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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my monthly bills are FAR too high?

227 replies

Mysteriousgirl2 · 14/12/2023 20:14

Childcare £651
Food £450
Gym & swimming lessons £360
Car finance £325
Cleaner £240
Pet insurance £38
Mobile £17
car insurance £60
house insurance £92
Private pension £200

We are mortgage free. I take home about 2,200pcm and cover all the above costs.

I need to massively cut down, don’t I? 🙁

OP posts:
Beezknees · 14/12/2023 20:53

Does your DH bring home significantly less than you, is that why you pay a lot more? Giving him the benefit of the doubt.

TeenLifeMum · 14/12/2023 20:54

@merrymerrychristmasall once a phone is paid off you can just pay the contract - mine is £7 for unlimited minutes and 20gb data each month.

Cleaner seems disproportionately high compared to income. Do you have a mansion?

caringcarer · 14/12/2023 20:56

I've got a 6 bedroom house and my house insurance is only £450 pa. I don't see why yours is so high. Did you go on a comparison website?

Your gym and swimming is very high. Can't you find a cheaper gym and us a council swimming pool?

Your cleaner is very expensive how ever many hours do you have each week? Can you cut back to 2 hours a week?

You are living above your means. You don't seem to be saving anything. That would be a huge worry to me. What about holidays? Birthday as Nd Xmas gifts? Contingencies?

Original poster
Mysteriousgirl2 · 14/12/2023 20:57

Gym and swimming:

3DC swimming £30each/ month
So the swimming is £90/ month in total for group lessons.

Family gym membership for the 5 of us at David Lloyd is £270.

I’ve justified it before as it means we can all swim together after lessons at the weekend, and it is a monthly spend which we do instead of a big holiday each year. It keeps me going over the dark winter (we live rurally and going to the play area has been a godsend over the winter months) It seems extravagant on paper, now though.

OP posts:
Nodsmileandbiteyourtongue · 14/12/2023 20:58

If DH has oodles left over once his monthly bills are paid, your first action should be to ensure family & house costs are shared fairly / proportionally between you as they don’t seem to be…

Then look at what other adjustments could be made.

Legaleagleplease · 14/12/2023 20:58

Get rid of the cleaner for a start!

Dweetfidilove · 14/12/2023 21:00

I’m hoping your husband is on a low income and this is not one of those - ‘you should be so grateful to live in my mortgage free house, you can spend all your money on the bills while I stockpile my income in my bank account’ 🤞🏾.

The gym bill sounds high, as does the insurance, so maybe start there.

Tryingtokeepcalmandcarryon · 14/12/2023 21:01

Food and childcare are reasonable, house insurance is incredibly high. I would check that and make sure it’s the cheapest deal.

Obviously car payments, cleaner and gym/swimming is nearly 1k a month, the same or more than a lot of peoples mortgages. Without these x3 (which lots of people don’t have), you would feel so much better off!

Car finance payments are never going to be a cheap option, I’m sure many different opinions on whether buying a car outright vs monthly finance is the way to go but finance payments add up considerably if you look over a long period, 5/10 years. Obviously though you need the savings there to buy a car outright (we did for 10k) which isn’t easy. And there’s always a risk the car has issues that need fixing.

I would also really try to put more into your pension if you can, if you can do this via salary sacrifice you’ll save on the tax and there are NI savings too.

Christmassss · 14/12/2023 21:01

OP you need to give more details of household income, your DH’d contribution sound low. Does he work part time snd if so do you need the cleaner?
How do you budget for Christmas, school trips, hair cuts, clothes etc etc?

Focalpoint · 14/12/2023 21:02

House insurance could be reasonable I'd previously flooded.

GreatGateauxsby · 14/12/2023 21:04

Gym & swimming lessons £360

this is very much a nice to have.
i had such a sneaking suspicion it would be David Lloyd….😅😅😅

ps so jealous you are mortgage free 😍

it’s a huge proportion of your take home though so worth looking at other options… better gyms for example.

Olika · 14/12/2023 21:05

Why is your DH paying so little?

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 14/12/2023 21:10

Gym, car and cleaner seem really high but I suppose if you've not got a mortgage you can allow for these luxuries 🤷‍♀️

They are luxuries though.

