[Alix23]

Yay for mediocrity! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIP8lFWa_mg

I'm aiming much higher than your 'ordinary life' scenario, but it won't be then end of the world for me if I do end up on 18K a year, I can still live the way I want to, but I will NEVER be one of those people without a unique thought in them.
My nightmare is to end up going to the same place on holiday every year, living in a street where every house is the same, and I never want kids. Basically I wouldn't mind if I don't end up succesful, but I will never lose my individuality that seems to seperate me from most people in this country.

One of the major 'rules' in debating is debating is assume that the majority of the population is stupid, I'm not.

[Scumbaggio]

(Original post by iwantcurlyhairtoo)
Would you be content earning £28,000 a year, having a wife/husband and two kids, living in a semi-detached with a Ford Mondeo on the drive? Going on holiday to a static caravan site in some obscure welsh village, maybe 10 days on the Costa Del Sol with that nice slice of inheritance money you've got coming in?

I know this is the Student Room and many of you will have loftier ambitions, but a good chunk of the crowd on here will end up in a vaguely similar scenario to the one I've presented.

How do you feel about that.. excited.. depressed.. indifferent?

I'd be happy with that, had you asked me when I was 18 I'd have said no.

I think a lot of the people saying they wouldn't settle for it will get a bit of a shock later in life when companies don't fight to offer them £100k a year.

[TheBigGeek]

(Original post by ufo2012)
28k say 10-15 years down the line should be unacceptable

Just to say (though this is by no means a personal attack on you or your post) the average uk annual salary is £26,020. If you work full time and you earn above
£31,759 you're in the top 25 percent.

Admittedly these figures are from 2009 but I can only imagine they're a little lower now given the state of the economy, and I do appreciate that TSR users are not in any way representative of all different demographics and classes but still... For those who think 28k is unimaginably low, just consider how many people are living with a salary like that. In 09, that was above average.

We can't all be the exception - averages are averages for a reason.

[Nichrome]

Are all the people saying they wouldn't be contented with an 'ordinary' life just aiming for more money/material goods than the scenario describes? If so, that's just pretty sad. You can live a life out of the ordinary on 18k a year you know.

[Scumbaggio]

(Original post by Nichrome)
Are all the people saying they wouldn't be contented with an 'ordinary' life just aiming for more money/material goods than the scenario describes? If so, that's just pretty sad. You can live a life out of the ordinary on 18k a year you know.

True.

A good proportion would seemingly be upset if they aren't earning vast amounts of money in order to buy shiny trinkets.

[No Man]

(Original post by Nichrome)
Are all the people saying they wouldn't be contented with an 'ordinary' life just aiming for more money/material goods than the scenario describes? If so, that's just pretty sad. You can live a life out of the ordinary on 18k a year you know.

I don't care about more money & possessions, but I'd prefer to live somewhere more rural and have a job with more travel opportunities (as part of the job) than what is described in the OP.

[PinkMobilePhone]

(Original post by im so academic)
When you have kids?

Are you saying every girl is going to have kids? Not everyone wants kids.

As for your second point, not everyone hits rock bottom.

No I'm not saying every girl is going to have kids. You're reading far too much into it.

Secondly, I'm fully aware that not everyone hits rock bottom.

I don't see what point you're trying to make here by picking apart what I've said. I've simply stated why my point of view changed. Did I say that everybody else was me? Did I? Ooh funnily enough, no I didn't. I wasn't talking about anybody other than myself.

[ForKicks]

(Original post by Scumbaggio)
True.

A good proportion would seemingly be upset if they aren't earning vast amounts of money in order to buy shiny trinkets.

Most wouldn't spend it on trinkets! Private schooling, healthcare, and international travel are 3 that spring to mind

[Akbar2k7]

Yes I would:
Easy stress free 9 to 5 job.
Enough cash for a Healthy meals, PS4, good computer, a working car(dont mind something crap), a 2 bedroom house and Gym membership.
I would be happy as its better than my current stress filled life(exams).
Maybe some cash for holidays once every 3-5years not required just a bonus. I think that pretty ordinary the last time I have been abroad was 2004, I like new places but I would not go out of my way to go their especially if they have crap internet.

Nothing to complain about is there?

But if I can I will try for as much as possible, even at the cost of others capitalism ftw .

Unless im poor than communism ftw.

[Scumbaggio]

(Original post by ForKicks)
Most wouldn't spend it on trinkets! Private schooling, healthcare, and international travel are 3 that spring to mind

Ha!

You'd have to buy a few trinkets along the way though.

