Do our household bills sound reasonable? What could be lower?

diiidum · 08/04/2024 15:49

Hard to say without what the private payment is.

On the whole it’s ok, your grocery shop is really cheap.

Help to buy was such a scam, wasn’t it? That loan is something else - so is the service charge! Bloody hell!

fieldsofbutterflies · 08/04/2024 15:51

Your mortgage, help-to-buy loan, service charge and car payment take up a massive proportion of your income, as does DP's train fare, but presumably none of them can be reduced or got rid of either.

Your actual bills seem perfectly fine to me.

flummingbird · 08/04/2024 15:53

yes your bills all seem fine - when the phone contracts expire you can go to a rolling sim only deal, you've still got £1100 left over that isn't accounted for there so I don't see that you're struggling particularly?

Luckycloverz · 08/04/2024 15:54

Do you really need tv license and netflix?
Double check no better new deals for Internet/phone plans.

Not sure what else you can do all looks fine, unless you're going out a lot and you've not added those costs.

Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 15:54

diiidum · 08/04/2024 15:49

Hard to say without what the private payment is.

On the whole it’s ok, your grocery shop is really cheap.

Help to buy was such a scam, wasn’t it? That loan is something else - so is the service charge! Bloody hell!

The service charge is extortionate, yes! It is difficult to see where the service charge money is spent, and at nearly £2,000 per year it should be evident IMO. That is something we want to look into.

The HTB loan repayment will be coming to an end shortly so that £93.24 will 'go' but our mortgage will increase by around the same amount so we will not be any better off in real terms.

We do our grocery shop at ALDI, recently made the switch from Sainsbury's.

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CheshireDing · 08/04/2024 15:55

Well there is not a lot which can be cut, except the last group of payments on your list. I don't know what an oura ring is but it's not going to make much difference to your payments anyway

your service charge is very high unfortunately. Is it to clear a shortfall in the service charge accounts, otherwise it could be a sticking point in the future when you try to sell

Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 15:56

flummingbird · 08/04/2024 15:53

yes your bills all seem fine - when the phone contracts expire you can go to a rolling sim only deal, you've still got £1100 left over that isn't accounted for there so I don't see that you're struggling particularly?

Thanks :)
DP is already on sim only deal. That happened in the last week or so. His previous contract was £32pcm and after much shopping around the current £18 for sim only was the best deal that we could find that also met our essential needs re data and some roaming.

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TheFlis · 08/04/2024 15:58

I assume you will be earning more when you stop being a student in 3 months? If so I wouldn’t worry too much for now, you’re covering your bills and still saving a bit which is a decent position to be in while you are not at your maximum earning level.

Mogloveseggs · 08/04/2024 15:58

Only thing I can suggest which is a tiny saving is change netflix to the £4.99 with ads. They don't last 30 seconds and we've hardly noticed them.

Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:05

Mogloveseggs · 08/04/2024 15:58

Only thing I can suggest which is a tiny saving is change netflix to the £4.99 with ads. They don't last 30 seconds and we've hardly noticed them.

Yes definitely going to look into this - especially now we know (from you) that the ads are so short. Thanks for this :)

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Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:05

TheFlis · 08/04/2024 15:58

I assume you will be earning more when you stop being a student in 3 months? If so I wouldn’t worry too much for now, you’re covering your bills and still saving a bit which is a decent position to be in while you are not at your maximum earning level.

Yes hopefully. I should be!

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Rosesanddaisies1 · 08/04/2024 16:07

All seems pretty standard - but what is Mortgage protection insurance - £47.63? Is that life insurance and/or income protection? Our life insurance is only £20 total for separate policies.

Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:07

Luckycloverz · 08/04/2024 15:54

Do you really need tv license and netflix?
Double check no better new deals for Internet/phone plans.

Not sure what else you can do all looks fine, unless you're going out a lot and you've not added those costs.

Edited

Perhaps not! Going to look into this. Thank you

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Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:08

Rosesanddaisies1 · 08/04/2024 16:07

All seems pretty standard - but what is Mortgage protection insurance - £47.63? Is that life insurance and/or income protection? Our life insurance is only £20 total for separate policies.

