The 5 year plan to £50k

[FoxEye]

I don't earn anywhere near 50k but I feel perfectly comfortable. Got a stable job, good work life balance and we live perfectly well with what we have. I've got a nice house, a big TV, two pcs etc etc.

My GFs best friend earns about 90k and her constant travel and working 70hr weeks doesn't make me feel like I'm missing out.

These figures are all relative to where you live really. 50k in London would be nothing like 50k in Newcastle or similar. Inflated property prices and costs of commuting take a big wedge of this money.

And the whole not wanting to be someone's slave is a nice aspiration but you need to put up with some things on your journey to get there.

I actually think the OP was always too scared to move out of his mother's house to ever achieve any of this.

Someone pushing 40 and living at his parents isn't the type of person who will ever be a "leader of men" .

I'm not a leader, and never will be. I don't think that's particularly relevant tho? Not all well-paid jobs are managerial in nature.

As for "scared to move out"... not really. I lived away for five years up in Wales.

I couldn't get a mortgage down here atm, and I don't fancy paying vast sums in rent. Also I can help Mum out around the place, and she can stay living in her own home, which she's already told me wouldn't be possible if I moved out.

My living here suits all parties.

Also I don't expect my life to magically improve just by moving out of my Mum's house. I would simply be living on my own, with nobody but my own thoughts (and you lot) for company. Hardly an improvement.

 

[FoxEye]

Oh well, I'm screwed then I can't hold a conversation with anybody. Never have. Heck, I can barely make eye contact unless I force myself to, and it's unnatural/painful to do it.

Just not a "people person". Most people annoy the heck out of me. Sad, I guess, but truthful.

 

[FoxEye]

I don't think I'm "on the spectrum". I don't have any super maths powers, for starters I'm just a bit of an antisocial git, that's all. I've never understood or empathised with other people, and I've never felt a strong desire for the company of others.

I'm sure that does sound strange to a lot of people. I'm basically just a misanthrope. Sometimes I *do* question if it's by choice, or by lack of effort, or by genetics. That I can't answer. But I wouldn't want to be diagnosed with anything. I'm not trendy enough for that

 

[FoxEye]

Don't you have any friends?

I suppose that depends on what you consider a friend to be.

There are people I've known all my life and are friendly toward me/vice versa.

I don't socialise with anyone, if that's what you mean.

 

[FoxEye]

Oh right. What do you do on the weekends if i may ask?

Go for a drive/ go for a walk. I need to do more walking, I've got fat.
Do some gardening.
Play some vidya
Occasionally work-related stuff

 

[FoxEye]

OP if you are unwilling to work on getting on with people, moving from under your mums wing and making some significant changes in your outlook and attitude to others and what you need to do you are never going to amount to anything work wise. That doesn't make you less of a person, just not one who will make a fortune or even relatively fair money unless you set up your own business and do something you can fully control. Reality is that won't happen either I suspect so you're pretty much just going to have to dream....or change significantly. The problem with progression is you, no one else and until you accept that and start to be more outgoing, less annoyed at people and frankly grow up, you're cooked (but spelt different).

Good luck.

Some very mixed messages there. "Doesn't make you less of a person"; "frankly [you should] grow up"...

I don't value conformity (at all), and if the most pressing reason to leave your parents (and put them in a home) is to conform with other people's expectations of what adult life should be - screw other people's expectations, frankly

 

[FoxEye]

I don't care other than trying to help out a fellow forum member with some advice as I love to see people make a success of their lives, whatever success looks like to them.

Fair enough. I'm afraid I often assume the worst, and that everybody is out to get me You might say I'm a tad paranoid.

 

[FoxEye]

I don't think the £50k is too important to you Foxeye....

That figure was something I made up based on the price of housing... what's important to be is not being somebody else's slave.

I could live quite comfortably on less I'm sure. I just really, really don't want to end up like people I know, on low wages and paying off someone else's mortgage for them.

Frankly, if that's living, then I honestly don't see the point. I don't see the point in existing purely to struggle, purely to enrich someone else. I'd rather simply cease to exist. Perhaps I'm odd.

e: In a nutshell - life is pointless. I don't want it to be onerous and miserable as well.

