We just aren’t earning enough money!!!!

[Livandletliv]

Up until thus last year I though we were doing ok and kind of comfortable in the sense that we were able to pay our bills, fill the fridge, go on one holiday per year and run 2 cars.

fast forward to 2023 and things feel very different! Utility bills, food and mortgage has increased and we just seem to haemorrhage Money.

we both work in full time jobs and together our monthly income is £3900. Thus just doesn’t feel like enough anymore. Our mortgage takes £900 of this!

last month we had about £250 left the day before payday so hardly enough to save for an emergency, a holiday or for kids uni etc

i just feel fed up with it all

My sister has a similar take home pay and mortgage payment and is able to pay bills, 2 lots of private school fees, and all food expenses too. I suggest you go through your expenses with a fine toothcomb

@AnIndianWoman oh give over! £3000 left a month after mortgage and able to pay 2 lots of private school. BS. Unless the private school is VERY cheap or HEAVILY subsidised.

For all those saying what does it go on, maybe childcare? Childcare for one child is £1900 in my area. I'm pregnant with my second, and our childcare bill will be £3,800 a month. We will be able to afford bills and food, but the mortgage and bills increase (mortgage has gone up by more than £1k a month) means we will have very little left over a month

I don't go all out at Christmas, I don't buy expensive food or drinks, or fancy days out to do Christmas activities because I can't afford it. But my money gets stretched that month because I do buy him some presents to open, obviously! I still use the same Christmas decorations that I've had for ten years! The presents are still expensive - it's still money that I don't have spare

I put aside £30 a month during the year into a Zopa money pot and that pretty much covers Christmas for us.

Which is great, for you! But not all of us can do that, that's my point.

Exactly this, it's almost impossible to compare to each other without knowing the details.
Someone had posted earlier about these posts always become a race to the bottom and now I totally get it

But you’re spending it in December anyway, so it’s not any more money over the year, you’re just putting a little bit aside each month rather than stretching yourself all in one go.

How do you find the money to fund Christmas in December?

Have a look at YNAB/Budget with Buckets/zero-based budgeting. It really solves managing those peak and trough months so that when expenses come round, they're already budgeted and accounted for.

I know Christmas happens every year, I know we need to get new car tyres, pay for a boiler service, pay for children's birthdays and parties, yet every year I was 'surprised' by them and having to find money that month to pay for it. Now everything is budgeted for, when I need it the money is there. It doesn't take any more money overall to do, it just means that you aren't on the feast or famine train and every month is smooth.

We aren't earning more than we were, probably less, we are just actually properly accounting for all the expenses we know will happen sooner or later.

This!

Do you honestly find it hard to believe that some people don't have a spare 30 pounds every month? I don't find the money - it goes on a credit card. I am a single parent, one income and no help, debt left by my years with my ex, I am deep into minus figures at the end of the month certainly not in a position to save anything. Everyone has different circumstances it's not as easy as to tell people to just save...if I could I would.

You’re missing my point entirely.

I agree with you - I think your argument is if you're going to spend X, save it in advance, but pp's argument is she doesn’t save it, instead puts it on the credit card and pays it off afterwards. Either way it gets paid, but pp's way she pays interest too and then can't save for the following Christmas etc.

Imo there's never a need to get into debt (eg credit card) for something like Christmas. It's not an essential living cost like food or hygiene. If you can't afford big presents, then don't get them. Or just do the one present.

Money is no longer going as far as it did there’s no doubt about that, but if we had £250 left right before payday I would consider myself winning at life :) And a £900 mortgage payment is £500 less than ours. All in all sounds like you are doing fine financially OP.

Has anyone else noticed that on threads similar to this one, the OP rarely returns?

Yes often 🙄

Is it lazy journalism ?

Absolutely

Thank you! Someone gets it!

And for what it’s worth, I’m also a single parent, one income, no family money etc. This is why I have to budget what I can afford for Christmas and no more.

You should be able to live off that fairly easily. But it depends what your expectations are.

2 cars... How old? If you are trying to run cars less that 3 years old purchased on lease or loans then you need to rethink.

Holiday each year? Where? How long? Doing what? If you're skiing in February half term every year then your not going to build up much in the way of savings, if you're camping each year with a foreign holiday every 3 or 4 years then that's different.

It's impossible to tell from your OP what your additude to spending is and if it is reasonable.

The op isnt coming back

I think everyone is finding the money left over at the end of the month is reducing. I guess you’ve got 2 options, cut spend or increase income. I’ve seriously thought about a second job, I’m a single parent and bringing home £3400 ish so decent income but live in South east and my rents £1300. I’m thinking of buying but with rates so high I’d have to get a second job a couple of evenings and maybe one weekend day. Not ideal and I’ll be taxed so much might not get much but guess it all adds up. Food is often something we can save money on, and things like TV packages, amazon prime etc

Our bills alone are 2k, it really that much these days.