Wealth gap tensions: ‘My friends don’t have to budget like me. A round of cocktails scares the s**t out of me’

by interfaceconfig

15 comments

  3. That was an interesting read, thanks for sharing OP.

    15% of people purchasing a home receive over €100,000 from their parents seems fucking insane to me! How financially comfortable do you have to be to hand over that to your child and still have enough money to live/retire comfortably yourself??

    Even the average person receiving €27,000 from parents is a lot. I got help from my own parents a few years ago and it was about a third of it, and I felt both amazingly grateful and very embarrassed to accept.

    I have friends in relationships where the income is very high, second houses bought to rent out, driving fine cars, travelling extensively and I have friends and siblings who agonise over a €20 lunch date. I’m in the middle, comfortable to do things at times but limited and once it’s nothing mad. It is unspoken but yeah it does cause stress both ways at different times in all relationships I have.

  4. My parents gave me 15000 and HTB scheme gave me 13000 together that was my deposit and I had 15000 to decorate the house. Floors stairs curtains appliances shed and furniture. Today it would be impossible. 

  5. The only good thing about being born into poverty is that you can’t become poor. I’ve been telling myself that anyway..

  6. I wouldn’t be buying a round but happily buy my own cocktails.

  7. It has only just begun. The people who say they’re comfortable now, come back in 2 years time and see how you are. From the huge displacement of money during covid to the post-work society that AI will inevitably bring, the financial inequality gap does seem to be widening.

  8. Fair play to those who are earning big wages but the inherited wealth in Ireland kills me. I don’t know much about taxation and how it’s being avoided, but the current state of things stinks.

  9. Wealth gaps between friends isn’t a new thing, it was literally the plot to an episode of Friends

  10. It this really that difficult? If you don’t want to do rounds, say you’re staying on your own. No one minds. If you’re friends are going to a restaurant and it’s too expensive, don’t go. If someone ordering the €10 supplement meal is going to break you, it means you can’t afford it in the first place, also means whoever ordered it is a bit of a dick. If you’re friends are doing a weekend away and you can’t afford it, don’t go. These aren’t too difficult decisions imho

  11. I think it’s really interesting how for a lot of the couples – particularly those married and/or with kids – don’t have fully combined finances.

    My partner’s dad couldn’t comprehend us talking about sending each other money to split paying for things, or figuring out the split on the groceries every week. His first bank account was a joint one with his wife, all their money goes into one account that they both spend from.

    I wonder why some couples view finances as my money vs your money, instead of our money.

  13. I don’t have to budget hard and a round of cocktails scares the shit out of me too.

    Tell your friends, it’s pints or bust

  14. I deal with this by not drinking with people who think ordering a round of cocktails in public is acceptable behaviour. 

  15. This just says Irish people mix across income levels which is a positive and I think true.

    Some people have more money than others.

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