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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:
ilovesooty · 30/04/2021 18:40

@Hazel444

Is 'stop overpaying the mortgage' the new 'cancel the cheque'? 😂
Evidently but there isn't really much else to say.
Blondeshavemorefun · 30/04/2021 18:49

@Hazel444

Is 'stop overpaying the mortgage' the new 'cancel the cheque'? 😂
😂😂😂😂😂
PattyPan · 30/04/2021 19:48

At least with cancel the cheque the OP had a reason why it couldn’t be cancelled. OP of this thread has been rather quiet on why she can’t stop overpaying!

2stoneTogo · 30/04/2021 19:51

Yes at least 3-4 days out of every 7 we typically have less than £1 in the bank

After bills food etc that’s just how it is. I figure that if we are paying what we need to and can eat we are ok. Always always make sure there’s petrol in the car for emergencies and just try to make the best of it.
I do worry sometimes but I think others have it worse. I can’t work for MH reasons too which doesn’t help

ElderMillennial · 30/04/2021 19:51

You're choosing to overpay the mortgage so you are skint.

You could stop overpaying or overpay less and will be less skint.

Hmm
LadyCatStark · 30/04/2021 20:16

I don’t really understand the problem here. You’re skint because you overpay the mortgage... so don’t over pay the mortgage!

toocold54 · 30/04/2021 21:07

DH and I have a monthly "allowance" of £50 each for our own spending for clothes, personal essentials etc.

Then your not skint.

You need to write down your ongoing sand outgoings to see what you can cut back on. Something I’ve started doing is paying all of my bills the day I’m paid then putting half the money left over into a different account. When I look at my account and it looks like I’ve got £50 in there instead of £100 I tend not to overspend. I then transfer it in bits only when I desperately need it. Sometimes I will draw it out so I can physically see it going as I find the card too easy to spend on.

SunnyJill · 30/04/2021 21:29

Stop overpaying. Sorted.

Kona84 · 30/04/2021 21:34

You say you are over paying the mortgage because you hate the house and want rid-
Why don’t you sell the house and move elsewhere? Paying off the mortgage won’t mean the house is different

HerMammy · 30/04/2021 21:44

There’s people barely making their rent or feeding their kids and it’s woe is me because you CHOOSE to overpay your mortgage, think I’d rather my kids were clothed properly.
You really do see it all on here 🙄

Ariela · 30/04/2021 21:44

@emptym Can you grow your own berries? And expensive stuff like tomatoes, peppers etc.
I made a killing last year growing from seed and potting up tomato plants that I sold at the gate, but it's not quite too late to sew your own tomatoes. I'd ask on FB locally if anyone has any strawberry plants for sale, quite often people want to thin out runners. Ditto raspberry canes. etc

Cocomarine · 30/04/2021 21:50

So many people on a household income of £35K would have zero chance of getting a mortgage and their own home.

So whilst that’s quite low earnings for two people, it’s somewhat taking the piss to whinge about being skint when you have your own home and can afford to overpay the mortgage.

Not surprised OP didn’t come back. 🤣

I’m imagining her, mumsnetting from a chaise longue, languidly dropping ripe berries into her mouth...

imgoinginsaneinthemembrane · 30/04/2021 21:54

I wish I was skint because I over pay the mortgage. I can barely afford the mortgage and as for checking when the kids need new clothes, no point as I know we haven't got the money. What do you do in my situation. Well run up more debt, if you are not in this situation then I think you need to release you are lucky, you are making sacrifices for a reason. If you want more slack stop overpaying or cut it sightly.

ClarkeGriffin · 30/04/2021 22:05

@HerMammy

There’s people barely making their rent or feeding their kids and it’s woe is me because you CHOOSE to overpay your mortgage, think I’d rather my kids were clothed properly. You really do see it all on here 🙄
Yeah it actually makes op sound neglectful a bit. She is ok with her children wearing clothes that dont fit them as long as she can overpay the mortgage and have £50 a month to spend on herself. Doesn't sound great that overpaying a mortgage is more of a priority.
imgoinginsaneinthemembrane · 30/04/2021 22:23

I thought I'd found my people and I couldn't be more wrong here. Makes me so sad that people choose to pretend to be skint, when some are actually skint, without £50 to spend at all and my washing machines busted one month past the warranty, do you know how expensive the laundrette is ?

Couldhavebeenme2 · 30/04/2021 22:36

@Megan2018

Same. Our outgoings are just too high compared to our income (which is higher than most circa £70k). Ironically I’ll be better off retired in terms of cash. They aren’t things we can change for the foreseeable (old horse that costs the earth, childcare) so it’s just a case of keep on plodding.

I got paid last Friday, all bills paid by 1st. Aside from food budget (separate account for this) we have £2.93 left until payday. Ho hum.

ODFOD. You're so far from skint you can't even see it. Ageing horse? My heart bleeds.

Current circumstances mean our household income is a quarter of yours and my kids are fed and shod as required. Cut your cloth accordingly.

YouJustDoYou · 30/04/2021 22:41

you choose to overpay your mortgage- if ONLY some.of us had that luxury. you get £59 EACH spending money. You buy bloody berries - even in Aldi that's at least £1 per tiny punnet. ffs.

YouJustDoYou · 30/04/2021 22:42

£50. stupid bloody phone.

Blondeshavemorefun · 30/04/2021 22:44

Think she meant old house not horse

bananapumpkin · 30/04/2021 23:27

This thread has gone a bit Four Yorkshiremen. Everyone's situation is different. Maybe OP just needed a bit of reassurance that she isn't the only one struggling.

grapewine · 30/04/2021 23:42

But are you struggling if you can overpay your mortgage?

Cheesypea · 30/04/2021 23:53

I get it op. I was skint for years and years. I can't get a mortgage as a single person.But please do what you can to get the door fixed Flowers

bananapumpkin · 30/04/2021 23:58

Most of us wouldn't make overpaying the mortgage our first priority, but it is surely possible to have some discretionary money and still be struggling overall. I guess it's a matter of perspective - OP's lifestyle sounds very frugal to me and I'd definitely feel I was struggling in that situation, but clearly others are in a worse position so don't see it that way.

insomniaisaballbag · 01/05/2021 02:32

I can't believe some people are really this hard of thinking.

BarbaraofSeville · 01/05/2021 02:59

@bananapumpkin

This thread has gone a bit Four Yorkshiremen. Everyone's situation is different. Maybe OP just needed a bit of reassurance that she isn't the only one struggling.
But how does that help her fix the leaking door or clothe her DC? Confused.

Unlike most people who are actually skint, ie their income doesn't cover their basic outgoings, the OP can meet these and probably just needs to reprioritise. And no, their income isn't that high, but it sounds like there are options, unlike a lot of people and, like a PP says, at least she already has a mortgage, so is building up an asset and isn't seeing all her money going on rent.