To wonder how people are coping?

[CobbleWobble]

We are very lucky, I know this.

We are "Mumsnet rich" both have professional jobs with good salaries (£170k household income) and yet this last 12 months:

• removed children from private school
• changed how we do the weekly shop to reduce costs
• cut subscriptions (like Disney+ etc)
• reduced what I bought in the back to school shop
• decided against a holiday in October half term
• concerned about our usual Christmas food order

What is going on? I just don't understand why or how prices are rising as they are or how people on less than us are coping!

I'm extremely grateful we have the things to cut that we have but we've also had to remortgage this year which has doubled our mortgage payments and then our utilities have increased and the food shop has just got insane.

We have other things we can cut - a holiday in the UK, Netflix, the monthly takeaway but its just miserable to think we may need to do that just not to be living.

Happy to post spending particulars if people are finding it hard to see where I'm coming from.

So AIBU to think that as a country we cannot go on with prices rising like this? How are others coping?

Similar income, we are same OP and considering removing kid from private school, gone are the days of splashy waitrose shops, we do sainsbury’s these days, holiday and clothes budgets cut also, it’s vinted for us and the prep school 2nd hand shop. The UK sucks doesn’t it?

Curious how much the mortgage is and price of home when bought and price if currently evaluated

Good luck 🤞

Meanwhile, on the other end of the socioeconomic scale, plebians are genuinely struggling.
But, always interesting to hear how the 'other half' live.

You and the op need lessons on how to budget by those less fortunate because they are doing fine.

I agree.

Mine do activities that are very cheap thank god. Although if they wanted to do something else I would absolutely pay.

Agree.

Are you putting extra money into pension each month or have expensive cars on finance, or have a high number of kids in private school? Need more info.

Call me cynical - no replies and this is your sole thread OP!

You and the op need lessons on how to budget by those less fortunate because they are doing fine.

This attitude is so reductive. Salaries are pretty crap in the uk & inflation has rocketed.

A salary of 170k just 5 years ago needs to be nearly 220k now to keep pace with inflation.

I agree with everything you said in the post but I can't take you seriously when you bring 170k combined a year. I'm just absolutely baffled.

Me and my DH earn 60k combined (both on 30k) we have a 3 bed semi in a village in Bedford (so not extortionate but definitely not cheap either) have 3 children 2x cars and holiday 2x a year (nothing too exotic) yet we still go out for dinner once a month, takeaway once a month and the kids want for nothing and we have about £400 left over til payday. So how is it we can afford Disney plus and netflix and you can't? Something is seriously wrong with your spending or you have shit load of debt you would rather not say about.

@Statsquestion1 your budgeting is good, I can't get expenses that low. Food is the biggest change, 2 growing dc eating me out of house & home.

My house was 9° last winter, OP. How's yours?

As I said those with lower incomes seem to get it right and manage to still live a nice lifestyle.

a very reasonable budget.
in our case we lose the child benefit and add +2k for nursery fees... 😫
I look forward to this expense ending as we don't intend to do private school.

I meal plan and portion plan. I mostly shop at Lidl and I get offers in other supermarkets. I’m also coeliac so some things like pasta are more expensive for me. But we manage on what is set out. Also mine are 12 and 10 so don’t eat LOADS, I will increase it as the get older more than likely.

Me and my DH earn 60k combined (both on 30k) we have a 3 bed semi in a village in Bedford (so not extortionate but definitely not cheap either) have 3 children 2x cars and holiday 2x a year (nothing too exotic) yet we still go out for dinner once a month, takeaway once a month and the kids want for nothing and we have about £400 left over til payday.

@Onekissisallittakes I don't understand how you stretch your money that far tbh.

Has the poster been back to this thread?

it could be that one of them is a very high earner and the other is relatively low
go and see the take home pay salary calculator and how different it is.

2 people earning 60k each have a higher take home than one person earning 120k....

170 k and struggling ,cutting netflix won't help there must be bigger losses somewhere

As I said those with lower incomes seem to get it right and manage to still live a nice lifestyle.

@Lbet this doesn't make any sense, you think everyone on a low income has a nice lifestyle?

This has to be a bot - but so obvious that it’s not doing its job properly!

Why about council tax?

@Onemorepenny our nursery savings just got eaten up by extracurriculars although they weren't as high as yours.

Nope just the people on here who are sharing their incomes and lifestyle.

What on earth are you talking about?