how much do you earn in a year?

[aliss]

On paper my hubby and I combined income is a fair amount, but where we have chosen to live is very very expensive.. $600,000 for a decent house and that is not in the city. For a house in Vancouver the minimum you will pay is a $million and that would be for a tear down. Our taxes are very high here too so by the time we get paid, I get $800 deducted every 2 weeks in taxes, pay the mortgage, pay childcare, run our car,put a little into savings for next mat leave buy food there really isn't much left over.

Yep!!

We had a good income $90k (single income) but Vancouver was so expensive, back when I had a job and our combine income was $140k, we were paying $3000+ in taxes per month, plus mortgage is bloody expensive ($600k now for a fixer upper outside the city!!!).

 

[Redhead84]

I agree that it's all relative.

My OH is on circa £50k at the moment (but that depends on month to month commission) and I'm consulting part time on £800 a day, but after baba I'll go back to working full time on £120k.

It's a big pot but still gets eaten up pretty quickly with housing costs (London when I go back to work), child care (we will have no family within 5 hours drive from us), travel, cars (and my OH's love for track days etc), and the list goes on.

That said, we won't be getting our LO absolutely everything just because one website or book says we can't live without this or that product... we'll get the essentials and see how we go from there.

For reference, my OH is a Sales Manager and I'm a corporate lawyer.

 

[vikster]

I agree with Redhead84 about it being relative and I think that no matter how much you earn, you will always find things to spend money on. Me and my husband have a good combined income as I stated in a previous post (£85,000) but both our jobs have room for progression/promotion and pay rises, especially my husband's job in the pay department.

We have a lovely four bedroomed house with a mortgage to go with it which is bigger than some of our friends in smaller houses but that is our choice. We have nice holidays and nice cars and a good lifestyle but we are not rolling in it because we have bills to pay etc. We work very long hours and have busy and demanding jobs but we want a certain lifestyle and are both ambitious and driven to be successful. I will never moan or grumble about the long hours and demands of my job because we have chosen this path and as my dad always said 'If you want more money, you have to be prepared for more stress and longer hours', which I think is very true.

I grew up with a very priviledged childhood; we had 5/6 holidays abroad a year, a big house, nice things and my parents had plenty of money. Having said that, I grew up knowing the value of money and hard work. My mum and dad worked full time and had good jobs/careers but we always sat down to eat as a family at night, had a roast dinner every sunday as a family, we had nice gifts at christmas and birthdays but had to earn our extra treats. No matter how busy mum and dad were at work, we always had help with our homework, they attended every parents evening, school play, footie match and most of all, we had lots of love and attention. I work hard to earn money so that I can give my future children a lifestyle like I had as a child (or that is the goal anyway!). My husband had quite the opposite and his parents had very little money and they didn't have the nice things that I had growing up.
I had lots growing up, my husband didn't but we both had very happy childhoods and were in happy homes with lots of love and secure family units and to me, that is the most important thing over money, nice houses, cars, holidays etc. All I want, and I am sure you would all agree, is that my child/children are loved, safe and happy.

When we have children, we won't have the option of me being a SAHM because of the lifestyle choices we have made and our parents arnet at retirement age so we will have to fork out for a hefty nursery fee every month but again, this is our choice. I am not saying that you have to earn lots to be 'successful' and I don't think that money equals success but these are the choices we have made.

Regardless of how much we all earn or have coming in every month/year, we all want the best for our kids and will do what ever we can to provide for them.

For reference, I am a teacher at an 11-18 high school, my husband is an account director

 

[Pandora11]

This thread probably has more '0's on it than any other! Wow... i wonder if some of you successful ladies would like to share some career tips/advice/how you got to where you are etc?

 

[aliss]

This thread probably has more '0's on it than any other! Wow... i wonder if some of you successful ladies would like to share some career tips/advice/how you got to where you are etc?

I had a government job, working as a police dispatcher, my wage was $30/hr. I think it was $20/hr to start., there are different levels so answering 911's is the basic easy job, dispatch supervising is a lot harder and pays more. Long hours (12 hour shifts), overnights (7pm-7am), but you also had to work holidays (ie. Christmas) which was double time for full-timers, bang, you're making $60/hr for 12 hours.... The tradeoff of course is that you miss holidays, you don't get any sleep, it was hard with a small child so I stopped (I might return to it one day). I was making $65,000 with no overtime but usually $80-90,000 since i didn't have kids and could work a lot.

