Are there any MN's out there that aren't like this?!

[MyLifeHasChanged]

Going on about Birkenstocks
Have a family inheritance
Private schools for kids
Saving loads for their Retirement or kids UNI

Yes we are all from different walks in life and that's what makes mums (or mumsnet) great!

I just feel I cannot relate to this site anymore!

😂 Good point!

I don’t like Birkenstocks.

But what is actually wrong with the rest of it?

That’s the whole point of internet forums and Mumsnet in particular - you will encounter people who are different to you. There is no algorithm only feeding you what you want or more of what you already like.

I do wear Birkenstocks but don’t feel the need to discuss it.

My DCs don’t go to private school.

I may get some inheritance later on but it probably wont be huge.

I do put money in savings for my DCs and also save for the university and house deposits. I didn’t have family help myself so want to be able to help my DCs and set them up in life. Not sure how that can be seen as a bad thing.

Birkenstocks are quite normal, affordable long lasting footwear so no sure why that is an indicator of upper classifications. They are by no means fancy or even fashionable these days.
in many many years of MNetting I’ve genuinely NEVER seen a post that references a Birkenstock bar this one never mind one ‘going on about’ them.
The other things ..yah.

Well I'm none of those things and have been here for a very long time, though under a different name for the first few years. This is the only bit of 'internetting' I do now, purely because I find it so fascinating how people live.
I did once own a pair of Birkenstocks as a teenager, but they were seen as very hippie at the time...have things changed??
And I personally think we should all be encouraging the upper middle class to use private schools as it is one of the few things they will be very frivolous with their money with and is therefore a great way to draw money back into the economy. Otherwise they use it to buy more assets and this drives up asset prices.

Not me except perhaps the last one before I retired (very early).

I do agree that no thread on the Style and Beauty board seems to be complete without Birkenstocks being mentioned at least once.

Well I don’t have any inheritance as my parents are thankfully both still alive!
I used to have a pair of Birkenstocks as they were helpful for my plantar fasciitis, but my dog ate them and they’re too expensive to replace. I don’t think I’ve ever gone on about them though, they’re just shoes.
2 of my kids are at private school, at the expense of us having any meaningful savings for retirement currently! 3rd child is profoundly disabled and can’t currently access education at all.
Mixed bag I guess.

Agree with PP about the uncomfortable birkenstocks.

Vehemently disagree with private education of any sort. People should raise their own kids to be critical, resourceful and self-confident. If you have to send them to a posh school to ape others, because you cannot instil these characteristics yourself, then you have failed.

Would have saved more for university fees if I had known about the interest hikes, as currently making the monthly repayments for both kids.

Inheritance: Yes. I think it's vital to make each generation richer and more secure in an increasingly precarious world.

I can’t say I’ve noticed any threads on Birkenstocks . . .
I did get some lovely shiny red ones around 2008 from TKMaxx (cheap as chips compared to what they’d be now). They still come out every summer when I go on holiday. I wouldn’t buy any now as the company has changed hands and apparently they are not well made.
One of my kids went o private school, the others went to state school.
I may get a small inheritance but suspect most of it will be going on care for my parent as they become increasingly frail.
My husband and I are both nearing retirement age and have some savings. He has no pension and I have a works one.

My experience of mumsnet is it has broad spectrum of people posting. I suspect the OP may have some sort of confirmation bias at work where she only notes those who have all the things she listed. I bet there are lots of things in OPs life that others may be envious of. I know I sometimes feel envious of people who enjoy good health.
You can spend your life being a glass half empty or a glass half full. It’s all in the framing.

I don't own Birkenstocks and never have
Don't have an inheritance, can't be certain I will get anything
No private schools
I do have savings for the kids but more like for a car when they are older, I can only dream of being able to fund Uni/a house.

None of these. I do like to save though if I can. That was drummed into me as a child due to family being poor.
I do put £50 per month away for our child so she has something for to buy a car, wedding or towards a house deposit.
I won’t be encouraging her to go to uni unless it’s to study something specific and career goal. It’s a hell of a lot of money wasted if not. A few of my friends went to uni and haven’t done anything with their degree.
I did because I chose nursing…(started with diploma). A lot of people we know have gotten their degrees through work and apprenticeship.

I'm not a Birkenstock fan, love a jelly shoe though.

Inherited half of my mum's small ex-council house 10 years ago, which helped with dd2's uni costs but I'd much rather still have my mum.

