Do you have a decent lifestyle?

[Mr Rational]

We are moving to a nice two bedroom house in a few weeks time, it was a three and they knocked the third bedroom wall down so it's essentially two large bedrooms now which suits our purpose as we have no kids either.

Because it was classified as a 2, it's £30k under the price of the exact same house that was sold last year, not that I'm complaining.

We could have gotten a much larger house, but what is the point of sitting in a new house, not going out and eating beans? We want to live our lives, not exist sitting in a status symbol and keeping up with the Joneses.

[Deefiant]

I've got a good lifestyle at the moment.

I spent a few years earning frankly ridiculous sums of money for a person who works onshore and has no college or university qualifications.

That has allowed me to buy 2 houses (nothing fancy - both ex council) run 3 cars (again nothing extravagant - I just drive a lot of miles), keep 1 non working wife (apart from "doing my books" for tax purposes) and raise 4 kids together - which is a lot for a 30 year old IMO.

My wife is due to start working this year as a teacher and that would have made us extremely comfortable but I'm now getting paid 70% less than I was and am at risk of redundancy.

If I lose my job I'll seriously struggle to pick anything up anytime soon on even half what I earn currently. Will probably have to sell the house I rent out and drop a car but that's not too bad I suppose. I might even pick up a non stressful low paying gig for a while so I can see more of the kids etc.

I feel like I'm at a real crossroads and am equally excited and terrified.

[ICTChris]

I'm on the verge of tears at the thought of stumigoo taking those poor kids on a trip of a lifetime to Old Trafford and the game getting postponed because of a bomb scare.

[young_bairn]

Yes I do but it's all dependant on money I guess. Which means working hard which is gash but needs must. The industry I work in is a shambles at the moment so could be up shit creek if I'm unlucky. Iv saved a bit and about 30% equity in the house so have a bit of a buffer. Mrs works full time aswell which is a bit of a relief also. 1 thing I remember though as I had a great time as an apprentice on shite money so it's all about expectations really.

[chimneyman]

Yep - I've got a fine lifestyle.

Earn 6 figures between the two of us, just bought a brand new 4-bed detached with stunning views over the hills, intend to be mortgage free in next couple of years, start a new job next week having just resigned from another and now expecting my salary to increase substantially in the next year or so. Partner has money and it almost at the top of her profession and has many opportunities to increase her earnings, and we enjoy at least 3 decent holidays per year, as well as numerous weekends away. Virtually debt free (apart from the usual car leases and mobile contracts and 50% mortgage)

[stumigoo]

I'm on the verge of tears at the thought of stumigoo taking those poor kids on a trip of a lifetime to Old Trafford and the game getting postponed because of a bomb scare.

 

 

I'll bet he was seething.

 

I was so angry. The kids, to their credit, were all excellent and dealt with it very well (much better than we did as teachers!)

[Zetterlund]

I was so angry. The kids, to their credit, were all excellent and dealt with it very well (much better than we did as teachers!)

 

It's a shame they didn't get to see the match and hopefully they get another chance, but they still have a great "I was there" story to impress people with at least.

[Granny Danger]

We are moving to a nice two bedroom house in a few weeks time, it was a three and they knocked the third bedroom wall down so it's essentially two large bedrooms now which suits our purpose as we have no kids either.

Because it was classified as a 2, it's £30k under the price of the exact same house that was sold last year, not that I'm complaining.

We could have gotten a much larger house, but what is the point of sitting in a new house, not going out and eating beans? We want to live our lives, not exist sitting in a status symbol and keeping up with the Joneses.

If you did go down that road what sort of beans would you have and would they be with toast?

I'm worried that this well intentioned thread is now getting a bit boastful. We'll have folk posting photos of their houses, cars and holidays soon. Gunther will post photos of his wife, though he would do that anyway, and someone will claim to have 7 TVs.

FWIW in our last house we had eleven sofas.

[chimneyman]

You're worried about that? Shit.

[Mr Rational]

Council beans, mouldy bread. It puts hair on your chest IMO.

This isn't boasting, not from me at least. I'm perfectly happy just now, comfortable and living well within our means.

Is it the best house in the world? No.

Is it in the nicest area of Edinburgh? No.

Am I capable of doing 'better' than I currently am? Yes, but why give myself all that stress again.

Am I happy? Hell yeah!

[Quentin Taranbino]

Alot of people have been mentioning 'decent salary' and 'good wage' or 'earning good money' and whilst it is all relative - what would people class as a good salary?

[Granny Danger]

Council beans, mouldy bread. It puts hair on your chest IMO.

