comfortable salary

krooton said:
Just because it is as nice as you want doesn't mean it is uncomfortable, it just means you are picky. Loads of people live in crappy studios/flats, so to say that a 3 bed semi or townhouse is below the line for comfort is ridiculous.

People in this country really take what they have for granted.
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I urge you to read what I wrote again instead of making assumptions of what you think I said. I made it quite clear that it was simple to live within a small house and basic foundations, no problem and I could if I had to. I chose not to because I can chose not to and having come from the 'basics' and never having the luxury of a silverspoon I know what today I believe to be comfortable. As I said, CLEARLY, you are debating a subjective based on your view, it's not mine and your definition of comfy is different to mine. Trying to imply it's greedy or not needed is simply your view based, I suggest, on your aspirations. It's not a case of could I get by on 40K for I could, it's a case of I don't have to and that allows me to live at a level that I have now become accustomed to and in doing so feel comfy within.

I have worked and continue to work bloody hard to achieve what I have, I take nothing for granted thank you.
 
I agree you don't need a massive salary/package to be able to be comfortable on a basic level.

But if you ever want to own a nice house in a nice area of London then not even low six figures will do it for you.

It is pretty sad and unfortunate.

I like to keep comfortable a moving target as you can always be more comfortable...

I don't want to earn more money for the sake of earning more money. I am not driven by money for the most part.

I also barely spend what I earn now. But compensation is usually somewhat in line with contribution and it is a very rough/crude way of keeping score and measuring how well you are doing (against yourself or your peers).

This is obviously dependent on what industry you're in and what motivates you. I don't think there is anything wrong with being ambitious or wanting to be the best. But as with celebrities you get a lot of people who want to be rich or famous for no other reason other than they want to be rich or famous rather than good at something.
 
Depends on your situation.

With a family, assuming the woman assumes the role of 'Housewife', then £35k is just about comfortable IMO.

£40k would be the magic number for me, for us all to be able to do the things we wanted to do (Within reason, and remaining realistic).

Of course, most people live to their means, so an extra £5-10k will always seem amazing until you're a year down the line and you've grown into your increased means and the circle starts all over again.

Single? £20-25k would be comfortable outside of London, IMO.
 
Darkstaruk said:
Why would anyone want to live in London? I like to breath fresh air. >>;
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Nightlife, attractions, large numbers of people to socialise with, being at the centre of the nations goings on, easy access to amenities. The usual reasons people like to live in cities.

If those things aren't for you, then you probably don't :) just be glad many do otherwise that non-city lifestyle you enjoy would become very... city like...
 
Completly depends on the individual and situation.

Im currently living in a shared house for £450 a month all bills included on 21k living just outside of London.

Im living very comfortably. Ive made personal choices to make sure I get more money a month for spends. If I was living on my own I wouldnt have hardly any spare to save or splash out. So if "comfortable" means not having to worry about money, then sure, 21k is enough to live comfortably...for me.
 
Working as a translator, I make anything up to £50k a year, but nothing steady coming in, so it's maybe £500 one month and £5000 the next.

Not cool and you put in the same amount of work with one thing or another.
 
I am happy on 25k. Wouldn't want any less though. 30k or so would be nice then maybe I could go on more holidays and save up a deposit for a house.

I am not that bothered about owning a mansion or Ferrari. would be nice but unless I win the lottery or do a massive drugs deal I would rather spend time with friends + family.

I'll have more fun in my flat and old banger with my mates than an old lonely man with his stuff. But still you need some money, just gotta get the balance right. As you get older money is more important as you get bored and want to go to far away places or get a nice house so you can play in the garden with kids. but still. The amount of happyness travelling first class and staying in a 5 star hotel brings compared to the pain of earning it isn't worth it for me. I would need a higher paying job sharpish. If it comes naturally then fair enough but i am not busting my balls while I slowly die, wake up at 50 and be like wtf.

Seen my Grandad die a year after retiring after working his ass off allll his life from 15. He managed to go to the USA and the Far East but I am sure he would have done a lot more if he had had a few more years. not happening to me thanks.

People i know that work in London in high paid jobs seem to work 12 hours a day. That would totally do me in personally. I would be too tired to spend the money.
 
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I know loads of people who earn 50k+ each year and they just buy $hi%.

More you earn the more you ***** and forget to appreciate the free things in life.
 
Freefaller said:
What? I used to be on less than 30k and living in London fine! :confused: Sure I had to flat/house share, but I was still able to run a car, go on holidays and meet up with my friends for a few drinks from time to time.

Being comfortable is not needing to worry about covering bills and food. Anything more than that is a bonus. People (and I don't mean you matey) seem to have an over inflated understanding of what being comfortable is. Though I accept that it is down to individual experience and what people are used to.


Of course by this I don't mean owning a home - I admit that for owning a home you probably do need to earn a little more in London.
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Sorry Freefaller I probably wasn't clear. My points are in reflection based on my own situation. Just me earning the salary and with a desire to be able to buy one day.

Sure you can earn less and rent a flat share somewhere, but surely when you want to settle down and have kids you don't really want to still be in a flat share in Camden...!

