To save money on groceries, Seb Kouyoujmian rummages through the yellow-labelled reduced items in his local supermarket. He won’t buy shoes unless he absolutely needs them. Takeaways are considered a luxury. This might be surprising once you learn Kouyoujmian is an architect on a salary of more than £100,000. But, speaking from the cramped, one-bedroom north London flat he owns, he says that his quality of life doesn’t match what you’d expect given his pay cheque. “I’m earning more than ever before,” the 38-year-old tells me. “But I feel poorer than I ever did.”

為了省下日常開銷的花費,塞布·庫尤米安(Seb Kouyoujmian)會在當?shù)爻欣锓規(guī)S色標簽的打折商品。他除非迫不得已,否則不會買鞋;點外賣更被視為一種奢侈行為。這或許會讓人感到驚訝,因為庫尤米安是一名年薪超過10萬英鎊的建筑師。然而,當他從自己位于倫敦北部的一居室小公寓中接受采訪時,他坦言自己的生活質(zhì)量與收入水平并不匹配。“我的收入比以往任何時候都高,”38歲的他表示,“但我卻覺得比以前更窮。”

It may sound ridiculous to the 96 per cent of the population who typically earn significantly less than £100,000 a year. In fact, the average wage in the UK is around £36,000, according to the Office for National Statistics. For people aged between 18 and 21, it’s closer to £24,000. And it varies according to region, getting worse outside of London.

對于絕大多數(shù)人來說,這聽起來可能有些離譜——畢竟,96%的人年薪遠低于10萬英鎊。實際上,根據(jù)英國國家統(tǒng)計局的數(shù)據(jù),英國的平均工資約為3.6萬英鎊,而18至21歲人群的平均收入更接近2.4萬英鎊。并且收入因地區(qū)而異,倫敦以外的情況通常更糟。

Yet the fact that the four percenters are feeling the pinch is a symptom of what Dr Mike Savage, a professor of sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, calls “intensified” class divisions. In other words, as the wealthy among us struggle to keep up with inflation and the cost of living, their difficulties shed light on just how bad things are getting for the rest of us. Dr Savage helped carry out the largest study on social class in the UK in modern history, and says the situation is urgent.

然而,年薪在前4%的人群也感到日子緊張,這正是倫敦政治經(jīng)濟學(xué)院社會學(xué)教授邁克·薩維奇(Dr. Mike Savage)所謂的“加劇的”階級分化的體現(xiàn)。換句話說,當富裕人群也在為通貨膨脹和生活成本掙扎時,他們的困境反映出其他人的生活狀況有多糟糕。薩維奇博士曾參與英國現(xiàn)代歷史上最大規(guī)模的社會階級研究,并指出當前形勢已經(jīng)十分緊迫。

“The people who are really struggling with cost of living and inflation pressures are those who are badly paid, living in precarious situations, and juggling debts,” he says. “The fear that people on middle and even high incomes are being eroded by inflation and the freezing of tax thresholds is a sign of the sense of insecurity that is felt by large numbers of people.”

薩維奇博士表示:“真正因生活成本和通貨膨脹壓力而苦苦掙扎的,是那些收入微薄、生活不穩(wěn)定、還要應(yīng)付債務(wù)的人。而中等收入甚至高收入群體也因通貨膨脹和稅收門檻凍結(jié)而感到壓力,這正體現(xiàn)了大量人群所感受到的不安全感。”

The high earners are quite aware of how their laments may be perceived. “It sounds so f***ing privileged,” says Kouyoujmian. “I’m not looking for sympathy, but I’m also trying to be clear that I don’t feel comfortable either.”

高收入者非常清楚他們的抱怨可能會被如何看待。庫尤米安坦言道:“聽起來簡直就是在炫耀特權(quán),我不是想尋求同情,但我也想說明,我的生活并不舒適。”

Lea Turner, who grew up on a council estate and left school at 16 without an education, agrees. The 39-year-old doesn’t fit the typical trajectory of a six-figure earner, having overcome the challenges of being a single parent on benefits, and going on to build a multi-million-pound company – a digital network of business owners called The HoLT – during the pandemic.

莉婭·特納(Lea Turner)對此表示認同。她在一個公租房社區(qū)長大,16歲時輟學(xué),沒有受過正式教育。這位39歲的女性并不符合典型的六位數(shù)收入者的成長軌跡。她克服了作為領(lǐng)取福利的單親母親的困境,并在疫情期間創(chuàng)辦了一家名為 The HoLT 的企業(yè)主數(shù)字網(wǎng)絡(luò),將其發(fā)展為一家價值數(shù)百萬英鎊的公司。

“I feel very lucky to be comfortable because that’s far more than the vast majority of people in the UK can say,” she says. “But it’s not so affordable that I can just rest on my laurels. I still have to maintain this level or the things I have in my life right now will no longer be affordable.”

特納說:“我覺得自己很幸運,生活還算寬裕,因為這遠超英國大多數(shù)人的狀況但這種生活并不是那么輕松,我不能就此停滯不前。我必須維持現(xiàn)在的收入水平,否則我現(xiàn)在擁有的一切將變得負擔不起?!?/b>

Things like her house. After saving for years, and planning her finances, Turner bought a home in Manchester. This year, she found her mortgage increased by £300 a month. “If it goes up much more, I might have to end up selling,” she says.

