[Finance] Does earning 100k a year make you feel well off these days?

[Lady Whistledown]

I would be significantly worse off in my life if I didn't have kids... Obviously not financially, but in every other way. I'm fortunate to be comfortably off, but even if I was skint I would still want my two kids. Best thing I've done with my life frankly.

I don't have kids. Life didn't really work out that way what with my husband being, you know, dead and all that. But when I read dwayne's post about people who have kids wishing they didn't, I'm willing to bet that hardly any of them genuinely think that. Sure, the odd Saturday lie in being ruined or holidays being four times as expensive must be a bit of a pain. But I can't believe many people would turn the clock back given the chance.

Especially when you have at least one of them as INDOCTRINATED in the Albion as I know one of yours is. What's not to like about that?

 

[Commander]

I don't have kids. Life didn't really work out that way what with my husband being, you know, dead and all that. But when I read dwayne's post about people who have kids wishing they didn't, I'm willing to bet that hardly any of them genuinely think that. Sure, the odd Saturday lie in being ruined or holidays being four times as expensive must be a bit of a pain. But I can't believe many people would turn the clock back given the chance.

Especially when you have at least one of them as INDOCTRINATED in the Albion as I know one of yours is. What's not to like about that?

Indeed. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who says they regret having kids. And indoctrinating them into the Albion is brilliant, I’ve completely brainwashed both of mine.

Never ever ever will I understand when someone’s kid doesn’t support the same team as them. “Oh but he just chose someone different”… f*** off mate, kids believe that a man climbs down their chimney every year and leaves them presents after flying in on some magic reindeer. It’s not difficult to convince them that the Albion are the only option to support.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Indeed. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who says they regret having kids. And indoctrinating them into the Albion is brilliant, I’ve completely brainwashed both of mine.

Never ever ever will I understand when someone’s kid doesn’t support the same team as them. “Oh but he just chose someone different”… f*** off mate, kids believe that a man climbs down their chimney every year and leaves them presents after flying in on some magic reindeer. It’s not difficult to convince them that the Albion are the only option to support.

Honestly: if I had kids, I'd be down the Albion shop the second I could walk afterwards, buying ALL the crap.

In fact, I think I might just adopt one, for that reason.

 

[Gwylan]

My kids don't support the Albion, or like football, but I don't regret having them. They've both had difficult lives but I'm proud of both of them.

My younger son is stewarding at the match tomorrow, it's his first job, and he's so looking forward to it. And I'm so happy for him

 

[The Optimist]

Indeed. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who says they regret having kids. And indoctrinating them into the Albion is brilliant, I’ve completely brainwashed both of mine.

Never ever ever will I understand when someone’s kid doesn’t support the same team as them. “Oh but he just chose someone different”… f*** off mate, kids believe that a man climbs down their chimney every year and leaves them presents after flying in on some magic reindeer. It’s not difficult to convince them that the Albion are the only option to support.

I’m in a war with my wife over who our kids support. She’s an Arsenal fan, her whole family is, and nowadays she’s more into the women’s team than the men’s. She’s winning with my daughter, mainly because her favourite colour is red - and at 5 year old stuff like that is important. However, my 2.5 year old son’s favourite colour is blue - get in!

I’ll settle for one each. But I need one, otherwise disappearing for an entire Saturday for an away game is going to be hard to justify if I’m not taking a kid with me.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

My kids don't support the Albion, or like football, but I don't regret having them. They've both had difficult lives but I'm proud of both of them.

My younger son is stewarding at the match tomorrow, it's his first job, and he's so looking forward to it. And I'm so happy for him

Funnily enough, I've just been reading your posts about them on another, entirely unrelated thread from a couple of months ago. And I bet you're very proud indeed

 

[Commander]

I’m in a war with my wife over who our kids support. She’s an Arsenal fan, her whole family is, and nowadays she’s more into the women’s team than the men’s. She’s winning with my daughter, mainly because her favourite colour is red - and at 5 year old stuff like that is important. However, my 2.5 year old son’s favourite colour is blue - get in!

