I am absolutely sick of never having spare money

[lockd]

Anyone else feel the same?

We have enough money to pay our bills comfortably and are able to have the kids in a club each, so we are lucky really, which is where I feel so unreasonable always whinging about money.

However, that's literally it. I keep just getting so jealous seeing people going on family holidays, weekend trips away, meals out, having a takeaway night each week, going out to do activities like bowling/cinema every weekend with kids, renovating their houses etc.

I like to think I'm not a greedy person, however I'd just love to have the money to save to buy a house, or enough to have a cheap holiday each year, or even just get a takeaway without stressing.

I understand that there will always be people who are struggling and who have a genuine need for help. There are also people who aren't and their moaning and feeling of what is "essential" doesn't correlate.

In the last month I've heard

• People saying they need a manicure for their mental health
• That they can't afford after school club despite earning £70k, spending £8 on a coffee and cake each day and having the heating on all the time rather than 2-3 hours over the day.
• That they are so poor they need to use a food bank whilst spending £20k taking their family to Disney in Florida.

The fact is that some people ruin it for those people who really do need help.

Who should we vote for then? Please don’t say Labour…….

Oh yes. Paid on Friday.
After allowing for all essential bills/the mortgage and putting fuel in the car, I have £25 a week spending money. Recently had to turn down a team lunch at work as it wasn’t going to be expensed, and I can’t justify £15 on one meal when I can take sandwiches for pennies.
I use MSE and everything is budgeted, so we have no debt other than the house. It’s such a dull way to live though, I’d love to be able to book a holiday, or even buy some new clothes that did t come from the charity shop.

Well vote Conservative then, seeing as they are doing such a sterling job of running the Country🙄

I won’t be voting Tory. I’m what they call a floating voter - I don’t just blindly vote for one party just because my father and his father were Tory voters. I vote for the party who represent my values, and what I want out of a government. I’ve voted Tory, and I’ve voted Labour, but neither should be in power as it stands currently. I may vote Reform - whilst I don’t agree with all their proposals, I definitely identify with more of them than any Tory or Labour policies I’ve read. But I will wait and see what path the parties take leading up to the GE.

@Livelovebehappy please do vote reform, you'll be doing us a favour.

I shop on Vinted and sell on Vinted.
We have nothing left after bills and rent,petrol, and we are so careful with what we use electricity ,gas and water wise.
Still , having health and happiness in other ways is invaluable to me.

Shitter than today it's a luxury to have your own property.

I worked with 2 men who nearly came to blows over 1.80.

They were Nigerians so I don't know if it's a cultural thing but 1.80...

Lol - in which way do you think this could possibly be a cultural thing?

So racist…

This is another thing to read OP, that might help somewhat

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/07/534208/

not at all, some cultures have very different attitudes to money because there might be a lot of poverty there and poverty in some countries is a lot more extreme than UK poverty.

Maybe just pick one thing to try and find the cheapest way to do it. If you'd like a meal out see if you can find any deals and then save for it. It might take months but at least you'd have something to look forward to.

@Livelovebehappy fine vote Reform and split the Tory vote. But the establishment tricking people like you that immigrants are to blame for everything is one of the key reasons this country is in the decline that it is.

Of course illegal and uncontrolled immigration are contributing to a lot of issues. Specifically the huge burden on NHS and housing. The incoming boat issue is a joke which I cant see being sorted by either tories or Labour. I'm all for controlled immigration. With a point system similar to Canada and Australia, to fill the gaps we have with skilled workers. And i honestly can't see why that view is contributing to the decline in the UK. It really isn't.

My boss is justifying giving a larger pay rise to higher earners on the basis ‘people have different financial demands’. Yeah that massive mortgage on your massive house is exactly the same issue as your lower paid workers counting each and every penny to get the bills paid.
And my mate who complains about money while she has 3 kids in private school.
So many entitled fuckers.
I’m with you OP

What a strange thing to think. I would be embarrassed to write something like that.

How can you possibly know what op is doing to change things? Unless you are psychic? In which case I feel like you're wasted on mumsnet.

@Livelovebehappy immigration is a fringe issue. The right wing press have successfully managed to tap into people's baser instincts and convince them it's the root of all their problems when it's absolutely not.

This is why so many column inches have been devoted to the Rwanda plan. Even if there was any chance this would get off the ground, it would not lead to more than 200 people a year being processed in Rwanda.

Our economy is dependant on immigration. The birth rate in the UK is the lowest it's ever been and in 20-30 years we are going to need more immigrants than we do now.

You've been duped. You and many others.