pissed off money rant

[luckydaisy]

Please indulge me. I am not usually a negative moany type but I am pissed off today
Dh and I both work full time in decent jobs. Have a mortgage, car and all of the usual household shit. 2 teens.

We have been hit quite hard with the mortgage increases, energy bill increase, along with the cost of food etc. It feels like every month we are just getting through. now, I know that I am lucky that we are able to pay the bills and put food on the table etc, but there doesn;t seem to be much fun in life at the moment. I won;t even let myself have a costs coffee every couple of weeks as I worry that it's £3 wasted!!

Surely there must be more to life than this.

Apologies - I think I just need a twix and an early night x

Yes it's hard for lots of people and teens are super expensive, the most expensive years for having kids I think after early childcare years.

We are on a single low income as I'm a lone parent so not the same situation. However, we try to do treats at home, so if you have a cafetiere then maybe buy some ground coffee as a weekend treat. £3-4 and you will get more than one coffee. If the coffee is a social thing with a friend then either make it a priority by cutting back elsewhere, or take it in turns to visit each other for coffee and cake instead. Pretty much decide what is important and will feel like a treat.

Rant away, I totally get it. There’s a good thread about not spending which is v helpful and supportive. Also, if you are in the right sort of mood, blasting some music can really help lift your spirits without costing anything. Can I prescribe you some Lizzo?

An occasional coffee isn't a waste of money if you enjoy it. If you still have some disposable income then you should allow yourself to have one.

Go through your budget and see if you can free up a small amount of personal spending money. Even £20 a month will allow you to go out for coffee and cake a couple of times.

I’m with you, OP! We are similar, very boring in many ways, not big spenders but there’s not much slack anymore. Our salaries have not risen in line with inflation or our bills. It’s tough. I had a thread on here recently about a school trip that has just about sent us over the edge. Can’t say much more really except solidarity!

I have sympathy with your rant over money and will join in with a rant of my own.

Unfortunately people mortgaged themselves to the hilt when interest rates were low in order to afford stupidly high house prices.

Now IRs have risen servicing the debt becomes more challenging. Or at worst unaffordable.

I direct my ire at those who worship at the altar of ever increasing property prices. They are idiots. And it was always obvious that unsuspecting people who just want a home to raise their families were going to get sucked in and it would end in tears at some point. To me anyway.

I can sympathise- a rant is warranted! I am now earning considerably more than pre pandemic but am paying so much more for basics even with the same careful budgeting I have always done. I'm grateful to be able to pay for everything and realise the privilege of being able to do so, but I'm so cross that I'm not feeling much other benefit from my salary increase.

I totally get it OP.

It's crap to be working full time jobs and still have to constantly worry about money and be watching every single pound.

You own your own home and you have two children. Be grateful.

What did you both study at university? How much debt did you come out with?

I am on a low income (disability benefits) and I still think you should rant and let it out. I am very close to my Sister who works fulltime in a professional role and my Brother in Law also works fulltime (my Sister is the higher earner though) and they feel overwhelmed at times with the cost of things. Their childcare bill (2 kids, one nursery and one at school) is more than my entire income in a month so naturally I was freaked out by the numbers, lol.

It is shit for most people right now. Especially food price rises in particular.

But also I think some people make assumptions, even basic things like seeing somebody buy expensive food in the supermarket. I only mention that because if I posted that I just spent £22.60 in a Marks and Spencer this morning on food and I'm on benefits, they would honestly think, how & why?! But was bought with my Birthday voucher of £25.

I think I am getting a bit muddled but it isn't right having to budget so tightly when you have two adults working fulltime. I am ok but mostly because I have lived off much less before and also no kids or pets, so nobody relying on me to feed/provide for them too.