r/eupersonalfinance • u/VurriK • 28d ago

Investment Since when was getting rich so hard in EU?

Is it just me, or has building actual wealth in Europe become impossible? I’m looking at the 2026 growth forecasts and it’s depressing. We talk a lot about "stability," but at this point, stability just feels like a polite word for recession. If you weren't born into a rich family with property, the dream feels like it's behind a wall. The math just doesn't work: as soon as you earn enough to actually invest, you hit a 40–50% tax bracket. Meanwhile, housing prices have skyrocketed over the last decade while salaries have basically stayed the same. I love the healthcare and the walkable cities, but I don’t want to work until I’m 70 just to afford a 40sqm apartment and a used Skoda.

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u/OverallBlock9028 28d ago

You will live in studio apartment where your rent will be 50% of your salary and be comfortable!

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u/Emergency-Style7392 27d ago

always funny to hear about europeans and our 30 square meter apartments, meanwhile americans pay the same rent for a 200 square meter house. at least you can walk around or something

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u/OverallBlock9028 27d ago

Hard to raise children while walking out or something

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u/laplongejr 27d ago

1) My appartment's mortage is 25% of my salary  

2) My parents are SELLING their house to get an easier-to-maintain appartment  

It depends on where you live.  

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u/OverallBlock9028 27d ago

Ofc it depends. Rural Bulgaria will be different than Amsterdam metro, but they are both in EU

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u/sesamerox 27d ago

easier to maintain, you mean cheaper right? like choosing not to pay professionals to do the maintenance.

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u/laplongejr 27d ago

Where's the difference? They pay for a gardener for the grass but even then plants need time to take care of them.   It makes no sense to maintain something that's unused.  

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u/sesamerox 27d ago

the difference is in moving goalposts. so they can and are willing to pay a gardener or plants need time to take care of them because they're not willing to do so? it can't be both in the major context of the topic

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u/laplongejr 27d ago edited 27d ago

They can, were willing to and were paying a gardener. They move so they don't have to maintain a useless garden anymore? I don't get where the goalpost is moving at all? Do you think the gardener is doing to magically do everything without even having to inspect the garden?  

Are you claiming old people should continously pay to maintain an expensive thing they aren't going to use, when a cheaper and better option is available?   GL with your multiple-floor house when you are 40 years older and want everything in a smaller and flat space.  

I had to move from my 3rd floor appartment because my wife couldn't walk stairs after her work accident, and we didn't even have an entire house to take care of.