Rich people! What do you do for a living?

I work for somebody who is a multi millionaire!! They own their own transport company bit like eddie stobart (dont want to say the name of actual company)
We used to be quite well off, my mum used to earn £80,000 a year and my brother £57,000 unfortunatly it was in civil engineering and project managing (my mum built most of heathrow) so when the recession came, both jobs went. Now we struggle to rub two pennies together. It does make you appreciate money more though
 
abitodd said:
Solicitors seem to charge alot.
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Sadly their take home pay doesn't in any way mirror their charge out rates :-( Otherwise I'd be one of these rich people!

I went into the law because I wanted a job that would fund horses and I have only recently been able to buy my first, she certainly doesn't live on my own land and I'm now trying to save for a trailer.
 
sheep said:
Some of the wealthiest people I know are
- save every penny
- never indulge themselves
- drive ancient old cars
- live in big old cold houses
- wear ancient clothes
- never throw anything away, food included

Basically, it seems that they don't care about status or symbols, and simply spend enough money to 'get by'. A memorable example is of a family friend offering my mum some salad dressing (this was in about 2003) that had gone off in 1987, but she was still using it on occasion.

;)
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One of the wealthier people I know is a right blinking scrooge. That is why he is wealthy.

He plans his journeys so that he can do them all on the same day to avoid wasting petrol and doesn't use the car at all some days. Uses the internet in the library rather than getting a PC and internet himself. Hasn't decorated his house since he moved in 1986, and has a sofa that is older than I am.

Refuses to get a cordless phone because they use electricity. Has a mobile for emergencies, has it on a PAYG tarrif and only turns it on once in six months and sends one text so that he doesn't get cut off.

etc etc etc
 
My OH is a farmer, that's where the land, horses, stables, bedding, feed hunting and lorry come from.
My OH spends most of his life trying to convince us that if we got rid of the horses, hunting and lorry we would be rich, despite him being responsible for 75% of the horses in the yard... He just doesn't get it, bless him.
 
KristmasKatt said:
Sadly their take home pay doesn't in any way mirror their charge out rates :-( Otherwise I'd be one of these rich people!

I went into the law because I wanted a job that would fund horses and I have only recently been able to buy my first, she certainly doesn't live on my own land and I'm now trying to save for a trailer.
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my OH is a lawyer too katt. just as well he's not the horsey one though as although he has the money to pay for them working for a US firm in the City he sure as hell would never have the time on the 16 hour days and weekends. He's never out of the office (tis a good thing some times ;) )

a lot of the people lthat have the money to keep horses have such demanding careers they dont have the time to enjoy them so they're not any better off.
 
I wouldn't say we were rich, but we have a comfortable enough life. I am a teacher, married to a teacher (in independent schools). We have a small mortgage and have nothing on hp, credit cards etc. We are lucky in that we have inherited a bit, so it means most of our monthly money is to spend as we go. We are always surprised when colleagues say they are broke - even before we inherited anything, we were ok and enjoyed at least a couple of foreign holidays a year, etc. We (well, OH is!) pretty sensible with money and he can service our cars himself etc. We have a month's holiday in France in the summer - but I spend ages sourcing cheap villas to rent, etc. Having said that, there was a point when we were both working 3 jobs!

H is on working/grass livery, so he doesn't cost too much per month to keep (I had saved up to buy him) and I can afford to buy him to odd rug etc when required! (although my friend gave me a load of stuff when her mare died!)

I think really 'rich' people fall into two categories - those with 'old' money, (inherited) - who hang on to it and go about in an old landrover tied together with string, have millions of dogs, huge old houses, loads of land and no central heating (know a few like that), but like a good drop or red!

And those with 'new' money - who have worked (or not :p:p) in new industries (like banking, media etc), and who are perhaps seen as more 'flashy', drink 'Bolly', drive new flash cars and have all the latest fashions, phones and gadgets - you might say 'trash with cash' (I would never say such a thing ;))

Not that I'm one for stereotyping, or anything! ;) And I'd drink anything!

Ooops! Just realised this is an essay - sorry! Have a glass of Bolly if you've got to here!
 
Yep a US firm in London is certainly the well paid side of the law, responsible for keeping the average salary levels up!

Out of london wages are not nearly as impressive, often worse than a teacher of equivalent experience, and the time demands can be pretty unrealistic too (depending upon your firm). I know a solicitor who was considering giving up and going back to her previous career due to the pay. She was a nurse before she trained as a lawyer, and earned significantly more as a nurse!
 
I suppose that most people may think I am 'rich' or Indeed wrongly presume that i am, mainly because we are farmers, own all our own land, and OH runs a 4 x 4.

By no means are we rolling in it, far from.

What they do not see is my run around , a M reg 106.