比如她的房子。在多年存錢和精心規(guī)劃財務(wù)后,特納在曼徹斯特買下了一套房。然而,今年她的房貸每月上漲了300英鎊。她說:“如果再漲得多一些,我可能最終不得不賣掉它。”

The cumulative effects of inflation have played a large part, with the Office for National Statistics reporting that a £100,000 salary back in 2000 is worth the equivalent of £53,600 in September 2024 in terms of its value and purchasing power. The Institute for Fiscal Studies also reports that inflation rates for groceries, for example, increased by an average of 26.6 per cent in just over two years, and the effect on households varied according to income. Higher-income households experienced inflation rates 7.7 per cent lower than those in the bottom percentile of households according to income – and what is known as “cheapflation” means that the cheapest products experienced the highest rises. Effectively, the increasing cost of everything means that everyone is getting less bang for their buck.

通貨膨脹的累積效應(yīng)起了很大作用。英國國家統(tǒng)計局報告稱,2000年的10萬英鎊薪水,到2024年9月的實際購買力相當于約53,600英鎊。財政研究所(Institute for Fiscal Studies)也報告稱,僅僅兩年多的時間,日常食品的通貨膨脹率就平均上漲了26.6%,而這一影響在不同收入群體中有所不同。高收入家庭的通貨膨脹率比收入最低百分之一的家庭低了7.7%。所謂的“廉價通脹”(cheapflation)意味著最便宜的商品價格漲幅最大。實際上,所有物品的成本不斷上漲,意味著每個人的錢的購買力都在減少。

Although Turner has experienced the precarity of living life on the breadline as a sole earner, she says that earning £100k “definitely doesn’t make you rich”. For example, she expected to be able to afford a new kitchen with ease, but she says that is not the case. “I have to buy and sell clothes on Vinted. I go on an affordable holiday once a year, to the same places I’ve travelled before. It’s not a crazy luxury. I don’t fly first class. We’re not partying on yachts or staying in five-star hotels or anything. I’m not buying designer clothes for me or my son. There are certain things in my life that have upgraded, but not much.”

雖然特納曾經(jīng)作為唯一的經(jīng)濟支柱,經(jīng)歷過捉襟見肘的生活,但她表示,年薪10萬英鎊“絕對不能讓你變得富有”。比如,她本以為自己能輕松負擔得起換個新廚房,但事實并非如此?!拔也坏貌辉赩inted上買賣衣服。我每年都會去一次負擔得起的假期,都是去以前去過的地方。這不是奢華的享受。我不會坐頭等艙。我們不會在游艇上狂歡,也不會住五星級酒店之類的。我不會為自己或兒子買設(shè)計師品牌的衣服。生活中有一些東西升級了,但并不多。

Kouyoujmian and Turner are known as HENRYs – or “High Earner Not Rich Yet” – a term coined by Shawn Tully in a 2003 article for Fortune magazine, and used to describe people who earn a high wage but don’t have much left after taxes, schooling, housing, family, and saving for retirement. Both Kouyoujmian and Turner understand that they are better off than, for instance, a service worker on a far lower salary. But while a rise in one bill can be a nuisance to the comparatively wealthy, all bills going up at once can leave them in a similar situation to people earning far less.

庫尤米安和特納被稱為HENRYs——即“高收入但尚未富裕的人”(High Earner Not Rich Yet)。這個詞由肖恩·塔利(Shawn Tully)在2003年為《財富》雜志撰寫的文章中創(chuàng)造,用來描述那些收入很高,但在扣除稅款、教育、住房、家庭開支和退休儲蓄后,剩余的錢并不多的人。庫尤米安和特納都明白,相比于低薪的服務(wù)行業(yè)工人,他們的生活水平要好得多。但即使是相對富裕的人,單單一項賬單上漲就可能讓人感到麻煩,而所有賬單同時上漲時,他們的處境也與那些收入遠低于他們的人相似。

Kouyoujmian has seen his mortgage and energy bills double and the price of his groceries triple. He says the cumulative cost of all of these increases squeezes resources. As a homeowner and leaseholder, he says he was recently landed with a £21,000 bill, while a cancer scare prompted him to take on private medical care, which has also gone up. Turner, meanwhile, says her outgoings easily add up to £4,000 to £5,000 a month. She pays £1,000 a month in private school fees for her son. This, combined with any emergencies or a holiday, leaves her with little left over.

庫尤米安發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的房貸和能源賬單翻了一倍,食品價格上漲了三倍。他表示,這些費用的累積上漲壓縮了他的資源。作為房主和租戶,他最近收到了一張21,000英鎊的賬單,同時,一次癌癥恐慌讓他決定購買私人醫(yī)療服務(wù),而這些費用也在上漲。與此同時,特納表示,她的支出每月輕松達到4,000到5,000英鎊。她每月為兒子的私立學(xué)校學(xué)費支付1,000英鎊。再加上可能出現(xiàn)的緊急情況或假期支出,她幾乎沒有剩余的錢。

For Kouyoujmian, an additional worry is his pension. He is currently paying £1,100 into his retirement every month, but because he only started earning six figures three years ago, he has calculated that he will have to pay £3,000 a month to retire at the age of 68 with a £60,000 income. “As an architect, I can’t afford my own service,” he says. “It’s a dream for me to be able to afford someone like me.”