Tryingtokeepcalmandcarryon · 14/12/2023 21:10

Mysteriousgirl2 · 14/12/2023 20:57

Gym and swimming:

3DC swimming £30each/ month
So the swimming is £90/ month in total for group lessons.

Family gym membership for the 5 of us at David Lloyd is £270.

I’ve justified it before as it means we can all swim together after lessons at the weekend, and it is a monthly spend which we do instead of a big holiday each year. It keeps me going over the dark winter (we live rurally and going to the play area has been a godsend over the winter months) It seems extravagant on paper, now though.

I would maybe look at if you could spend that £270 (or less!) a month in other ways if you decide to stop the gym, for that money you could go away for the night somewhere, or go bowling, go to the cinema, do indoor climbing etc etc. it’s great you are having quality family time and having active time but for that money you could spend it on a lot of other experiences too!

Original poster
Mysteriousgirl2 · 14/12/2023 21:10

caringcarer · 14/12/2023 20:56

I've got a 6 bedroom house and my house insurance is only £450 pa. I don't see why yours is so high. Did you go on a comparison website?

Your gym and swimming is very high. Can't you find a cheaper gym and us a council swimming pool?

Your cleaner is very expensive how ever many hours do you have each week? Can you cut back to 2 hours a week?

You are living above your means. You don't seem to be saving anything. That would be a huge worry to me. What about holidays? Birthday as Nd Xmas gifts? Contingencies?

Insurance wise: we have a 5 bed detached and have had a significant recent claim (sewerage issues). We shopped around but that was all we could get.

Our cleaner works 4 hours a week. I’d find it really tough without her as I work 60 hours a week.

OP posts:
Benibidibici · 14/12/2023 21:12

On your income you can't afford a cleaner or david lloyd membership imho.

VisionsOfSplendour · 14/12/2023 21:12

Mysteriousgirl2 · 14/12/2023 21:10

Insurance wise: we have a 5 bed detached and have had a significant recent claim (sewerage issues). We shopped around but that was all we could get.

Our cleaner works 4 hours a week. I’d find it really tough without her as I work 60 hours a week.

Show quote history

Isn't 2.2k take home pay low for a 60 hour work week? How are you mortgage free?

Original poster
Mysteriousgirl2 · 14/12/2023 21:13

Nodsmileandbiteyourtongue · 14/12/2023 20:58

If DH has oodles left over once his monthly bills are paid, your first action should be to ensure family & house costs are shared fairly / proportionally between you as they don’t seem to be…

Then look at what other adjustments could be made.

Agreed- but my DH does less hours to help with DC pick ups, is self-employed so work is not regular each month and does pay out on another mortgage (roughly 600) so that we can live here mortgage free.

OP posts:
Luxell934 · 14/12/2023 21:13

Mysteriousgirl2 · 14/12/2023 21:10

Insurance wise: we have a 5 bed detached and have had a significant recent claim (sewerage issues). We shopped around but that was all we could get.

Our cleaner works 4 hours a week. I’d find it really tough without her as I work 60 hours a week.

Show quote history

60 hour week for 2.2k 😦

pecanpie101 · 14/12/2023 21:13

Benibidibici · 14/12/2023 21:12

On your income you can't afford a cleaner or david lloyd membership imho.

This.
Also if your working 60 hours a week you should be earning more money. What is your hourly rate/salary? Any way of increasing your earnings?

Everybodylookstheirage · 14/12/2023 21:13

David Lloyd is expensive is there a cheaper option?

PaulaPocket · 14/12/2023 21:14

merrymerrychristmasall · 14/12/2023 20:23

Jesus how do you get a phone for £17!

Looks reasonable to me but that home insurance seems very high.

My Android that I bought myself for cash £200 two years ago costs me £8 a month with O2. SIM-only, unlimited texts and calls, 50 GB data

DidIMakeaMistake · 14/12/2023 21:14

So you’re not mortgage free your DH is paying a mortgage!
plus 60 hours a week is that about £9 an hour!!!

think you’re paying your cleaner more

Benibidibici · 14/12/2023 21:14

If you are taking home 2200 pcm you are earning about 33000 pre tax. If you are working 60 hour weeks you are being mugged off at that wage, it works out as barely minimum wage.

Mummypete · 14/12/2023 21:15

I think your David Lloyd is cheap for 5 of you! I pay £149 just for me!