To think we will never be able to afford anything?

[Seriouslyscrewed]

Name changed because I am quite ashamed of how I feel but I can't help it!

Let me start by saying that I know that money and material things are not the be all and end all. Most important is having health and happiness.

BUT...i am crazy jealous of people around me because my house is a tiny shit hole and everyone else seems to have new lovley houses or houses where they afford to do it up.

We are very very poor right now. And I can't see a way out of it. Our house is falling apart and I am so depressed about it. I dream of a new kitchen or a nice bedroom.

How do we change our money situation? How do people afford this stuff?

We work so hard but seem to not see a penny I feel like our loves are all ways going to be this way and I'm fed up of being green with envy!!!

There is loads you can do but you sound stuck in a rut. You'd be better going onto the money matters or credit crunch boards and putting your budget on there. Then you would get loads of advice and tips to maximise income and cut costs.

You need to look at everything to save money and sell what you dont need. I have always done this and even though i live on less than many i know, i feel and look like i have more.

Its a mindset, you need to be savvy about every penny.

And stop comparing.

I know how you feel, I recently brought my first house and after living in it for about 6 months started to feel scammed when all the work that needed to be done started being more apparent. I had no idea what I should be looking for, but its a learning experience and I wont make the same mistakes again.
But honestly, I'm still a better off than a lot of people as I own my house and have no real debts. I just have to try and stay positive, its difficult at times as I work in a office full of people 20/30 years older than me who are all in better situations just due to when they were born.
Theres so much work I want to do to my house, and it has a lot of potential considering its small size but I just have to keep telling myself that its not a race. I will get jobs done as and when I can afford it and in 20 years time I'm sure i will be in a similar position as my current work colleagues.

It takes time to get things how you want them and it takes time to save up. You need to decide what takes priority.

Thanks for those who have taken the time to reply. Some of you have been brutal but perhaps that's what I need to hear.

Setting some goals today to get the house in some sort of order, saving towards it and doing bit at a time.

I'd echo visiting moneysavingexpert.com - not only is there advice on saving money on bills, but also advice on generating new income streams, using cashback schemes, saving schemes etc.

The easiest way to make the biggest saving is by switching mortgage providers. This is what we did last year, we got our repayment down from £850 to £700 per month.

Sign upto topcash back to get cash back on all your purchases including insurance. It soon adds up, use hot uk deals to look for discounts and offers before you make purchases. I don't pay full price for anything, I always check the hot uk deals and mumsnet Christmas bargain threads for offerd. I saved an absolute fortune last Christmas through all the offers people kindly posted. You need to shop smart.