This isn't boasting, not from me at least. I'm perfectly happy just now, comfortable and living well within our means.

Is it the best house in the world? No.

Is it in the nicest area of Edinburgh? No.

Am I capable of doing 'better' than I currently am? Yes, but why give myself all that stress again.

Am I happy? Hell yeah!

I wasn't suggesting you were boasting, I think some others are beginning too.

#elevensofas

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

Why did you have eleven sofas?

 

GD's dining room.

 

[Zetterlund]

Why did you have eleven sofas?

 

It would be crazy not to keep buying them with all those DFS sales.

[Granny Danger]

Why did you have eleven sofas?

Three in the lounge, two in the TV room, three in the conservatory, two in my den/home office/man room, one in the master bedroom.

Just sort of happened.

[sureiknow]

Big improvement from a year ago when after an op I was for two months in a wheelchair.

Can't walk well still, never will but after a year I can drive again.

Big plus driving again.

Ok, cash is reduced with no work but just glad to be alive and can get out and bout again.

[Honest_Man#1]

Alot of people have been mentioning 'decent salary' and 'good wage' or 'earning good money' and whilst it is all relative - what would people class as a good salary?

Think that's very dependent on stage of life. What someone considers a good salary at their first job when they live alone is unlikely to be the same as what that same person would consider a good salary when they're 10 years older and married with kids.

[Chicken Wing]

Ach my 45K per year salary gets me by. Mustn't grumble I suppose.

[smpar]

Think that's very dependent on stage of life. What someone considers a good salary at their first job when they live alone is unlikely to be the same as what that same person would consider a good salary when they're 10 years older and married with kids.

Exactly this. I'm on 'good money' just now, and by that I mean it's probably as good as a student can expect whilst living in a rented flat with no kids. If I'm still earning the same amount in 15 years with a mortgage, a car and kids to pay for, I'd be disappointed.

I won't quote it as it's a long post, but that's an excellent post by stumigoo. Seems to have a genuine connection to his job and the children with whom he works, there's a lot of emotional investment there as well as giving up his free time to try and give them a better experience. Superb stuff.

[Dominique Malonga]

I don't know where I am in terms of my job right now. Been teaching 8 years and its all I've ever wanted to do to be honest. I truly care about my job but I suppose thats where the problem might be. I'm in Guidance now and I totally knock my pan in every single day. I take multiple football teams, organise trips, go to all the school events in the evenings and some weekends and I make sure I'm in work every day for 7:15am. I work through my breaks and lunches (my view is that it is the only time the kids can actually come and see me in my own time) and I don't leave due to school football or work until about 5:30pm most days. Thing is, I can't do the job any other way. I sometimes wish I was a teacher who didn't really care and came in for 8:30, left at 3:30 and ran no clubs or did any work at home but then I wouldn't be doing my job properly. I think in the last 18 months or so I've become more concerned about my energy levels and the lack of time I have to enjoy things like doing stuff to the house, going to the gym, playing football and actually relaxing (don't get me wrong I take holidays when I can so the lifestyle bit is no issue). I enjoyed doing things like spending time writing my football blog that I've now stopped and I don't have much energy for even reading at night or going out for dinner with my wife. I do have concerns about burnout and the expectations placed on teachers (especially those that do their job properly) is only going to get worse. My Dad left teaching to run a project for Barnardos on significantly less money but I think it was the best decision he ever made. 

 

My lifestyle though is really good. My wife and I (who is also in teaching) are incredibly happy with each other, we now own our first, and nice, home, we go on holidays and have enough money that we get great food for ourselves every week and we can spend money at the weekends on things like the football, cinema, clothes etc. We have secure jobs and will, in 30 odd years, have fantastic pensions. I sometimes forget how lucky I am in terms of our finances but then working in a school as a guidance teacher you are reminded every single day how good I have it. Our trip yesterday to Old Trafford for example, so many of our kids we had to secretly subsidise out of our own pocket and the school fund. They simply couldn't afford to go themselves. Then they have no money for food or to buy a programme or scarf at the game, and so many of them haven't ever been out of Dundee.

 

Being a teacher definitely gives you perspective on life and what matters. Some of our kids go through hell every day at home and yet turn up for school every single day on time, work hard then go back to whatever it is they have at home. They are incredible people.

 

Plus United are a shambles so I can't even enjoy that.

That's a brilliant post by the way, the best i've read in my short time on the forum. I wish there were more teachers like you at my school. Don't underestimate how much your pupils will appreciate you doing things with the football team, trips etc and just generally being available to give a bit of advice and things like that as well.