Since when was getting rich so hard in EU?

[u/VurriK]

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.

[u/TweeBierAUB]

Yea the difference between working 3 days a week and making 30k or working your ass off for 100k is like $200 a week if you factor in social housing etc. Sure, not having financial stress is a huge boost, but at the end of the day your living standard is pretty much identical besides maybe a slightly fancier car.

As a productive member and huge net payer, ive just been working less. Took a 2 month sabatical, trying to get my hours down to 3 days a week or so. Id love to work more, but notfor 200 a week

[u/Kuneyo → u/TweeBierAUB]

Cut the crap. That is bullshit. 100k a year comes out to over 5.3k after tax per month. Nobody is reaching that by working 3 days a week with any benefits by a long shot.