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What is your optimum salary?

Thing is, you can bang on all you want about money not being everything etc etc etc but if what is important to you is travelling, you need money. If family is important to you, you need money to give them a comfortable, enjoyable upbringing. Seeking a higher wage doesnt automatically make someone a materialistic idiot, it may simply mean they want to make sure they have enough money at their backs to prepare for the worst and/or give their families good lives.

Personally, I'd be happy at about £25K. My Mum supported us 2 kids on minimum wage for a good few years and had to budget every last penny - stressful for her and not a particularly great lifestyle when she ended up eating toast and jam so we could be clothed and fed properly.

Reply 21

cpj1987

OP

15

J4GGYBoss

it was on the basis that everyone gets married eventually lol so 25k was ok to start with and then 50k joint eventually, but i think it was carried out in london mostly so higher cost of living. But i think 25000 is a decent figure and it was before tax.

I see. Thanks for that. :smile:

Yeah, I think my optimum salary would be higher if I were to be living in London as opposed to Newcastle. Not sure on the exact cost of living in London but doubt I'd have fun and savings money on £18k. :tongue:

Reply 22

wtid

J4GGYBoss

it was on the basis that everyone gets married eventually lol so 25k was ok to start with and then 50k joint eventually, but i think it was carried out in london mostly so higher cost of living. But i think 25000 is a decent figure and it was before tax.

50k for a family to reach optimum happiness in London? When was this survey done, 1900? :tongue:

Reply 23

Y__

13

angrygeek

You are in Camb... You'd seriously settle for <20k?

If you meant me: Well, if you're planning to do a PhD/postdoc academic work, you can't exactly go to a department/faculty and say: "I'm gonna do a PhD/postdoc with you, but only if you'll pay me 35k." I think you'd find your application in the bin :tongue:

.

Reply 24

J4GGYBoss

13

wtid

50k for a family to reach optimum happiness in London? When was this survey done, 1900? :tongue:

lol it was done across the whole of the UK but most of it was based in london!, so im unsure but i think its believeable to be fair not all places in london are incredibly expensive.

Reply 25

D-Day

10

ashy

Quite a lot.

I took a tour of the Texas Petawatt laser yesterday with a friend who works on it. I have "peta" on the brain :ninja:

Reply 26

Consultant

9

I'd like to breach six figures in the next few years, hopefully after my MBA - but I'm pretty comfortable on what I'm on at the moment - I get my mortgage paid on a nice house, get holidays (mostly free through work, though), can buy gifts without really having to save and have managed to save up for most of my MBA costs.

Reply 27

ashy

17

D-Day

I took a tour of the Texas Petawatt laser yesterday with a friend who works on it. I have "peta" on the brain :ninja:

It's not as cool as this.

Reply 28

Not Invented Yet

12

To be honest (and I'm going to sound really materialistic here), I don't see why anyone would rather have less money than more money. As long as you have family and friends, a job you enjoy etc, you will be just as happy on 100k as you were on 10k and you'll be able to save for retirement, or give your kids the best start by helping them buy their first house or whatever, or take your family on brilliant holidays - who wouldn't want that if they had the option? I just don't see the benefits of living on a smaller income as opposed to a bigger one.

This doesn't mean I'd be miserable on a smaller salary, I just mean that in a hypothetical situation where you can choose how much money you want to make, why not go high?

About £60/70k.

cpj1987

Personally, mine is my current salary, £18k. This gives me complete security, along with enough spare cash to enjoy/treat myself without going overboard. If I want anything major (over £100), I prefer to save for it than to have the money there.
If I had to have a higher or lower salary, though, I'd choose lower. My dream job has an £11.5k salary and I'd prefer that to doing a job I liked less for more money.

What are other people's optimum salaries, and why?

Where's your ambition? Do you not have a drive to improve?

Myself, I don't care, as long as I keep passionate and motivated. I'll either die a millionaire or bankrupt, who cares? It's the journey that matters.

Reply 31

cpj1987

OP

15

samba

Where's your ambition? Do you not have a drive to improve?

Of course I do, but my ambition is to keep my happiness as it currently is, and to do what I want to do. Money isn't something I consider to be an improvement. :s-smilie:

That's why I wondered about optimum salaries. I was interested in finding out what each person wanted, and whether or not certain people aim for as high a salary as possible.

630,000 simoleons.

ashy

But what if I don't want said abortion? If family is happy and money isn't a problem: bring on surprising extra child.

Well if you didn't have the money...

Reply 34

Em_maK

13

As much as I can get for doing as little as possible.

Reply 35

Indievertigo

15

I couldn't care less really.

Reply 36

blue_shift86

i want to become chief executive of a bank, then agree to a early retirement plan due to incompetence in bringing the bank to its knees, and then i want to sit on my arse on a pension of £703, 000 a year, just like Sir Fred Goodwin.

In fact, i want to be just like him...that dude's sorted for life!

blue :smile:

Reply 37

anna_spanner89

erm, in 5 years time i'll be happy with 25k

in 15 i'd like 35k

at the peak of my career i'd love to be earning around 60k

Reply 38

Jarve99

3

I'd like £35,000 - £40,000. I'm not entirely sure where I'd get said salary from, but I'd be extremely happy with £40k. More than likely I'll never go university and end up on minimum wage for the duration of my life. Quite a shame really.

Reply 39

theronkinator

17

Before or After Tax?

What is your optimum salary?

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