 

[FoxEye]

far worse individuals than landlords.

Does not compute.

Anyway, taxes are 30% ish of gross. Plenty down here are paying 50% ish of net on rent.

 

[FoxEye]

Are property prices that bad in Cornwall?!? I'd love to earn £27k.

In some areas, 70% are 2nd homes. Due to rise to 90% in coming decade. This pushes up prices massively.

For a house not in an old mining village miles away from any employer, and not in a drug den (Redruth), you're looking at 300k starting price. Like, for a two bedroom smallish house.

But a really big problem here is the staggering growth of BTL. I kid you not, most new build houses never get the chance to be sold to a FTB or other home owner. They go straight into a BTL portfolio.

There is wealth down here, but it's super concentrated, and mostly it's in the hands of those with (lots of) property. I think home ownership in Cornwall is lower than the rest of the country.

 

[FoxEye]

Tell me about it, I am trying to buy somewhere at the moment down there and all these people who are buying all the good places as holiday homes are disgraceful as it stops me buying a holiday home

We're fighting back tho. St Ives and other places are now clamping down on 2nd home ownership. It's unpopular and councils are now starting to see what happens when you let so much of your housing stock sit empty for long periods.

I foresee your future involving staying at home forever, and inheriting the house eventually,along with a low paid job that pays the bills. Be happy with your lot, you will be a lot better off than most.

Won't inherit the house. I have four siblings who don't live with us.

 

[FoxEye]

He's unemployed?

I was only on that figure for 12 months from 2014-2015. I was then unemployed for 12 months, before spending the next 12 months on 20k. And then unemployed again. I'm not working atm.

 

[FoxEye]

Tell me about it, we now need to account for council backhanders and everything

Nah, all Cornwall's MPs are Tory. They've actually told Cornwall Council it needs to provide more 2nd homes.

That's what Tory HQ thinks Cornwall is. A nice place for a 2nd home, if you can avoid the 6-toed locals.

 

[FoxEye]

I would say that I think you're deluded but obviously you are.
Holiday home ownership is nowhere near 70%. If this was the case then Cornwall would be completely dead. Sure there is a lot that are but your figures are out of whack.

It says, right there in the bit you quoted, "in some areas". Did you read that bit? And actually it's true. The coastal regions of Cornwall do indeed included villages and towns with approx 70% 2nd home composition. And studies predict that will rise to 90% in the coming decade.

In some areas. Coastal areas. Inland is where you find the "natives". In slums like Redruth, where houses are more affordable and drugs are rife

The issue is I think is that you're treating Cornwall like one big city. Expecting every small village to have big corporate organisations within, that pay above the UK average.
There is plenty of work around if you're prepared to put the effort in to find it. I mean from Truro you could get to pretty much anywhere in Cornwall within an hour on a good day and that's an awful lot of space covered so the excuse that every village is miles away from an employer is BS.
As for the starting prices of houses at 300k for a two bed... Have you even looked? I'm currently buying a place - to which there has been plenty around - and I'll tell you there are some decent modest sized 3 beds for the 200k mark within walking distance of Truro Center.

Not unless there's something wrong with them. Truro is normally 300k-400k. Yes of course I've looked

I can show you on RightMove or whatever houses for sale in Truro right now... and the ones on the market that aren't wrecks are starting at 300k. And by wreck I mean need 1000s in renovation work.

You're expecting a lot, making excuses for everything and not making any effort to change things - typical Cornishman!

Source - lived in Cornwall my whole life. Lived with parents not so many years ago on a lesser wage than 27k and managed to save a very healthy deposit for a house. Still living in Cornwall, comfortably, enjoying life whilst being no ones slave, earning more than 27k!

Good for you. Did you have any help to buy your house, say from your parents? To help with your deposit...

 

[FoxEye]

Alright I'll show you some typical houses in Truro and prices tomorrow. Have only been recently looking as it happens. But not for myself.

One last thing for tonight... you mentioned Padstow. According to 2011 data, Padstow had just over 29% 2nd homes, so not the worst place for it by far.

