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Original poster

If you buy expensive clothes/shoes/bags and have an average income, how do you afford it?

51 replies

Popcorntwice · 06/05/2019 18:12

Just wondering really. We have a decent income but no way could I afford some of the pricey items that some people I know, who have seemingly average incomes, can afford to buy.

I'm talking 1K Moncler coats plus Moncler coats for their kids (bought new not second hand), £150 Sophia Webster sandals for their kids, £500 The Kooples trouser suits. All bought new in places like Selfridges or Net a Porter.

How is it possible to afford these things on an average income? I find it hard to stretch the budget to New Look clothes for myself at times!

OP posts:

Hollowvictory · 07/05/2019 11:08

The average salary is £27k.so I don't believe someone could afford the things you are talking about on that salary unless their dp was covering all expenses and the average income £27k is just fun money.

How do you know your friend has an average income? They may earn a lot more or have an inheritance, private income, savings, lottery win etc

Ex28 · 07/05/2019 11:21

Do they have a high social media following? I’d assume they were “gifted”.

insecure123 · 07/05/2019 11:22

I think often it is down to priorities. I know a girl who only works three days a week. it is her own business and no idea how much she earns. BUT she really prioritises designer clothes! loves them. As soon as one of her favourite "designers" releases something new she buys it! I have never seen her in anything without a label. That makes her happy. I prefer experiences so would prioritise a weekend away or something over a designer label. Different strokes for different folks

ItStartedWithAKiss241 · 07/05/2019 11:28

I guess with anything it’s about priorities. We live in an average house and drive an average car (one per household), have average bills and eat average food but have lovely clothes. We just care about clothes. We do cut back on other things that other families have, we only have one car, our children share bedrooms, we don’t go abroad on family holidays. X

queenofarles · 07/05/2019 11:36

Bonuses?saving up? Birthday money? Wealthy parents? Dividends? No or small mortgage?
Lots of ways to come up with money.

Maybe they don’t go out as often as you think, or maybe their holidays doesn’t cost as much.

regarding moncler , well it’s how you look at it really, my two eldest ds12,&dd7 have them, it’s actually a good buy, They cost around £390 for dd 7, and I bought hers one size bigger they are still roomy and will be worn again next AW.

janeybumtum · 07/05/2019 11:43

I think when people are buying a lot of this stuff (genuine not fake) as opposed to having saved up to get one very expensive item, it's often through: credit cards, proceeds of crime or they've got rich parents. I know people who buy stuff like this all the time, also eat out frequently and go on a lot of holidays and they have jobs that couldn't possibly be bringing enough in for this lifestyle.

One girl I know has a rich but dodgy dad who gives her bundles of cash to spend on clothes in Selfridges (presumably he can't buy her a house because people would ask more questions about where the money came from).

I knew of (but not personally) another girl who had a drug dealer boyfriend who used to buy her stuff. She started seeing a second similar guy and getting gifts from him. It all turned out rather badly for her.

The third I know is a girl who bought stuff on credit and store cards all the time, then borrowed money from loan sharks and she's filing for bankruptcy at the moment.

It's easy to look at other people and think they can't have money worries but you have to be very very well off to be able to buy stuff like that, pay for your house, go on holiday, eat out all the time and not be worrying about money.

Rkay2 · 07/05/2019 11:44

Sometimes it’s what you don’t see

I know a family very well - picture perfect by the looks of it - nice house, everyone has a decent car, designer bags, holidays

But
They struggle to scrape together the funds to pay for a maintenance repair (£200)
All the cars are leased and in finance
They have debt
They work multiple jobs

It’s not always what you can see....

DramaRamaLlama · 07/05/2019 11:53

I agree with @OrdinarySnowflake - you see what you want to see.

For example I earn well but don't own a car (although DH does). Most people would have no idea that I don't own a car, but may pick up on my Sophie Webster flats!

Hollowvictory · 07/05/2019 12:13

I would not know what a Sophie Webster flat is. I googled, it said someone on coronation Street?
But we spend on holidays. I guess we're all different!

MummytoCSJH · 07/05/2019 12:15

I buy things on eBay, I bid so I get them super cheap. Mostly expensive shoes as they're so much comfier but get them for under a tenner! Couldn't even justify spending the amount they cost new

HollowTalk · 07/05/2019 12:40

I'm glad someone mentioned proceeds of crime!

I was teaching with a new baby - I was buying my baby's clothes from Mothercare, Next, M&S. One of my students was in her thirties and had never had a job. Her husband was in prison for drug importing - massive case and he got a very long sentence. She was spending £120 upwards on babygros and said she wouldn't be seen dead in any of the shops I was using.

Doobigetta · 07/05/2019 13:05

I’m sure not everyone in designer clothes is living off the proceeds of crime! Probably mostly juggling scary amounts of credit card debt. It’s definitely the case that the huge amount of consumer debt being highlighted in this country ten years ago has grown, not shrunk.

HollowTalk · 07/05/2019 13:42

No, of course not. But a few will.

