What salary are you happy with these days?

[RVVUNM]

I was an unhappy Regional manager in the Building distribution industry working 39 hours a week and driving 30000 miles a year until March last year. I was luck enough to have paid off my mortgage so I talked with my boss and took a different job within the company resulting in a loss of £6000 in salary and the return of my company car. I am now office based, have a 37 hour week, no company car tax, less stress and taking home about the same. I am now happy.

[ro250]

Leicester Loyal said:

GT03ROB said:

To be honest I find that very distasteful & just couldn’t go there. It’s almost like wishing your parents dead. My parents a re in their 80s. Their estate will be in 7 figures. There is only me & my sister. Last time I saw them my mum wanted to explain to me how to open the safe & where their accounts were should anything happen, It was very uncomfortable for me.

the idea of factoring in the inevitable I frankly can’t do.

In relation to other comments on retirement, my mum also asked me when I was going to retire. I said, “why would I retire? I get paid good money, I actually quite enjoy what I do & I get to live & work in interesting places. Oh & dad still works”.

Edited by GT03ROB on Thursday 22 October 22:10

I'm the same, I'd rather they spend it all and enjoy their last few years, don't stick it all away, downsize the house and spend the money on holidays. I struggle to get it into my head that one day they'll be gone and I'll have to sort their estate out (hopefully it's many many years away).

Weirdly I know a couple who are living with one set of parents, they're genuinely waiting for the father to pass away so they can have the house (the mum has said she'll live in the annex), when they said it publically at an event we were at, I was genuinely disgusted.

I agree too. A cautionary tale from someone on my other half's side of the family. Took out an interest only mortgage on the sole basis that the grandmother on her side would be leaving her house split between the 2 grandchildren. Fast forward a few years and turns out she leaves it all to only one of them who had been visiting weekly etc. The one who got the lot wasn't interested in splitting it with his sister. They still don't speak 10+ years later.

[mercedeslimos]

ro250 said:

I agree too. A cautionary tale from someone on my other half's side of the family. Took out an interest-only mortgage on the sole basis that the grandmother on her side would be leaving her house split between the 2 grandchildren. Fast forward a few years and turns out she leaves it all to only one of them who had been visiting weekly etc. The one who got the lot wasn't interested in splitting it with his sister. They still don't speak 10+ years later.

And they say blood is thicker than water...

[wastedyouth86]

Leicester Loyal said:

I'm the same, I'd rather they spend it all and enjoy their last few years, don't stick it all away, downsize the house and spend the money on holidays. I struggle to get it into my head that one day they'll be gone and I'll have to sort their estate out (hopefully it's many many years away).

Weirdly I know a couple who are living with one set of parents, they're genuinely waiting for the father to pass away so they can have the house (the mum has said she'll live in the annex), when they said it publically at an event we were at, I was genuinely disgusted.

Sorry i did not mean to be distasteful in regards to my comments, My parents spend and do whatever they please and i am not some bean counter checking up on their monthly spend, i make very good money myself.

it is a difficult subject but i think it is more the awareness of mortality rather than the money, unfortunately we all at some point are going to die.

[HustleRussell]

wastedyouth86 said:

Sorry i did not mean to be distasteful in regards to my comments, My parents spend and do whatever they please and i am not some bean counter checking up on their monthly spend, i make very good money myself.

it is a difficult subject but i think it is more the awareness of mortality rather than the money, unfortunately we all at some point are going to die.

I think people have been pretty hard on you re: inheritance. It is a factor for consideration for most people. I think that this widely held perception that it is somehow incorrect to talk about it with parents etc leads to a lot of bad or non-existent planning and wasted opportunity. Why should it be a taboo subject as it currently appears to be?

This is especially pertinent now when we have for the first time in many many years (ever?) a whole generation of people who will on average be less wealthy than their parent's generation

[kingston12]

HustleRussell said:

I think people have been pretty hard on you re: inheritance. It is a factor for consideration for most people. I think that this widely held perception that it is somehow incorrect to talk about it with parents etc leads to a lot of bad or non-existent planning and wasted opportunity. Why should it be a taboo subject as it currently appears to be?

This is especially pertinent now when we have for the first time in many many years (ever?) a whole generation of people who will on average be less wealthy than their parent's generation

Its less about it being taboo or distasteful, more that it is too risky to rely on inheritance for planning purposes. A couple in their 70s might have a £2m estate but if they both have a lengthy stay in a care home before they go, there could be nothing left.

[CaptainSlow]

HustleRussell said:

I think that this widely held perception that it is somehow incorrect to talk about it with parents etc leads to a lot of bad or non-existent planning and wasted opportunity. Why should it be a taboo subject as it currently appears to be?

Quite and 80 year old leaving their estate 60 year olds isn't the way to do it...they should leave to the grand kids for better IHT planning, improved asset growth and freeing cash for pension investments etc..

