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Are you well off?

tempnam

As the title says, are you well off? - i.e. are you comfortable, financially; do you have nice things like a big house, nice car, decent holidays every year, do you own property etc.?

If so, how did you get to your current situation?

Personally, I'm not. I have a very small modest house in a rough enough area, a small family, a car, and I work full time. Every month we cover all bills & expenses and then have a small amount left over until payday. We can't afford pensions, health insurance or to put much into savings.

I know a few people who seem to have a lot more in terms of disposable income, bigger house, etc. etc. But all these people seem to have received help along the way.

For example, one guy I know has a huge house outside Dublin on a big piece of land, has property in Ireland and UK, a decent job etc. - but he 'comes from money' - was sent to private boarding school and his family owned the land where he now lives. Other people I know are able to turn to their parents for help if they ever need it.

I'm aware that there are plenty of people worse off - homeless families etc. And i am grateful for the fact that I can provide a roof over my family's head.

So are you like me, or better or worse off?

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[Deleted User]

I've a small apartment, cheap enough car all considered. I earn a decent wage and can divert lots to pension etc. I'm quite comfortable in sofar as I spend less than I earn but if you gauge wealth by big house, flash car etc then I'm a tramp

[Deleted User]

RobbingBandit wrote: »

..... I'm left with about €60 to buy food which doesn't go very far for healthy eating ....

Sweet potato & chick pea curry (tomatoes based with a chilli or two) can be made for about €4. 1kg bag of decent rice is a fiver.... 16 portions.

You'd get 4 portions out if the curry.... 4 dinners for a fiver... €1.25 each.

1l of protein milk in Aldi is a Euro.

Yoghurts (fatfree) are often on special offer.... my local supervalue often sells 2 X 500g clonakilty pots for €1.50 & the glenisk ones are reduced occasionally too....the own brand versions are reasonably priced.

Carrots etc cost very little.

Even steaks are often reduced in the large shops.

I feed myself for less than 60/week, that's breakfasts, lunch & dinner. Mainly decent grub with the odd pizza or box of magnums thrown in

That includes kitchen roll, washing up liquid, tea, coffee etc etc

Maximus Alexander

I recently bought a house and I'm getting married next week and I haven't completely emptied the bank account, so I'm doing ok. I don't know about 'well off', but comfortable for now at least. I don't come from money, but I have a decent software development job and I don't buy things I don't need. Unless I really want them.

Graces7

Very well off.. I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in... enough for food which is far more than many have. Old car but it gets me around at need.

Cats and a dog who adore me.. good neighbours .. the really valuable things in life cannot be bought and need no money

I actually eat well for less than E20 a week . No hardship at all here..

Although current negotiations for a load of turf delivered have me in total shock!!

So mission impossible there..

"Well off" means different things to different people and at different times in their lives. foreign holidays and new cars are meaningless here..

So yes VERY well off indeed.

One_Of_Shanks

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I recently bought a house and I'm getting married next week and I haven't completely emptied the bank account, so I'm doing ok. I don't know about 'well off', but comfortable for now at least. I don't come from money, but I have a decent software development job and I don't buy things I don't need. Unless I really want them.

Sorry to hear that. Happens to us all. Least you've the week left.

Yeah being well off is subjective. Even if you nail it down to monetary terms, I doubt most extremely wealthy nor extremely poor would be reading this forum to start with.

suicide_circus

no debts but no assets either.

Kitty6277

Yes and no. I'm early 20s, in college, live at home and work part time. Aside from running a car and giving my mam a few bob, all my money is mine, so I can afford to spend it. I just try not to as much as possible, I try to save so in the future money won't be a worry to me. But wealth is relative. Sure, right now I'm comfortable, but only because I don't have big overheads at the moment.

Fiolina

Your health is your wealth.

Summer wind

This thread would suit Angous perfectly. I’d love to read his long reply:)

RobbingBandit

He'd have the third estate toiling to provide for his needs

Galwayguy35

Have my own place and a few quid in the bank if I need it, driving an oul 04 Golf that gets me around and usually get a sun holiday every 2 years.

I've never had a well paid job but I came from a poor backround so I don't spend money on things I don't need and I'm able to have a reasonably good life on the money I earn.

RobbingBandit

Augeo wrote: »

Sweet potato & chick pea curry (tomatoes based with a chilli or two) can be made for about €4. 1kg bag of decent rice is a fiver.... 16 portions.

You'd get 4 portions out if the curry.... 4 dinners for a fiver... €1.25 each.

1l of protein milk in Aldi is a Euro.

