Feel disheartened about our money situation

[Woodenheader]

Hi,

I know that comparison is the thief of joy, but I’m really feeling like we’re lagging behind in our financial life.

peipke on mumsnet post about having massive incomes and 2k per month disposable incomes. We both work full time in decent jobs taking home 4.8k per month combined. 2 teens and all the usual cost of living shit! We are lucky to have £800 quid disposable between us. I just sometimes feel like we should be doing better

We don't have any disposable income.

Trust me when I say Mumsnet isn't an accurate representation of real life.

£800 disposable income per month !

You know you are being unreasonable.

Perhaps be less gullible, stop believing what people claim on social media, and enjoy your children instead, your home life and your partner. You have far more than most.

You also risk your partner thinking you are ungrateful and mercenary.

Is that £800 disposable after all bills are found? Is Christmas covered, birthdays, holidays, food, petrol, etc? If so £400 a month spends seems OK to me. If not, ouch? But this too shall pass.

Lots of people would feel incredibly lucky to have £800 disposable income between them each month!

Trust me, you are doing extremely well OP .

Some people are having to use food banks to get by. Have you seen the state of the economy?

You know £800 left over is great, surely?

People who are going through a Debt Relief Order have to prove that they have less than £75 per MONTH left over after all essential expenditure .
YOU have nothing to worry about.

You'd likely have to go self-employed for that, unless you work in law or banking or something.

Also the fact you asked how you can be better and people immediately start yelling about people worse off says it all. That wasn't the question, the question was how to be better, which is how you get better. We're not talking about everyone who is worse off.

Op would it make you feel better to read about or think about people doing worse?
There is always going to be people far worse off and people better off.
Some pals of mine brought a house outside their budget and have spent a fortune renovating it.
They complain about money. We are still in the same small 3 bed house we've lived in for decades. That's our choice.

It certainly isn't, is it? Someone who has nearly 5k a month is feeling financially disheartened. Boo bloody hoo. When does reality kick in on this site???

Depends what you spend your money on, £800 would be lovely to have.

Jesus Christ, this seems like a petty brag. Shame on you. I used to work on social care and once had deliver bedding to two children on Christmas Eve. You don’t know how lucky you are OP.

Pp nails it. I have seen people leave a home with their children, with their only clothes in a dustbin liner.
please remember how lucky you are.

I know what you mean. I was laid off early this year and the disposable income has gone from £1k - 1.5k a month to negative £100 because the mortgage, nursery fees and groceries are all so expensive.

I've been struggling to find a replacement job but in the mean time I'm looking at all the friends and people around me who are splurging. We'd also have to reconsider our mortgage next year and can't send DC to independent schools as we had planned.

We have 0 left at the end of the month, and mostly I'm just grateful we actually make ends meet at the moment, because for a little while we weren't before the funded hours kicked in for our toddler at nursery. £800 left over would be an absolute dream.

I too work hard in what I consider a 'decent job' , i.e. worthwhile, socially valuable. I have £31.96 left in my bank account to last until Monday. What's my job? Caring for children in a nursery! I'd count my blessings if I were you.

Me and my family used to have a little bit of disposable income left but not enough to do much with but to put it aside for a rainy day of which there have been many lately.

With the ever increasing COL, we now have almost nothing most months.

I hope that some of the people on mumsnet that you referred to as having more disposable income than can enlighten you on how you can do better financially.
I think you will find that most people on here or many anyway, are struggling, hurting, and are looking at your leftover money with disbelief that you would complaine about not having enough.
To be fair, it is all relative isn't it?
People who make a lot of money spend a lot of money, and just like those of us who find that what we make is not enough, you might have to seriously plan to cut back.
Maybe you will hear from someone who can tell you how they have more money left over but I don't think there are a lot of people who haven't learned to cut back, no matter how much they make.

I'm sorry but you're being utterly ridiculous. "People on Mumsnet" is such a hugely varied group. There will always be people richer than you and (most people) worse off than you. What you've said makes you sound like you're 12 or something.

Sorry if I came across ungrateful and out of touch, I know that mine is a first world problem! I just sometimes feel that we we work hard for very little reward