To ask if you have a 40k household income how much your outgoings are?

[PantyGiraffe]

To help me see where we are going wrong!

I’m not working at the moment due to health problems. We have one child. No mortgage (paid for house in full on purchase). We live in a 2 bed house and our bills come to £800 including our car and mobile bills. Car was paid for cash and we don’t spend more than £60 a month in petrol.

Could people of a similar income tell me if their bills are less than this and if so how?

Is your contents insurance also buildings insurance? If not, as a home owner, you really need that.

@dontdisturbmenow the house was bought with inheritance, not cos we are loaded. We don’t budget for house repairs, just if and when we need them. The house was totally renovated by previous owners so not much has needed doing yet. I’ve listed utility costs above.

What’s your actual question? Take home on £40k must be 2.3-2.5k depending on pension. So your bills aren’t a huge percentage of that amount. Are you struggling?

Why is our water so high then, that’s weird! We are on a meter. We each have a quick shower a day and I do a wash load every two days. That’s it!

@MoonlightBonnet no just don’t end up with enough to save really.

I’d say VM and water both look exceptionally high to me! You also have a lot of insurances... couldn’t you combine house and contents insurance?? I think we pay £20 total for this per month for a four bed

I forgot to list building insurance, that’s £30

I don't understand why virgin media is so high?

I'd check there is not a leak on the water or something. Mine is 29 a month. That's for 3 of us.

So he must bring home, what, around £2500?

Leaving £1700 for food and extras.

Doesn’t seem like you’re doing badly to me, you’re fortunate to have no mortgage. Mobiles and Virgin media seem high. Also car breakdown. Mine is £5 a month.

Maybe virgin bills have gone up and up and up over the years as we have been with them for god knows how long.

I’ll ring the water company cos yes that doesn’t seem right.

If your husband needs sky movies and sports for work purposes, he should claim them back on expenses really!

My water is £40 a month. Phones £40. Broadband and TV £23. Building and contents £22.
Everything else is similar.

3 of us pay half that monthly for water . Are you on a meter ?

Oh also our life insurance lower £25 a month.

Is your Council Tax spread over 10 months (most direct debits are)? If so, phone up and ask for it to be spread over the full 12 months.

I think we are overspending on food as well. Ds and I have different allergies and dh’s shifts mean we can end up eating three different dinners often.

You're asking the wrong question. It doesn't matter what anyone else pays you need to make sure each item is the cheapest for you

The things that Jump out are water, phones and Virgin media and house insurance but all need more detail to make any valid suggestions.

My life insurance is high cos I am virtually uninsurable.

Your buildings and contents insurance both seem very high but that does depend on your house/ flood risk/ contents covered etc.

It might be worth seeing if you can get a better quote though as £600pa is expensive if there's no special circumstances.

Like the others are saying, water, virgin, mobiles, building/contents all look high.
Worth reviewing car breakdown when that renews - looks high, but not mega savings.
We don't have heating/plumbing cover. Is that competitive?

To be perfectly blunt, I don't think your bills are the problem if you're unable to save anything on 40k a year and no mortgage.

You said the Virgin has channels your DH need for work. can he not claim that on expenses?

We are 2 adults and ds and on a water meter pay £38 a month. 2 x mobile phones at £30 each a month. Virgin media (we only have the internet and Netflix) is £25.50 a month. We keep our Bill's low because we dont earn enough to be extravagant with them

I’m not sure if the heating cover is cheap or pricey- answers on a postcard!

I don't think bills, except the Virgin and water are the issue...
You must be overspending elsewhere if you can't save on that wage with these bills