No private schools (they don't exist here anyway).

Trying to save a bit for impending retirement but constantly worried that some kind of financial crash/world disaster will render my savings worthless.

I must admit I did feel a bit fish out of water when I started on here in 2004. It was very Londony then and full of head girl types but seems less so now. (I'm bound to say it was also quite a lot funnier.)

You shouldn’t believe everything you read on mumsnet. Some people lie or over exaggerate to make themselves feel good. Yes some people are well off and do the above but you cannot knock them for being sensible with their money. I was once on the fasting group and did really well but a couple of posters kept saying they’d lost so much weight every week! After two years I thought they’d be underweight at the rate they were going! I ended up realising that some people do lie on here and I left the forum but continued my healthy eating plan.

How weird. When I joined Mumsnet around 14 years ago that was what you got. Along with hilarious posts. Now I find that it’s the opposite. Lots of people talking about benefits/UC. No judgement from me as I was brought up on them.

I live in Birkenstocks. The rest, nope.

I recently followed an MN thread about the cost of holidays, in which it turned out that half the posters were spending as much on holidays as I earn in a year. That was pretty alienating. But I don't imagine they were representative of MN. They were just self-selecting for that thread.

There are all kinds here, including cheapskates like me.

Going on about Birkenstocks ❌
Have a family inheritance❌
Private schools for kids❌
Saving loads for their Retirement or kids UNI✅

Although regarding the last one, I am not sure if its loads or a bit. But yes, I saved to pay my DC’s uni costs for first bachelor degree. I also save for full retirement- currently free lancing part time so not saving much more letting the savings grow.

I am a crocs woman myself. I used to work as cabin crew and I used to keep a pair in my car to change into to drive home in. They're so comfy.

None of my boys have been bothered about university. Ds1 did a apprenticeship and qualified as a carpenter last year, DS2 went to college and is a painter and decorator (but he is also very good with cars and can fix almost anything on one) DS3 is on a plumbing apprenticeship with our local council. He loves boxing and is extremely good at it. All 3 have paid for their own driving lessons, own driving tests and fund their own cars + lifestyles.They bring me no trouble and no drama.

I’m none of those things.

I did once own a pair of Birkenstocks as a teenager, but they were seen as very hippie at the time...have things changed??

Judging by the posts I've seen it's pretty much compulsory to build them an alter to worship them on. You also have to have menopausal or fossilised feet and bang on about "peri" and it's many effects.

Q) "What should I wear with my frilly white wedding dress?"
A) diamond encrusted birkenstocks, but make sure they're real and not too many, no cubic zirconia encrusted-all-over Primark knock offs, that's so chavvy. All the better to let your feet breathe when they're having a hot flush. Don't worry that you're only 28, you're not getting married for a couple years and you'll have peri by then. You'll be so thankful we recommended them when you're entire body is a fountain of sweat as you slither down the isle. Ooooh they can pry my birkies from my cold dead hands!"

This is me too.

Birkenstocks are they fashionable? Subjective I guess, but so comfy and that's enough for me.
Inheritance? Yes, but I'd rather have my nan and grandad than their money and most of my nans savings paid for her care as a self funder.
Pension? I'm in the public sector and in my late 30s, so we'll see when I can actually get it when that time comes (I'm guessing into my 70s by then).
Everyone's different as mentioned

Your boys sound lovely x

✅ Going on about Birkenstocks (DH has real Birkenstocks, I have fake plastic ones from the local shoe shop)
✅ Have a family inheritance (not received it yet)
❌ Private schools for kids (nah, too many kids. It would cripple us)
✅ Saving loads for their Retirement or ✅ kids UNI

That is us 😆

You’ve just reminded me to throw my one pair of Birkenstocks in the bin. Bought them about six years ago (probably after scrolling away on here) and didn’t get along with them at all. Nowadays people don’t need to be subjected to my feet. The rest of the list is alien to me. There are only a handful of private schools in NI. The closest to me is Campbell College and the fees are nothing like the cost of a private education in England. I actually learned to swim there as our very working class primary school used their pool! We still have the grammar school system, so private education is a bit niche. It would be lovely to save up for a pension, but I’m DP and DS2’s carer so …

Ha I am one and four! Sadly no inheritance or private school but Birkenstocks and university fees are both a big part of my life at the moment!