My tesco jeans are a luxury :D , just shows don't judge a book by it's cover.

We are defiantly asset rich and cash poor, and only have horses because they only think we have to pay for are feed, feet, and vets.
 
Oberon said:
Following on from the two birds thread, to those rich people on here - what do you/your OH do for a living?

I am classing rich people as those who have their own land/multiple horses/nice car and wagon and don't need to eat rice for the week before payday....

Just wish to reiterate - there is NO jealousy or judgement. If you are living the highlife - then good on you!....I'm just interested on what jobs pay well.
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Hmm.
I rent my land, don't own it.
I have 3 horses- all unshod good-doers.
My car is OK- functional, not a wreck but not brand new.
I have a trailer not a wagon
I don't need to eat rice for the week before payday.....

BUT ....I'm not rich- nowhere near- but I have what I have because I don't have holidays / posh clothes ( nice-yes- I'm not a tramp)/smoke fags or indeed have a social life.:D

I'm sure some people do look at us and think we are loaded -but I'm deffo not.Sadly.
 
I forgot about holidays, I have not had one since 1994, and that was to Greece when I was a student!!!!

How could I afford it then and not know???

Oh yes have now got horses dogs, cats guinea pigs ad a child :D

God I am tired :)
 
I’m training to be an accountant, so far it’s not that well paid (but then I have a few years left of studying!)

I come from a ‘comfortable’ family, although my parents never wasted money when we were growing up (to the point I was convinced that we were poor!) we’ve never been spoilt and although they help us out, we have to prove that we are helping ourselves, my parents always refused to buy me a horse but were incredibly proud that I saved to buy my own! Daddy is an expert in life, health and protection insurance. He owns a couple of publications that relate to this industry, host a conference about it every year, writes articles for trade and national press, gives speeches and talks about it, he is also involved in the examination process (setting the exams!) for new members of the Charter Insurance Institute. He’s got there though nothing except sheer hard work and working his way to the top of the industry. Mum was a housewife when we were children but is now a director of one of Dad’s companies and does their accounts for them.
 
Oberon said:
I am classing rich people as those who have their own land/multiple horses/nice car and wagon and don't need to eat rice for the week before payday....
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You have got to be joking!

Our own land is paid for with a very expensive mortgage, the box is off the road awaiting expensive refurbishment and the car is waiting to go the body shop for expensive repairs.

We certainly aren't rich but might be well off if we didn't have horses!

We both work extremely long hours in very stressful jobs.
 
I think people think we're rich, probably bank robbers or dealers! We're both in our late 20's, have 4 top of the range cars, including a 4x4, own a 3 bed town house which we rent out. Rent a property with 6 acres, 7 stables, floodlit ménage etc. I have 2 horses who get everything they need, 2 large dogs. Never have to worry about running out of money, can buy what I want, when I want!
Saying this, my partner owns numerous design and engineering companies and works all over the place, including abroad. He puts a lot of hours in, so doesn't get much time with me or his daughter! He also has a lot of pressure to perform as we've got almost 20 employees who need paying high wages each month! He does thrive on it though!!
Whereas for me, I'm not the materialistic one, so long as my daughter and animals are fine, I'm happy! Last time I went to the hairdressers was 6 years ago, I rarely buy clothes for myself etc! We've only lived in this area for 5 years now and I can't say iv honestly got one friend!! People just don't give me a chance as they know where I live and what car I drive and automatically dislike me without knowing or wanting to know me! Luckily I'm thick skinned but those who do actually know me can see past the money!!
In a nutshell, having money is nice but it's lonely too!!!
 
myself and better half run a propety developement buisiness , he does most of the renovations himself . i do all the accounting and arranging outside contractors as needed , we currently have 3 houses on the go , we arent rich by any means but we do have assets , we have 4 horses two be eventers one two yr old and a retired mare , we keep them at livery , we could afford to buy our own place but we,ve been there 20 yrs and count it as a home from home , i would miss the companionship if we were to buy our own place as for cars i own a 2006 laguna , he has a new van , oh and theres millie our horsebox we had her built last years shes lush
 
KristmasKatt said:
Yep a US firm in London is certainly the well paid side of the law, responsible for keeping the average salary levels up!

Out of london wages are not nearly as impressive, often worse than a teacher of equivalent experience, and the time demands can be pretty unrealistic too (depending upon your firm). I know a solicitor who was considering giving up and going back to her previous career due to the pay. She was a nurse before she trained as a lawyer, and earned significantly more as a nurse!
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do you do criminal katt?i have a friend working at a high street firm outside of london does call outs as a duty sol at the local nick to supplement her income to keep her 2 horses and she's called out all hours.
Her friends expect her to be very well paid but unless you're in the cities provincial pay isnt great even at 4yrs PQE .

ah well, i digress.. i want the money AND the time! :D
 
I had a friend who told me his grandfather had established a grocery store that had done well. It turned out it was ASDA. He wasn't exactly rolling in money but did have the benefit of regular 'trust funds' that gave him lump sums at regular intervals.