I’ll settle for one each. But I need one, otherwise disappearing for an entire Saturday for an away game is going to be hard to justify if I’m not taking a kid with me.

It’s more difficult if you have two parents into football and both support different teams. My tactic then would just be to take them to Brighton all the time, and say if you want to support your Mum’s team then that’s your call, but I won’t be taking you to watch them.

Your last point is a very valid one. Had this worry for quite a while, and then met eldest son suddenly got massively into The Albion. Saturday afternoon’s sorted. Now the other one is keen too, which makes it even better.

 

[The Optimist]

I don't have kids. Life didn't really work out that way what with my husband being, you know, dead and all that. But when I read dwayne's post about people who have kids wishing they didn't, I'm willing to bet that hardly any of them genuinely think that. Sure, the odd Saturday lie in being ruined or holidays being four times as expensive must be a bit of a pain. But I can't believe many people would turn the clock back given the chance.

Especially when you have at least one of them as INDOCTRINATED in the Albion as I know one of yours is. What's not to like about that?

I think most people of a normal disposition don’t regret having kids but I believe the type of person Dwayne described does exist. They are typically quite well off financially but so obsessed with money that they resent the fact that their children cost them money. Price of everything value of nothing types.

 

[Commander]

My kids don't support the Albion, or like football, but I don't regret having them. They've both had difficult lives but I'm proud of both of them.

My younger son is stewarding at the match tomorrow, it's his first job, and he's so looking forward to it. And I'm so happy for him

Kids not liking football is tricky. You can’t force them to like something, unfortunately. My post was aimed at people who have kids that love football but allow them to support a different team. I will never get my head around it, and it’s a completely wasted opportunity for bonding with your kids over a shared passion that will last a lifetime.

 

[The Optimist]

It’s more difficult if you have two parents into football and both support different teams. My tactic then would just be to take them to Brighton all the time, and say if you want to support your Mum’s team then that’s your call, but I won’t be taking you to watch them.

Your last point is a very valid one. Had this worry for quite a while, and then met eldest son suddenly got massively into The Albion. Saturday afternoon’s sorted. Now the other one is keen too, which makes it even better.

I used to think having a girlfriend and then wife who was into football was great. She absolutely got the importance of going to watch your team. Valentines Day, birthdays etc never took precedence. The match is on when it’s on, you can go out on a different night to celebrate your birthday and this absolutely worked both ways.

But now that we have kids - aargh!

 

[London Irish]

I always find these discussions a bit distasteful when about half the country earn less than a third of that.

Anyone on that kind of figure would do well to remember they're bringing in more than 96% of workers. If it's your household income, it puts you in the top 5%.

Indeed - but it’s an indication of how much Thatcher’s ridiculous house price bubble is killing today’s generations. It enriched those with property but screwed everyone else over

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I used to think having a girlfriend and then wife who was into football was great. She absolutely got the importance of going to watch your team. Valentines Day, birthdays etc never took precedence. The match is on when it’s on, you can go out on a different night to celebrate your birthday and this absolutely worked both ways.

But now that we have kids - aargh!

Ha: I've never officially dated anybody who supported the Albion. Maybe that would have made my life easier

My husband was a Swansea City fan- if we'd ever had kids, we had an agreement that I'd get first dibs on the football, while he'd get preference when it came to rugby (Wales). I mean, who cares about egg-chasing anyway?

 

[The Optimist]

Ha: I've never officially dated anybody who supported the Albion. Maybe that would have made my life easier

My husband was a Swansea City fan- if we'd ever had kids, we had an agreement that I'd get first dibs on the football, while he'd get preference when it came to rugby (Wales). I mean, who cares about egg-chasing anyway?

“officially dated” - so you’ve had a thing with a Brighton fan then!

