To ask how much 'surplus' money your household has at the end of the month?

[SeiShann]

This is not a stealth boast. I was brought up in a poor family. Single parent mum on benefits in council flat. I started my own adult life in a similar fashion, ended up a single parent on benefits in a council house. Somehow I managed to sort myself out though, went to uni and became a nurse. Not great income but more than I ever thought possible. My fiancé also earns a decent wage although we're not 'loaded' by any stretch of the imagination.
Anyway the point of my post ... I want to buy a car. It will cost £9k and I will pay for it by selling my current car (£2k) and saving up £3. The rest will be credit. Fiancé says we can't afford it and are not as 'flush' as I like to think. Just being nosy really and wondering if I'm missing something. So after all bills are paid and the groceries bought, what surplus do you have?
We spend £100 a week on groceries (2 adults, 2 teens). After that and all bills we have around £2000 surplus. I don't think that's bad myself but coming from a crappy background, am I missing something? We have no debts

Actually that's a point. Say £200 monthly repayment on car (depending on deposit), car tax, MOT, insurance and petrol. Servicing costs are on Audis are horrendous. You really would be pushing it.

I bought a 2 year old Golf for £8800 about 5 years ago. It's great. But last year I needed a service, cam belt change and something else (can't remember) and it came to about £800. This year I had an issue with my alternator and needed and new battery and tensioner replacement... That came to £200. And AA membership is not cheap!

If it gives you pleasure, and you can afford it, and you've worked hard for the money, who the hell are you to say it's ridiculous. If you don't want an expensive car, don't effing buy one.

A car, up to a point, is a necessity, and the rest is luxury. Of course if you have the money* you should get whatever the hell you want. But if you don't, and it sounds like the OP doesn't, then you may be buying beyond your means. that's just not smart.

*having the money doesn't mean you can just barely afford it. A 9k car is luxury given that a 4k car will be reasonably reliable.

Lots of people get into car debt, and I just don't get it. They buy 10k-15k and really can't afford it. it makes no sense.

We can rack up 3500 in savings per month, but only when DP is working. Sometimes there is no work for 2 or 3 months and it gets nerve wracking but currently there has been 24 months continuous. I work as the 'back stop' part time, in case the big money dries up completely.

I don't think it's insane to get a nice car, btw. I just spend £14k on a decent new estate car. And yeah, it was expensive, but we had the money (we didn't go into debt) and it means we have a solid, reliable, spacious car which we hope will last ten years (the length of time our last car lasted) with minimal trouble. Plus it's low emissions, so lower road tax (which older cars rarely have) and better for the planet.

My DSis just bought a sports car. She had the money. It has brought her pleasure. Why not? You make your choices in life and prioritize different things.

This thread has been really good to read - always interesting to hear about how people use/save disposable income and great to find YNAB. Thanks!

It's just a ponced-up Audi A4, ie a ponced-up Skoda Octavia,

Rubbish. Loads of cars and vans share the same chassis these days. It's not unusual at all. But to move from that to say an Audi A5 is just a ponced up Skoda Octavia is just tripe. I've driven both (in fact I'm using an Octavia at work today) and they are entirely different beasts.

The Audi A5 is a very high quality stylish coupe, and a delight to own and drive, and the Octavia is a very efficient well built workhorse with no appeal whatsoever beyond that.

Also good to hear abt car buying although it seems according to pp spending 200 per month on lease type schemes for new cars is cheaper overall than buying outright orwith finance an older model? Do the new car schemes include repairs/parts in this 200?

I dont earn that in a month. I lucked out & found a flat ?100 less than going rent rate in lovely area (it needed serious tlc/coat of paint, which i've done). I'm careful how i spend (packed lunches/charity shops where i live have lot of designer castoff's people dont bother ebaying). Only 'vice' is ? on home decor - its small but beautiful now! ?200 left a month.

It would be double that but i used to have 2ndhand cars which was false economy: needed credit card for constant repairs. Would have been cheaper to lease one. Now in London so no car needed thank the lord.

impish I am driving a lease car which I recently acquired after my old car became too small. The monthly payment of £240 covers everything (insurance, breakdown cover, servicing, tyres, repairs etc). It does bother me that I am paying for something that I will never own but my previous car was costing me £120 per month on interest free finance, plus insurance, serving and maintenance costs and it cost me £650 in repairs during the last 12 months of ownership. Added to that the depreciation that it suffered over my four years of ownership and the fact that it was fuel inefficient. I am actually probably spending less per annum now for a more luxurious car which is reliable and fuel efficient and I don't have to worry about unexpected repair bills or being off the road for an unknown amount of time.

Quite unusual to have insurance covered in a lease deal? How do they factor that in?

I have no idea how they factor it in but it is included. They did have several exclusions - no drivers under 25 and no drivers who only hold a provisional licence.

What a weird thread.

So your DH is triggering away money on (I assume) himself. To the tune of £1500 per month and you have no idea what on, or a clue about your finances?

I think you need to sit down and talk, and spreadsheet, and get a bit more involved.

He can piss money up the wall

But you're not allowed to spend any yourself?

triggeing should be frittering.

An A5 is a pounced up Skoda Octavia what rubbish hahahaha! Completely different drive and car.
They aren't overly expensive to run and the most reliable car I've ever had and that was the coupe 3lt, when the fuel costs were really high and it was still cheaper to run than the BMW and Golf I'd had before.
I had it for 5 years and it cost less in total than 'cheaper' cars I've had over the last 30 years.
The only reason I sold it was because I was offered a great deal (had the car 5 years and got 2 1/2 k less than I bought it for as they hold the price too).
I think the idea said above leasing may be a good compromise.

One should keep 2-3 times your rental or mortgage amount aside for rainy days. Money on top of that could be spent as you wish. Cars are depreciating assets though but there is no price tag on happiness.

One should keep 2-3 times your rental or mortgage amount aside for rainy days. Money on top of that could be spent as you wish. Cars are depreciating assets though.

Thank you Superexcited, will definitely look into it!