OrdinarySnowflake · 07/05/2019 13:42

Of course we don't know this woman, it could be crime, it could be credit cards, it could be she/her DH earns vastly more than you think, it could be grandparents are paying for things...

but if you are correct about their income levels, it's more likely it's how they prioritise their money.

Put another way, apparently the average smoker spends around £2k a year on smoking, yet if you started a thread asking how on earth does anyone afford to smoke, let alone a family afford 2 adults smoking - you'd be told that its none of your business, that it's their one 'treat', their children don't go without, it'll be compared to getting take-away coffees or new lipsticks... You won't get people suggesting it's all on credit or proceeds of crime. It'll just be accepted that it's possible to budget for a regular little treat for yourself by cutting out other little treats even on an average income - somehow if you make that treat a once a year thing, it seems impossible that someone could be saving their weekly treat money for it...

fedup21 · 07/05/2019 13:44

They certainly don't seem to skimp on things like holidays, food, kids activities, cars etc.

Who are ‘they’? Are you talking about one particular friend or lots of random people?

queenofarles · 07/05/2019 14:26

Surely not everyone in designer clothes is in debts or practices criminal activities !

What if they had a windfall? What if they really watch the pennies. Maybe that expensive dinner or spa day was a gift? Shop only in the sales?

A couple we know do their weekly shop at Lidl and Morrisons as it cheaper, they wouldn’t think of spending money on expensive crockery or cookware , buy it off eBay or IKEA , their linens are from h&m . most of their furniture are hand downs from their parents but all very expensive originally!
But they wear very expensive clothes , drive an expensive volkswagon , Holidays in Bali,Greece, Croatia.

Hollowvictory · 07/05/2019 14:30

Queen, are they on average salaries though? This thread is about those on average salaries

queenofarles · 07/05/2019 16:09

hollow Not avrage salaries no, but if we lived on their income We won’t be able to go on expensive holidays or buy expensive clothes While still living and buying like we are used to.
It would be this or that.

What I’m trying to point is that some people are maybe better at budgeting, prioritizing their spending, they might get help from their parents. Maybe they put aside x amount each month in order to the things they want
Maybe it’s birthday money.

There are so many possibilities ,

Housewife2010 · 07/05/2019 16:15

£390 for a seven year old's coat is good value?

Binkybix · 07/05/2019 16:21

it’s actually a good buy, They cost around £390 for dd 7, and I bought hers one size bigger they are still roomy and will be worn again next AW

I don’t care how people spend their money, but you know you can also do this with coats that don’t cost £390?!

Christmastree43 · 07/05/2019 16:28

I know three people like this.

My sister and her fiancé who have designer clothes and a posh car. They lived with their parents until last year, to the ages of 25 and 27, and had no other outgoings, not even car or phone bills for my sis. His car was on finance.

My BIL is the other person and he takes out huge loans and credit cards and has his car on finance.

There’s always a simple-ish explanation

EmpressJewel · 07/05/2019 17:22

Could be smoke and mirrors. It's really easy to only show what you want to show on social media.

A friend of mine posted a load of (old) designer shopping bags on SM to annoy her nosy SIL, with a caption about pay day shopping.

You can get great bargains on eBay, including new items with tags. Or retail outlets/TK maxx. Still expensive, but cheaper than full price! I know of a lady who doesn't work due to ill health and buys £80 shoes for £20 on eBay for example.

The designer coats and shoes could be paired with primark jeans and the majority of people will never know. They will notice the coat and shoes though.

RedRiverShore · 07/05/2019 18:25

You could always buy stuff, take your photos and then return them, I wonder how many do that.

NeverTwerkNaked · 07/05/2019 18:25

I know quite a number of people who had houses bought for them. That makes them instantly substsntially better off than someone else with the same job.

Also overtime can make a big difference - I often earn about £500-1000 extra a month in overtime and that is all "disposable" income (in reality I use it to pay off mortgage /legal debts from abusive ex) so if someone was doing a fair bit of overtime I could see how they could waste spend it all on designer clothes.

Plus gifts from wealthy family, or a second job, or a credit card ...

insecure123 · 08/05/2019 07:56

You could always buy stuff, take your photos and then return them, I wonder how many do that.

This does actually go on apparently! I remember a couple of years back, after finally geting some financial freedom from my abusive ex I took myself to Harvey Nichols to look at their shoe sale (says she who above said she doesn't prioritise designer labels lol - I really don't but I do love a drool at shoes) anyhoo I ended up buying a pair of sandals in the sale and was chatting to the shop assistant about what a good discount they were.....she mentioned about people who buy really expensive things, take it home and get a picture for social media and then return them!!! I was like WTF folk actually have the TIME to do that!! LOL

When she took my email address "for the receipt" I am sure she mentioned that they ask email add for all their customers as a way of monitoring if the pictures were on SM - I could be remembering that incorrectly but I am 99% sure that is what she said! I still have those sandals and actually just cleaned them up at the weekend ready for this Summer if it ever comes :)

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