對庫尤米安來說,另一個擔憂是他的養(yǎng)老金。他目前每月向退休賬戶繳納1,100英鎊,但由于他僅在三年前才開始賺六位數(shù)的收入,他計算過,如果他希望在68歲時退休并擁有6萬英鎊的年收入,他每月需要支付3,000英鎊。他說:“作為一名建筑師,我負擔不起自己的服務(wù),能像我一樣的人,能夠負擔得起我自己,這是我的夢想?!?/b>

He adds that his quality of life and general work-life balance are poorer than when he earned half his current salary. He’s even taken up a side-hustle making furniture in his spare time. “I have to work 50-70 hours a week, and I still feel like I’m treading water,” he says. “I know that sounds ridiculous, but I am paranoid about my retirement, especially if I look at friends or elderly family members or neighbours and see how they are coping or not coping.”

他補充說,自己的生活質(zhì)量和工作與生活的平衡,比他收入只有現(xiàn)在一半時還要差。為了額外掙錢,他甚至在業(yè)余時間做家具。“我每周得工作50到70個小時,但還是感覺自己像在原地踏步,”他說:“我知道這聽起來很奇怪,但我對自己的退休生活感到焦慮,特別是當我看到朋友、年紀大的家人或鄰居,他們是怎么應(yīng)對生活的,我就更擔心了?!?/b>

Investment expert Victoria Harris says that the structure of the tax system means that those earning just above six figures feel the sharpest end of it. She calls it the “60 per cent tax trap”, a name given to the removal of the personal tax allowance for those earning just above £100,000 and below £125,000. A quirk in tax rules means that they can end up paying up to 62 per cent in tax.

投資專家維多利亞·哈里斯表示,稅收制度的結(jié)構(gòu)使得那些收入剛剛超過六位數(shù)的人感受到最嚴重的壓力。她稱之為“60%稅陷阱”,這個名字指的是對于年收入略高于10萬英鎊但低于12.5萬英鎊的人,個人免稅額被取消的情況。稅收規(guī)則中的一個特殊規(guī)定意味著,他們最終可能會支付高達62%的稅款。

In addition to the tax burden, a higher wage can result in “l(fā)ifestyle creep”, meaning that as you earn more you spend more, opting for more expensive versions of the same things you would have previously bought at a cheaper cost.

除了稅負,較高的收入還可能導(dǎo)致“生活方式膨脹”,意思是隨著收入的增加,支出也會增加,開始選擇更昂貴的商品,而這些商品本來可以以更低的價格購買到。

Harris, who runs The Curve, a business advising women on their finances, says, “One of our members recently told me, ‘Vic, I fought so hard to break through the £100k ceiling, only to find myself spending even more outside my means than when I was on a lower income.’” She believes that the challenges can be handled with better financial planning. Harris advises “building confidence in salary negotiations”, “creating investment strategies”, and “developing a support network” of other high earners.

哈里斯是《The Curve》企業(yè)的負責人,這是一家專門為女性提供財務(wù)建議的機構(gòu)。她說:“我們的一位成員最近告訴我,‘維克,我曾拼盡全力突破10萬英鎊的收入上限,卻發(fā)現(xiàn)自己比收入更低時花的錢還要多。’”她認為,這些挑戰(zhàn)可以通過更好的財務(wù)規(guī)劃來應(yīng)對。哈里斯建議“提高薪資談判的信心”,“制定投資策略”,以及“建立一個由其他高收入者組成的支持網(wǎng)絡(luò)”。

However, Dr Savage believes that both tax increases and rising inflation are systemic issues and reflections of the strains on the economy. “Increasingly, in the context of pressures on the welfare state, individuals need to fall back on their private wealth assets to pay for routine medical and other services,” he explains. “Class divisions are being intensified as divides grow between the wealthy and the many who juggle debts.”

然而,薩維奇博士認為,稅收增加和通貨膨脹上升是系統(tǒng)性問題,是經(jīng)濟壓力的反映。他解釋說:“在福利國家面臨壓力的背景下,個人越來越需要依靠自己的私人財富來支付日常醫(yī)療和其他服務(wù)?!彼赋?,隨著財富和那些在債務(wù)中掙扎的人的差距不斷拉大,階級分化正日益加劇。

If much of their experience sounds familiar, that’s the point. The four per cent aren’t living as luxuriously as we expect, and it should be cause for concern. Because if someone on a big salary can’t afford to remodel their kitchen, or eat out whenever they choose, how can everyone else?

如果他們的經(jīng)歷聽起來很熟悉,那正是重點。屬于4%圈層的人并不像我們想象的那樣過得奢華,這應(yīng)該引起關(guān)注。因為如果一個高收入者連重新裝修廚房,或者隨心所欲地外出就餐都負擔不起,那其他人又該怎么辦呢?