To not understand how other people manage whilst renting?

[mrscostello000]

We have rented for years, never could save enough whilst renting for any form of deposit.
Have had to move 9 times in the 11 years of renting due to rent going up / landlord selling / re letting to friends and family which is hard enough but how do people afford this crazy private rent??
In Surrey where we are, we are paying £1150 for a 2 bedroomed house ( 2 children so share a room and will be for foreseeable future which is not ideal as 1 boy / 1 girl and eldest is approaching 5 )
My husband earns £2300 a month so too much to claim anything and I'm a stay at home parent caring for my baby and pre schooler. How do people do it when bills / food takes up a good £800 a month which leaves us about with £400 a month for everything including petrol for the pre school run 2 miles each way 5 times a week so a good £200 a month goes in the car to get us around and we are then left with hardly anything.
Is everyone in the same boat or am I missing something?

Yes, walk to school! Will save £200 pm on petrol

Private rents are totally out of control for the average family.
There needs to be a cap on private rents.

800 pounds a month seems a lot on food and bills for four of you in a two bedroom house.
Am assuming you get child benefit.
Have you thought about meal planning? You could cut your food shop bill significantly by doing this. Do you use Aldi or Lidl?

I remember when Thatcher put a stop to rent controls in the 1980's.
Yet another thing I'll never forgive her for.

We rent. We don't have a car...that saves a LOT. I cycle two miles there and two back to school in summer and spring and get bus pass for winter.

It's shit though OP. Could you move? Cheaper area? In Cheshire a nice house is about 750-800 per month.

You just do I suppose. Touch wood we've only moved 4 times in 13 years and that's my biggest concern tbh.

I gave up the dream of a deposit a long time ago which helps!

That is such a high rent but I know normal in south east etc.
Not sure what to suggest.
Is walking to pre school an option?
I am looking at how much I spend on food and am thinking of planning better with meals. I already use value products mainly.
I find I suit supermarket jeans [thank goodness!] and buy them for 12 pounds at Tesco- every little helps!
I do find things catch me out, especially half term and meeting friends with children too/ splitting bills etc. Had meal with friend and kids yesterday. It was lovely but aware most of my weeks food money gone in one pop.
I am guessing no other option in your area that is cheaper?

I pay £625 for a 3 bed with two toilets and utility in rural Cambs. I'm pretty isolated but that's the price I'm willing to pay for lower rent. I also don't have a car which saves money.

Move somewhere cheaper, you must be barely existing!

£800 for a 3 bed farmhouse in essex. Rent not been put up in 3 years.

BUT that is offset with a very old kitchen, horrible crappy flooring, bad plumbing and single glazing.

If it was done up we would be paying much more. I accept having old crappy interior in exchange for low rent

£800 for food , maybe cut back on the food bill, we spend half that for 4 of us ( kids are 8 and 11 and have packed lunches every day ).

We have always rented, our income is lower than yours but our rent is lower, our water bill is the killer ( water metre ), we don't really save anything so we spend what comes in each week.

Hi,
There are no bus routes that go anywhere near the pre school and come September he will be at school there so even more trips!
We picked this place as flats and houses near the town centre are at least £200 a month more but actually we have saved nothing as spending it all in petrol.
We can't walk it, it's well over an hour each way and the buggyboard bent our pram as he's very tall for his age.
He won't fit in any type of pram or I would happily do the walk each way for the saving on money.
We have a 16 year old car, nothing fancy but insurance on that is £150 a month for us both as my husband had an accident a few years back.
Food is generally £450 a month including everything toiletries nappies for youngest and so on and that is done bwtwen tesco and lidl we don't have sky TV and internet is only on phones at £35 a month each.
We don't have any debts or credit cards and I get the train to see family twice a month in Central London as cheaper than petrol an parking costs but that is still £100 a month.
Moving further would increase this.
We left South London for Surrey 5 years ago as houses here then were £850 a month, we are now £400 a month higher in as many years :(
Nothing fancy either, 2 bed house patio garden, no drive, 2 1/2 miles from train station it's madness.
And then you get chatting to a mum in the park who just pretended to be a single mum, did the hostel nonsense for 2 months and now is in a 2 bedroom house 2 roads away from me yet her rent is £505 and her husband is a prison officer earning £45,000 a year.

We are in the same boat as you, but we have one child and we both work. We will never be able to save for a deposit to buy a place. Our current agreement ends at the end of May, and I'm already anxious about it. Will the landlord want to sell? Will we have to find somewhere else to live? Will DS have to change school? It's no way to live.

I feel for you, I really do. We are in the same boat, and just surviving.

I take it previous posters walk 4 miles a day in all weathers with a pre schooler and baby.

I don't think £800 is unrealistic for food and bills.

The answers are always mealplan and move (I'm not saying that advice isn't helpful, but it gets a bit depressing!)

Fuck me that's a high rent! Surely there has to be something cheaper somewhere!

It really is no way to live is it?
£800 is for bills ( concil tax, water, gas electric car insurance and 2 phones ) and for all the food and toiletries.
Moving further would mean no chance of retuning to work and having a better way of life once my mum retires in 4 years as she is in Central London and wouldn't leave

As I said id be happy to walk but it's hardly fair to expect a 4 year old to walk over an hour each way in the pouring rain is it? This rent is quite average for this area, some bits are less but these have no schools so would be travelling further paying more petrol anyway.

You definitely can't walk.
Honestly....
I do think you could sort out your good bill though.
How about having that Delivered? You can see what you are spending as you go along.
Put yourselves on the council list. Even though you may only get a low banding, this will be useful for shared ownership or a house that has been turned down. Maybe as it is too rural. Sometimes, under occupation is allowed.

Would you not be better off moving back to South London if you have to visit family twice a month at a cost of £100? You would also lose the cost of running a car perhaps?

Otherwise I agree with PP you will have to move out of the south east if you cannot afford it and it is making you miserable

£35 a month each for phones sounds very high to me.

There is literally no way I could get DD who is 4 to walk for 2 hours a day

£800 for bills and food does seem reasonable to me. Especially when factoring in nappies etc.

I know how you feel OP. I'm currently on mat leave and I have been very strict in my spending since we got pregnant to cover our £900 rent (2bed) and bills whilst I'm not earning for the next few months. We moved out of London as we were spending £1200pcm on a tiny 1 bed in zone 5! But we couldn't move too far because of OH'S job, which is in the city (but without the pay ). I'm a teacher and you'd think that between us we'd have enough money to afford more than we can.

We would love to save more but will ge stretched when I go back to work as the average cm or nursery around here is about a grand a month. Although my wage covers that when I'm working, it is a lot when you want to save. Yes we have a car but I need it to commute to work.

However we do have a small food bill as we bulk cook meals for the week and don't eat a lot of meat or have any booze. That's where you could make some savings OP.

Actually, could your husband command those wages anywhere else?
They aren't bad, and would go much further somewhere else.
even here (Dorset) a three bed can be rented for around 600. pcm.