Richest person I knew had a father who owned a rubber company. The advent of AIDS did wonders for the condom industry.

Another acquaintance had an OH who worked in insurance and earned bonuses of £150,000 - plus. I couldn't imagine having as much cash as that!! Biggest bonus I ever received was a frozen chicken at Christmas.
 
Hmm on paper we should be rich, but sadly not as getting on the career ladder meant 5yrs at uni (dentistry) so we came out seriously in debt (£30K each) and did not earn enough for the first few years to cover our debts repayments and rent etc... hence yet more debt piled on top. Got turned down repeatedly for a mortgage in the era when they threw money at you as we worked in the NHS and struggled to make enough whilst being ethical with patients and not cutting corners or giving biased advice.

Luckily my OH went into private practice so we are finally slowly digging out of the hole.
We live in a nice semi in the country with a small amount of land we use for chooks. However we used a 110% mortgage at the peak of the market so now have negative equity on an interest only mortgage and prob still have about 40K of unsecured debt mainly borrowing to pay income tax in the first few years and some student debt still (trying to pay down little by little).

My car is 11yrs old, my OH's car is 10yrs old. We never go on holiday, don't have sat TV, don't go out, don't spend much on clothes or technology...etc.

Yet on my OHs earnings we are just about in the "supertax" bracket (really not helping us get rid of our debts) and I am currently unemployed after retraining for a different job (most people think I stay at home by choice). Hence we get a lot of hassle from family and friends as we are "rich" so should pay for everything and lend them money.

We'd be out of it a lot quicker if we did not have a horse each and an old wagon to get about costing the best part of £1000pcm. We really should not have them.However I'd give up and declare myself bankrupt / sink into serious depression without them.

We have also learned NEVER to tell anyone what we do for a living as they think we are blood suckers living a lavish lifestyle particularly after going private... and it really pees me off as most good wages without the uni mill stone mean these judgmental people have more free money than us!

The moral of the story don't go into dentistry/medicine if you want money!!!!
 
It's all perspectives though isn't it? Rich to me would be having £10 - £15 million. Rich to other posters on this thread seems to be significantly less. Many might view my bank balance as being impressive but our bank balance does not compare to many we rub shoulders with. I think so long as you are happy and healthy then the amount of wealth you have is not relevant so long as you have enough to keep your happy and healthy.

People just don't give me a chance as they know where I live and what car I drive and automatically dislike me without knowing or wanting to know me! Luckily I'm thick skinned but those who do actually know me can see past the money!!
In a nutshell, having money is nice but it's lonely too!!!
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That is sad :( I have never experienced this Bumblelion. What you say may be the case for you and some others but I am very happy and not lonely in the slightest. I am also not aware of anyone disliking me because of the car I drive, the house I live in or the amount of horses I have.
 
This thread reminds me of a saying in Buddhism:

"People sacrifice health for money. Later they sacrifice money for health."

(If you hadn't guessed, I'm not rich!!)
 
Oberon said:
Following on from the two birds thread, to those rich people on here - what do you/your OH do for a living?

I am classing rich people as those who have their own land/multiple horses/nice car and wagon and don't need to eat rice for the week before payday....

Just wish to reiterate - there is NO jealousy or judgement. If you are living the highlife - then good on you!....I'm just interested on what jobs pay well.
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I have a factory that grinds poor people down to make soap!!!!:D
 
Fransurrey said:
This thread reminds me of a saying in Buddhism:

"People sacrifice health for money. Later they sacrifice money for health."

(If you hadn't guessed, I'm not rich!!)
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Ah, very true. I enjoy my job, it's interesting, keeps the ole grey matter going and pays well. But I do wonder what it would be like to have a life during the week and more importantly, be able to ride more !
 
