I have created several categories, which you can take the piss out of:
Wealthy
Several foreign holidays per year, new car every year or two, large house where you want to live, no mortgage, never consider your cash position when deciding what to do, eat out in really nice places, you struggle to find great investment opportunities
Well off
Nice holiday once or twice a year, a car you love that’s less than 3 years old, decent house with little or no mortgage, no real concerns if a big expense comes up, eat out weekly or whenever you fancy in decent local places, seven figure pension plan
Comfortable
Holiday in the UK, or overseas occasionally, nice car, the house is the right size for your family and you can afford the mortgage, you can afford the pub once or twice a week, eat out on special occasions, pension will be ok
Adequate
Holiday once a year, more if you can get a break with family, the kids share a room but you can just cover the mortgage/rent, you rarely eat or drink out but you always have food on the table, retirement should be ok at a push
Struggling
Holidays are rare/never, the upcoming rent increase is scary, you don’t eat out, if you meet friends at the pub you will preload and you have beans on toast more than you want to, crappy pension plans from some jobs in the past
Broken
No holidays, too much goes on rent, no car, you can’t go out, you need food banks to survive, no pension at all
I have a few questions. I was thinking of a poll, but actually that might not work. The issues for me are:
1 Where are you, and where do you think you should be?
2 What do you think should be the realistic expectation for most people in this country?
3 What level should be granted by benefits?
4 What factors have I got horribly wrong in categorisation above?
For me, my parents were “adequate” when I was there. I left and went from struggling to broken, I’m now comfortable and delighted about it.
