To think that people with money really have no idea what life is like for the average person

[Increasinglydisillusionedwithlife]

Especially in the current climate. Those that are wealthy don't tend to be aware or understand?

I am degree education in a good job, which unfortunately doesn't really pay well, but it's a worthwhile occupation. Dh has worked his way up in a manual trade to a managerial role, we both work hard, but are still feeling the pinch and money is carefully accounted for the majority of the time. I am self employed and a few of my clients are very wealthy compared to the average, I don't know if they recognise this, but they are. One client sometimes doesn't pay properly and i'm left short, it's happened this week and now I stress as I have my child's clubs, kids events at the weekend etc to pay for. I'd allocated the money for these things. I feel too embarrassed to ask for the money (even though I shouldn't!) as I don't think it would even cross their mind that families live in this way and that waiting a week can sometimes mean I can't afford what I had planned, not always but sometimes

Is it just me? I feel that no matter how wealthy I became I hope that I would still recognise that we're not all the same and that we rely on our wages!

If your being underpaid/having late payments you need to address that with your client consistantly like a broken record, we teach people how to treat us. Some people dont have a clue.

What if I asked for that and it's still not paid when asked, on that day....

Of course people should pay on time. Whether or not it is because they are wealthy and clueless is unknown. Arguably poorer people aren't going to be using services that are paid retrospectively (like babysitters and cleaners) so it is hard to test. there is a level of privilege in being in a position to choose not to pay the mortgage or electric bill without fear of serious consequence too.

So sorry, it's so unfair, I hope you are feeling better now 💐

Oh please. Most of them have generational wealth so never have to worry about money. But ofcourse it fits the rich people's narrative to say that they are all self made. 🙄

cant afford the training
cant afford to be a student
would start at the bottom of a new career

maybe their vocation is important to them or even important to you! - did you ever think that you may need her ?

maybe not qualified or suited to better paying job

etc
etv

But this is my point...how can people not realise that others may need and should have their pay in an organised, timely way for all manner of reasons, it's just a basic thing isn't it

I think it’s all relative to what you’ve experienced.

We are very comfortably off but there was a time where I couldn’t afford to eat. I would go literally days without eating. The house share I lived in was mouldy because we couldn’t afford to put the heating on. My clothes were covered in mould too.

I’m self employed also and I think you need to be more assertive when asking for your money. I have a late fee payment written into my contracts and on the day payment is due I remind my clients of this. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.

I do think you have to experienced being poor to truly understand it though.

I would pay them on time and have an understanding that all our lives are different-it's basic respect and thought for others

Don't forget that many people who now have money, started out with nothing OP. I think a lot of people know all too well what it feels like.

I'm not wealthy but I have retired on a pension that is "adequate" and so I'm free of stress.

However, I am from a FSM family with 6 dcs, and my dm used to send me out scrumping apples, collecting nuts and picking blackberries, not because it was a nice thing to do on an autumn afternoon but because it added to our diet. We certainly didn't have any kids clubs and activities.

In your situation, you need to take a deep breath amd ask for the monies owing. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Of course people should pay on time. But shit happens, life happens. People have cash flow issues, get busy. Drop them as clients if they're that awful.

I think it's not black and white. Some people who were born with money will have no concept of what it is like to not have it, so even if they can sympathise, they won't really understand those in a vastly different financial situation. Some people who've made their own fortune may forget how tough things can be without money, but others will remember.

I think all you can do in the circumstances you describe is protect yourself as best as possible, and grow a thicker skin when it comes to chasing payment (or invent someone from "accounts" who can send the strongly worded emails for you). For all clients, you should have a proper contract in place and it should include clear payment terms, including the financial penalties for late payment. Also charge a deposit upfront. Anyone unwilling to pay a deposit is likely going to be someone you'll have to chase for full payment later. Don't be afraid to sack bad clients.

As if it's that easy! If it was,we'd all be living comfortably and the cost of living crisis wouldn't be a thing.

I think people being tardy about paying invoices isn't really to do with wealth, they're just shit. I freelanced and one of my employers was worth millions - still didn't get paid on time often and as for expenses, they went months without being paid. I have also not been paid on time with small companies and sole traders - I ended up putting interest on their unpaid invoice. Tbh, I just think it's common, at least it was throughout my career.

