Is everybody broke?

Many landlords own their properties debt free and its paying for a 242 Jeep or cruise more likely

We're all partying

I'm not querying the earnings figures. I'm querying the disposable income figures, the subject of this thread. That after essential expenditure is taken care of, how much money is left as disposable income i.e. are people broke?

I don't believe there can be any reliable measure of this, just estimates. There is no systematic population wide collection of such data. My essential expenditure likely differs widely from yours and yours from others. Therefore disposable income can vary wildly.

Just in case anyone comes on and says "They do take it into account in the application process".

While yes they will look at it as part of your application they don't factor it in terms of inability to save a meaningful deposit. Someone paying 2k a month in rent will not have the ability to save a large amount.

It should be common sense that if you can pay a 2k rent over a number of years then the repaying of a lesser mortgage should not be an issue.

Yeah, that's the general idea. We have kids so they can continue on hopefully as productive citizens of the country, support it, pay taxes and support a whole range of other needs inc your state pension! It's a choice I guess, but many would rather do this than flitter away on holidays in several international destinations annually.

Is it possible that your family & peers are not jealous, that this is just your own perception? Likely they've made their choice and are happy with it, do you know what they say behind your back?

Reminds me of a relative who lives a bit like this. We just regard them as feckless and pity them!

I was out in Dublin city center a few evening last week. Even back in the boom times i dont think i saw as much spending going on. Everywhere was packed. People buying expensive cocktails, meals etc.

The group I was with were having a moan about not being able to afford to buy a house na dhow their parents that they live with dont understand how hard it is for them, while downing cocktails, baby guinnesses followed buy cocktails again in the space of about an hourr and then on to the next pub where it was cocktails again. And me and another guy there with one pint feeling tight for the hour in that pub and then going home on the bus instead of the next pub, where we were chattiong about it.

Same again a couple of nights later for another do.

I can sympathise with that somewhat though especially if they're single. Years of being told they'll have it better, they'll be able to afford a 3bed semi-d in leafy suburbs etc. etc. only for it to be out of reach due to salary requirements that the Central Bank have imposed. I'm not saying this salary requirements are a bad thing, but they are a thing. If you're needing to pull in > 80k to reach these requirements and you're close to the median of 45k~ the few cocktails they have is going to make feck all difference. Also celebrations and events are seasonal and sometimes are not spread out (in my family/friend circle practically all birthdays/anniversaries etc. land in May (5 birthdays alone) and it's slim pickings for the rest of the year) people have to enjoy themselves and live too.

The flip side though, if you're living with your parents and you hate your job and the salary progression is non-existent then only you can really pull up your boots and change that.

You get get what you vote for I suppose. The issue is the lack of any real alternative in the country. Perhaps at this stage we are better off if the French bring the house of cards that is the EU toppling down. Look at housing in the years previous to the EU. For the most part it was local council housing with very little of it privately owned. I really think that this is a scenario we need to get back to. That regardless of earnings or perceived earnings there is the options there to avail of lifetime council tenancy and eventually even by out these tenancies.

Regarding the feeling broke point. I know some on decent salaries and are feeling the pinch. Myself and the wife are on about 70K a year after tax and yes we are feeling the pinch too. I can't imagine how people on a lot less than that are managing.

To those people who are saying that hard work and sacrifice will get you the mortgage etc that's BS in this day and age. Youngster needs to live a little too. Soon enough they will wake up and be in their thirties and have done nothing but save and queue up in tesco for the reduced meats etc during the twenties.

The social contract within our country is shattered. Work hard, live a modest life, raise a decent family and have a home. That is no more. It's incredible that we as a people just accept that and accept the propping up of faceless pension funds by our government. The people not able to afford their own homes even though working hard are being kept in rentals by government to look after their vested interests.

I mean this in a good way, but the fact that you have a spreadsheet will make you more aware of the pinch than others. There's plenty of people out there that don't and see 0 in the bank balance as something to aim for rather than watching everything and squirrelling away money to other things. With your scenario you can at least see the pinch and adjust rather than wondering where all your hard earned cash has gone and have nothing/little to show for it.

Spreadsheets, budgeting and general common sense are the killer tools to being able to react to fluctuations in spends, inflation etc.