[HustleRussell]

kingston12 said:

HustleRussell said:

I think people have been pretty hard on you re: inheritance. It is a factor for consideration for most people. I think that this widely held perception that it is somehow incorrect to talk about it with parents etc leads to a lot of bad or non-existent planning and wasted opportunity. Why should it be a taboo subject as it currently appears to be?

This is especially pertinent now when we have for the first time in many many years (ever?) a whole generation of people who will on average be less wealthy than their parent's generation

Its less about it being taboo or distasteful, more that it is too risky to rely on inheritance for planning purposes. A couple in their 70s might have a £2m estate but if they both have a lengthy stay in a care home before they go, there could be nothing left.

Yep, a point 'Chicken dinner' well made, but there were also others directly accusing 'wastedyouth86' of wishing his parents dead.

[ruggedscotty]

reposting this as its relevant here, I posted it long time ago 7th July about a guy taking a 70k wage drop... You want to earn enough to save and livve a comfortable life.

lots of sore people here.... who gives a stuff about taking a pay cut ? he was making a comment...

There peeps on here that covet money.. its not the be all or end all. Still makes me smile a bit at some of the
comments that such a quote raises. It dont bother me but I jump on and make a comment. the very fact you have hit a few keys and hit return means that its bothered you enough to reply.

Its like the peeps that die in what would be classed poverty - one bed studio and they leave £1 billion to the dog and cat home... Like Gawd... Did you not spend a bit and enjoy your life or did you get off on purgatory ?

so back to the original post £ 70k pay cut... now as you and I know £70k isnt £70k once you take those deductions off it ends up about £48k

Break that down further and its a grand a week or 184 quid a day drop...

Is it mad ? or is it not.... How do you value that 184 quid a day... or 7 quid an hour. thats less than minimum wage.

seeing kids grow up spending time with your partner enjoying your hobbies and past times etc... working shifts long commutes 4 holidays a year ?

Stuck on the M1 grind ? Waiting in an airport to see if the delay wont be as log as last time you ended up overnight in an empty airport, or sat next to that obnoxious arse salesman in seat G5 as they squeezed you in last flight as you listen to his st life as he tries to sell you a group telecoms package like his life relies on it, poor sap probably does as hes out if he doesnt meet sales target this month as they are realigning the sales division and relocating to Milton Keynes.

Oh the desperation of those high flyers we dont know the struggles they face.

A 70k pay cut ? The mrs wont get her new leased TT with the ivory leather and kiddies jimmy and jenna wont be going sking to the alps this autumn.....

Yes drastic ;-)

you cut your cloth accordingly. Life is about life outside of work. Its not the corporate ladder. No matter how you get brainwashed into annual appraisals objectives and targets, thats the way of the corporate machine and it spits you out. old and withered retired with nothing to show for it. Yes your boss has his yaught moored at St Tropez and hes enjoying a champers brunch with the toffs off the back of your endeavours. You have missed the best years of your life missed the kids growing up missed life and for what ?

So a 70k paycut pish. Thats nothing mate. look out at the bigger picure, look out for your nearest and dearest. this is it there are no reruns, no repeats.... life is to live an to enjoy, and you want to enjoy it with your family. Not the office mafias and climbing the ladder of success as whos success is it really ? Its definitely not your success.

[fastraxx]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

To justify their choices / circumstance in life

[Kent Border Kenny]

ruggedscotty said:

There peeps on here that covet money....

seeing kids grow up spending time with your partner enjoying your hobbies and past times etc... working shifts long commutes 4 holidays a year ?g up missed life and for what ?

I’ve picked only a couple of bits out of what was a pretty weird post.

No-one on here seems to covet money, but we do seem to have some posters like you who take real issue with people who do have higher earnings, and so need to convince themselves that their lives must be poorer in some other way. That’s just not how it works.

I do long-ish days, but no more than plenty of other workers, and get to spend plenty of time with my family.

The good pay is a side-effect of enjoying and having gained the qualifications for a career that pays well, and then also enjoying progressing in it.

[fastraxx]

Kent Border Kenny said:

I’ve picked only a couple of bits out of what was a pretty weird post.

No-one on here seems to covet money, but we do seem to have some posters like you who take real issue with people who do have higher earnings, and so need to convince themselves that their lives must be poorer in some other way. That’s just not how it works.

I do long-ish days, but no more than plenty of other workers, and get to spend plenty of time with my family.

The good pay is a side-effect of enjoying and having gained the qualifications for a career that pays well, and then also enjoying progressing in it.

Nice fleet sir. You must have no life

[jakesmith]

Kent Border Kenny said:

ruggedscotty said:

There peeps on here that covet money....

seeing kids grow up spending time with your partner enjoying your hobbies and past times etc... working shifts long commutes 4 holidays a year ?g up missed life and for what ?