I'm financially comfortable now, but really struggled at first with a crap low paid job where I was living hand to mouth every pay cheque, for the first few working years. By careful planning and making do and mending, I managed to avoid getting into debt at that time, but it was close. So I do know what it's like to watch every penny and carefully consider EVERY purchase.

We also struggled when I fell pregnant at the same time that DH gave up his job and started self employment, where neither of us had an income for several months which wiped out our savings and we racked up around £10k on credit card debt just paying for food and drawing out cash from credit cards to pay utility bills!

But it's those experiences that made us good with money, i.e. saving/investing, not wasting money, selling surplus stuff in newspapers, car boot sales, and more latterly ebay/facebook marketplace, such as clothes, books, DVDs, car roof rack when we changed car, old lawn mower when we paved over our lawn, etc. Every little helps.

But at the same time, I appreciate how much harder it is for younger people today, especially with ruinously expensive housing costs, often having to move away from home for decent jobs, sheer cost of eating out/entertainment, etc, so I appreciate how hard it must be for them to have any kind of standard of living without getting into too much debt. At least in my day, a small flat was affordable on one (relatively low/modest) wage which is impossible today.

If one was working for me, i'd make damn sure I paid on time and treated them well

Ahh ok, whilst the rest of us just sit on our arses?

In my experience, all but a small few came from money & connections themselves, it makes a huge difference

I think people know what they have experienced. If they have never experienced being unable to pay bills they won't understand the full impact.

I'm fortunate in that I never have to consider whether we can pay our bills or buy food. We drive old cars and can't afford fancy foreign holidays or fancy clothes etc. But our children know they will always have a roof over their heads and food to eat, school trips paid for extra, as we have savings to fall on if needed. We both have disabilities so know never to take anything for granted, so have built up a years income 'buffer' in case anything goes wrong. I can know in an abstract way that people are counting pennies to afford food, but I don't truly know the reality of it as I haven't experienced it.

For really rich people they will just think 'well work harder and earn more if struggling, no one is really that badly off really, after all we have huge benefits bills etc...'

OP you have to ask for what you have earnt. And ask again. That money is yours and they are in wrong for not paying.

I don't think YABU about the late payment, people should pay either in advance or immediately on delivery of the service but unfortunately big business works on constant late payment for cash flow so some people are used to that.

I do think YABU to link it to apparent wealth. A lot of people with big houses, cars etc. are living beyond their means and actually stupidly might struggle to pay immediately.

People have different priorities. I didn't want to have to worry about whether or not I would be able to afford food or petrol every week so despite having a decent household income we only had one child, don't do foreign holidays, didn't sign up dd to expensive hobbies etc. Now she's at uni I am so glad that we saved that money.

@Increasinglydisillusionedwithlife

I feel too embarrassed to ask for the money

In the nicest possible way, you need to grow a thicker skin and be more assertive.

You don't need to explain why you need the money. Your payment terms ARE your payment terms and your client/customer has broken them. No further comment/explanation is necessary.

Isn't there an old saying of "never explain" or something like that?

You need to check payment terms are clearly laid out in your contracts/terms of business, along with late payment consequences, ie interest etc., and refer to these on your invoices, and enforce it.

In the same way someone who's living on the breadline and has only ever worked on a factory line might not understand the struggles of someone who built their own business up from scratch and employs 2000 staff.

Or a UK benefits claimant wouldn't understand what it's like to be without self produced income in countries where they have no benefit system.

It's very difficult for people to put themselves in difficult positions they've not experienced. Even things like a person with functional legs doesn't understand how it feels to need a walking aid and every step is laboured and agonizing.

I made good choices but partly because i had good choices available to me. I always think people forget that often people dont realise how expensive being poor is

Take something like owning a car. Your breakdown cover, car tax, insurance is cheaper if you pay it in one go. Insurance and tax is more expensive often for older cars. If you live on a dodgy street, without a drive, with a less desirable job your insurance is more. Finance for a car wildly varies if you are on less income. Not to mention you tend to spend more on repairs etc

A car that cost me 2000 a year easily costs someone else 4000

Its easy to congratulate myself on making good choices eg buying a reliable car, decent second hand furniture but often because those choices were available to me. Dodgy shops accept wild interest rates that force peoples hands

I think most wealthy people know exactly how hard it is for many families. I really do.

Yeah - really? I'm sure no one would ever think of that 🙄

I think you're missing the fact that a lot (most maybe?) of people don't have basic respect and thought for others these days. I see it on a daily basis in shops, on roads, all over MN!