Yoghurts (fatfree) are often on special offer.... my local supervalue often sells 2 X 500g clonakilty pots for €1.50 & the glenisk ones are reduced occasionally too....the own brand versions are reasonably priced.

Carrots etc cost very little.

Even steaks are often reduced in the large shops.

I feed myself for less than 60/week, that's breakfasts, lunch & dinner. Mainly decent grub with the odd pizza or box of magnums thrown in
That includes kitchen roll, washing up liquid, tea, coffee etc etc

I'm diabetic with very problematic dietary requirements(fussy bollix

) so most of that wouldn't suit. Did find microwave rice in tesco recently for 59-99 cents a bag depending on type it isn't too bad.

I didn't see myself struggling like this at 116 years old ( real age slightly less but also ending in a 6 soon) still could be worse I could be married 3 kids stuck in a dead end job and Mortgaged up the gills with no escape in sight. Ah who knows what tomorrow may bring, none of that stuff thank ****

[Deleted User]

I was 13 months ago but have blown all my savings by not working and trying to get a business going. Either that works out in the next month and I'll be fine or I'm starting work again in my old job in a few weeks and I'll be fine.

My mind was at breaking point even when I had all that money in the bank. Now I've none and am far more content after getting rid of accumulated stress.

anewme

Was very poor growing up. No food, Christmas toys, electricity cut off, hiding from rent man.

As such I would actually say I’ve a fear about being poor.

Because I had nothing, I always swore if I could get out of the cycle I would never look at the prices again.(within reason)

Thanks to sheer hard graft , no handout from anyone, I’m now comfortable-Decent enough job, 6 or 7 years left to pay on house(small house in decent area) nice brand new car(no finance) nice jewelry, bit of savings, ok pension, 2-3 holidays a year.

I travel a lot- recently had a nice 3 week long haul holiday. I travel now because the time will come when I am actually not able to. When I can’t, I will remember sitting at the edge of the Grand Canyon eating pizza at Sunset, climbing Angels landing, seeing Petra, walking through the sun gate.

It’s all very well to say money isn’t important. It’s quite easy to say that when you are not poor. I lost a friend though money worries in the recession, that showed me how important/ unimportant it all is.

Enjoy life.

erica74

I have no mortgage or rent. I own my house (and farm and some land) outright and to be perfectly honest, that alone makes me feel "well off". I feel that, especially in the current climate, you can't put a price on not owing any money to any financial institution.

I am under no illusion about how lucky I am and I don't take it for granted. I still make sure to save money for the "just in case" scenarios even though, the reality is that I'm very comfortable. If something did suddenly crop up, it's not like I'd be unable to pay mortgage or rent and be under a lot of pressure in that regard.

On the outside though, my husband and I aren't flashy and I would say people would not necessarily think we are "well off". Rather than driving expensive cars and having loads of expensive shit, our house is quite small but it's *all* ours. We don't have an expensive extension, 5 bedrooms that we don't use, or anything like that.
What we can do with our relative financial comfort is go to nice restaurants for meals regularly, get up on a Saturday morning and decide to go wherever we want, go to every gig and festival we want to go to without having to save in advance. We also like to look after our friends, who we know would do the same for us if the tables were turned.

I think people having "nice things" isn't the best indicator of being "well off". There's a guy local to where I live, in debt up to his eyeballs, the whole community knows about it but the whole family go around in leased bmws and mercs so they *look* "well off".

I had a terrible childhood, I was abused and neglected and I know what it's like to have nothing, to have less than nothing. I remember my mother saying "no" to everything and then beating the shit out of me for daring to ask. I remember going without food for days. I remember wetting myself with fear and I remember promising myself over and over that I would not live that life as an adult.

Avatar MIA

erica74 wrote: »

There's a guy local to where I live, in debt up to his eyeballs, the whole community knows about it but the whole family go around in leased bmws and mercs so they *look* "well off".

Typically banks don't lend to people that cannot afford it or they take the assets back. So, while the whole community think they "know", they may not.

facehugger99

I'd say we're comfortable.

Mortgage is pretty small and we have a second property already paid off. We put money into a fund for kid's college expenses in 10 years or so and we both have good pensions.

I don't have any expensive habits and have never understood paying tens of thousands on a car. We do go abroad at least once a year though - always loved travelling.

Graces7

Fiolina wrote: »

Your health is your wealth.

In that case I am worse than a pauper! It is what you make of what health you have..

Wanderer78

Not really, but I've little interest in gathering wealth

myshirt

Graces7 wrote: »

In that case I am worse than a pauper! It is what you make of what health you have..

I think you can really offer perspective to people here Grace. What was it like 60 years ago for be average Joe Soap? Do you think things are much, much better now or not?

