AIBU to feel deflated after payday despite a decent salary?

[Wtfisisfor]

Do you ever just get paid and think seriously is this it… I got paid this morning 3100 was put into my account, I transferred 1400 to the joint for bills and household expenses. And I’m left with the rest, but when I look at it, I just think, is this it? Anyone else? Just feeling a bit defeated today! I know to some people this is a lot of money. But these days it really doesn’t feel like it. Come and join for a moan

Ah I know this feeling op

always grateful I have a good business and all
my bills are paid,I can afford holidays trips out etc and nice things but sometimes the sheer volume of effort that goes into earning that money feels so vast compared to what is left I agree.

however I give my head a wobble when I’m feeling like that and remind myself at least I’m in the position I’m in at my age and how it has opened up opportunities for us all.

the media doesn’t help when you get it shoved down your neck how much others earn or claim and you think bugger me what am I doing wrong but comparison isn’t a good thing.

That’s why I chose to work in an industry that pays bonuses as part of its pay structure! It’s not ‘extra’, it’s generally linked to performance and is part of the remuneration structure of my role (as well as a car allowance and other benefits).

Your leftover is my monthly salary so no I don’t relate

Have you paid in your total amount of earnings into your pension? Just checking you’re aware you can carry back if you didn’t use use full 60k allowance for last 3 tax years?

If you are able to save £700 a month, you’re not doing too badly. But I know it’s disheartening when the money doesn’t stretch as far as it did and the bills are getting higher.

It’s not a ‘free’ holiday, it’s a holiday paid for with a bonus earned by the poster, as part of her pay structure, for performing well in her role, on the terms agreed when she took on the role!

If the £1400 covers all your essential costs then the £1700 left over to do with as you please is quite a lot! That’s over £20k a year “spare” money.

You've maxed out your pension. So you've already paid £60k into your pension this year and in the past three years.

Look I'm in the same situation with a maxed out pension and it's annoying but frankly you need to read the room a bit. It's really crass coming onto a thread like this and trying to gain the same sympathy as someone who is actually affected by the COL situation.

Agree with this.
I am teetering on the edge of losing my child benefit and wonder whether taking the next step up in my career would even be worth it.
Im a single parent with preschoolers so if I take the next step up salary wise I may lose funded hours, child benefit and pay higher rate of tax. Ridiculous.

I grew in a place in the top percentile for deprivation. It blows my mind that decades later, now apparently falling into the top percentile for salary, I can still only afford one five night camping holiday in the UK per year, I drive a 16 year old car, I never have my hair done in a salon, I don’t get my nails done, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink any alcohol, I workout at home rather than pay a gym membership, I shop at LIDL - yet I’m senior management, run a team, responsible for a multi million pound budget and this is as good as it gets?

YANBU. I feel lucky that I now live in a nice, safe, middle class area, compared to my childhood home. But our mortgage is huge and our pensions are too small to retire before our late sixties. Our house is modest. Nice but nothing impressive.

Your time would be better spent volunteering with some of the charities that support people living in actual poverty than whining about your very privileged life. Open your eyes. In current day you are relatively rich in money but very poor in emotional intelligence.

Gosh, let's get a perspective on this!
Bonuses on highly paid roles and people complaining about the level of tax.
Let's consider those who are working in minimum wage jobs with appalling terms and conditions who are struggling with basic costs of living.
PLEASE

You're doing really well, OP. I'm in a profession that's chronically female dominated and under-remunerated -from where I'm standing, your numbers look fantastic!

THANK YOU

😂

I used to earn well. But then my DH got cancer so I had to stop working to look after him. He gets PIP but we didn’t get benefits for a while because we had savings from working. Too young to draw the pension for a while.

Eventually we used up all the savings, but not too fast because that’s not allowed either and now we get to live on benefits.

My DH still has terminal cancer, and life is one never ending round of ‘shit, how do we pay this bill?’

Reading the OP's posts makes me want to pull out and play a tiny violin.
I read so many threads on MN how so many peeps are struggling then I read this
Slag me off for saying it, I'm never bothered what randoms think of me , I've got an opinion like everyone.

I'm trying to find my small violin. £1700 after bills have been paid. I presume your DH also has money left over.
Read the room OP. Be grateful for what you have. Some people don't have 17p left over.
You might have a good job and been university educated but you don't have common sense.

Op if you've got £1,700 available to spend after paying bills you've got more than £20k a year after bills!
You do realise that for some people this is close to their whole salary. I've been working for public sector for 30 years and work really hard in a difficult technical job and live in a very modest house I'm lucky if I have enough to save £50 a month. Haven't had a holiday (except weekend caravan type trips) for 13 years. I'd be very happy with your £1700!

Typical race to the bottom on here. Yes some people have it worse be it those on MW or single income households (such as myself) but it doesn’t mean we can’t empathise with OP and others in a similar situation.

It’s no secret that wages haven’t kept up with inflation. Wages in the UK are very low.

There is a focus and reliance on those on PAYE filling the tax coffers while those with other forms of wealth or who fudge the books somehow so they don’t pay all the taxes get an easier time of it. Those who went to Uni more recently have been screwed over and the student loan repayment is essentially a graduate tax.

It would be at least something if there wasn’t potholes everywhere and crumbling public services.

What are you wanting to do that £1000(after the 700 savings) isn't covering it?

I do think everyone is feeling frustrated these days and rightly so. But I really think you're in a good position.

I have £100 left over each month some of it inevitable will go to paying household bits and things for the kids so it's more like £50 for myself. I genuinely feel pretty lucky to have that really.

Maybe you need to tweak some other areas in life so you're feeling more fulfilled?

Have you thought about having your bonus paid straight into your pension? That way you get to keep it all.
Edit: sorry I see you answered this but I can't delete it.

If I could save 700 a month, I'd feel pretty good about my situation tbh.

Tbh OP I think you're being a bit unreasonable. A similar sum got paid into my bank account and honestly I felt pretty pleased.

If you have a partner earning a similar amount then it's £6k a month which is a pretty decent wedge after tax and ni and outside London will enable you to live comfortably??

Is there something you'd like to afford, but can't?

That is horrific!