to ask why life is so expensive?

[clam]

It's just one thing after another. We're on a more-than-reasonable income, yet if I feel we're struggling to stick within our means, how the hell are others on a lower budget coping?
Every month I think things will calm down, but this month alone we have haircuts needed for all, a trip to the vet (£60) 2 dental hygienist appointments (£50 each!!!!!) and a check up (£35, no NHS available), new tyres needed for the car, MOT coming up, dd has only one pair of wearable shoes other than school ones, ditto ds and his feet have grown, ds theatre trip for drama GCSE, next installment of dd's school residential trip, music lesson fees due for the new term, exam fee, plus we have to pay the accompanist.... you get the picture. Plus I forgot to pay off the sodding credit card last month so just got hit with a late payment fee, plus interest.

I totally understand......

but many of the things on your list are out of our budget. (e.g. music lessons etc)

I think one often lives just within one's means and then when something unexpected comes up things feel tight.

Hope things get a bit better soon.

Oh god I know this feeling so well :/ feels like constant struggling and budgeting. Makes me worried that I'm 30 with no savings. Not even a mortgage :0.

things tend to go like that, I guess we all cut our cloth according to our income.
What some families do without question, others wouldn't consider.
We don't have sky, my good friend feels they couldn't live without it.
I have my hair cut every 6 weeks she doesn't feel she can afford it.

Swings and round abouts.

xposts I agree with egg, no matter your income, most people spend very close to that amount each month

So much of your list is just not essential though.

Where did you get haircuts? Mobile hairdressers are often lots
Cheaper and can do everyone's hair on same day rather than salons...

Music lessons is a choice etc...

Credit cards... Can't comment never having had one. JUST SAY NO TO CREDIT (that's my school of thought)

Shop at v cheap
Clothes and food shops. Yes yes child labour and poor chickens but I can't live
On a small income and mat leave and always take the moral way to shop etc...

Just some things we do. Luckily my
Dd is too
Young for shoes
Lol

I know it's not much help now, but set up a direct debit to make at least the minimum payment on your credit card every month. You can always make an extra payment but at least you can't miss one.

dental hygienist is pointless & waste of money I did 1 appointment and afterwards could not think of a reason to go again

I didn't say it was for essentials. Mortgage, food, fuel, for sure. Music lessons are a luxury I know, but that wasn't my intention for the thread. Don't want to sound smug but we're not on the breadline, but still we seem to be leaking money every day.
I've been investigating summer holidays over the last few days (another luxury item, I know) and everything/everywhere is just so expensive. Every plane journey, a fortune. And yet airports are heaving with travellers; planes are full. How does everyone afford it?

Everyone doesn't afford it though... That's the point.

dental hygiene is not a waste of money unless you want all your teeth to fall out due to periodontal disease and then end up with complete dentures perhaps? people are so crap about dental health in this country.

Disagree - hygienist essential if you dont want your teeth to fall out!
I think the key is to remain childfree, much cheaper and to be recommended :-)

If you leak money everyday it doesn't take a lot to save even a
Small amount

Money saving expert forums, comparing prices for gas and electric, car and house insurance can save a hell of a lot

I don't think your leaking money... Just spending it. You have the ability to spend less

I ditched the last hygienist appointment, but got given the 3rd degree by the dentist this morning. DD's brace comes off next week and apparently her teeth and gums underneath are a mess and need sorting.

We have a mobile hairdresser who comes to the house. Much cheaper.

Credit card: used for cash flow - we pay it off every month when I remember Good idea about the Direct Debit.

It's really tough, isn't it? And then you end up really kicking yourself over the late payment fees.

There are a few things that you can do to make it run smoother, though.

I get the impression that you're not necessarily budgeting in advance for things like the MOT and the dentist, even though they're very predictable. That means that when they come up, they feel very stressful.

Have you tried actually creating a yearly budget, and putting away money for predictable expenses? Horrendous hassle at first, but you may feel a lot happier when you've got a month to month plan of where your money is going. You'll know that you've got money put aside for MOT and car maintenance, and for all the other problems that come up.

There's lots of great advice on the Money Saving Expert forums.

You could also set up a direct debit to automatically pay the minimum balance from your credit card, so you never get hit with the late payment fee, and then go in and manually pay as much of the rest as you can.

Also, don't forget - we only had a couple of pairs of shoes when we were growing up, and we never felt hard done by. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the same. Your kids don't always need everything they say they do...

I wonder this too clam. Apparently we are an above average earning family (not high earning by any means but just above average) our mortgage is small and less that the rent on a similar sized social housing property, but we never seem to have money for anything.

Yes we do spend a lot of unnecessary money and I know it but I wonder how, if most people earn less than we do, there are so many new cars/ big houses/elaborate holidays/expensive weddings etc? Or is everyone else just in debt up to their eyeballs?

Agree.

It's shit. I am so fed up. Constantly cutting back and never having anything left. Also found out this month that we will not get a bonus this year inspite of havin worked above and beyond since our boss went on long-term sick leave this time last year- it's not much anyway but it was going to pay for our Haven chalet Not sure how to pay for it now...

clam I know exactly what you mean. Before Easter every child that went anywhere seemed to need £1 for something randon, from dressing up or dressing down, to Sports Relief, to Easter gifts, plus money for raffle tickets AND donating a prize
And now all the (obviously optional) clubs they go to - 1 each after school plus one lunch type activity all need a terms fees.
All smallish amounts but it adds up to atide.
Personally we can't afford a holiday - but I look at other people and they MUST be paying for these things on credit or how can they afford 2 weeks abroad!

People often say on forums that other people have huge amounts of debt, but my theory is that you can see what people have spent the money on, but not where they save.

So you see an expensive car, but you don't know that they never spend any money on furniture, say. Or people go on an expensive holiday, but they eat very cheaply during the whole of the year.

Everything is getting more and more expensive. Petrol is what kills me the most and it is a totally unavoidable expense :( No public transport where I live and I am very lucky to have my job but I do have to drive a fair distance there and back.

I know where you are coming from. I have a very decent income but have nothing left at the end of each month. I just noticed this week that the 8 pack of toilet rolls (Sainsburys own - I never buy brands for this very reason) costs £5.20!!!! I couldn't believe it. Then I went to the shop to buy glue and elastic bands - another £5! How can these cheap, boring things be so expensive?

I gave up going to the hygienist because last time I went it was like being waterboarded . I'll be sorry if my teeth fall out but it was so awful I won't be going there again in a hurry. So that's saved me some money.

Some people live permanently in debt others manage on what they have and others just 'leak' money. It's how it is but sit down and write down all your outgoings every month and see what is/isn't required. If possible dump the cc or pay off the balance as quickly as poss. Use faster payment or dd to avoid late payment fees and switch to an interest free card if neccessary. A lot of cars are company owned or leased and people are prepared to pay £100s a month for an expensive badge. Just because everyone else looks to be doing well doesn't mean they are

All regular bills are paid by monthly direct debit from a designated account, with an additional slush for unexpected bills. In theory. I've also upped the contribution to that account recently by a significant amount.
But we're dipping into savings more and more, which wasn't the plan. But, times are tougher for all I guess.

did you tell the hygienist you felt like that? they could have adjusted the suction for you or something. or find another hygienist? really not a good idea to leave it for too long

You are right margo. It's the small stuff that adds up.

I have to refill the boys pencil cases for school every holiday and that costs a fortune.