To ask how people afford plumbers or new fridges?

[coldinside]

I need a plumber to look at a drain blockage in my bathroom (have already tried to clear it myself to no avail) and my fridge has broken so needs replaced. But I’m wondering how I can even afford these things. I earn £1979 per month and my bills are as follows:

Mortgage £620.48
Council tax £125
Income protection insurance £17.48
Car tax £16.62
Gas £20
Electricity £40
Broadband £23.99
Mobile phone £10.50
TV licence £29.08
Counselling £100
Petrol £150
Parking £80
Dentist £20
House management fee £20
Car insurance £45
Home insurance £43.25
Credit card £200

This leaves me with a total of £417 per month to feed myself and a dog, to buy clothes, shoes and toiletries. I can’t save any money each month and I have no idea how I will pay for a fridge (£530) and plumber. AIBU?

You don’t need shoes and clothes every month?

feeding yourself and a dog can be done pretty easily within the £400 budget with leftovers to save up for a few months. You’d have to be quite frugal in the social side of things, but doable.

I can def sympathise with the OP. I know I would be in trouble if I had a big repair bill or expense.
The truth is alot of people are only one crisis away from absolute poverty these days.

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. As @GinSwiggers deduced, I've been at work all day and unable to post until now.

To clear a few things up:

The TV licence is £29.08 because for the first six months the payments are higher. They reduce to the standard £14.50ish per month after six months, and I haven't reached that yet. It's also categorically not an option for me that I would just watch TV without paying my TV licence - that would go against all my values and own sense of integrity.

I always use comparison sites to secure the best deals. For the home insurance, I live in NI which unfortunately has the highest home insurance prices in the UK. This news article from earlier this year states that the median home insurance price in Northern Ireland is £427, which means that my policy isn't excessively out of that range.

I can't go without the counselling because, as some posters have pointed out, I wouldn't be able to work or function without it. There is a long waiting list for the 6 CBT sessions that the NHS offers in my area and personally I don't believe it would meet my needs anyway because I've experienced a lot of trauma in the past that I'm working through.

The car parking costs £3.70 per day for a car park that is 15 minutes' walk already outside the city centre where I work. A monthly train ticket would be £113 per month so actually costs more and I would still need the car to drive to my local train station. I may have overestimated slightly the £150 per month on petrol but it is at least £100 because it costs £50 to fill my tank and I'd be doing very well to make it to two weeks before I need to fill up.

The fridge I need to replace is an integrated fridge/freezer because that's what was in the house when I bought it. There isn't really space for a separate freestanding fridge. I've been quoted £460 for the replacement fridge and then £70 for removal and installation. I want to look myself for a cheaper fridge but from a quick look online already I get the impression that it's going to be several hundred pounds at least.

Those who stated that I can't really afford to have a dog are right, but unfortunately I had to take him on because he was originally my mum's dog and there was nowhere else for him to go. It's such a shame because he's a lovely wee dog but I've been on waiting lists for various rescues and shelters since June. I've been told that because there is such a demand for spaces, they won't be able to offer me a space until next year at the earliest.

The clothes and shoes - I haven't bought any for at least six months but the one pair of trainers I own and wear most days are getting really worn out. I have three outfits for work that I rotate and I need jumpers now that we're coming into winter. I'm definitely not a shopaholic and I don't care about brands, supermarket clothes are great because you get clubcard points too.

Some of these replies about her current outgoings, utterly crazy

Counselling/therapy is usually around £75ph at least here, havent seen many for less than that. Its not recommended just to go as and when, no one knows where in the therapy stages OP is, so just saying skip it for a month or two shows you know nothing. Ditto the advice to use the welbeing services at work, in my job, which is touchy feely frontline public services, you get 6 sessions of a 20 min phone call, that is not therapy. Ditto advice smugly posted about accessing NHS psychotherapy. Where is that then?

A third of your income on a mortgage is not 'high', its not low either but largely a lot of people are paying about a third.

Insurance could well be linked to the service charges, house management fees suggest a leasehold, buildings insurance and ground rent/service charge isnt negotiable in that case. Equally if its not linked to any leasehold, she might have made a claim in the past, which is why I avoid trying to make a claim and certainly its poor advice given on this thread to claim on the insurances for a blocked drain which would probably only cost about 50 quid if a handyman comes out

Many posters suggesting to get the FF on credit and equally posters are criticising that she has a credit card, we dont know what she bought on it for what reason.

Running a car is often people's only option if they live where there is no public transport or routes to work cant be made by that. Equally many employers charge for parking permits.

Lastly the lovely smug 'why dont you move closer to your job or get a new job'

Yeah just like that. Incur thousands in stamp duty, solicitors costs, estate agents fees, stress of moving. Just like that.

Jobs are ten a penny arent they, just get a new one

I didnt see your reply OP, I think you're doing ok

I would see if there are any interest free deals on the integrated appliance

A handy man will fix the blockage no doubt.

