DH and I bring home just shy of £5k between us per month (around £4800).
Mortgage £800
Live in a nice area so our council tax is well over £200, energy bills the same like most people, no Sky but broadband, Netflix, Prime etc.
Leased car £300 a month
Low childcare costs as both in school so we only pay about £80 a month for wraparound
DC do quite a few clubs, swimming lessons which adds up
Without fail we're almost in the red every month. We have no debt per say but recently paid for a holiday on an interest free credit card so pay a bit off that each month. All our joint spends like days out, things for the kids, goes on a credit card which is paid off in full every month, but this is always more than £800! Every month we vow to keep this low but It feels like it's always something - if it's not an expensive month socially with meals out etc, it's an expensive month in other ways like the DC need new shoes, coats, new tyres for the car, or it's a birthday, Christmas etc.
Our situation worries me because in a year we need to remortgage and obviously expect it to go up. We also really need a second car.
Do we need a good shaking? How do others manage?