But I did find some more recent data in a discussion in another thread... will have to see if I can find it again. And there certainly are places with 70% 2nd home composition, but again I'll have to reacquire the source for that info. Should have bookmarked it!

e: Here we are. Direct from Cornwall Council's housing dept.

"I understand that second homes are important to the Cornish economy," says Mark Kaczmarek, cabinet member for housing at Cornwall council. "But they negatively affect rural services such as shops, post offices and schools during off-season. Some villages have up to 70% second homes and look like ghost towns in winter."

https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2013/mar/07/blight-second-homes-cornwall-london

I did also previously find a map showing density of 2nd homes in Cornwall, but will have to find it again.

e2: It's largely academic anyhow. My average salary over the last 10 years has been ~15k. The max mortgage I could get is 60k. With savings that's 100k max.

Still well, well short of £250k. There's genuinely bugger all bar garages for 100k down here.

And given how many people are on min wage (12k p.a.) jobs, it's a disgrace. Cornwall is a shocking place to live for most of us. By far the majority won't even earn 15k down here.

 

[FoxEye]

Starting my job in September on £42k within the data science consulting sphere... It increases to £50k almost by default the following year at which point I'll either stay or start to drift into the banking industry again. However, this is dependent on a lot of factors. For 21 I'm very content, although I don't wish to stay below 6 figures for too long.

Instantly dislike you

Can't believe this thread is still going? Lol

Surely OP has surpassed the 50k mark now. If not then I sure hope you raised that figure. These days 50k just doesn't cut it.... Not for me anyway.

Stop taking the pee. £50k is almost twice the national average.

But the answer anyhow is... nope, I'm nowhere near atm. Frankly at this moment in time I have *no* useful skills whatsoever.

Whatever direction I end up taking, I'm going to have to start at the very bottom. Because right now I'm completely unskilled.

 

[FoxEye]

I'm not denying you don't have the skills and personality but even that is perceived differently between someone who looks strong and someone who doesn't, you can get away with far more imo being in shape and decent looking, you can tell awful jokes and people will still laugh, you can do some lighthearted flirting without HR calling you in for sexual harassment, the list goes on.

I once had a charge filed against me for attempting to strike up a conversation with a female member of staff, who was sitting next to me in the office. Her manager (female) even upheld it. Said it was inappropriate since I was a temp (literally there for a day, no more), to be making conversation when both of us should be busy working; she also let me know that the girl in question had no interest in talking to me.

I'm not a pretty boy, tho Not Brad Pitt, let's say.

I learned that day that there is nothing to be gained from trying to talk to people you aren't going to be working with for long. Esp female office admins who possibly hate their jobs, and/or hate men (or just ugly ones )

 

[FoxEye]

Seems I don't need to post anything more, Ayahuasca is doing just fine making up all my replies.

Sorry to disappoint @datalol-jack, but I'm probably worse socially than your chap*, and I'm old, and my skills are non-existent At some point I have to decide on what to learn, starting from scratch. *Can't actually converse face-to-face with anyone; just lock up. I only socialise on forums and never meet anyone in person.

Seems incredible to have got to 37 and not have picked up any useful work-related skills. Just what the hell have I been doing in that time :/ So the first thing is deciding what to learn, or what courses to do, etc. Could be anything since I have no career in anything atm.

 

[FoxEye]

Just landed a sweet new role taking my salary nicely above £50k. Thought you might like to know.

Congrats

I imagine you didn't just luck-out and land in a 50k job, so would have put in the time and effort to make that sum.

I would be jealous of a person who lucked out and got there, but those who work for it with continued application and dedication I can only admire.

My own situation, in case anyone cares (it's that thread again!) is of accepting my current situation, which is not terrible, and adjusting my expectations downwards

I just don't have it in me to work my ass off for more money. Sorry!

 

[FoxEye]

No idea why all the negative comments because I am posting about salary, I bet if I posted in the 'What do yo bench bro?' thread in the gymnasium sub-forum proclaiming I had just increased by one rep max lift to 200lbs people would be far more supportive.

What do you do, if you don't mind saying?