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

£425 a week spending money and you are moaning. FFS some folk live on much much less. What on earth do you need to buy that £424 a week spending money isn't enough ? Yes you have 2 children but surely any expenses to do with them is shared 50-50 with your husband? I hate the saying but you really do need to give your head a shake.

I’m single and feel lucky if I get to save £200 in a month and completely agree with this. UK wages are too low and the race to the bottom mentality doesn’t help

Do you think this is a scheme to get you out of the job, so the position is clear for someone else to come up?
If the position didn't close when you retired, Presumably someone else is paying those taxes.

Wow I’d love to see those numbers every month!

You say we, so I assume you also have a DH who also has an income.

My wage is no where near what you earn and mine is the only wage coming in.
I have all of the same bills as you do but no second income to help either.

I am struggling to see how you feel so low when you have so much disposable income.

I only take home slightly more than £1700 each month. I still feel fortunate as I can pay my bills and have some money for spending after essentials. Costs have risen so much in a short time though, and it depends on your outgoing and commitments, housing costs make a big difference.

this is a huge motivation for us the past few years. I am tired of funding all and sundry from oppressive taxes. May I ask how much have you tucked away to be able to comfortably achieve this.. not an exact figure but a guide. Over £X?

I totally understand how futile it seems at the moment .
I have just received my first pay since a small annual salary increase . Unfortunately I am now receiving LESS a month because the cost of the car parking space I have to pay for to actually be at work has increased over that amount .

You will get some of that tax back in coming months. If you get paid a large amount in month 1 the system taxes you as if you are going to get that every month. Some of it may well have been taxed at 45%. Bit rubbish of the employer to not get the bonus out in March instead.

I earn a similar salary but with two in nursery for 4 days a week it takes a big chunk out of what we earn which is demoralising but temporary.

I sometimes find I think the same (my left over each month after everything is £800 this month) but that's also with me putting in £550 into savings and so I remind myself that's the choice I'm making and if I wanted to I don't need to save that much but it's what I want to do. I suppose what I'm saying is, is that we choose the house we live in, the hobbies we do, the savings we make and that impacts what's left but how lucky are we that we can make those choices. Not everyone can

Well I think 2500 would feel better tbh 🤣 yes my DP works, he has about the same. He saves over half also. Ah I know it looks great on the surface but I think a PP nailed it. It’s just the monotony of it all. In just feeling defeated and I’m allowed to feel that.

Read SunDragon's post, currently trending next to yours, and count your blessings.

In Scotland you start getting hammered fo tax once you are on about £43k, which is hardly a kings ransom. My work are now offering paid overtime as we are so busy but it’s barely worth it when you only get to see half of what you earned. We are about to clear our mortgage so I’m looking to see what I can do now re pension/working less to minimise what my tax is. And I’m really not a massive earner, well off 6 figures

This is not how I understand the term 'race to the bottom'.
People are suggesting that rather than OP feel defeated, she consider herself fortunate to be able to pay all her bills, have a big chunk of disposable income and be able to save.
Many people don't have that and would rather be in OP's position. How is that a race to the bottom?

FYI no one is in a 50% tax bracket.

I earn similar - straight in and straight out. I don’t live frivolously at all. It’s depressing. I’m not complaining in real life obviously, people are way worse off I know.

I resigned. Not been replaced. And if I was it would be with someone earning a lot less than I was.

You can save £700 a month? Better than most people are doing right now.

It's the food costs that are the killer at the moment. Hundreds and hundreds a month for three of us and that's buying yellow sticker Sainsbury's (we live next to one) and buying at least half in Lidl. Absolutely loads of items cost 30% more than they did a year ago and they had already gone up before that.

Our other costs are relatively low fortunately but the non-fixed ones like energy and water bills, ever-increasing council tax, food and fuel are really scary.

Well at least you have a partner by the sounds of it, that's what I've got and I'm on my own.

Tbh a medium paying corporate role is just not worth it any more, the additional training, the unpaid hours eating into your life unpaid because you’re salaried. The high taxes etc. everyone has been coming after these people to prop up the economy, they have nothing left to give metaphorically or physically.

Im leaving my corporate job, having paid off my mortgage. Theres just no point it’s literally killing me.

Exactly. I’m not on minimum wage. But I suspect most minimum wage workers probably work harder than me - because they tend to be physically taxing, customer facing, type of roles. I have no doubt my superiors at work work hard. But I don’t think they work harder than I do. Their roles seem to be constant meetings etc - whereas mine is hands on actual work to do.

We all work hard, in different ways. But I do think some of the hardest workers in society are the lowest paid.

I bring in £1,677 a month and thought I was doing well saving about £600 a month but clearly I’m not! I find this type of thread so off putting

My disposable income is similar to yours and it does never feel like enough tbh. Cost of living is really high in London.

You never know what circumstances will hit you though . Savings are important to fall back on . Not much use worrying about holidays when your mortgage may end up at risk . I had big savings , all the trappings of wealth but divorce and illness dwindled that . Some days I worry about bills , etc but nothing I can do at my age .
If you can pay all your bills and have money left over , you are doing pretty good . Lifestyle expectations have not kept up with wages and within the last six years due to COVID , Ukraine and now Trump expenses have changed dramatically.

I think you're doing ok and yes, doing better than many at the moment. When I started out, it was rule of thirds. Third mortgage/bills, third savings and left with a third.