King of Kings

im comfortable at 40.

decent job pays well but we are a single income family so its gotta cover wife , 3 kids, 2 cars, mortgage.. it covers all i need.

i get out once a month and do gym/boxing few times a week.
kids do their activities.

prob need to be a little more frugal cos saving anything is proving to be difficult.

edit

apart from mortgage i am debt free so that pleases me.

garv123

PCP and finance for cars lets lots of people look well off these days, when really they haven't a pot to piss in.

Id rather own a 13/14 car than overpay for a new one monthly

Wanderer2010

No. I have a decent job but a good few outgoings so im just chipping away at that every month. I was poor growing up and it left a fairly serious mark on me when it comes to self esteem as I equated money with how worthy a person you are. Its only when I travelled to genuinely poor countries and to see through the absolute crap of keeping up with the Jones in this country that I can appreciate myself.

somefeen

Right now no. But I'm debt free and could potentially make 70 - 100k next year.
I never worked for much more than minimum wage so as far as I'm concerned I'm gonna be filthy stinking rich in about 6 months.

Hunchback

Definitely not well off. Although I do own a lovely house which only has teeny tiny mortgage repayments (couldn't rent a shoebox for the same).

I slaved in hospitality jobs for a decade when I went back to college to study law as a mature student in 2011. I had to (was fortunate enough to be able to) borrow enough money to supplement my income from waiting tables as I graduated and sought a training contract with a law firm.

I will finally qualify in 10 months time (after an 8 year process) and will prolly earn around the average industrial wage.

But no more waiting tables and it already feels more satisfying.

[Deleted User]

I'm not well off, but would be "comfortable". I have a fairly well paid job (for my age), my rent is quite cheap for where I'm living. I have a pension, health insurance, save quite a lot, have shares through work, no loans. A big chunk of my money is spent on going on holiday. Went to Asia twice in the past 12 months and on 2 European holidays.

My car is 13 years old. The only money I've spend on it after buying it is on new tyres and a service every year. Great car, don't see the point on buying a newer one. Couldn't give sh*t what it looks like once it works. Once it's not a Nissan cube. :pac: I could buy a brand new one with my savings but would rather keep my savings for money towards a house some day. The majority of people I know with a brand new car have it on PCP finance. So they don't really own it. Wouldn't be for me!

MikeyTaylor

I am neither rich not poor. I am a son of two civil servants from the Northside.

somesoldiers

I earned over 80k basic last year, I never have a penny. I don’t smoke, drink seldom, don’t gamble or have any other vices. Haven’t been on holiday in a few years.

I do however have 3 “drains on income”, my wife and two sons. I was refused a morgage of 250k last year because of incapacity to repay based on being a single income family.
Wife started a new job a few weeks back, she got paid net €900 for two weeks on a basic of 42k, I actually give up!

Vestiapx

tempnam wrote: »

As the title says, are you well off? - i.e. are you comfortable, financially; do you have nice things like a big house, nice car, decent holidays every year, do you own property etc.?

If so, how did you get to your current situation?

Personally, I'm not. I have a very small modest house in a rough enough area, a small family, a car, and I work full time. Every month we cover all bills & expenses and then have a small amount left over until payday. We can't afford pensions, health insurance or to put much into savings.

I know a few people who seem to have a lot more in terms of disposable income, bigger house, etc. etc. But all these people seem to have received help along the way.

For example, one guy I know has a huge house outside Dublin on a big piece of land, has property in Ireland and UK, a decent job etc. - but he 'comes from money' - was sent to private boarding school and his family owned the land where he now lives. Other people I know are able to turn to their parents for help if they ever need it.

I'm aware that there are plenty of people worse off - homeless families etc. And i am grateful for the fact that I can provide a roof over my family's head.

So are you like me, or better or worse off?

I worked my ass off from the age of 12 to get where I am. I scrimped and saved and by 18 worked two jobs when not in education and one when I was. I also pushed every rule and boundary to the limit and took investment risks which sometimes cost me money.
A friend of my wife once commented to her “ isn’t your husband lucky to be where he is “ she told her that being married to a man who works 70-80 hour weeks is not as much fun as people think. I lost a bit in the crash but I’m probably comfortable by your definition.
We have two cars but they aren’t new and aren’t bought new don’t have paid tv and go out to dinner probably twice a month. There are investments made for the kids education. I don’t have a large disposable income but I’m in what I call a stable position as in if I lost my job I would be ok for a while and I don’t really worry about money.

[Deleted User]

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Not really, but I've little interest in gathering wealth

You've plenty interest in seeing it taxed away from folk who have it though to provide the free house for all.