What would you consider a GOOD wage?

mustang121

People need to learn to live within their own individual means and be grateful for what they receive.


I only earn £17k and my Girlfriend £14k, but we managed to buy a lovely three bedroomed home, to which the mortgage is the only debt we have.


We don't try and keep up with the Jones or rush out to buy the latest gadgets. We simply live within our means and still manage to have holidays and weekend breaks.


I would love to earn more (who wouldn't?) and I'm concentrating on my career, but as I look around I think we are rather blessed and grateful to have a comfortable existence.


Money isn't everything as there are people who have £65k + wages and are miserable if they have no one to share it with. Humans are not meant to live in solitude.

[Deleted User]

New_and_Improved_Me wrote: »

SO true.....I went from a job I had been in for over 10 years being underpaid into contracting.

contracting is good, but you have to have marketable skills. Luckily after 20 years in the IT industry I'm at the top of my a game and have a degree and qualifications to back it up.

never been happier and for the first time in my life I actually feel secure and building a nice nest egg for the future.

I say, if you can do it, DO IT

i get recruiters trying to tempt me into it all the time... I'm waiting till my kids are bit older because I do love working from home too much.

I had the offer of £650 a day for a year, and I was kicking myself for not doing it, until my firm did some work for the same client. They drive me crazy and I am so glad to not be working for them perminatly (not to mention the 3 hours a day of travel it takes to get to them).

New_and_Improved_Me

ringo_24601 wrote: »

i get recruiters trying to tempt me into it all the time... I'm waiting till my kids are bit older because I do love working from home too much.

I had the offer of £650 a day for a year, and I was kicking myself for not doing it, until my firm did some work for the same client. They drive me crazy and I am so glad to not be working for them perminatly (not to mention the 3 hours a day of travel it takes to get to them).

Who says you can't work from home when contracting.

my last contract was 50/50 home/client.

but I take your point they are few and far between.

when someone is paying you 600 +VAT per day, they generally expect you to be in the office

jgh

gettingready wrote: »

Q: What would you consider a GOOD wage?
A: Good wage is when I can cover ALL of my monthly expenses with half of my after tax monthly wage.
And put the other half away "just in case". Every month. So for every month worked I have a month worth of "to live on" money saved away in case I ever do not have a job. And that saving does not put me in any "hardhip".

That's nearest the best answer. Every day of work has to pay for both that day and all other days where you're not working. I recently worked out that each day of work has to pay enough to keep me alive for ten days - the day I'm working, six days of unemployment and three days of retirement.
Unfortunately, my current job only pays enough to keep me alive for 6.9 days per week.

lkmc01

I am 29 years old and unemployed after spending 1000's on a BSc and a MSc with enough relevant voluntary work to make me look a soft touch on my CV.
My partner (30 years old) works 50+ hours a week on £9.13 an hour pre tax as a coach driver. He shift today (Saturday) is 8:30am to 9:45pm. He often loses 2 hours a day on breaks due to EU driving laws.
My sister (27 years old) works as a hair dresser on £6.50 an hour pre tax working 35 hours a week and is rich compared to me.
My dad (64 years old) works as a sales consultant selling abrasives. He is on 15k a year pre tax.

I live in South Yorkshire. At present any pay is good pay.

In terms of pay rises. My sister hasn't had one in 5 years, my dad hasn't had one in 6 years and my partners is 3p an hour increase each year.

keyser666

fruitedeli wrote: »

I know a 32 year old barrister who specialises in criminal defence earn slightly less than £16k per anum, and would be very happy to earn £21k. The reality is a lot of people earn much less than lol £35k a year. You even have retail workers surviving at £14k if they're working full-time.

not having that

[Deleted User]

lkmc01 wrote: »

My dad (64 years old) works as a sales consultant selling abrasives. He is on 15k a year pretax

that sounds rough!

fruitedeli

keyser666 wrote: »

not having that

Not having what? You don't believe barristers can earn so little? I'm not talking about a junior. I'm talking about someone who's worked as a barrister for 6 years. The media generally portrays lawyers as filthy rich, but they only look at the minority best performers, leaving out the average barristers who hardly earn anything to break even. Remember they are self employed where income isn't guaranteed but expenses are guaranteed.