Sounds like a good deal you had in place with your husband. I had no idea about you being widowed (but why should I, I doubt you post about it regularly and I definitely don’t read everything on this site).

 

[Triggaaar]

Ha: I've never officially dated anybody who supported the Albion

Officially? The mind boggles at what you've done unofficially.

My husband was a Swansea City fan

 

[FatSuperman]

That's very true and I'm fully aware that had some advantages (no student loan for example) but there is one other factor to consider and that's age. I didn't buy my first property until I was 37, I lived in some cheap places until then ... but it did enable me to put together a deposit for the first flat (I also had an enormous stroke of luck that I bought in Balham, what was then a pretty rundown part of London, I wasn't to know that within a few years, property prices would explode).

The second factor is that I didn't have kids until my late 40s, so by the time I moved into a house big enough for kids, I already had a hefty deposit. I think most boomers would have struggled to buy a 3 or 4-bed property, and bring up kids, in their late 20s back in the 80s - unless they had a very healthy salary.

I think people have got the impression that I've been living mortgage free for years - I was still paying it off two and a half years ago (and had a child in full time education). I had a salary that was a lot, lot less than £100k (about a quarter) and was still surviving

Absolutely not bashing you sir. You cannot help when you were born after all!

I'm just looking at these sorts of questions and thinking about my children, who are 9 and 10, and looking at house prices down here and wondering what hope they have of ever getting to the position that older people are today. Saving for a deposit whilst paying 35% of their income as rent alone. Needing a massive deposit to get the first place... whilst all other costs are through the roof. It's just life, but I do wish people would cut the youngsters some slack, they have it miles harder on these things than the older generations did.

And just like we can't help when we were born, the youngsters can't help that there are smartphones and cheap internet. That's just the life they are living in. I bet you they'd all trade giving up a smart phone for a 4-bed house at an 8th of the price they are today

<3

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Officially? The mind boggles at what you've done unofficially.

 

[Weststander]

I’m in a war with my wife over who our kids support. She’s an Arsenal fan, her whole family is, and nowadays she’s more into the women’s team than the men’s. She’s winning with my daughter, mainly because her favourite colour is red - and at 5 year old stuff like that is important. However, my 2.5 year old son’s favourite colour is blue - get in!

I’ll settle for one each. But I need one, otherwise disappearing for an entire Saturday for an away game is going to be hard to justify if I’m not taking a kid with me.

My experience. Get them to Albion games, but never force it when then they have phases of not wanting to go (which is sound advice with all kids interests … we did that with skiing too, when they didn’t like it very young). The buzz of actually being at games, hopefully Albion wins and goals, an early favourite player or two ….. will beat watching Arse on TV. It may be a slow burner.

 

[The Optimist]

My experience. Get them to Albion games, but never force it when then they have phases of not wanting to go (which is sound advice with all kids interests … we did that with skiing too, when they didn’t like it very young). The buzz of actually being at games, hopefully Albion wins and goals, an early favourite player or two ….. will beat watching Arse on TV. It may be a slow burner.

The problem is we live in London and an Arsenal women’s game (which my wife goes to live reasonably regularly) is probably easier and definitely cheaper to take my daughter to than a Brighton game.

 

[southstandandy]

Depends really on your employment and area of the country you live. I was lucky to earn a bit more than that figure in the last 10 years of my working life, but living in the south and with a mortgage and family to support, we were comfortable but I never felt especially well off. Never going to complain but I used to work 82 hours a week and had a very limited social life when in my 20's, so I feel I earned my early retirement.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Both my kids were born in Cambridge and I live in a village about 15 miles outside the city, so that’s who they support and that’s where we go to watch football.

The Abbey is still a lot like the Goldstone was when I first started going to games, with a mixture of terracing plus a hotchpotch of seated areas, big old floodlights, 3pm Saturday kick offs and sense of football as yet untainted by obscene amounts of money for mediocre players and their hangers-on.

So for those reasons, and the fact my kids love it, I love it too.