To be unsure of how much I actually believe on here

[Youllneverseemeagainn]

Anybody can write whatever they want and can fabricate everything.
I'm amazed by the number of posters who claim to earn circa 200k (and no not just women). They claim they've 'worked damn hard' to get here and now only need to work about 3 hours a week in some mysterious role. The number of people earning this sort of salary in reality is very low, what are the odds that they're all on Mumsnet?

The number of posters with perfect marriages, still having amazing sex 3 times a day after 65 years of marriage, slept together within 3 seconds of meeting and moved in together the same day, husband covers the bed in rose petals still every day and so on. Again it's not the norm.

Everyone's child is a strapping 6'4 with 'model looks', thin as a rake despite eating 4000 calories a day.

It's just not representative of most people, I'm not saying the above doesn't exist but it's the number of posts on here that stipulate things like this, it feels very exaggerated, does anyone else find this?

High salaries in sectors like law, finance, tech and pharma are very common in London and Dublin.

I don't think lying as anywhere near as high as people think it is but yes, there are some poster that completely make up everything and it shows.

Yes, the problem with this type of thread is that the OP always massively over eggs the pudding in the opening gambit, and comes across as a bit snotty. I am on here most days browsing threads and don’t see this so much. There are a lot of “I’m on £100k” posts, which always surprises me. I can’t fathom that kind of income. But I believe other people do earn it.

Some threads are unbelievable, and the OP usually disappears, but I haven’t seen one in ages. Mores the pity as they are entertaining.

I actually do have decorators in tomorrow, and then my cleaner comes next week and I probably will have a glass of wine.

Not sure what your point is here?

You’d be right to.

There was a serial fantasist on here when my DC’s were little. Someone (rather strange of them) went looking for her real life.

lol - the ‘willowy’ 6ft tall supermodel daughters were average looking at best and slightly lumpen in shape. I’m sure they were lovely young women but how embarrassing!

I think there's sometimes embellishments, but just living where I do tells me some people have serious money or at the very least, have access to some serious credit 😲.

I remember when I first moved here, I would just drive round and admire houses. Some are spectacular things - right in line with the MN 5 bedroom 5 bathroom structures. And we have quite a few competitive private schools round here that are quite populated, so the 'superb children with excellent exam results' also rings true.

Now, if only I could work out how to 'manifest' some of that; as my job is never going to make me wealthy by any stretch.

Whatever makes you feel better

You can think everyone is lying, or you can look at property prices around you and look at kids in your area.

I don't know how much people earn, but houses in excess of a million £ don't stay on the market for long. None of my kids friends are remotely overweight, younger teens are nearly too skinny.

But you believe what you want - we do have an obesity problem in this country, so no one is pretending ALL the kids are slim. It's impossible to buy trousers, they are all made for overweight kids , that comes from somewhere.

What I find sad is convincing yourself that women having a happy sex life must be a lie. Low expectations...

No 😲. Who actually took the time to disprove someone's Internet fantasy? How weirdly overinvested.

I’m in a long, happy marriage and have tall
and fairly delightful children but sadly don’t earn 200k for three hours of work per week. Fell at the first hurdle.

I think it's because most people don't dare expressing their feelings in real life.
It's a good thing that we can see the reality for many somewhere.

A bit like that ridiculous claim : you fall in love with your baby the minute he's popped out -which manage to shame and destroy what little confidence some struggling mothers have. PND IS a thing

It's helpful to read that it's not all love and no regret. No one needs children to be successful, and no one should feel the pressure to have them.

Weirdly I notice more the number of people with exceptionally unfortunate lives.
Disabled DC. A chronic illness of their own.
Fake friends. Unsupportive family.

It shocks me, genuinely, that SO many people can have such terrible misfortune. It’s so rare irl.

I think more people are telling the truth than you think, it's just certain people will be posting on some threads more than others. Some threads are obviously going to attract more people on high incomes, not just those asking about salaries but also S&B, home decoration, private education, pension planning, travel, cars etc etc. Like a PP I've seen people claim they don't believe people are telling the truth on a thread I posted on in good faith (a discussion on S&B about how many coats people had, nothing I'd consider worth boasting about and nobody was claiming to have what I would consider to be crazy number of coats).

We all live in bubbles and mix with people very like us so a strangers real life experience can seem unlikely but that doesn't mean it's a lie. I have a good income commensurate with my age, education and experience, as do all my friends. Doesn't mean I think people on here who say they are financially struggling are lying even though I know no-one who is in that situation.

Rugby playing Son / Willowy Daughter off to a “ Russel Group University. Good-looking husband on 6 figure salary, with a mystery “hobby”. All the women are size French, all the men are Strapping. Holidays all must be Self-Catering, probably in France .. if Spain it must be in the hills. Camping is ok, as long as it’s not on a regular Campsite .. Glamp-sites only. All MILs are awful .. and small children are “being in the trenches” (horrible term, when you consider when the Men in the Trenches actually went through). No toilet brushes, and sex-washes are compulsory (we miss you Penis Beaker). Food left out of the fridge for more than 30 seconds is to be thrown away, and anything past the “sell by” date will definitely give you Salmonella.

… and A&E NOW

The poster in question was quite dismissive and unpleasant and was using her ‘fake life’ to make others feel bad.
I suspect that’s what was behind it. It was still an incredibly strange thing to do though.

The London private schools are more like £30k+ a yea now btw, not £20k+ a year

For me, it's the incredibly complex threads that go on and on. The writing has a very similar style although the events / circumstances are very different. They have a very dramatic or performative style to them. The developments take on different directions and there are contradictory statements made later to placate other posters who challenge them.

I do sort of follow some of them, but very much view them as entertainment. I'm not really sure what these writers get out of these threads that they start and very much manage. Again, entertainment I suppose. Pity they don't have a way to monetise it though!

Crumbs1 posted a photo of “her” bedroom on a Show Us Your Bedroom thread.

Someone else then found the same picture on the website of a luxury hotel.

Not seen Crumbs1 since.

I feel like I could be one of these posters you talk about. Financially, we are well off. My DH does do a lot around the house. I don’t have a cleaner though, we don’t have sex three times a week and my DC were barely even in the 50th percentile 😂😂

I do shop at Lidl though

Well statistically around 1 in 100 working adults is on £200k+

And 1 in 20 earns £100k+.

So, that’s how common that is…!

OP, I've no idea if yabu on most of the points but I can vouch for my ds17 being 6'2" and rake thin.

It has its downside. He will happily munch his way through vast bowls of pasta carbonara and a bowl of salad, then eye my supper before having three tangerines and half a packet of hobnobs for pudding. The snack cupboard seems to empty itself.

Trying to find trousers with a 26" waist and 33" inside leg isn't easy either. 😁

Hmm. I don’t know. We have a very high annual income, I’m a stay at home parent, happy marriage. I think I hit many of the “unbelievables” - but I promise you I’m real. I guess I read Mumsnet a lot because I have a lot of time on my hands. I don’t post that much though.

😂😂😂 love this 🙌🙌

Yep loads of people lie on the Internet.

The point being, you can spin a situation whichever way you want to.

Enjoy your wine. I know I will.

I have a pretty decent marriage of over thirty years...would I fuck want sex three times a day.
I retired in my forties...not my choice. DH doesn't earn loads but we're mortgate free, decent paid for cars and holiday regularly with the dogs (in the UK due to my life limiting condition).
You don't need what you're saying to be happy. If you earn £200,000 but live in London, have three kids in child care, transport costs and a huge mortgate, I probably have a lot more spare money each month.

Edited. Posted twice.