The money was good, the lifestyle sucked, the job itself was challenging but very rewarding and I always looked forward to work. It doesn't necessarily require college education,although I did my degree part-time while doing the job, it is more of needing to have quick wits, common sense, ability to work under pressure, being able to be rather emotionless. Many of the women didn't even finish high school but were older, lots of street smarts, intelligent. Most college graduates never passed training

 

[Redhead84]

This thread probably has more '0's on it than any other! Wow... i wonder if some of you successful ladies would like to share some career tips/advice/how you got to where you are etc?

I'd be happy to but it depends on what you want to know really.

As a lawyer I've had a defined career path.. university, law school, training with a firm and then qualify.

What has got me here is very simple, lots of hard work, and more than a little sacrifice. My IQ has never broken the bank but I worked hard at school, managed to get myself to Oxford University (where I felt like a fraud for a while), and then I was lucky enough to get a training contract with a big City firm, where I worked insane hours, until I took a break back end of last year to slow down a little with my OH.. other relationships ended over the years because of careers.

One thing I would say is don't let other people tell you you can't. I came from a town that has one of the highest unemployment rates and teenage pregnancy rates in the UK, I went to the world's best university because I didn't listen to those telling me it wasn't possible.

Another great piece of advice came from my rowing coach of all people. One day at training he said "you are all going to fail". When we looked blank and a little hurt he explained himself. He said "ultimately in life we are all doomed to failure. With this in mind, you might as well reach for the stars - You'll end up further up the ladder failing to reach those stars than if you never tried in the first place". I've kept that with me and continue to do so every time I come across something that seems too difficult; break it down and work it out piece by piece (like learning to play the piano).... if you solve it great... if you don't, at least you gave it your best shot.

 

[goddess25]

I am a transplant coordinator and OH is a bus driver...I earn a reasonable wage as does my husband and it was through very very hard work. We both come from a town in Scotland called Paisley and come from working class backgrounds, which we still are. I did 2 degrees one after the other and emigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 2006.

 

[vikster]

My tips? Hard work, sacrifice and often having to work longer hours than you want/ get paid for, give 100% and always smile. Like others have said before, I too am no academic genius but I am driven and ambitious and know what I want out of life so have worked my backside off to get it. I am a teacher so my studying had a direct career path but I have worked hard for promotions and in six years have had a 15K pay rise.

It is hard and I work long hours including evenings and weekends because I have marking and planning but I love my job and it is very rewarding.

Think positive and believe in yourself and your own abilities xx

 

[MrsOjo]

OH and I bring in between 90-100k a year, but this does not go far in London. We are saving for a mortgage, and putting aside some money each month for the baby and when I take maternity ( I'm not preggers yet). I think no matter how much you earn, once you have a child you will learn how to prioritise and make sacrifices for your baby. We always find a way to manage. It may mean one less holiday a year or less shopping sprees. I know that once we have a baby, we won't be going on 2 holidays a year anymore, we will have to leave our flat to move into a bigger place which will have higher bills and I will also have to take time off work. However, I know that the most important gift you can give a child is unconditional love, yes we have a duty to provide a good home and lifestyle for our offspring, but I know we can sacrifice.

 

[comotion89]

flipping hell do I feel poor with a combined of about 40k after tax lol ah well we get by I was raised on a income of about 8-10k when I was a lil one my mum used to work fir 20quid a night shift back in the 90s (wow)and my mum n dad did a great job had everything I needed and got most things I wanted

 

[toffee87]

I feel poor too! I think my OH is on a good salary at 24k a year. And I'd be over the moon if I got that! I get 10k less a year!

 

[annaki]

Hello, Me and Husband bring home 65k a year, roughly £3600/month. We can save 1k a month, but we do like our nice things and are at the minute doing up our house.

We were lucky to manage to get on the property ladder 10 year ago and we now have a lovely 4 bed detached house. We have both worked very very hard for what we have. Both northern working class and worked since 15 years old. Im fortunate to be able to consider dropping my hours at work when the baby is here.

We are both late late twenties.

 

[eager.4.U]

In Euro's my OH makes around £25k a year, in Canadian dollars he makes $20k a year after taxes...

When I get a job in the field I am in after I graduate College, I'll be making around $40k a year starting pay..

So put together we'll be making around $60k..

 

[Pandora11]

I am a transplant coordinator and OH is a bus driver...I earn a reasonable wage as does my husband and it was through very very hard work. We both come from a town in Scotland called Paisley and come from working class backgrounds, which we still are. I did 2 degrees one after the other and emigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 2006.

two degrees? lol.

My OH lived in Vancouver as a child and it's his dream to be able to live there again, the place made such an impression on him. X

 

[My_First]

Its all relative to where you live, though. Where we live our three bed semi cost us 250K (Reading, South East), its the commuter belt to London, therefore salaries are higher, they need to be because the cost of living is higher, plus there is a lot of work in this region of the country.