[zKlown]

(Original post by iwantcurlyhairtoo)
Would you be content earning £28,000 a year, having a wife/husband and two kids, living in a semi-detached with a Ford Mondeo on the drive? Going on holiday to a static caravan site in some obscure welsh village, maybe 10 days on the Costa Del Sol with that nice slice of inheritance money you've got coming in?

I know this is the Student Room and many of you will have loftier ambitions, but a good chunk of the crowd on here will end up in a vaguely similar scenario to the one I've presented.

How do you feel about that.. excited.. depressed.. indifferent?

I would be very happy with that tbh (except the Ford mondeo lol)

If I could live a happy family life with a good income (which I think that is) then that'll do me.

[TheWalkinDude]

As long as I was doing something that I felt was meaningful with my life then it wouldn't bother me if I had half of the stuff you listed (although half a wife would be rather odd).

If I knew that what I was doing had helped someone in some way or another then I would be content.

[ForKicks]

(Original post by Scumbaggio)
Ha!

You'd have to buy a few trinkets along the way though.

Nothing too expensive though! I would only buy trinkets as investments, although that is just me, lol.

[North Irelandman]

From quite an early age I knew I really couldn't settle for an ordinary life. I don't know exactly what I want yet, whether I want kids, to marry for life, to work in investment banking or for an NGO / charity, but I do want to be out of the ordinary.

In Northern Ireland I see so many people who grew up, married young, got a dead end job, moved into a housing estate and accepted to wait for death with a one week trip to Spain as a reward for staying alive another year. Many of these people never live in another town than where they were born, nevermind another country. I just think there is such a huge world out there so why not experience it?

[katyness]

No. I need more money than that.

[lonelyknight]

(Original post by iwantcurlyhairtoo)
Would you be content earning £28,000 a year, having a wife/husband and two kids, living in a semi-detached with a Ford Mondeo on the drive? Going on holiday to a static caravan site in some obscure welsh village, maybe 10 days on the Costa Del Sol with that nice slice of inheritance money you've got coming in?

I know this is the Student Room and many of you will have loftier ambitions, but a good chunk of the crowd on here will end up in a vaguely similar scenario to the one I've presented.

How do you feel about that.. excited.. depressed.. indifferent?

Gosh this probably sounds really sad but that, to me, is a perfect life. My family site goes to a caravan site every year in the countryside anyway. It's great.

I don't want lots of money. Sure, if I did then that'd be fantastic. But I rather just live in a small house in a gorgeous preferably rural area, with a small, everyday, not too demanding job.

I'd be utterly thrilled with that life you just described OP.

[ForKicks]

(Original post by lonelyknight)
Gosh this probably sounds really sad but that, to me, is a perfect life. My family site goes to a caravan site every year in the countryside anyway. It's great.

I don't want lots of money. Sure, if I did then that'd be fantastic. But I rather just live in a small house in a gorgeous preferably rural area, with a small, everyday, not too demanding job.

I'd be utterly thrilled with that life you just described OP.

Do you not wish to live a much better life than your parents?

[lonelyknight]

(Original post by ForKicks)
Do you not wish to live a much better life than your parents?

No. My parents have a great life. Just because we don't go on expensive holidays year in year out, or waste our money on things we don't need, doesn't mean we're not happy.

[Dr. Bassman]

Don't think so. It has nothing to do with the money or the kids or the house or whatever. I just despise the idea of work, work, work and then 10 days on some lame sunny beach holiday in Spain or a similar country. I want to do interesting things, meet interesting people, go interesting places etc. That kind of lifestyle seems too boring for me. Also, eew camping in Wales, no thanks haha.

[ufo2012]

(Original post by ufo2012)
28k say 10-15 years down the line should be unacceptable

(Original post by TheBigGeek)
Just to say (though this is by no means a personal attack on you or your post) the average uk annual salary is £26,020. If you work full time and you earn above
£31,759 you're in the top 25 percent.

Admittedly these figures are from 2009 but I can only imagine they're a little lower now given the state of the economy, and I do appreciate that TSR users are not in any way representative of all different demographics and classes but still... For those who think 28k is unimaginably low, just consider how many people are living with a salary like that. In 09, that was above average.

We can't all be the exception - averages are averages for a reason.

I don't know where you are getting those figures from...but I think you are misunderstanding what I stated in my post.

I am not even hinting it is unimaginably low, it is reasonable at a certain point and age of life, but beyond that...


Just in case you misunderstood, I will re-explain.

If you had been working, in a graduate job, for between 10-15 years and THAT is what your salary was/is after 10-15 years of working, I would be switching jobs or even careers. Based on annual pay increments you should be on MUCH more than that 10-15 years in and if not something is seriously wrong.

If in 10-15 years from now, that is what the graduates here are on, there should definitely be a revolt.