To ask what are your actual household bills? Given the way things are going?

[Threestripesurout]

Just that really, with the way things are heading what are your household bills?
What will you get rid of first?

Mine are
Mortgage 760
Council tax 192
Electricity 110
Gas 100
Water 60
Phone x2 49.99
Netflix 6.99
Broadband 17.99
Life insurance 22
Food 80 per week (family of 4)
Fuel 60 per week (dh cycles to work)
No childcare thank god! My mum collects the dc from school and then I collect from hers after work

Obviously the Netflix would be going first as my electric and gas haven’t gone up yet.
I don’t know what else could go…life insurance?? Need the broadband for work as I wfh…

What about you?

I know it’s personal but it might be helpful (I don’t think how!)

Mortgage £600
Council tax £130
Gas & Electric £73
Water £28
Phone £40, £25, £30 & £8
Broadband £45
Netflix 4K £13.99
Apple TV £6
Disney Plus £7
Amazon Prime £9.99
Apple Music family £15
Stars channel £7
Petrol £240
Car payments £430
Car insurances £95
Home insurance £15
Life insurance £20
Asda delivery pass £6
Food shop £800 family of 5

Latest electric bill was over £700 for 3 months, who knows what it will be like after April!

@TedOnTheBed your water bill is nice and low…my dh has a shower when he gets home each (cycling home from work outcome I suppose!)

@Mum2jenny yes the electricity is scary at the moment

If it came down to it, Netflix and my window cleaner would be the first things to go. I've just packed up smoking so will save 60 quid a month there too.

If I had to really buckle my belt, it would be karate next but I don't want that to happen as it's the only time I get to myself.

I would probably change some items in my weekly shop to the 'savers' versions. Lidls cheap beans are actually quite nice.

I've already reduced the amount of laundry in my house and I'm doing very quick washes at low temps unless I really need to use a longer wash.

I've bought myself a heated airer to reduce my tumble dryer usage. Luckily I've managed to line dry my clothes outside since last week.

Bought some rechargeable led desk lamps to use at night so I dont need mains lights on. I charge the lamps at work or in my car on the way to work.
If my son had to go back on to packed lunches I would do that too.

@PurpleThursdays you just reminded me of the dc swimming that’s 60! My parents pay for their gymnastics which is very kind of them (my Dm was a gymnast so it’s in her blood to want them to do it! 🤣

Please please please don’t cancel the life insurance.

Imagine the surviving partner one salary and parent to the children down, and having to try and pay for all of your bill list alone.

Trust me when I say, the stress would break them.

I think you do well to shop for a family if 4 for £80
How much do you earn though ? I can't see where you can cut down either really

@LolaButt I don’t think I really would to be honest but it’s hard to know.

@worriedatthistime I’m an avid meal planner to be honest. We earn about 75k combined which I know is very good but dh has been made redundant twice and my work is always restructuring which unnerves me sometimes

If you already have a handset and are out of contract then you could reduce your phone costs. I pay £8 per month for that.

So your able to save then just incase
I would just keep what you have as long as you can still save etc and then you can reduce if things change at least of you have savings you have something to fall back him

Essential:

Mortgage 350
Council tax 84
Internet 24
Car insurance 33
Home insurance 8
Water 30
Electric 120
Food 150ish

Discretionary:

Tv license 10
Audible 8
Petrol 100ish
Contacts 30
Netflix 6
Phone 20
Gym 30

About a grand in total, which is less than 1/3 my take home pay. About to drop as my bf is moving in soon. I feel v lucky.

I'm in Ireland and mortgage free so my bills are:
Electricity 80
Waste 25
Phone 20
Broadband and tv 59
Life insurance 60

Food 100 per week
Fuel for 2 cars 120 per week (was about 80!)
Childcare- same as you @Threestripesurout my dm minds them or they go to Afterschool which is 8 per hour for two.

Car tax/insurance and house insurance I pay annually

The first couple of posts have very high phone costs. Could be way way lower! Never a good idea to buy on a contract, buy outright and keep it until it dies. £5/month on credit or cheap contract deal.

I always find these threads fascinating.

Our mortgage is over £1200, but my electricity bill is £75. That's cooking on electric as we have no gas.
We are also lucky that we're on rates for water at £16 a month.

And phones are £25 each for adults. Kids on £6 a month using old handsets.

Mortgage £700 but we are moving and it will be £900 soon
Water £26
Council Tax £210
Electricity £150 (will go up) and we will have oil in new house too, probably £100+
Insurance £25, will go up to £60ish
Netflix £15
Sky £65 includes Broadband and line rental
TV license £13ish (can’t remember what it is actually)
Spotify £14
Window cleaner £12
Nursery £770, goes down in January to £450ish
Food £500
Life insurance £50
Horse £6-700 (not forever, she is old)
Mobiles £90 but handsets paid for very soon, will be less than £20 then
Credit card minimum £40 (0% interest, will keep tarting the balance)
2 x Cars £350 inc insurance and all running costs

Joint income of £65k plus net rental income of circa £7k
We have another 2.5 years of childcare and the horse is sadly on her way out so could be gone in months (or a few years max). I can’t afford her anymore but we make do.

We can only cut food and put more on credit until we are out of nursery costs. But I will consider full time work again too in the future (I do 30hrs now).

If it all goes to shit we have a BTL with some equity in we can cash out of. Not enough to pay off the mortgage but can clear half. So we are luckier than some.

Mine 😭
Mortgage 1260
Council tax 206
Car 505
Electricity 240
Water 40
Phone 10
Netflix 6.99
Amazon 7.99
Sky / fibre / phone 70
Life insurance 21
Food 150per week (family of 4)
Fuel 50 per week
Childcare 1200
Swimming 40
Tv license 13
Contacts 20

Mortgage £1154
House Insurance £39
Water £50
Council Tax £157
Electric and gas £148
Life Insurance and Income Protection £67
Car Insurance £26
Car Tax £27
Car PCP £349
Pet Insurance £62
Sky £46
TV License £13
Phones £44
Charity £35
Window Cleaner £16
Credit cards £70
NHS PPC £11
Cleaner £130
Amazon Prime £8
Spotify £14

Weirdly I redid ours tonight. First to go would be cleaner, window cleaner, Amazon prime, Spotify.

Electricity and gas 140
Loan payments 175
Mortgage 290
Council Tax 104
Life insurance 32.49
TV license 13.37
Car insurance 27.02
House insurance 14.68
Phones 32
Broadband 24.99
Disney+ 7.99
Netflix 9.99
Amazon Prime 7.99
Amazon Music 3.99
Food shop £240
Fuel £160ish

Netflix is the first thing that's going. No idea why there's Amazon Music, must ask DH that one. We have 2 DC, one has club costs at £5 per week, not been able to afford other activities since before covid so I've no plans to stop that. They still need some fun!

Our variables are
Childcare £700
Food £400
Pets £150
Travel £200

That council tax payment how does that work if you lose your job?
What does it pay for? We don't have it her in Ireland so I'm struggling to understand it...sorry.

@shabbalabba its to pay for poilce , street lighning , bins etc
The bill remains the same and based on house value , if singe you get a 25% discount and if on benefits its counted as bills like rent so you may get help towards it or not have to pay
Its basically for local council

** single

@worriedatthistime thats worrying for those who lose their jobs if they still have to pay isn't it. Here those charges are part of our taxes so if you're not employed you don't pay I suppose.