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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What do you have in savings if you’re in your forties?

145 replies

Wjjayso · 27/12/2025 20:12

Just that really. I have 32k. I have tried to overpay mortgage though so a lot of money goes into that rather than savings. I feel a bit behind and wonder what changes I should try and make coming into the new year!

OP posts:
Original poster
Wjjayso · 27/12/2025 21:11

Arlanymor · 27/12/2025 20:59

Also without knowing what people's life experiences are - whether they are single, whether they have children, whether they pay for care for parents... it's not all about the money you have to invest. It's how you use your money to live and to help others to live.

Show quote history

@Arlanymor I am single. I own about 60% of my house

OP posts:
JacknDiane · 27/12/2025 21:12

calminggreen · 27/12/2025 20:17

I always find these kind of threads bragging and smug….lots of people don’t have tens of thousands in savings and that’s pretty normal in this day and age. I’m 43 ….i don’t have any 🙄

Aren't they just..

Statsquestion1 · 27/12/2025 21:12

Wjjayso · 27/12/2025 21:09

@Statsquestion1 can I ask why you don’t clear half your mortgage? Just wondering as I always hear that’s the best first thing to do

Show quote history

We will pay a chunk off. We have a few things to do also (solar panels etc) but we want to have cash there also for emergencies. We just need to sit and decide the best way forward.

Couldyounot · 27/12/2025 21:13

I'm 49. About £200 in instant access account. Various pension pots. No mortgage on the house though (phew).

Grapewrath · 27/12/2025 21:13

Nothing over about a 1k buffer zone but I was a homeless young adult with a baby then had a child with disabilities.
If you are without savings, you shouldn’t feel bad or behind.. some of us were starting well behind others.

Original poster
Wjjayso · 27/12/2025 21:13

Fbfbfvfvv · 27/12/2025 20:36

Mid 40s - zero.

The fact you think 32k means you are ‘behind’ means you are obviously either very privileged and have no real concept of money or you are trying to put fear into people like me so we feel extra crap.

@Fbfbfvfvv definitely not wanting to make anyone feel like crap. I posted as I don’t feel like I have enough to pay my mortgage very long as I am worried about job security. Just wondered what others had done by my age. I always assume everyone is pretty secure, or it seems that way

OP posts:
Brainstorm23 · 27/12/2025 21:14

I'm not a spender so I have more savings than most. The main chunk is from shares in the company I work for. They were £20 during Covid and now they're just over £10. If I'd cashed out the mortgage would be almost paid off 😢 😢 😢

OhMehGoddess · 27/12/2025 21:16

We don’t have savings, but inherited a 2nd property mortgage free that’s in the countryside. So if shit really hits the fan, we can sell it. I know how lucky we are.

Original poster
Wjjayso · 27/12/2025 21:17

@Fbfbfvfvv i really didn’t mean to cause offence x

OP posts:
Mumstheword1983 · 27/12/2025 21:20

Not very much. Enough for a holiday abroad but we have secure jobs and a huge amount of equity in the house. I'm a spender and not a saver 😃 44.

Rollercoaster1920 · 27/12/2025 21:24

I had almost nothing in savings when I was in my early '40s. I had paid in to my pension and overpaid my mortgage a little. But then I was in a bad situation at work and I wanted to quit, but I couldn't afford to.

So in hindsight, I wish I saved a bit more in cash and paid a bit less into my pension and overpaid a bit less of my mortgage. Having some savings to hand gives you flexibility.

I was made redundant from that job a couple of years later and got a decent payout. So it worked out quite well for me in the end. The redundancy payout remains as my "fuck you" fund. Just knowing I could walk out of any future situations is great!

Livpool · 27/12/2025 21:24

45 - I don’t have any

MidnightMusing5 · 27/12/2025 21:27

I have 6k but will soon be gone as house needs new windows (42) I wish there were interest free finance options for windows ?so I could pay a bit at a time . The 6k I try not to touch as it’s emergency money.

xanthomelana · 27/12/2025 21:32

Quite a bit. It helps that our mortgage is paid and all our kids are in their 20’s so we’ve not had any outgoings such as childcare for a long time. This is one of the perks to having children young, I’m 44 and as our earnings increased our monthly expenditure was coming down so we were able to overpay the mortgage and start saving and investing.

Namechange2211 · 27/12/2025 21:38

259K or so.

Namechange2211 · 27/12/2025 21:39

Namechange2211 · 27/12/2025 21:38

259K or so.

Oops sorry. I’m in 60s.

Newmumatlast · 27/12/2025 21:42
  1. About 300k equity. About 300k pension. About 55k savings. Don't overpay mortgage but used to - have been concentrating on pension and doing up house. Very privileged. Came from humble beginnings but got lucky with work. Bought our home at a time we were under average income (and me minimum wage).
berlinbaby2025 · 27/12/2025 21:48

£79.5k. Sounds a lot, but my pension is fuck all, I only have one income to rely on (mine) and I rent. It’s all relative.

TediousTim · 27/12/2025 21:51

About 96k. DH and I are both late 40s.
6 years ago we had about 35k of debts and we've worked really bloody hard to get to where we are. We don't spend much money at all. No big holidays for years, we probably go out to eat about 4 times a year, don't drink alcohol, our car is 16 years old, TV is about 12 years old.

IdreamedAdreamINtimesGONEby · 27/12/2025 21:52

39, almost 40.

Have about 24,500 in savings in total. However, 12 of that is ear marked for the children when they grow up, unless we need it as emergency before then.
Some of the remaining is in a LISA so I can't access it.

Most of it is in long term savers, or stocks and shares.

DH has quite a lot in share save schemes through his work, but I have no idea how much. Probably about 20,000.

3 properties (all jointly owned) with about 400k in mortgages outstanding, but 2 of these are rentals and therefore the rest covers the payments. So personal mortgage outstanding is about 200k, and that split between me and DH.

I feel I really need to start increasing my savings as don't feel we have a lot / enough at all.

Makingpeace · 27/12/2025 21:53

TediousTim · 27/12/2025 21:51

About 96k. DH and I are both late 40s.
6 years ago we had about 35k of debts and we've worked really bloody hard to get to where we are. We don't spend much money at all. No big holidays for years, we probably go out to eat about 4 times a year, don't drink alcohol, our car is 16 years old, TV is about 12 years old.

Edited

From -35k to +96k in 6 years is impressive! Rough savings of 21k per year! You must have a huge salary and very low outgoings to be able to save 21k a year!

Well done!

Didimum · 27/12/2025 21:55

£80k, 40yrs old. But don’t overpay mortgage and it’s uncomfortably high.

CoralOP · 27/12/2025 21:57

Genuinely interested, you must be savvy with money to have a good chunk in savings. I am to. I have looked many times what average savings people have by data sites. Have you never looked?

It's 6k for people in your age range.

So you must know you are significantly better off than the average person, surely you need to acknowledge this to yourself?

LiftAndLetLift · 27/12/2025 21:57

Quite a lot.

But I don't have kids, and own two properties (one inherited) without mortgages. That helps a lot in terms of being able to save a chunk each month.

Also keep my outgoings low (easy for just two adults).

No pension though.

Betty1625 · 27/12/2025 21:57

Im nearly 40, have 25k in savings but house needs repairs and my car is getting old, I haven't had a foreign holiday in ages so the amount might reduce by the end of next year