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?

I'm on benefits.

I haven't had a holiday in over 10 years.
No car, can't afford taxis, can't use the bus due to disability so I'm just stuck inside a lot.
Tiny damp flat
Massive debt on utilities (almost 5 figures)

The poor are not "coping" we just have to put up without what people consider to be "the basics" of a comfortable place to live and ability to get out and about.

I live very nicely, without having to think too hard about clothes, trips, or food shopping on about £50k. You must have huge commitments somewhere?

Personally I wouldn't cut out netflix. Life isn't that great as it is and the option with adverts is £5.99. Also have Disney as spend a lot of time at home and I am enjoying Desperate Housewives. Surely you can afford that?

How much did you save taking the kids out of private school and why did that not bridge the increase in food prices? Something doesn't add up here OP.

What is your mortgage now, op?

Our jointly income is less than half of yours. Two kids. No school fees. Mortage takes up 30% of our total income. The rest is spent on food, bills, savings and stuff for the kids. We can afford to pay for Netflix, Disney+, prime, holidays, days out etc. It can be tight sometimes, and we may have to cut back on certain things as cost of living continues to rise.

From the sounds of it, your mortgage may be the root of the issue. With your income you should in theory feel relatively comfortable but I guess it’s all about your outgoings.

We're on £190k. I can't see how you're struggling after cutting private school fees. You must have an extremely high mortgage or one other significant outgoing.

Does your DH (or you) have a serious drug or gambling addiction? It is truly ridiculous that you can't live well on £170k a year, there must be something else going on.

Im going to assume you've had a high income for many years and your lifestyle reflects it (large house/private school) and vat and interest rates are now screwing you over.

Honestly I’m not sure, we have a similar income and feel pretty flush.

Blimey you must be very poor at budgeting to struggle on £170k. I hope neither of you work in finance.
Try managing on the state pension or NMW then come back and post.

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.

a)
I’m sorry, op. but I find it hard to believe that you can’t afford the above on 170k a year! Are you sure this isn’t part of trying to demonstrate that you’re suffering the effects of the col crisis just like all the plebs, even though you’re rich?
OR
b)
This is a complete wind-up! I wonder if the op will be back?

No food shop in the world has increased by more than a year of private school fees. Unless you're eating almas caviar, white truffle, saffron and Kobe beef daily.

Assuming you're not, then if you have no breathing room despite having reduced your annual expenditure by a 5-figure sum in fees, then you're doing something wrong.

What are you spending your, what, £8-9,000 a month net income on?

I cope fine enough on 1/6 of your salary so you must be really awful with money if you’re having to cut subscriptions. I don’t have many holidays but I don’t have to worry too much about groceries or Netflix 🤨

Suggest you buy a smaller house in a cheaper location as that’s the only reason why you could possibly be feeling the pinch

I know, we’re on a similar income and without our school fees we’d be absolutely minted!

This is ridiculous.

OP if you come back please post a list of outgoings so we can pick it apart, as this is absolutely ridiculous to be worried about Disney & Christmas food.

On £180k here and can't afford private school. It's the London mortgage.

Brilliant 😂

What are you spending your money on? You must be raking in the best part of 10 grand a month. I get by on less than £1k.

Not everyone lives in London.
Gasp, horror some people live up North. DD and her partner recently bought a four bedroom detached house for £270k.

we have a household income of just over £100k and have 3 teens. They go to state school but we have prime video, netflix, disney+ etc

Yeah, our combined wage is just over £62000, we rent privately, get no UC or anything, run 2, all be it, oldish cars and I think we’re in a nice comfortable place.
We don’t have much in the way of savings and are both heading into state pension territory within the next 10 years.
I find it difficult to understand why people earning 3x what we earn struggle.

Your mortgage must be enormous? But if you're in London that's understandable. Surely the reduction in costs from school fees would cover that though.

We are definitely feeling the pinch but can still afford Netflix and a few other subscriptions, and a holiday.

OP is basically fine and having to cut back a bit but their lifestyle will still be better than most. However it does signal that there is something fairly fundamental going on here in regards to living standards. The cost of everything is rising, new taxes are appearing (tourist taxes for example) and wages are stagnant with many people especially professionals experiencing a real terms cut in pay.

We're all noticing that little everyday/week luxuries like tea and cake in a café, your favourite magazine are becoming too expensive while quality drops and therefore are no longer worth it.

Right now a lot of us are getting by, cutting back, redefining our expectations and its ok but the general trend isn't good. If people who supposedly have money can't afford extras like meals out, trips to the cinema or theatre, music lessons for the kids that has a knock on effect on the people who work in those industries and who provide certain services. I was in my local town the other day and the shop that used to be a fancy chocolate shop has shut and instead it is rented out by a man selling literal junk, not interesting antiques or memorabilia but stuff that wouldn't even make it on to the floor of a charity shop. His shop front signage is all on sheets of paper written in illegible hand in felt tip and the window of the shop is littered with old empty bottles of cola and instant noodle pot. It was disgusting and sadly isn't the only example of such a thing. Sure on one hand he's probably just trying his best to make a bit of money but it speaks massively of an economy that is in serious decline.