I’ve picked only a couple of bits out of what was a pretty weird post.

No-one on here seems to covet money, but we do seem to have some posters like you who take real issue with people who do have higher earnings, and so need to convince themselves that their lives must be poorer in some other way. That’s just not how it works.

I do long-ish days, but no more than plenty of other workers, and get to spend plenty of time with my family.

The good pay is a side-effect of enjoying and having gained the qualifications for a career that pays well, and then also enjoying progressing in it.

Give over. You wouldn't catch a Bangladishi textiles worker earning 80p a day and living in squalor, swapping places with you and your fabulous lifestyle and cars! No way not going to happen!

[Kent Border Kenny]

fastraxx said:

Nice fleet sir. You must have no life

It’s truly awful, sitting here with my little boy watching “sing”, before my wife and I have a glass of wine downstairs and then head off to bed ourselves.

[MrJuice]

I think it is important to find comfort in whatever hand you have been dealt. I am one of the people who earned a lot more in the early years of my working life (doing business which sadly came to an end) and now earn multiples less doing multiples more work. Sometimes is really really grates. But then I remind myself that a lot of what I have came as a result of that 9 year period of doing business.

I am not unhappy in my new work in the slightest. And if I had to choose between them, I'd do my current job long term over my previous business. It still grates though!

Be happy with what you are doing and what others are doing. Contentment is v important for good health.

[Chicken Chaser]

Although the post by ruggedscotty might be a bit of a ramble, the sentiment is largely right. Yes there are some guys who are running high salaries doing very little whilst the real workers are being paid little, but there are many guys who are chasing the coin and putting in long hours, constantly being pushed for targets, beaten when they're not on their game every day. Theres guys doing 60-80hrs a week to chase the money whilst their families are growing up in their absence. I know that some see that as providing the best for them (and I don't blame them for that) but equally they are missing key moments in their child's and spouses lives. I work shifts so I sometimes miss them too, but I'm fairly conscious now that with a young family, I need to strike a balance between doing overtime or taking days off to actually enjoy the company of them, all doing stuff that doesn't cost a lot.


You can be rich in the pocket but poor in life and you can be rich in life but poor in the pocket. The sweet spot (and hardest part) is finding that bit in the middle.

[GT03ROB]

HustleRussell said:

kingston12 said:

HustleRussell said:

I think people have been pretty hard on you re: inheritance. It is a factor for consideration for most people. I think that this widely held perception that it is somehow incorrect to talk about it with parents etc leads to a lot of bad or non-existent planning and wasted opportunity. Why should it be a taboo subject as it currently appears to be?

This is especially pertinent now when we have for the first time in many many years (ever?) a whole generation of people who will on average be less wealthy than their parent's generation

Its less about it being taboo or distasteful, more that it is too risky to rely on inheritance for planning purposes. A couple in their 70s might have a £2m estate but if they both have a lengthy stay in a care home before they go, there could be nothing left.

Yep, a point 'Chicken dinner' well made, but there were also others directly accusing 'wastedyouth86' of wishing his parents dead.

As one of those you refer to, albeit i did add "almost like wishing parents dead", I will stand by what I said. making financial plans today based on your parents death I still find hard to contemplate. I may be wrong but I will not make decisions today based on an assumed inheritance somewhere down the line. For most of us this is not a grand estate or business that is passed down the lineage.

[g3org3y]

MrJuice said:

I think it is important to find comfort in whatever hand you have been dealt. I am one of the people who earned a lot more in the early years of my working life (doing business which sadly came to an end) and now earn multiples less doing multiples more work. Sometimes is really really grates. But then I remind myself that a lot of what I have came as a result of that 9 year period of doing business.

I am not unhappy in my new work in the slightest. And if I had to choose between them, I'd do my current job long term over my previous business. It still grates though!

Be happy with what you are doing and what others are doing. Contentment is v important for good health.

Everyone knows you don't do medicine for the money. You can't put a price on job satisfaction.

[jakesmith]

I couldn’t imagine having to work hard now. Surely by the time you’re 40 you’ve got good enough at something and can earn decent cash doing that.

[Kent Border Kenny]

Chicken Chaser said:

You can be rich in the pocket but poor in life and you can be rich in life but poor in the pocket. The sweet spot (and hardest part) is finding that bit in the middle.

You can also be poor in both, or rich in both.

When I was poor in cash terms my life was pretty miserable, too. I was in a job with people that it was hard to respect, I had to choose between eating and heating some days, and could not have contemplated having children, buying a house, or going away on a nice holiday. I had to commute whatever the weather on an unreliable motorbike, and used my leave from work watching television in my rented room as I had not a penny even to go home and see my parents.