To think people on here seem to save a lot more than average?

[MellowMintBeaker]

I’ve noticed when reading threads on here that a lot of people seem to be saving quite significant amounts. It’s made me wonder whether this is representative or whether it’s just that people who are more financially focused are more likely to post.

AIBU?

I take most things people say on here with a pinch of salt. People lie, especially on social media.

You have to remember that at least 50% of the posts on here are utter bullshit.

It's pretty easy to get figures for how many people in the UK earn enough to pay higher rate tax, over £100k etc. And pretty unlikely that all of the top 0.01% of earners are posting here.

Age!
I probably save more than average now - (I’m 44), and my husband (46) saves a large amount too. 10 years ago I barely saved at all. It was occasionally, when I could - now it’s every month & I have investments.
Our household income has jumped 80% in the last 10 years too.

We also no longer have crippling childcare costs, so can save. 10 years ago we had 3 kids in full time childcare and money was tight. The mortgage has upped massively in this time, but with the loss of childcare costs and increase in salaries we are considerably more comfortable than we were before.

I say this with all respect...never believe one word of anything that is said on here

Because people lie on anonymous forums, not because people on here are wealthy

Absolutely

I live off my husband's wage and save mine entirely

I posted somewhere I cannot take a man who does not pay up. Whatever this means, it means

A man should marry a woman knowing he is to provide for her and the future offspring. The whole idea of family finances should be the aim to protect the wife and the children's futures because in the majority of cases the man dies first. This was the classic for ages. Now is all sorts of modern deviations to which I do not subscribe, therefore did not chose a man who cannot pay or is stingy

It matters because there is Thread after thead of

Ahy don't you buy a 6 room house

Why don't you take 3 holidays a year

Why dont you get a nanny

The advice matters and a lot of the time it is divorced from reality

About people saving tens of thousands, I do believe it. In my market town the big houses are MUCH MORE IN NUMBER than the small ones and the flats. Therefore there are many more rich people in the UK than average

People saying that a lot of people lie on here - why would/do they? Whats the point? Do they actually feel better about themselves by lying?!

I don't get it. I guess it could be true, but I don't understand the reasoning for it.

I've always thought half the posts on here are BS. Time after time, there are posts about how MN attracts high earners and upper middle class women is either a marketing ploy or people aspiring or saying they fit this category. However repeatedly insisting on declaring this is the typical user profile doesnt mean its true for a website attracting 8 million monthly users!

I have never written how much I have saved but I have posted on money threads with some advice. I’m no money professional but do have above average savings for my age demographic. Did well investing, have a solidly middle class life now but was raised without much at all, family experienced periods of real poverty.

Erm. I actually explained how I came to that conclusion in the post you responded to!

It's not rocket science. Wealth usually comes as a result of a good job and you usually only get a good job if you're intelligent. The amount of stupid/low intelligence on here is incredibly high. It simply isn't possible for so many stupid people to be so wealthy.

Only if you believe what you read.

”Time after time, there are posts about how MN attracts high earners and upper middle class women is either a marketing ploy or people aspiring or saying they fit this category.”

Because it’s true. It was created by women that fit into that category, and attracted more of the same (conversely, netmums was the ‘working class’ alternative). It has grown and diversified, but there is still a sizable contingent that fit that profile.

https://medium.com/@naiyanjones/online-political-campaigning-and-biscuits-the-case-of-mumsnet-4b4c64dbce5a

Additionally, not all users are UK based (I’m not), or have wealth and savings from employment.

I may be completely wrong, but I don’t tend to think there are as many liars as some seem to believe (or want to believe).

They're more likely to reply. But also, I think all this cost of living crisis talk has made people think that literally everyone is struggling. I see people talk about their spending/savings and people seem absolutely flabbergasted that some people earn a lot of money. There are jobs out there that pay insane amounts but people get so shocked by it. Plenty of people are still well off. I wish I was one of them 😂😂

No. Think critically. Eight million monthly users and the majority are wealthy. Statistically impossible.
Many users seem to feel better about themselves believing it though.

I’d say that comes down to what you mean by wealthy? If there’s one thing financial threads mumsnet routinely demonstrate, it’s that opinions as to what wealthy constitutes vary dramatically. I don’t believe the majority of Mumsnet users are wealthy, and I didn’t claim that was the case, but I do believe that a significant number are above the UK average.

The ‘census’ results describe the average user in 2009 as being middle class, London centric, and relatively affluent. You can call a married couple, based in London, both average London earners with a combined income of £100k, ‘relatively affluent’, or even wealthy, by wider UK standards.

There are definitely fantasists, all over the Internet, who make up new personas. Sometimes they are billionaires, beating men off with a stick, look really good for their age etc.

Yes those people do exist of course irl, but basically don't believe everything you read on here!

If it helps balance things out, my savings have taken several hits this year and are basically nothing now. I am saving aggressively (which involves me growling at my savings and swearing at them) now to make up for it

I honestly don’t know anyone who saves significant amounts.

Wealthier friends have investments and property. Middle earners have pension pots and might have saved a bit for their children (sometying towards a flat deposit or first car etc). Everyone else is too broke!

The only real ‘savers’ I know are older generation (70+), who never use credit, live frugally and have always ‘saved for a rainy day’.

You are comparing apples and oranges.
2009?
The UK population increased by 12M between 2009 and 2025.
The white British population decreased by approx 15%.
Pre 2009 migrants were primarily from the EU. Since 2009 the migrant population are predominantly non EU. Humanitarian migrants are primarily from Africa and Asia.
Brexit affected EU migration further still.

I think often people post about the life they want to have, not the one they actually do have. A sort of fantasy/escapism I guess.

People always say people lie on here, but people do also save a lot of money.

The only reason we save a lot is because we both have a high income, no kids, and a very simple lifestyle!