to be fed up about never having any money even though DH earns (just) over £100k?

[MakemineaGandT]

I know it sounds like a lot, but with a big mortgage and all the other usual bills we have very little disposable cash.

We don't have a cleaner or any other kind of help

Neither of us has had any new clothes for at least 18 months

We spend £100 a week on groceries, so hardly extravagant

We haven't been on holiday for 3 years

We do all DIY etc ourselves

We've been out twice this YEAR

I just don't know how we can cut back. It feels as though we are working so hard and yet we are always struggling.

It makes me really annoyed when I see comments (for example on that taxing over £150k thread) about the "super rich") - I guess on paper we look "rich" but it certainly doesn't feel like it!

glasgow...I think its probably called Buckingham Palace.

sep1712...don't start on the single parents and benefits subject...you'll get slated for that!

my council tax is £207
electric £130
gas£80
water £40

lol whispeywisp

glasgow, she's probably in the £1.5 million ones over the road from me, looking down on my in my unfashionable 1960s rental property!

buktus...highlight that post re your utilities for morningpaper cos I did say there are loads of us out there who have similar charges each month and £260 is nothing unusual for utility costs.

At the height of the property boom, there wasn't a house in my parents village under a million (home counties).

lol souroldtrout - who'd have a mortgage for a million

I read a while back that Xenia said don't rely on your DH's income. What a load of rubbish.

Yes we rely on DH's income. Have to. What else can we rely on? She also said all women should be earning the same as the men. Again, what a load of rubbish.

I've spent the last 10yrs bringing up our kids. I haven't got a hope in hell going back to work earning what DH does. And do I want to? No thanks.

I don't want to work 50hrs+ a week, I wouldn't have anyone to take to and pick up our kids from school and yes, I actually quite like being a full-time (ish) Mum with my little part-time job.

Xenia needs to live in the 'real world'. It may shock her and go against absolutely everything she has opinions on but it is the real world - maybe then she wouldn't get the majority of MNrs backs up.

nbn - wonder what these homes are selling for now? It's the price of the land not the bricks that matters in the end

our gas was £194 before we had a new boiler put in and then on top of that you have various life ins, pet ins homeserve, sky, bt bill - before we buy food a month our outgoings are £800, we dont have a mortgage though but bills are still ridiculous

There are people who have mortgages for over £1m. Repossesions can also happen to people in house worth over £1m too.

Whispywisp - I'm a sahm as well. dh earns the cash & I look after the kids - it's equal as we're both doing our best for our kids. I've not worked for years & would never be able to get a similar job again - but I see my role as making a good home. I do respect others choices on wohm & sahm & that some people don't have a choice.

whispy thats 2 posts in a short time that managed to wind me (single f/t working parent) up.

you are incredibly lucky. Lets hope your luck never runs out and you never have to work again.

glasgow - I was looking at the houses where we used to live, and they dont seem to have gone down by more than about 15%, whatever the headlines say. So I bet most of those houses are still near or over a million!

glasgow...so why Xenia felt she had to post that we shouldn't rely on our DH's income (I call it a family income, not DH's) and why us women should be out there earning the same is a bit beyond me. I chose to give up a well paid full-time job to become a Mum and I'm glad I did...I have two lovely kids whom I'm very proud of. Oh and lets not forget Xenia put her 5 kids through boarding schools, hence why she thinks we should be out there earning the same as our partners and we have no excuse!

homes over a million not so uncommon in London and Home counties

nbyn - lucky for those homeowners. Some parts don't seem to have been greatly effected as they didn't have the hugh price rises that other areas had.

nightbynight...eh? I do work actually. How have I wound you up? Where have I commented on parents who work full-time?

And why am I 'incredibly lucky' in that you think I will never have to go back to work again?

whispy - none of Xenaia's kids went to boarding school. They are all day schools in London

Whispey - I suppose it's respect for others & not forcing your opinions on to others as the only way to do things. My dh's income is the family income & I sort the majority of the housework/children out as my contribution - it just works for us.

I've chosen a way to do things but I know that it wouldn't suit everyone being a sahm anymore than me having to go out & earn a salary that was enough for boarding schools - what job gives that income

litchick...sorry, I mis-read Xenia's post of 7.28 this morning...when she referred to 'school and university fees'. Presumably that means private schools then.

glasgow..completely agree with you. I see DH's wage as 'our money' - what money I earn is also 'our money'. It all goes in the same pot and all goes out again for 'family' costs. To be honest I'd be hell to live with if I worked full-time because I'd never get anything done at home and with two young children too I wouldn't be able to cope! Plus DH needs someone at home, to run the home, look after the kids etc in order to do his job to the best of his abilities...he needs the stable life at home just as much as anyone does.

glasgow - yes, v lucky. My parents are odiously smug (like they did anything to earn the money!!) and are planning to give their house to my brother "because he can't affod a house." See my thread on my attack of Playmobil dolls house envy

whispy - oh sorry, you do a "little part time job"
If you don't recognise your economic good fortune, then I certainly can't explain it to you.