Interest free credit or interest free credit card for period of time

Unless had this. They removed the door and unit around the integrated fridge freezer and slotted in a freestanding one

Wow I'm just in awe at your gas and electricity cost. How is it that low? Isn't standing charge alone almost all of that?

What does house management include? Couldn't that be used to deal with the drain? Is it a fee for where you live, eg in a block of flats?

I'm just wondering if you understand TV licenses and why people are suggesting not paying for one? I honestly can't remember the last time I watched live TV. We have a licence because my partner watches live sport, but before I moved in, I didn't have a license for years when I was on my own as I tend to only watch series or films. Is there something you can't cope without watching live? News, sport? Or is BBC a must?

Buy a second hand fridge off marketplace!! Learn to live within your means and not complain or find another job or better still retrain so you can get a better paying job. Yes YABU!

I'd suck it up and get a free fridge off FB marketplace and put it in the corner of the living room if I had to for the time being. I certainly wouldn't spend a quarter of my monthly wage on one.

Get a cheaper fridge for a start 🤣

Check whether you can do the installation yourself. It's usually not that hard - you'll find it on YouTube. Does your council do free or low cost large item collections?

If you live alone and are able to afford it, then you’re probably doing better than most people! Easy for people in a couple to judge your outgoings or criticise.

I appreciate things are tight but you have some disposable income at least and once your credit card is paid off, you’ll be in a much better position.

How much longer will you be paying off your credit card? Can you move to an 0% rate? I would check out Moneysavingexpert.com - the forums and the weekly newsletter are great and might be able to help.

I’m amazed no one has mentioned getting a lodger which seems another default answer for those that live alone!

Just so you know, o don’t think people are suggesting you watch tv illegally but stop using the service and use streaming instead.

Only £60 a month for fuel. Wow! I live alone and pay £120. I hardly have the heating on

I think I made it crystal clear what I was clarifying up post and why, and that it was not applied to the OPs specific circumstances, but to incorrect information posted by others non relevant to OPs circumstances 🙄 None of it was misleading or incorrect. And there is a lot of contradiction in your latest. "Technically correct....but misleading at best...wrong at worst" What?! 😅 Whilst it must have taken you ages to put that together it was an embarrassing waste of time. The benefits system "is unhelpful if one is single and has no children" is also wrong, as a blanket statement, particularly if they have health conditions. However, I'm definitely not going to waste my time putting you straight on that one, as you are obviously right no matter what facts someone offers you. And in future, read everything, not just the parts that send you dashing gleefully to your keyboard for a generalised fact light speech👍

Ok so it's a fridge freezer not a fridge. You can get one from a cheaper brand like Beko for about £350 which is a bit cheaper than £550. I think you may have to suck it up and get a fridge with a freezer compartment for a bit if you can't currently run to the cost of a full fridge freezer.

Maybe you couls pick up some extra weekend or evening work for a bit to save the money. Christmas is coming and there are always temporary jobs going in retail and hospitality this time of year.

The answer to these questions is almost always the same - either they earn more money than you, have fewer outgoings or are better at budgeting - normally it’s a mixture of all three.

You're spending a lot on debt and transport - that’s where a huge chunk of your money is going.

Integrated fridge freezers for £350 on AO this morning.

Yes i just got an offers email- recently got a really good fridge freezer from there for £299

Integrated means they have a door on it so can’t it just fit in the space ?

And be a basic one and keep the door for a later time /if sell the house

lots of cheap /free fridge freezers on marketplace if go for a normal one

or use a company and pay over 6mths interest free if buy new

or put on credit card and pay a bit off monthly - not the best idea but if needs must

main thing is to try and up your income £2k a month is low /assuming nmw job

can you find a second job , evening in bar - waitress - cleaning - care home - ironing - etc to boost income

when does mortgage come to an end - can you extend the years to reduce the monthly payment while things are tight

or go into interest only for 6mths

In your situation I would dismantle the door/unit and replace with a freestanding one.

Get on vinted for a couple of jumpers - find a new seller with free postage for their first item and get a bundle for a tenner.

I'm not sure I'd be paying for income protection at that salary. It's almost 1% of your take home - how much would it get you above benefits, work policies etc should something happen?

Ditch the TV licence and switch around between introduction offers on subscriptions. You usually get the fist 3-6m at a reduced rate, then an offer to come back later too.

I lived on a diet based largely around Aldi's super 6 veg, 3 for £10 meat deals and 5kg bags of pasta and rice for a few months in my 20s. Saved a lot!

I'd switch your phone using uswitch to a cheap deal, usually with a discount. I paid £2.50 for the first 6m.

If you can knock £100 off a month this way, you'll win yourself some breathing space. You can always resume things like income protection later.

OP I would look at AO.com for your fridge.

My fridge is playing up and I dread having to replace it but that website seems to have some decently priced fridge freezers which was a relief to see. They are also able to pick up your old fridge.

As other as said your TV licence should not be that much.

With your update, I'm just wondering about your parking costs. Our council lets you buy a monthly or annual permit for parking which works out cheaper than paying each day. It might not be a thing where you live, but thought I'd mention it in case.