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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is anyone else always always skint?

152 replies

emptym · 30/04/2021 15:03

We budget to an inch of our lives but for years we've always been skint. Everything I buy I always need to check if we have enough money for it. I can't just go out and buy the kids clothes when theyve outgrown them. I can't just get a new front door fitted because it's been leaking for 2 years. There's so many other things we need that are deemed more essential that it will probably stay like that for a further 2 years. We have a household income of £35k gross. We shouldn't be this skint.

OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 30/04/2021 15:08

If you really can’t cut back, I’d look at a second job etc.

WishingHopingThinkingPraying · 30/04/2021 15:14

Are you both working full-time? That's what people typically need to do these days to fund a family. But you are right. Life, even just the basics, is expensive!

coodawoodashooda · 30/04/2021 15:19

What kind of luxurious do you enjoy?

BarbaraofSeville · 30/04/2021 15:20

What's the problem? Fixed outgoings too high, or money leaking away somewhere?

Have you reviewed every aspect of your finances?

www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/money-help/

Seafog · 30/04/2021 15:21

There was a time like this, but we moved away for better jobs, and thankfully no longer struggling.

Original poster
emptym · 30/04/2021 15:40

It's the mortgage. We live in a very small house in a crap part of town but it's sucked us dry ever since we've had it. I fucking hate it. We've been overpaying it a bit over the last few years and will be ramping it up even more this year onwards as I want it gone! We've had 3 redundancies in the last 8 years - last one was covid which has really hit us financially each time and we've had to build ourselves up again. It's been agony times and honestly I'm getting really fed up and ground down.
I honestly think affordable housing could lift millions out of poverty. Something seriously has gone wrong in the system.

OP posts:
osbertthesyrianhamster · 30/04/2021 15:43

Yep!

Ginmakesitallok · 30/04/2021 15:44

I don't understand why you are overpaying your mortgage if you are struggling?

DinosaurDiana · 30/04/2021 15:45

You’re short of money, yet you overpay the mortgage ?

Original poster
emptym · 30/04/2021 15:47

@coodawoodashooda

What kind of luxurious do you enjoy?
Takeaways once a month Holidays - we do a week in the UK somewhere but it's usually every few years. Last time was in 2018. Prices have gone up now so that won't be happening soon. We eat lots of berries which I class as a luxury as they're so expensive.

Aoart from that can't think of anything really. DH and I have a monthly "allowance" of £50 each for our own spending for clothes, personal essentials etc.

OP posts:
OneRingToRuleThemAll · 30/04/2021 15:47

We budget to the penny, but I wouldn't say we are skint. I just like to know where the money is going. It baffles me when people don't budget. Surely very few people can just spend off plan without it causing problems in the finances. How would they know if they are spending too much if they don't keep track of it?

JensonsAcolyte · 30/04/2021 15:47

Well it’s income v outgoings, it’s really very simple.

Why on Earth would you overpay a mortgage when you’re living month to month though, honestly that is poor management.

BarbaraofSeville · 30/04/2021 15:48

Has your income reduced since you got the mortgage, possibly due to the redundancies?

Lending criteria are quite strict these days, meaning that mortgages should actually be quite affordable, especially considering that interest rates have been virtually nothing for close to 15 years.

Original poster
emptym · 30/04/2021 15:48

@Ginmakesitallok

I don't understand why you are overpaying your mortgage if you are struggling?
We're actually skint because we overpay the mortgage.
OP posts:
doomonic · 30/04/2021 15:49

Just don't overpay the mortgage 🤷🏻‍♀️

DinosaurDiana · 30/04/2021 15:50

My DH was off sick for a couple of years. We were skint.
But I wouldn’t have bought berries, I’d have bought apples etc, and we didn’t get £50 pm to spend on ourselves. We bought only what we needed, not what we wanted.

SuperMonkeys · 30/04/2021 15:50

Then you're not skint in the truest sense of the word, sorry. Don't overpay and save for a front door, or buy the kids some clothes.

Bagelsandbrie · 30/04/2021 15:50

There is no point overpaying the mortgage if it’s making you skint.

JensonsAcolyte · 30/04/2021 15:50

Just stop overpaying the mortgage then.

Confused
BarbaraofSeville · 30/04/2021 15:50

If you can afford to buy lots of berries, overpay the mortgage, and have a £50 a month personal spending allowance each, things can't be that bad surely?

Merryoldgoat · 30/04/2021 15:51

35k isn’t much for two working adults - is one of your PT? How old are your children?

Coulddowithanap · 30/04/2021 15:52

Simple thing to do would be to stop overpayments on your mortgage or lower them at least.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 30/04/2021 15:52

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ClarkeGriffin · 30/04/2021 15:53

You can't afford to overpay clearly. There's your problem.

Coulddowithanap · 30/04/2021 15:53

@BarbaraofSeville

If you can afford to buy lots of berries, overpay the mortgage, and have a £50 a month personal spending allowance each, things can't be that bad surely?
I agree. You don't sound skint.