Thing is, everyone will have different perceptions of what "rich" is, and very few people will ever consider themselves rich.
I am from a farming/hunting family, and am now with OH who is also from a farming/hunting family.
I am very very lucky, I have a lovely (IMO) lifestyle, and I do appriciate what we have, but im not in the position to go out buying whatever my heart desires.
We have horses at home, they have always been a pleasure, but I have compassion with both my dad and my OH alike when they are pulling teeth over horses hooning around in wet muddy fields.
My OH has the lorry, and its a beautiful lorry for mostly hunting in, but it is there for hunting, and isn't mine to take and do as I please, and I do understand that but sometimes it would be lovely to go and do as I like with the horses.
As I've always understood, the boys make the hay, and the straw and maintain the whole place, and the women clean the tack and do the horses.
I love my life, and I appriciate I have it very well, but im not rich, it is that fine line that a lot don't understand about farming folk- Asset rich, and cash poor. ;)
 
Not having horses is definitely the key.
I can afford 5 horses my own yard an 04 reg lorry my BE and hunt subscription and if I didnt have these then yes it would be a Range Rover and long holidays and fewer hours but what a dull life!
I'll keep my horses my clapped out Daewoo (best car I have ever owned and holds loads of horse food) and the opportunity to let people I know who cant afford horses ride mine so I can share my good fortune
 
Interesting post, For us we spent many years struggling, our children have always had ponies and have always showjumped them. We lived in a very beautiful house with land right on the edge of Bath. My husband is a chartered surveyor and also property developer. Our house in Bath we bought for £82,000 in a really rundown state. I didnt want to buy it , neither did the kids but husband saw 'potential'. We moved in and 6 years later sold it as a stunning house for £750,000. We were lucky to buy in the property boom. I used to work full time as a childminder in the above house.
I no longer live in a big house, a small cottage with just a few acres but is has been done up just the way I want it and I think its gorgeous.

For me , I no longer work, I have been fortunate to inherit both a beautiful house in the centre of Bath which is let out to provide me with a personal income and also a fairly large sum of money which means I would never have to work again even without my husbands income. I drive a new Range Rover Vogue and have just bought a new wessex 3 horse trailer. We have land and stables at home with 5 ponies here and 2 horses that are kept at livery. My daughters still showjump and one proudly wears her new electric blue animo jacket and matching protector hat! That alone makes me feel we have made it, believe me just wearing that jacket makes her feel rich!

I have also realised that a lot of people are not all they seem. Most people you envy for the house they live in etc often are in fairly awkard situations. A family close to us were lent money by their parents to buy a house for 1.3 mil. One set of parents moved in with them. Both parents have now sadly passed away and the family are forced to leave their home in the next couple of weeks to pay their other siblings inheritence due to them. Very sad and although they lived with all the trappings of being very rich with land , pool etc it was never actually theirs.


I think to be rich is to be comfortable and happy. My mother in law is worth several million and is the most miserable old cow around. ( miserly skinflint too) If being really rich is to be like her then .... no thanks lol
 
Well I married a farmer, although from a non farming background where my father was a small businessman, although I remember him mostly as retired and living off some rental property. We had a comfortable life and I kept my pony in a rented field but I inherited very little. When I got married I was surprised at how hard my husband's family worked, and how much capital was needed for comparatively little reward and hardly any time off.

On paper we are rich, but the land is what is needed for the business, we don't have a big income and live a very quiet life. I have a part time job to pay for the horse, although obviously I keep him at home and have free hay and straw although I pay for everything else like farrier, insurance and general upkeep.

I can't pretend that I have ever had to worry about where the next meal is coming from, but we are quite frugal and don't have expensive holidays or spend (anything) on the house or entertaining and I am good at picking up bargains in charity shops, which is most of my wardrobe.

I used to look at some of the neighbouring farmers driving round in Discoverys and wondered how they afforded them, but then they probably think the same about me riding round on my horse. Still I am pretty satisfied with how we live and even if I suddenly came into mega riches I don't think it would alter my life very much as I already have most of what anyone could wish for.
 
I'm not rich and don't have assets or my own horse out of choice but I don't want for anything, i have an excellent social life and when I'm ready to settle on a bit more I will look at the money going on a horse and house instead. I however work extremely hard for my money, have a very professional job and it is knackering but enjoy spending it at the weekend.
 
Oberon said:
Following on from the two birds thread, to those rich people on here - what do you/your OH do for a living?

I am classing rich people as those who have their own land/multiple horses/nice car and wagon and don't need to eat rice for the week before payday....

Just wish to reiterate - there is NO jealousy or judgement. If you are living the highlife - then good on you!....I'm just interested on what jobs pay well.
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we have all the above, both cars paid for by ageing parents.
no mortgage or debts due to working very hard when younger. Now too knackered health wise to work hard, but fruits of doing so when younger are the above. i'm late 40's as is hubby, one teenager, and total family income is less than 25k.
I dont think we are rich, we dont have a lot of things that most other people take for granted,such as new clothes,socialising or gadgets etc, as majority of income is spent on the horses. :)
 
I'm rich :D I have a beautiful horse, the best cat in the world, a job and a home that I love, family and friends that I would never swap... I don't have two pennies to rub together a lot of the time but I am sooooooooo rich :D (not saying I wouldn't marry an accountant if one asked me mind you... ;) ) interesting thread x
 
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