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?!

I did the same!

I agree that these people sound envious, OP.

Honestly my only thought is I don’t know why a couple in this financial position would buy a new build home. They have an incredibly bad reputation as they are so poorly built. Any trades person who’s worked on one could tell you that.

Other than that I couldn’t give a shit if someone has a shark hairdryer.

Thoughts on what exactly? Sound like your ordinary everyday family. Two a penny round here.

Not much at all though I don’t like obviously branded bags.

I wouldn't think that much, but to say its not particularly ordinary to buy a car in cash . I'd say you would be some way above average in terms of housing, pension and disposable cash.

@JamieCannister What are 'your kind of people'?

I wouldn’t think average, average where I live is a lot of min wage working families with a benefit top up living in private rentals/council houses.

I wouldn’t think anything negative about this family though, just that they are clearly well off so have the extra funds to enjoy nicer items/have a better quality of life.

You're sharing all these details about yourself as though this is about you, but it's actually about her.

Don't overthink it. If she makes another comment I would be tempted to grin and say "Only Fans! Thanks to your husband for his custom!"

Billionaires don’t buy new cars so you’d fit right in!

Wealthy people are very conscious of assets vs liabilities and wouldn’t see buying a car outright as having any value whatsoever. They also barely drive their cars. It makes more economic sense to own a private jet!

Why does it matter? (Note - it doesn't!)

What is the aibu?

You sure?

Many wealthy people drive modest cars because they have no need to show off.

If you have a wide range of investments (some higher risk, some lower risk), plus cash in the bank, if makes sense to pay cash for a new car if the rate of interest on finance is higher than the rate of interest after tax on the money in the bank.

I wouldn’t call you ‘average’ with that household income but I can’t say it would have bothered me at all and I wouldn’t have passed comment about a new car arriving, especially not to a neighbour!
I have friends that out earn us by a fair whack and friends that are don’t earn as much as us at all, but I don’t know any specific details because they don’t mention it.
I don’t really notice if they have a designer handbag or not as it’s not my area of expertise and I’m not very good with my car knowledge either.
My sister is able to send their only child to private school, I work two part time jobs to make full time hours because I have 3 children and despite having a family business my DH is struggling a little more due to the economic climate. I don’t judge my sister, I don’t really care what she spends her money on and I certainly don’t ask her what her take home salary is…. If you’re happy you’re saving enough each month, and it sounds like you are I don’t really see why it’s anyone else business or why you’d be bothered by any comments.

Very fortunate.

People who don't get in a froth about new cars

Quite simply it is nobody else's business. I repeat it is nobody else's business.
Anyone commenting can 'mind their own and bugger off' you don't have to justify or explain yourself.

your choices in life do affect others

100% sure. My FIL is rich rich. Friends with celebrity millionaire and billionaires and lives in a tax haven kind of rich.

They lease cars through their businesses. They never pay for a liability through personal finance. You lose money on the sale a car even with interest on finance included. Millionaires don’t get the same APR as normal folk. Under 5% and often 0%. They also change their cars every 5 minutes.

I’m talking truly wealthy people here. Not a couple who both have decent jobs and live in a nice area kind of wealthy.

I would wonder why on earth you have bought a new build.

I don’t think I would think anything. But context matters, a new build in a naice part of London could be 1m and new cars vary considerably in price.

I did have some neighbours move in recently & they spent £££ on their house & had a brand new Discovery thing so I assumed they were rich, the majority of people I know drive 2nd hand cars, even the wealthy ones.

Because it’s a good new build! Very reputable company tbh. I was also fed up of draughty Victorian houses that required heating day in and day out! This is the first house we have lived in that’s warm and without an ounce of damp. That is worth spades to me.

Although I would probably assume the new car is a company one or a notability car if I’ve been reading the Daily Mail! 😆

Lots of people buy new builds because there are incentives eg less stamp duty.

Harry and Meghan? Our neighbour? Stuart Broad? Could be anyone

Lucky but not without the bounds of normal if the both have good jobs, especially if they don’t have to pay for childcare.

I would, fairly or unfairly, probably assume they’ve had family help through the years