In scotland or wales, a three bed semi would cost you substantially less, and therefore salaries are less too. I dont think its about comparing salaries, I think a more prudent question would be how much disposable income do you have, that woudl be a more realistic way of looking at how much you need to save.

 

[Pandora11]

I feel like a complete failure! You all do so well, now i'm more terrified to bring kids into the world with so little money. I can see you've all worked your asses off for what you have, i wish the same could happen for me.

I moved in with a relative at 16( did well in GCSE) and had no choice but to get a job, I did the usual dead end jobs until i landed a job at an independant travel agents & tour operators, i loved it, it was varied... i did admin, sales, research but then i quit two years later because my boss was turning into a dishonest man and i couldn't work with him. By the time i left i'd practically been running the place, i then took a temp job at the local newspaper hoping it would lead somewhere(i want to be a writer) but it didn't.

When the job came to an end i couldn't get work anywhere, i was about 20 and all the feedback i got from potential employers was that i was too young/ staff wouldn't respect me or that they just didnt believe i'd had as much involvement in the travel agent as i did. I had no choice but to temp, i went from job to job(some were in great compaines but didn't want to hire permanently). I should say, while i couldn't afford to go to college/6th form when i was younger, i completed a business admin nvq, various travel related certificated/programs and a creative writing course... none of them seemed to mean anything and turned out to be a waste of time/money.

Anyway, the temping paid the bills but then i met my OH and moved around a bit and then potential employers found my shopping list type CV a HUGE issue. Whilst previously, people were impressed i'd had experience in a variety of roles/offices and it helped me get the next role at a better place etc.. people then saw it as job hopping. I was in an out of work and took anything i could, now i work for the NHS, ok pay but very simple/deadend job. I went from being respected and appreicated by previous collegues to patronised and talked to like i'm a complete idiot/nobody.
I know how much work i put in over the years, constant overtime, going above and beyond my duties etc etc and it got me nowhere.
Atm i'm taking A Levels but it's so hard whilst working and doing everything around the house and eventually i might just be able to go to University, but that seems to be way off in the future, i turn 27 in July and i feel like i am such an underachiever. It's so depressing, i always wanted a career, or a job i at least liked but it's still not happening.

My OH on the otherhand graduated from university(with a not so fantastic grade) in 2008 and has done well, he's had a few step backs but in general he's beloved at his company, valued, respected etc etc and he actually likes the jobs he's done. I'm so proud of him but jealous that things have worked so easily for him.

sorry for the rant. And btw i'm very grateful for having a job since many people are struggling, it's just soul destroying commiting a large portion of my life to dead end jobs.

 

[freckleonear]

Our household income is currently around 15k. Hopefully going up to 24k if hubby gets a big job promotion in August. When we had our first child it was about 10k. I honestly don't think money is a very important factor in having children as long as you can provide for basic needs.

 

[aliss]

Our household income is currently around 15k. Hopefully going up to 24k if hubby gets a big job promotion in August. When we had our first child it was about 10k. I honestly don't think money is a very important factor in having children as long as you can provide for basic needs.

I agree, kids need food and love. The rest is details. We did fine in caves, we'll do fine today. It's when you think your kid needs this and that and this and that is when you feel like a failure and/or inadequate but that's not a fair pressure. My son has quite a few $$ toys from his grandmother yet loves to play in the dirt instead. Kids have low needs, it's adults who think they need expensive crap.

 

[Kiki1993]

I start my job in june 42 hours a week and will only be getting at most £1000 a month so £12000 for the year not including tax Nursery nurses dont get paid much even though you require a 2 year course so it should be raised tbh!
OH only has a small window route and college but finishes soon so will just be doing his route which only brings in 500 a month, 200 of which at least goes on petrol so even combined we are less than what most of you make single ... jealous!!
But im only 19 so it's not too bad and hopefully I will get a job with the council nursery somewhere before we start trying which is about 14000 -18000 a year in my area but thats pro-rata so not great either
Wish my OH would get a proper job where he knows his income, one month he could get 600 and the next only 150 it's not great to start a family x

 

[OmiOmen]

I feel like a complete failure! You all do so well, now i'm more terrified to bring kids into the world with so little money. I can see you've all worked your asses off for what you have, i wish the same could happen for me.

You would honestly be surprised at how little kids can cost. My son gets a lot spent on him but I can see the difference between what he needs and what he gets.

Also there are no guarantees at the end of it but you can study later in life, I did terrible at school and did a foundation degree to get into university as a mature student. I also have a son though so studying full time is really tough and at the end there is not much I will be able to do with my degree, I would have liked to apply to graduate entry to medicine but it is just not viable with my son.