Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

How to be happy with how much you earn?

36 replies

woodenchairleg · 31/03/2024 14:10

For someone of our age, dp and I earn well. We earn £120k and in our mid 20s.

But the issue is that we live in a very expensive area and everyone around us seems to earn a lot more (as many have inherited wealth).

How do you be happy with what you earn?

OP posts:
Ineffable23 · 31/03/2024 17:28

I think, if you're earning a decent income, the key is to design a lifestyle that hasn't been inflated to meet that income.

For example, I earn a very good wage. I live in a small house and drive an old car. That means I can afford a fancy gym membership and several holidays each year.

If what I care about was holidays but I felt obliged to have a large house and a smart car, then I would probably feel like I needed to earn more money. Because the lifestyle I had designed for myself would mean money was tight etc.

Obviously that doesn't work if you're trying to live on minimum wage because you are having to make choices between the gas and the electricity or whatever which aren't choices anyone should have to be making.

But you aren't on minimum wage so you don't need to make those choices. So the lifestyle you live (and therefore how well off you feel) is ultimately a set of choices that you can make differently.

Kosenrufugirl · 31/03/2024 17:30

woodenchairleg · 31/03/2024 14:17

I have perspective thank you - I grew up on an estate so I am aware of people’s struggles. But what I want to know is how someone ever feels they earn enough, rather than always wanting to earn more

Try Buddhism. In the Japanese branch one doesn't need to give up the desires. One needs to chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo twice daily to get perspective. Minimum chanting time - 5 minutes daily. Study time is extra. More info on SGI-UK website

midgetastic · 31/03/2024 17:30

It does seem sone people find it easier than others to not get jealous of others and it's not clear to me why

Really think about what makes you happy, what makes you contented ? How much of that is related to what you can buy? Would you actually be happier in a bigger house , or would you want another more expensive house ,?would it just be more to clean and less time for having fun ?

Think about why you might feel jealous- do you feel inferior in sone way ? Why would you measure worth on wealth ?

Personally I think I reject a little the idea that we need to be always buying more as I think that feeds the capitalism that is destroying t he planet , and I think the current economic model is designed to make people always unhappy, always wanting more , so to reject the norm - that more money and stuff is always better - isn't easy perhaps

Note that there is always a basic level that people need to stuff - a warm dry home, food on the table. It's about understanding why, when people have all that, they still want more

Laalaland · 31/03/2024 17:32

Think about you life right now... which bits of it do you find fulfilling?
Which bits of it do you find you enjoy in the moment?

Work on expanding on those things.

trisky · 31/03/2024 18:26

Here we go again 🙄

Bore off with your stealth boasting. Boo hoo on £120k living in an expensive area 😴

notafraidofthebigbadwolf · 31/03/2024 18:35

Yawn to everyone having a go at you while being in their 50s and mortgage free. I think you ask a very sensible question. You guys are in your 20s. You probably don’t know how many kids you will end up having. Whether you are OK in a flat, Whether you should try for extra professional exams or for a promotion. Whether becoming a manager is worth the extra sacrifice of personal time. Whether you should upgrade a car, whether you should aim to visit South America. Etc, etc. It is so easy for older people to know how to be happy on less. I guess it depends mostly on what kind of lifestyle you want for any kids you have. I can guarantee that if you are childfree now and earn 120k between you, this is the richest you will feel for the next 30 years after you start having kids!😅

FuckOffYokeofOpression · 31/03/2024 18:46

What is meaningful for you in your life? What do you want from it?

At your age I wanted to make a difference in a particular field that I knew would never be well rewarded. I got there and I am perfectly happy (in fact feel pretty well off) as a single parent on a much smaller income than you have.

DD wants to be rich and I always ask her, what do you want the money for? What do you want it to do for you?

Femmefatality · 31/03/2024 18:58

woodenchairleg · 31/03/2024 14:10

For someone of our age, dp and I earn well. We earn £120k and in our mid 20s.

But the issue is that we live in a very expensive area and everyone around us seems to earn a lot more (as many have inherited wealth).

How do you be happy with what you earn?

@woodenchairleg whereabouts in London do you live?

I'd recommend moving to a part of London with less inherited wealth so you are not constantly reminded of the fact that you have less.

At mid 20s your life is relatively simple. Unlikely to have health issues, relationship or family stresses etc. As you age, life becomes more complicated and whether the Jone's have more becomes less relevant.

Startingagainandagain · 31/03/2024 19:33

Count your blessings and stop whining.

missmollygreen · 31/03/2024 21:21

I heard 120k was the new minimum wage. Thoughts and prayers

BobnLen · 31/03/2024 21:26

Is that each, it's about the same as DS (32) earns and he is happy, ourselves we are retired and make do with about £25k each

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread