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?

There's only one poster who I recognise as a complete fantastist. Most post names don't stick with me (a few usernames tgat are good, one that seems to have the same view as me no matter what the topic etc)

I haven't seen them in a while but anyone who recognises "Dear reader, I married him" not matter what the topic will know what I mean.

I can never help thinking if you really do earn megabucks (£200k plus) would you even be wasting your time on here? I’m on here because I’m not earning mega bucks and have time to waste lol.

Oh I am so curious 😁

I earn £36k, live in a HA home, single parent have 4 grown kids who I can't afford to give money to. They are all really clever and nice and we are close.
Shop on vinted, have one holiday a year if I am really lucky and always skint.
Not exciting reading is it?😂

In your opinion, based on what you see. That is your reality, that is all. Be thankful that you believe that it is so rare in real life. I cannot say the same, based on what I have seen, that does not mean that I believe that the opposite does not exist!

It's not just salaries or family - there are a lot of threads where the same behaviour can be seen, fantasists?, trouble makers?, it's hard to tell what the motivation is. I just think "Ok" and move on.

I would have thought that they can spend so much time on MN because they earn megabucks
Those in senior positions or those who work from home as consultants can earn a lot of money and still have ample time to browse MN
It is not as though they are on MN for hours on end

I think everyone's impression of what's normal is entirely skewed by their own life circumstances.

The fact is, lots of things are normal. It's much more common to send your kids to state schools but it's still "normal" to send them to private school.

The average full time salary is... whatever it is. £37k? (I just looked it up.) It's still "normal" in many circles to earn much more and much less than that.

Mumsnet to me always feels more Scottish and more neuro-diverse than "normal" but that's entirely from my perspective.

I find it odd that people can't seem to imagine that people live in different ways to them. I find it in all kinds of discussions, where people make massive assumptions about how to behave at work or what to spend on holiday.

.

I think there is so much fake stuff on here. Not so much what your listing, as I’ve been called out for exaggerating on here before when I was being entirely factual, some people just struggle to understand how different people live. However, it’s most of the run of the mill ones I think are BS, I think there’s a lot of AI. I dip in and out of MN months at a time, and it is so different these days, I think posting has really reduced, and I’m suspicious that much of the content is systematically made up and planted.

I remember that. Very bizarre but probably affected Crumbs1 more than anyone else, I mean who is going to be that invested in someone else's bedroom. Ironically I think it's people who think other people are lying are the most likely to lie themselves. Obviously a thread asking for inspiration is going to be filled with photos of attractive bedrooms that the posters really love, you wouldn't post a photo of your bedroom that needs redecorating when the OP has asked for inspiration.

I’m sure some people are exaggerating but I think this website has always had a middle class core group of posters and those women live wealthy lifestyles.

Or that they can only afford their three + overseas luxurious holidays a year because they make sacrifices elsewhere as holidays are very important to them
Yes well holidays are very important to me to but I still cant afford overseas holidays no matter how many sacrifices I make.

I remember one poster who threw out any food that was left over, no matter how large an amount, (could be half an uneaten joint), straight in the bin in went. She was incredulous that people ate leftovers or took ‘doggy bags’ home from restaurants. Posters said that wasn’t the norm but she wasn’t having any of it. I really found that attitude hard to believe in this day and age, maybe she really was that against left overs and very privileged or just secretly having a laugh.

Yet in reality people tend to be the other way around. I have a friend who pleads poverty all the time then next minute drops in how she has had some expensive work done to the house, bought a new car, and has no mortgage 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️

Frustrating as you can’t take them seriously.

It totally depends on your circumstances/circles you move it though - as per @Swiftie1878 I’m always amazed by the amount of people on here who have abusive husbands/are disabled/have SEN kids/work for the NHS because in my “reality” only a couple of people have any of those in their lives, let alone more than one. Due to the job I had for 10 years and now the area we live in higher earners, private education, camping in Norfolk and ancient landrovers are very much the ‘norm’ around me. Lots of strapping lads being raised on farms as well. I’ll never fully betray my working class roots though, give me a week in the Canaries at Feb half term over skiing in Verbier every fucking time

Ooh, my DS are both handsome (I know I'm biased) and look like twins born nine years apart. They're blonde, blue-eyed, six foot and slim. I don't think any of these things are unusual. Weirdly perhaps, it was only when they met their stunning GF's (now wife and long term partner) that I noticed how good looking DSs are.
DD is 5'3 slim and objectively beautiful.
I'm a 3/4 on a good day, 5'1 now thanks to osteoporosis and really bloody thin.

I just didn’t think it would really interest people who are driven enough to earn that kind of money. When I was working and my life was more varied and stimulating I was never on here, I only came on here more as my day to day life became less interesting (due to age and less money). If I earned megabucks MN wouldn’t see me for dust.

My sons are also 6 footers and good looking That is not just me being bias though, it’s been commented on many times 😊 My dad’s side of the family particularly had very good looking genes.

Sure, people make stuff up, but it's pretty easy to tell when they do.

YABU for complaining that people exaggerate while indulging in even wilder exaggerations to make your point.

What I find crazy is how many people lack the imagination to grasp that other people live differently to how they do, and make different - sometimes polar opposite - decisions.

I wasn’t on here then… but am now utterly intrigued to know what you did about it in the end?

You’ve successsfully proved your own point, judging from the garbage you’ve churned out here…

My DS was on the 99th percentile [referred to a growth clinic by his HV as a child as we’re all average/shortarses] and is now 6ft 3 at 17. He’s beautiful to me.

DS is over the 99th centile, but my house is small and untidy, we don't earn much 35k for me and 27kish for DH, we get a lot of help from both our parents - willingly... I don't know if I could split our roles 50:50 but it never feels deeply unfair.

We don't spend much at the supermarket - about £70 a week, some meals are made from scratch but we happily eat UPF too, don't know if I could stretch a MN chicken for 3 weeks.

DS and DD are clever but not child prodigies. I got an average degree from an average uni. DH left collage with fails but has found his feet in his 30s finally. We have learning difficulties and neurodivergence in the house but it just is what it is and it doesn't rule our lives.

I don't find parenting as hard as what I read online and I love hanging out with my kids, but I imagine a lot of that is because I don't care about bleaching the valance or whatever else other mumsnetters are on about.

I have wondered on a few posts if people are living some fantasy life through MN. The high earners, the average age of first time mums being 40 in their circle, siblings sharing a room being unimaginable "why didn't you buy a 5 bed?" their husband would never dare swear, raise his voice or fart in a ladies' presence. Yes, I'm sure some people do live like this but it seems to be the minority in real life but the majority on some MN posts.

You own your own car and have no debts? Your net wealth is probably thousands more than someone paying £ 500-a-month for an Audi, they will never own or afford to drive, when they only earn 2k a month.