Yes it is income protection, not life insurance.

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FunLurker · 08/04/2024 16:08

What's ring?
Do you need amazon music? If you get prime without do you need Netflix?

Yearendjoy · 08/04/2024 16:09

Train and car payments come to over £800. That's massive. Could you not sell the car and buy a cheap one outright? That would get rid of the monthly car payment of approx £200 at least.
I assume nothing can be done about the huge train cost each month?

EmpressSoleil · 08/04/2024 16:10

I haven't added it up exactly, very roughly, but looks like your outgoings come in at around £3000, so you should have around £1000 left each month? Not sure what the problem is? If anything, I'd be putting more than £160 a month into savings.

bravotango · 08/04/2024 16:12

Do you need the expensive car AND the train travel? If the car isn't being used for work could you sell it and buy a runaround outright, no monthly costs?

Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:13

FunLurker · 08/04/2024 16:08

What's ring?
Do you need amazon music? If you get prime without do you need Netflix?

It is a fitness and sleep tracker - oura ring. The £5.99 is to see and record your statistics and analyse the data etc. If we would like to listen to music on our phones during our commute I don't see another way unfortunately.

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NoblyBobly · 08/04/2024 16:14

There is about £1190 difference between income and outgoings.........what is that being spent on?

Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:15

Yearendjoy · 08/04/2024 16:09

Train and car payments come to over £800. That's massive. Could you not sell the car and buy a cheap one outright? That would get rid of the monthly car payment of approx £200 at least.
I assume nothing can be done about the huge train cost each month?

We need the car to travel to meet our family commitments unfortunately. DPs ageing parents live in the middle of nowhere and we are quite far from the station with no good transport links to get there (bus etc).

DP very reluctant to sell car and get a runaround instead, but let's see what the future holds.

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Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:17

NoblyBobly · 08/04/2024 16:14

There is about £1190 difference between income and outgoings.........what is that being spent on?

I think that at the moment we are probably spending too much on 'fun'. Although it does not feel as though we are frivolous or even engage in many activities that cost extra money so I am a bit confused by this.

We do seem to have 1-3 expensive events activities per month that we feel we are obligated to go to. For example DPs brother is getting married next month so there are associated costs attached to that, and then milestone birthdays for both of our family members.

We probably eat out once per week at somewhere like nandos (or equivalent).

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WelshNerd · 08/04/2024 16:18

NoblyBobly · 08/04/2024 16:14

There is about £1190 difference between income and outgoings.........what is that being spent on?

This is Mumsnet so I can confidently say it gets spent on a horse.

Original poster

itsalentilsone · 08/04/2024 16:18

Yearendjoy · 08/04/2024 16:09

Train and car payments come to over £800. That's massive. Could you not sell the car and buy a cheap one outright? That would get rid of the monthly car payment of approx £200 at least.
I assume nothing can be done about the huge train cost each month?

Yes, nothing can be done about the enormous train costs unfortunately. DP can ask to work a couple of extra days from home (already works one), but I do not see that this is likely to be accepted.

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michealsmum1998 · 08/04/2024 16:19

Well I have found a bit of savings not a lot, depends how much you want to save, how long you want to do it for.

You may be able to make savings on shopping as well,

Water - £18 - This might be able to be cut but seems quite cheap
Internet - £40 - Shouldn't need to be more tham about £20
Mobile phone 1 -* £18 - Can get unlimited everything for £17*
Mobile phone 2 - £22 - Can get unlimited everything for £17
Council Tax - £159.37 - Have you checked your council band is correct compared to neighbours?
TV Licence - 13.25 - Do you need this and netflix or keep this and get rid of all the streaming services

Groceries - £240
Train travel (DP work commute) £477

Petrol - £60
Car payment - £238.74 - Get rid of car and buy one outright
Car Insurance - £59.32 - Pay annually it is cheaper and a less monthly outgoings

Netflix - £10.99 - Get rid of this
Amazon music - £10.99 Get rid of this
Oura ring - £5.99 Get rid of this
Apple storage - £3 Get rid of this
Private / misc payment - £150 - Depends what this is for?