To be permanently skint, despite being on a good salary?

[cherriesandapplesandberries]

On paper, we have a good combined income of around £85,000, although it varies slightly and can even go up to around 90 on a good year.

But we seem to be permanently skint, and I don’t mean not much money, I mean absolutely nothing in the bank accounts, scrabbling round for loose change, stressing about how we will get to work, skint. This isn’t a begging thread by the way, I know sometimes people post on MN wanting others to offer them money and I don’t, I’m just trying to explain how it is.

We do have debts, loans and credit cards plus obviously the mortgage, childcare fees, cars which cost then obviously the needs of a growing family.

I know back when I was a young ‘un I’d have fallen about laughing at the idea my current salary isn’t enough to live on, but I just seem to be struggling all of the time!

Op I think you are one of the worst OPs i have seen on here in years. You are dishonest and not letting on about your earnings and debts. Its obvious you have massive debts and completely disorganised with your finances and feel very entitled to a certain lifestyle. You have been given a lot of really helpful advice on here and been very rude to people trying to help. Just carry on being an ostrich with your head in the sand but i have no sympathy whatsover. Yabvvu. Also dont bother going on Martin Lewis website you need to be HONEST abt you incomings and outgoings so it will be pointless like this thread.

Whilst your pension is important, you'll likely lose more in paying interest on your loans and credit cards than you'll gain in pension in the long run.

I would look at all your costs and see if you can get a cheaper mortgage/gas/electric/TV package/phone

I would suspend pension contributions for 1 year - you say you have 2 loans paying off in this year so I'd also use the £300/month saved to directly pay off any other loans and credit cards. That £3.6K could make a significant reduction in the amount you owe and give you the flexibility to shuffle money onto an interest free credit card if you can, which should reduce the monthly payment needed- but always overpay if you can.

As you appear to be a teacher can you rake in extra funds by tutoring on eg a Saturday morning while your DH does childcare? I know ones round here charge a lot per hour - £20-25/hour if you are good. That could net you an extra £4-500/month.
I would also look at a 1-off change or payment date for your mortgage/credit card bills etc - if you can move the date payment goes out to just after the next pay day, you may be able to save a month's payments. Most mortgage companies will allow you to do this once, but it will free up a month's money - which you can also spend on paying down the loans/credit cards.

What a nasty post, grey

If you opt out of your pension how long would it actually take to clear your debt? Are you disciplined in clearing it or do you put several ‘little’ things on your credit card(s) monthly?

Do you know exactly how much you owe?

Do you and your husband have full knowledge of each other’s financial status?

Don’t be silly, grey

FYI, you click on the little dots to the right and go to report and tell MNHQ you think it’s a troll and they can look into it.

RTFT Grey.

You're not being polite, you're being goady as fuck, and you know it full well.

Loving your moral high ground eye rolling at posters who are questioning your vague drip feeding on a thread you have started a thread about scrabbling round the sofa for coins when your income is 85k

No webuilt, you’ve decided to read my posts like that. I’m really not.

If you’re getting angry, hide the thread, and I don’t mean that as twattish as it sounds. I’ve been wound up by threads on here before and it’s so much better for everybody if you just walk away rather than starting a pointless argument. I’ve enough stress and drama in RL without having it on here as well, believe me.

I'm glad it's been reported. There are still well meaning posters who probably haven't read the whole thread taking the time to post advice on here.

I think some people get very angry simply because others dare to say they are struggling on a higher than average income.

They're not angry about that. They're angry because of the way the OP is engaging (or not) with the thread. She's wasting people's time - I have no idea why.

@WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles
@Greydove28

omg wind your neck in!

At 9:03am today this is what op @cherriesandapplesandberries stated:

I wasn’t necessarily looking for advice, which is why I didn’t put figures in, I’m not totally comfortable discussing finances on an open forum. I wondered if anyone else was in the same boat.

Nobody is forcing you to read or contribute to this thread. OP made her motivations for starting the thread explicitly clear.

Yes and there’s the old ‘how dare you not take my advice’ line too, which is why I tried to make it clear I wasn’t looking for advice.

And yet you’re still here lola so that’s probably the biggest waste of time of all, wouldn’t you say?

I was reading this thread at 10am this morning. OPs responses were vague and blunt as fuck. I'm not sure what the purpose of the thread is 🤷🏽‍♀️

Do you struggle with reading, button?

They're not angry about that. They're angry because of the way the OP is engaging (or not) with the thread.

I disagree, every similar thread has the same responses regardless if the OP wants advice or to vent etc

Ah yes now I see the purpose @cherriesandapplesandberries

YA most definitely BU

Well, nurse quoted me clearly saying what the thread was for.

So either you have problems reading, or didn’t bother.

Which is it?

I think that the OP has been remarkably restrained considering the assumptions, the demands for full financial disclosure and the anger that other posters have displayed. It was absolutely clear very early on in the thread that this wasn't an advice-seeking thread. Just because people are having trouble getting their heads around that or the OP doesn't behave how some posters think they should, doesn't make them a troll. Don't post if it winds you up, it's not compulsory you know.

I honestly think that’s good advice really

I’ve realised before I’ve been getting way too angry with threads and stepped back.

I hear you OP.
Our joint income is about £95k and we make ends meet but nothing left over.

Childcare £1200, mortgage £1500, bills, fuel, car, food, kids activities, kids clothes, , credit cards, loan... living in London is expensive. We do t have sky, nor have designer clothes, shop in Aldi/Morrison’s. OH cycles as much as he can to work otherwise it costs him £50 a week

We have found a Monzo account has helped us reduce outgoings slightly.

There are still well meaning posters who probably haven't read the whole thread taking the time to post advice on here.

Not reading the whole thread, or at least the OP's posts is stupid and pretty rude. If they then waste their time posting unasked for advice that's their own lookout, frankly.