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!

dodgy link

move to a smaller house. Get a cheaper car. A lot of associated costs will then fall as well.

Everyone I have ever met can not manage on the money they have coming in and manage to spend everything they get, be it a low income (I once lived off £20 a week) or a high income. It's just life, people just live up to their means (some beyond).

Write down what you are buying, this was suggested to me last week. It does help to see where it's going. I wouldn't say what your dh earns though, you may get some shit for this.

how much is £100k take home a month?

We are a family of 4 and we don't spend anything near £100 a week on groceries, and we have a baby so nappies, wipes etc plus a toddler who could eat for England
By shopping around we spend about £50 a week sometimes a bit more or less depending on what we need.
We both work full time and our joint income is less than 28k a year.
You must have a huge mortgage, but I have to say I struggle to be sympathetic, 100k is in our wildest dreams, as is owning our a own home

Try cutting back more, shop around, try different supermarket maybe?

Have you thought about limiting yourself to a new Mulberry handbag only once a month? Oh and Diptyque candles really are no better than anything out of Ikea.

oh ok you lot, I guess I shouldn't have started this.......

I can sort of sympathise as my DH and I earn a decent wage but have no disposable income at the end of the day. However, I do think you could cut back on your groceries. I can get a weeks shopping including nappies for £50-70 depending on the bargains. You don't need to spend £100 ecah week. YOu would then have another £30 each week to save and put towards a holiday/ family outings etcetera. Where do you do your weekly shop? I go to Sainsbury's so I am not saying you have to go to Lidl's but I imagine £100 wouldn't stretch too far in Waitrose.

CrackFox - that's exactly what I mean - we are so NOT like this - we couldn't afford it - that's exactly my point!

ok I don't think yabu

you have my sympathy as I pay most of our salaries on childcare and rent
but
you'll get little change (in terms of sympathy)here

Mortgage doesn't even need to be that high...if you live in London ir the SE People forget on here that 100k does not = 100k in your hand
It's about 65k in your hand or 5.5ish a month

Anyway good luck

How big is your house? I bet a lot bigger than most of ours on here. Sorry, I find it very hard to have much sympathy.

We spend £50 a week and there is 5 of us.

We use Lidl for half price fruit and veg, tinned beans, chickpeas etc, frozen peas, olive oil (we decant it into a spray bottle so you use less), fresh herbs, tuna, tinned tomatoes, pasta, rice, noodles, eggs, cheese, milk, plain yogurt, butter, frozen fish, dishwasher powder, washing up liquid, washing powder. Then we go to Asda for unrefined sugar, wholemeal flour, salt free pasatta, porridge, shredded wheat, salt and sugar free muesli, bread (you could make your own if you wanted to be really good), spices, bouillon powder and other stuff you can't get in Lidl.

Do you eat meat every day? We don't so perhaps that's why and what meat we do buy comes from market.

i don't mind folk having a whine and a moan about feeling broke but mentioning salaries is crap. there are alot of households on mumsnet managing on 20k or less.

Without wishing to flame you, maybe your idea of 'never having any money' is probably very different from some other peoples.

would you consider downsizing if the mortgage is holding you prisoner?

Just guessing - but does a hefty chunk go on school fees? No sympathy at all if yes!

we spend about £80 a week on afamily of four
that includes nappies, all toliteries, cleaning stuff, and booze

is that a lot then? sometimes it is nearer £100

Try Aldi or Lidl and try Iceland online delivered to your door, these shops are BONUS

I don't sympathise with op but I do understand as someone else pointed out that you live up to your means and beyond.

We moved into an expensive house(our choice), to get our son into a good secondary school so needs must. Dead skint because of hefty mortgage but we bargain shop till we drop. Always selling stuff on the 'bay' too.

We all spend what we earn, if you earn 30k it gets spent, its the black hole of finance.

Although if you are finding it hard at the moment and dont spend excessively I think you should seriously sit down and find the money trail, because somebody is spending it!

You can't afford to live in your house. That's the problem I guess. I'm not trying to be horrible.

My mum lives of disability benefits (she has severe arthritis, can hardly walk) and she gets 6K a year to live off (no rent to pay though or council tax). I felt bad that I have to borrow money off her when I earn alot more.

I bet your paying for independant education! At £1000 per month and 4 kids, that's alot of money!

More fool you!

I'm with other posters on this - your mortgage/house must be huge for you to have no disposable income on that sum of money.

So he has to pay lots of tax, but that must leave say 60k to play with - 5k per month. So £500 groceries, £500 quid bills would be more than reasonable (my house is large). What are you doing with the other £4k?

we rent a very ordinary house £1600 and pay childcare £2000.
before anything else it's £3600 out the door.

I can understand how it could be that she feels stretched

You can't afford your house

numpties

Sell up and buy a smaller house and live like KINGS

do you live in London? Pay school fees? Have a large mortgage? Putting lots away into pensions? Is dh paying maintenance for older children? If any of the above, I can kind of see why you might not feel particularly well off for disposable income AFTER you've paid everything... but it's how you are choosing to spend your money.

Something like 95% of people in this country have less money coming in than you - and that's in the world's what, sixth largest economy? So you are among the most fortunate people on the planet. Remind yourself of that fact whenever you are feeling a bit short of cash!