What is a decent salary?

Come on, its not living in poverty.I had a really good childhood

I just didnt have the most expensive shoes on my feet, or the latest gadgets etc.

We ate three meals a day and I never went hungry, ok we didnt eat branded foods like heinz or walkers but we didnt go without. That isnt poverty.

Well they are certainly working class, theres no arguement there. Second class and working class are most comparable I would say...

I'm sure you did have a good childhood. People living in absolute poverty can have a good childhood. People living in relative poverty certainly can have a good childhood. The most affluent can have a bad childhood (though most don't!). You don't necessarily need to have lots of money to have a good childhood or feel that your basic needs are being met (Love, shelter, food).

I'm talking about relative poverty, not absolute poverty. Relative poverty is living with less than a certain percentage of the average household income. If you lived with less than this then, yes, you experienced relative poverty. Poverty relative to the majority of this country's population.

It is a contested term, and some believe it just simply means "inequality" (some people will always be better off than others), focusing their attention on absolute poverty only. But when the government focus on child poverty they usually include relative poverty.

If this is not relative poverty then why are in work benefits offered to those who work but earn a low salary?



Indeed and this can have an effect. Those living in relative poverty may still be disadvantaged socially and educationally by their parents' lack of wealth. For example, expensive educational toys, access to IT, money for school trips and so on.

Also in health, in terms of not always being able to provide the widest range of fresh and best food, and more likely to live in areas with poor or overstretched health services.



Even if you were able to get by when younger, things could have still been difficult or precarious at times.

Ultimately if you were happy with your upbringing, and felt your needs were catered for, this is what counts. They could have been. You had your own experience and one which could be very different to many others on a similar income. So I don't mean to suggest you were hugely disadvantaged. But relative poverty is well recognise.



I just don't think many would chose "second class", and I've never heard it used outside train travel (which was abandoned long ago in favour of first and "standard"). It immediately suggests that the less well off person is inferior than the more affluent, which I'm sure neither of us agree with.

You guys should get jobs in sales, I'm 19 and earn on average so far £1900 a month, there's an 18 year old who earns over £2000 a month, no problem. Not saying you should stay in the field, but it's good money if your GOOD, at least have one while you're applying for grad jobs.

I don't think you quite get it do you?
Surviving is living.
You clearly have not been raised by 2nd class parents, I have. A single parent at that. A mother on minimum wage raising two kids, we lived an ok life growing up, it was average, and guess what?! It was in one of the biggest cities in the UK, one of the most expensive if we're looking at the cost of living, So do not talk to me about '2nd world conditions' The minimum wage is set accordingly.

Now theres a fine line between wanting to earn minimum wage and not having much choice. Which you dont understand. Clearly, because by 25 you'll be earning your 30k.

The salary isnt my problem, I live a good life and I am now very financially stable, and my partner and myself earn a hell of a lot more than other friends our age and guess what? Neither of us went to uni, and we both come from working class families. We appreciate what we have and that we can enjoy the finer things, which is the difference between me and you.

You 'EXPECT' 30k by the time your 25.
I never expected anything, I worked hard for what I have and if it was all taken away from me tomorrow and I was put on a minimum wage salary, I would be able to live, because I understand what living means.

Op said living decently, not scraping by in one of the most deprived areas in the UK, which is where you'd be if on min wage in London.
Actually when I was growing up my parents were broke. So knowing that you can lose the self proclaimed moral throne, take a breather, and understand im not attacking your past...
The minimum wage is set according to what? Rent in hull or rent in Kensington? Minimum wage DOES NOT WORK IN LONDON. If you go to London, you will see for yourself.
Instead of trying to attack me for wanting to earn 30k (something im on track to doing) understand that it is achievable and having ambition isn't something you should be criticising.

Unless you are going to calm down and deal with whatever issues you have to do with earnings, I don't have any desire to hear back from you.

Come on, its not living in poverty.I had a really good childhood, I just didnt have the most expensive shoes on my feet, or the latest gadgets etc.
We ate three meals a day and I never went hungry, ok we didnt eat branded foods like heinz or walkers but we didnt go without. That isnt poverty.
Yes, I agree with people on MW do face further problems, but it can still be possible, like said I came from that life but now earn a good salary, and I am on the property ladder. My mum is now in a good decent paid job, with a similar salary to myself so its achievable to go up. She's pretty comfortable now.

The members posting the inflated salaries, is my biggest issue here. I'm possibly just convaying it in the wrong direction.

Well they are certainly working class, theres no arguement there. Second class and working class are most comparable I would say...

This is why you are getting emotional over the topic. Poverty isn't to so with whether you had a good childhood or not, it's to do with measurable metrics like earnings. You may of had a good childhood, but also you may have been living in poverty.
Second class and working class age nothing alike. Being part of an income bracket and being seen as a lesser human being are worlds apart. I think you need to crack out a history book circa 1950's America.

I wouldnt say I am getting emotional over it. I'm certainly not gonna loose any sleep either.
I just don't like people being unapreciative and assuming you need to be earning plus 30k to have a good and happy life.

I wouldnt say I am getting emotional over it. I'm certainly not gonna loose any sleep either.
I just don't like people being unapreciative and assuming you need to be earning plus 30k to have a good and happy life.

Before or after tax? Even after tax, £2k per month is still around 30k.. the figure most people here are saying is a 'decent' salary.

After tax

No graduate is going to get a £30,000 job straight away, apart from a few. You're probably going to end up on £7 p/h and not do anything related to what you did at uni..

You're paying for a bit of paper...

I don't think you quite get it do you?
Surviving is living.
You clearly have not been raised by 2nd class parents, I have. A single parent at that. A mother on minimum wage raising two kids, we lived an ok life growing up, it was average, and guess what?! It was in one of the biggest cities in the UK, one of the most expensive if we're looking at the cost of living, So do not talk to me about '2nd world conditions' The minimum wage is set accordingly.

Now theres a fine line between wanting to earn minimum wage and not having much choice. Which you dont understand. Clearly, because by 25 you'll be earning your 30k.

The salary isnt my problem, I live a good life and I am now very financially stable, and my partner and myself earn a hell of a lot more than other friends our age and guess what? Neither of us went to uni, and we both come from working class families. We appreciate what we have and that we can enjoy the finer things, which is the difference between me and you.

You 'EXPECT' 30k by the time your 25.
I never expected anything, I worked hard for what I have and if it was all taken away from me tomorrow and I was put on a minimum wage salary, I would be able to live, because I understand what living means.

Just thought you might be interested, had a conversation with my brother about this last night.

He was actually only on 25k when he first moved into London and didn't use savings. However, he still managed comfortably (travelled, went out twice a week and saved up 5k in that first year). First house was £250 a month, which I know is relatively cheap (I'm paying £215 for an average/below average house in Newcastle). He admits he skimped on accomodation. I remember one of those first houses in Leytonstone as a Pakistani (suspected) drug dealer where they found several grand in the loft. They also got burgled and suspected it was related to their Landlord's possibly dodgyness. So not ideal accomodation.

After four years, moving to increasingly expensive properties and reaching a salary high of 50k by 30 years of age and had saved up 20k and got onto the property ladder.

But he thinks 30k is certainly a comfortable enough salary for London, if you're OK with only saving a couple of grand a year at most. I do think I could manage on 20k in London, certainly 25k (less if you include a small amount of money I receive from other sources but that would be cheating)

Nothing less than £52k out of uni.