I haven’t found this thread vile at all, like others have mentioned it’s been quite eye opening to see how many are starting to place more value on free time than material things. I openly admit before children came along I was horrific, earning very good money yet it was never enough these days it’s more about free time to spend with them and striking the balance of enough money that we’re all fed, warm and healthy with enough free time to enjoy family.
For our family a brilliant investment (much as I’m loathe to admit) was a caravan (tent before that) we have 1-2 weekends a month away as a family nothing special a field with a play park for the kids to play, we eat what I call caravan food things like beans on toast almost never eat out on these weekends meaning the total cost excluding fuel is around £100 for 5 of us.
If you’d have told me this 10 years ago I’d have laughed and never believed it although I really wish someone had, when I think of the money I squandered and amount of times I worked 90 hours a week predominately away from home.
In those earlier years I don’t think I’d have felt wealthy on £80k a month let alone a year these days as long as the bills are paid and we have time as a family doing things that we enjoy. The people I envy on this thread aren’t those with the big earnings, nice watches and cars etc it’s those with the free time to enjoy the simple things in life that we as a nation/world seem to have forgotten those people have escaped the “matrix” and if this thread means more people realise that secret it’s worth it surely.