why are we struggling

[wwoiu]

Just looked at our budgets - yet again....and despite bringing in 6.5k per month, we just seem to be struggling. Our rent is 2000 and childcare is 500 - plus the usual transport 500. But we should have loads left for savings and holidays and stuff and yet we don't. We cant change any of those but need to find ways of cutting down in other areas. Any tips?

Sorry was teaching and therefore only just back on the thread. It is not a wind up and yes I did not include all the other costs - the immovable stuff is about 1800 per month - that includes all food, insurances, bills, council tax, broadband, phones - but not clothes, Christmas stuff, money for presents, savings, holidays or kids activities.

So it's basically

6.5k per month

2k rent
500 childcare
500 transport
1800 bills plus food

=
4800 fixed costs that we cant change.

so we have 1700 for stuff like clothes, christmas, savings, holidays etc

We do live in London - so I guess things cost more. But I assumed this should be a lot easier than it is.

What are you eating - where is it from

You're not struggling, you have less disposable income each month.

@BMW6 thanks for that and I have read the room - MN is the ort of place where having 8k holiday budget per year or spending 200 quid on a coat is the norm. Thats the room

Oh and the thread title "Why are we struggling"

What struggle? Where?

FFS

HAHAHAHAHA

No, that's Netmums -----> 🙄

*1800 bills plus food

=
4800 fixed costs that we cant change.*

Sure 🙄

You're some sort of "teacher" who earns that sort of money but doesn't know how to read a bank statement or use a spreadsheet? Sounds legit to me....

4800 fixed costs that we cant change

How much do you spend on food each month? Also broadband, insurance and phones?

If you don't shop around, look for deals and think about what you're spending, you could well spend more than you need to on these things. If you save a bit of money here and there, it will free up more disposable income for spending or saving.

Also has to pay £2k ‘London’ rent but somehow also commutes from about zone 6 with £500 travel costs.

I honestly don't think you're actually spending what you think you're spending on the fixed costs. In our area, £2000-£2300 s pretty standard for a good sized 3 bed hours or v small 4 bed house. But we're zone 6 so transport costs can be high if commuting into London - we have one car loan, two sets of car insurance and petrol and we don't have long commutes and our transport costs come to about the same as yours.

Council tax and gas/electric etc are over £500 per month for us. And our food/cleaning materials/pet food bill is high.

I'm not convinced you have an accurate idea of what your'e spending. Have you actually gone through your budget and added up every single expenditure at a supermarket? As a PP said, have you calculated what you're spending on a sandwich, crisps and drink at Tesco at lunch time? Or how much you're spending on "top up" shops?

What about additional costs for the children? Swimming lessons? Football club? Weekly mcdonald's?

OP what’s the breakdown of the £1800 bills number. And the breakdown of £1700 additional spending.

You need to give more detail for anyone to give you serious advice.

6.5k combined net income isn't that high in London. Sorry to be blunt.

This rent is really not exceptionally high for open market in the south east for a family home (eg a modest 3 bed semi round the edges of London).

Op isnt saying she is poor.

What is clear is she is unrealistic about the sort of lifestyle which is affordable on their income, and may need to recalibrate her expectations, or risk trying to live a high income lifestyle on a middle income.

Cost of living rises mean many people on incomes which used to be considered high, are really not well off at all now.

The OP might not be able to change her rent, travel or childcare costs without moving house, but £1800 for food and utilities etc sounds like a lot, as does £1700 for general living costs especially as some of these things such as holidays/christmas/eating out will be lower priority than having savings for emergencies etc.

I know a lot of things cost more in London, but many costs are similar or even cheaper, eg council tax, public transport and possibly utility bills, given that the climate is milder than much of the country and homes are generally smaller so cheaper to heat.

Where do you shop groceries? Because it makes difference if it's Waitrose or Tesco.
1700 for clothes- you certainly don't need this much. Kids need new clothes often, but adults don't.
Do you pay too much for phones, broadbands etc. perhaps? Maybe you could get better deals.

Really, tracking your spendings religiously is the only way to improve things. Maybe you don't realise, and you spend 200 quid for coffees and takeaways? Heck knows. But it adds up surely.

Set up a GoFundMe OP it must be so hard for you 🙄

In terms of rent - it's a standard three bed house. Honestly, nothing special. Kids are settled in schools. We need two travel cards into central London plus a cheap car - that's our travel.

Our bills are electric, gaz, council, broadband, water, insurances, phones.

We aim to spend 600 on food for the four of us. We used to spend less but it's been creeping up since prices went up. Kids do swimming (30 pounds each) plus maybe one more activity per week - so 120 in total.

I think my point was more that at our level - I didnt think we would need to be that meticulous with our spends. It is because I get that we earn ok that am pissed off.

Kids wanted to go and see a Christmas play but honestly its like £25 each for rubbish seats - so £100.

I think my point was more that at our level - I didnt think we would need to be that meticulous with our spends. It is because I get that we earn ok that am pissed off.

I think you are unrealistic about where you sit in the income spectrum in London these days. Salaries in many corporate/professional occupations have increased massively in years of late but salaries in things like teaching etc have not kept pace, meaning those people are comparatively worse off.

It's probably partly that you're seeing that some things aren't very good value for money and thinking about what else you could do with that money.

Lots of leisure spending has got really expensive in the last year or two, and it's not always that it's unaffordable, more that you look at it and think '£100 for that, no thank you'.

It's something to be mindful of no matter how much money you have - unless you're so well off that you genuinely could buy/do everything you wanted, there's always going to be an element of compromise somewhere, so you should expect to have to think about what you're spending and on what, just about everyone does.

Just because some people earn more doesn’t mean OPs income is remotely low in London.
We take home about 1.5k less than op, pay over double the cost of her childcare, save at least 1k while going on several holidays.

OP is literally describing herself as “struggling” and complaining she can’t afford to save or go on holiday. It’s not struggling, it’s living beyond your means which you can do earning 30k or 300k.

Op os moaning they are struggling and can't afford holidays while claiming to spend 8k a year on holidays

And buys 200 quid coats

Sure sounds like a struggle