Income brackets: what is prception of low/middle high

lostinrates

nickmason wrote: »

Finally, there's wealth - very different from income!!

Exactly, but still very relevant! like your post, it is one of those I wish I could thank twice...

skintchick

lostinrates wrote: »

skintchick wrote: »

And what I'm saying is that it must be being subsidised by something else (savings? benefits?) for those people on benefits, and that it IS a high income choice as a general rule to choose, and I quote, "expensive hobbies", which is what you said. Fair enough, I don't know having not seen the bank balance of anyone to whom I know is in this situation. A guess would be other state support, but hopefully savings, and certainly not in some cases partners.

My comments were purely on expensive hobbies, rather than specifically about horses. (Although most people, rightly or wrongly, would consider horses to be expensive).Again, fair enough, as I agreed and again confirmed in a reply to another poster Personally I would feel hard pushed to make the same spending decision if I wer on a low income or reliant on incom other then min or DH's and/or had children on this salary. I'm sure its doable for many but the choices all become differnt then, and I might well make differnt ones.[/quote]

Of course, choices aren't just hobbies for many. For example, we make the choice, currently, to live in UK where DH's employment oppertunities are only in London. He could choose another job which would allow him to live in a cheaper area or he could do the same job in a differnt country, again opening up a new set of choices. Or we could ditch the pets and the need for accomodation for them and live in a lovely and commutable area like yours.

I would submit that this could apply to lots of expensive SE areas, not unlike Henley, so in a not disimilar way its entirly possible we are all of us not dependant on help are making similar choices over our priorities within our spending power -whatever that maybe?

The other option of course is that accrued wealth as well as earnings are more relevent than my simplistic original question poses or its responces can ever answer. (which is I think of course true). Which poses a huge relevance to the current question of mortgag support etc, certainly, but also the background against which the siz of earnings is rlevant as 'wealth'.

In general yes but for me personally I only pay £215 a month for my house and certainly we couldn;t afford to live in this town had my parents not basically given me most of my property (they helped me buy it then gave me that half and simply ask for the 215 a month until it is sold).

I think also where we live and what we consider reasonable disposable income affects how we answer the original question. My Oh would probably answer differently to me as he thinks having £700 a month as spare cash quite normal whereas I've never had that amount of money as disposable income.

He doesn;t think he earns a very good wage at all, but I think he does.

lostinrates

SandC wrote: »

A friend of mine has horses. They are almost entirely funded by her parents, who bought a property with land and built stables. I suspect most who have lower incomes and have this type of expensive hobby are being assisted in similar ways.

Yes, a huge number of people have help this way. (this would however still class as expenidture by your friends parnts, if not her, making their income relevnt, thus fitting somewher into our theoretical categories)

This however is income for her of a sorts, even if not salaried.

nickmason

lostinrates wrote: »

Exactly, but still very relevant! like your post, it is one of those I wish I could thank twice...

Your kindness has just got my first ever thanks!! Not so much that I was a scrooge, more that I typically "lurk" and so am not logged on to thank.

mitchaa

skintchick wrote: »

My Oh would probably answer differently to me as he thinks having £700 a month as spare cash quite normal whereas I've never had that amount of money as disposable income.

He doesn;t think he earns a very good wage at all, but I think he does.

Isn't his money yours and vice versa??

lostinrates

skintchick wrote: »

In general yes but for me personally I only pay £215 a month for my house and certainly we couldn;t afford to live in this town had my parents not basically given me most of my property (they helped me buy it then gave me that half and simply ask for the 215 a month until it is sold). This to me has a huge relevance to how you have answered and suggests on your income which you class as medium ther is an issue that you cannot afford to live in a whole TOWN without help! Thus I would disput, on your evidence that your earning is medium for your area! Especially paying such small housing costs in relation to your area. This, for me, puts your original answers in very differnt prspective. In my perception you receive an income extra to the salary, in the form of th 'benefit' of the other half of the house, which could work out as a significant extra amount a year!

I think also where we live and what we consider reasonable disposable income affects how we answer the original question., IMO, without doubt I concur.

My Oh would probably answer differently to me as he thinks having £700 a month as spare cash quite normal whereas I've never had that amount of money as disposable income. Does spare include saving/income protection/insurances etc etc or just spending money?

He doesn;t think he earns a very good wage at all, but I think he does.As we keep returning to, its a question about perception.[/quote]

ETA: just also popped onto another thread which further suggests you feel less than medium in terms other than numerical? although I could well have misinterpreted that. which makes me wonder is it the 'figure' we get caught up in somtimes or the 'spending power' that figure brings? Or is it all so wholly distorted by debt-spend that its impossible to easily separate? For me I find that it often is the latter.

...... I went ten years without a holiday, had old bangers till I nought a new Skoda four years ago which I still have, and live in a small house before which I lived in tiny rented flats.

And I still don;t see anything good for me in this situation - I got made redundant, I am pregnant so unemployable, and our savings are earning zilch.

Well done for being so frugal all these years? Rubbish. This government doesn;t care about people like me, never has, never will do.

(sorry for quote rather than link, which would have been neater but I don't know how to do neat links to a particular post )

lostinrates

nickmason wrote: »

Your kindness has just got my first ever thanks!! Not so much that I was a scrooge, more that I typically "lurk" and so am not logged on to thank.

LOL, log on more then.;)

Thank you.

nickmason

skintchick wrote: »

Gillotts and the college are considered good, yes, but we also are within very easy reach of a number of exceptional private schools like Bluecoats, Reading Girls, Shiplake College, etc.

There's some serious money round here but also people like me who don;t earn loads.

I know this is naughty, but is Shiplake really "exceptional"? Back in my day it used to be known as Shi*lake....

skintchick

mitchaa wrote: »

Isn't his money yours and vice versa??

It is now!

We work it a very complicated way whereby when I was working we each paid a percentage of joint bills equivalent to the percentage of total income we brought in. So he ended up with way more disposable cash than me as he earned more than me.

Now, I have got myself a part-time job (16 hrs a week) at about £7 an hour TBC starting early Jan so he will pay all the bills and my money is my own IYSWIM.

He will therefore be subsidising me but he is considering it OK as I am PG and employers just don;t want me, except this one thank goodness.

We didn;t just throw all money into one pot though you see, as I wanted it to be fair.

skintchick

nickmason wrote: »

I know this is naughty, but is Shiplake really "exceptional"? Back in my day it used to be known as Shi*lake....

My friend works there and says it is. I don;t really know. I'll tell her what you said though!