I contacted a mortgage company to ask about how much I could get the other week. Roughly you were looking at 4-5times your salary. In a nice part of what I defined as Greater London where I would want to be (west !) I would need to be able to splash 400k on something which I could buy a comparable place back in Gloucestershire for quite literally half the money. The cost of living in London is significantly higher than anywhere else in the country... ALMOST regardless of where you live.

Wandsworth Common which to me is a 'good' area in a 'good' part of London (ok, its not Richmond, Fulham, Putney, Chelsea, whatever) you can quite literally be looking at a million pounds for a family home. How on earth could you stand a chance of being close to buying something like this would a mega salary?

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PMKeates said:
Why are people having digs at someone who thinks £150k in London is comfortable? I think it's perfectly reasonable. Bear in mind - £150k pa is just £7,685.03 per month after tax. You will spend thousands per month on a good home in a nice area of London alone.

If you like nice things and don't like roughing it, then the world, and London especially, is a very expensive place.
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This much better articulates my point. Mortgage or even Rent payments on a House suitable for a family near even reasonable schools, or heaven forbit a park in London is incredible.

Wynthorpe said:
Both me and wife on around £26K each and live a comfortable lifestyle up in the North, both have new cars and own a 3 bed detached house with very big garden and garage in a nice area of town. The north = WIN!
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Which when you consider the way our brilliant tax system works means you bring home between you about £3345 a month, or rather, over 57k a year as a single individual....

What amount did I say for outside of London again......

In honesty, some people in this thread going OMG LOL AT THOSE AMOUNTS havn't even lived away from home yet I'd bet.
 
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Starfighter, most people I know in London with high paying jobs don't work 12 hours a day often...

Sometimes they do but not everyday. You need to work the hours to get the job done and not just long hours often.

I see this reason from people often as to why they don't want high paying jobs. But it sounds more like a cop out.
 
Conanius said:
Sorry Freefaller I probably wasn't clear. My points are in reflection based on my own situation. Just me earning the salary and with a desire to be able to buy one day.

Sure you can earn less and rent a flat share somewhere, but surely when you want to settle down and have kids you don't really want to still be in a flat share in Camden...!

I contacted a mortgage company to ask about how much I could get the other week. Roughly you were looking at 4-5times your salary. In a nice part of what I defined as Greater London where I would want to be (west !) I would need to be able to splash 400k on something which I could buy a comparable place back in Gloucestershire for quite literally half the money. The cost of living in London is significantly higher than anywhere else in the country... ALMOST regardless of where you live.

Wandsworth Common which to me is a 'good' area in a 'good' part of London (ok, its not Richmond, Fulham, Putney, Chelsea, whatever) you can quite literally be looking at a million pounds for a family home. How on earth could you stand a chance of being close to buying something like this would a mega salary?
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Oh I agree buying a house is a nightmare. Certainly things get harder when you bring kids and marriage into the equation. Hence why I'm not really bothered about the latter 2! Serial monogamy is far more fun! :D
 
Freefaller said:
Oh I agree buying a house is a nightmare. Certainly things get harder when you bring kids and marriage into the equation. Hence why I'm not really bothered about the latter 2! Serial monogamy is far more fun! :D
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But you see my point? unless your earning bigger money you'll never build up the now almost certainly required 20% deposit (unless you want LOL rates)

I guess my point is fair as long as by 'comfortable' you read 'owning you own home'

if 'comfortable' means putting food on the table, paying the leccy bills, but not saving much if at all and renting with mates (which, I don't doubt is a comfortable life, I was very happy doing the same) then yes, you can cope with significantly less than my figures.
 
Interesting responses.

Its clear that some have posted figures they'd like to earn rather than figures they'd need to simply make ends meet and them some!
 
[FnG]magnolia;18313887 said:
It strikes me that the very people who are claiming outrageously high figures as being required to be 'comfortable' are the very same people who I would strongly suspect are not, and will never, earn those kind of salaries.

Some of those in this thread who I know do earn significant salaries have a very different tone.

Interesting.
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Couldn't agree more.

One other thing i would like to pick up on is travel, a few people have posted they like to fly business class and won't travel economy or economy plus, is this true even when you have to pay yourself?

When it comes to work I wouldn't fly / travel anything other than Business or First class, however when it comes to paying for it myself i have no interest in paying 2 - 4 times the standard ticket price.
 
Firestar_3x said:
Couldn't agree more.

One other thing i would like to pick up on is travel, a few people have posted they like to fly business class and won't travel economy or economy plus, is this true even when you have to pay yourself?

When it comes to work I wouldn't fly / travel anything other than Business or First class, however when it comes to paying for it myself i have no interest in paying 2 - 4 times the standard ticket price.
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The answer to that is probably in the title of the class to which you refer.. It's called "Business Class" for a reason :p
 
almost everyone in the UK lives comfortably (or could live comfortably if they chose necessity over desire) and the vast majority of those people are on or barely above minimum wage (£12k before tax per year).

comfortable does not mean running a sports car, owning a £300k house or having a £5k+ holiday every year, comfortable is having enough food to eat and water to drink, enough money to cover the necessary bills, a home to live in and a relatively stable income of one form or another, everything else is a luxury.

there are billions of people across the planet that would kill for the kind of comfort some people in this thread are describing as poverty!
 
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