaged.
Two brand new cars.
They don’t dress designer but the present well.
She has a few designer handbags.
gadgets are always good brands, latest I phones, shark hairdryers, robot hoover.
very organised and tidy home, both work full time in good jobs.
They do family outings every few weekends but not every weekend.
Honesty, what are your first thoughts?!

This all sounds very reasonable: they might be good with money and savings. They might have inherited something. They might have it all on credit or finance. What’s the issue? I wouldn’t have any first thoughts as it’s no one’s business how someone else is living their life

Outward appearances can be deceiving! What you describe could be an average middle class couple. On the other hand the designer bags could be knock-offs, the cars could be leased, they could be mortgages up to the max and could be in debt up to their eyeballs!! Like I said, outward appearances can be deceiving! So, I wouldn't think much to be honest!

Honestly? I don't know why you're asking the question? Not unusual for many middle class families

I wouldn't say you're an average family - you mention you earn £62K a year which is about double the average full-time salary in the UK. But yeah, you're right that you certainly aren't exceptional, if that makes sense. You're comfortable enough to have a nice home and a few luxuries, but that's not unusual or anything.

Assuming your new car isn't a Ferrari Testarossa or something, it was odd of your neighbour to make a dig about it.

My first thoughts are "what a weird post, what on earth is she trying to get at" and in particular "why is the robot hoover important"?

Well you don't 'just save hard' though, do you? First of all because clearly you spend too (no judgement, just a fact), and second of all it's impossible to 'just save hard' without a good salary, reasonable outgoings, and a fair bit of luck! Your life sounds very ordinary to be honest, but it sounds like you want people to be jealous? Comments like 'ooooh you must have won the lottery' are just light-hearted attempts to gloss over any awkwardness around having different amounts of money I reckon? And if you were my neighbour I'd assume your car was on PCP so it wouldn't impress me. (Again no judgement, my car is on PCP. So?).

😭😭😭😭

I wouldn't have an opinion, OP, other than that you enjoy having nice things. Sounds like your neighbour just wants to be snide a bit like some of the people who have responded on this thread.

How much do you get added in tax free benefits though? A household income of £42k is less than 2 people working full time.

If you got £1k a month in benefits on top, that would be a household income of £62k.

We always use the median salary of PAYE, we never include the average once benefits are added.

No thoughts whatsoever, except perhaps that I need to move out of London!

People will always be curious/jealous/whatever with stuff like this. That's a them problem.

I would hate to be summed up by the brand of my appliances... sounds soulless. I assume they have other interests and passions in life?

I wouldn't care. Just average people.
What would you think ?

we are an average family.

If you are both buying brand new cars outright, and always have the latest high spec tech, live in a big house etc, then no I wouldn't say you were the 'average' family, at least not where we live.

I'd say you've done very well for yourselves, and should be proud, so why care what anyone else thinks?

What was the comment the neighbour made?

He earns about 70ish

Normal well presented family?

The neighbour said “new car!? Is one new car not enough?” I laughed (nervously) and said “ah well I can’t let him have all the fun!” She then said…it’s a bit overkill no?…or did you win the lotto?head tilt…

Well that’s just really bloody rude.

What did the neighbour say?

See above

She sounds like a rude and jealous little twat

What car is it?

It would make my day if your neighbour is bitter because you’ve got a new Fiat 500.

I'd think 'oh, Netflix have got another Harlan Coben on'.

I wonder what that shark hairdryer has seen?

You must be somewhere north of the Watford Gap. We live in one of the most expensive areas in the country (not by my choice, I might add!) and our three bed semi is worth at least £200k more than your five bed.

Round here, a five bed would be upwards of £1.5m. If you added two brand new cars to that, I would definitely assume you were millionaires.

Mortgaged property, cars on finance, bags on credit cards.
Probably have semi decent incomes and are working hard to manage the finances. Likely had help with a deposit from family.
Thats would be my assumption.

Cheeky neighbours! At least they didn't assume you were drug dealers!
I don't know one end of a car from the other as I don't drive and have never had car envy...nothing envy really. Good luck to them I say!