Comparing your finances to other people is one of the most natural and least useful things you can do with your attention. It is natural because money is tied up with security, status, and self-worth. It is not useful because the comparison is almost always based on incomplete information. You see someone's new car, their holiday photos, their extension or new kitchen. You do not see what they earn, what they owe, what their parents contributed, or what they are quietly stressed about at three in the morning.
What you are actually comparing
Social media is a curated performance, not a financial statement. Even in person, people tend to display success and conceal difficulty. The colleague who always seems to eat at good restaurants and go on holidays may be carrying significant credit card debt. The friend who bought a large house may have received a substantial inheritance. The person whose life looks effortlessly comfortable may be one redundancy away from real difficulty. You simply do not know, and the comparison is therefore not a fair one.
Different starting points
Two people of the same age can be in very different financial positions through no fault of either of them. One may have received family support for a house deposit; the other may be supporting family members financially. One may have had a clear career path and no disruptions; the other may have had health issues, career changes, or caring responsibilities. Comparing the outcomes without accounting for the starting points and the journey is like comparing two runners without mentioning that one of them ran a different route.
Shifting the comparison to your past self
The most useful financial comparison you can make is between where you are now and where you were six or twelve months ago. Are you saving more? Is your debt lower? Is your emergency fund larger? Do you feel more in control? These questions measure real progress that belongs to you, rather than a gap between you and someone else whose full story you do not know. Progress against your own baseline is the only benchmark that actually tells you anything useful.
Enough is personal
What counts as enough — enough savings, enough income, enough financial security — is different for every person and every household. It depends on your costs, your family situation, your values, and what genuinely matters to you rather than what you feel you should want. Defining your own version of financial sufficiency, and measuring against that rather than against other people, is a quieter and more reliable source of financial confidence than any comparison will ever provide.
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Ask Fin provides general guidance only, not regulated financial advice. If financial anxiety is significantly affecting your wellbeing, speaking with a professional may be helpful.