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Comment by tomwalker | Hacker News Reader

My grandfather worked as a bar manager (not owner) and his wife did not work. They were one of the first to get a TV and washing machine on their street, had a car, went on foreign holidays every few years and had 5 children.

What wage would you need to be in a similar position today?

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Depends what you mean by similar position, absolutely or relatively? In other words, what would be equiv lifestyle be today?

A holiday every year, a new car and a house full of apple stuff?

In the UK you could get a TV and washing machine off craigslist for not very much. You could fly to continental europe and back for less than £100 pp. You can pick up a car for maybe £2000 or so.

Difficult to say what a bar managers salary is today, I've seen very vary from marginally above minimum wage to maybe £50-60K.

> In the UK you could get a TV and washing machine off craigslist for not very much. You could fly to continental europe and back for less than £100 pp. You can pick up a car for maybe £2000 or so.

Then £145/year for a TV license, £200/year for road tax and MOT costs, £500/year for car insurance, £500-1000/year for petrol, etc. A £2000 car is going to be a maintenance nightmare, probably add £500/year to cover costs.

Don't even get me started on the cost of owning or renting a place to live, which will make all these costs pale in comparison...

Not meaning to insinuate anything... just raising the possibility that a bar manager might have additional sources of discretionary income more easily deterred, detected, and controlled today?

Perhaps we can agree that "bar manager" is subject to temptations, and rewards, that most jobs aren't?

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