I’m going to upset people with this.. tell me your thoughts.

[Jingle23]

I just need to get this off my chest and see if others feel the same.
I work full-time and do everything I can to provide for my children. We don’t have much spare money, I bring home just over 2k and partner just over 3k a month. We have a mortgage but we often feel like were going without so they don’t miss out.
What’s been bothering me is seeing how different things can look for other families, even when they’re not working. I know someone personally who doesn’t work and isn’t relying on family for financial help, yet still seems able to manage a car on finance, holidays abroad - taking 3 children to Spain in the 6 weeks holidays, and everyday costs that I struggle with.
I’m not judging them at all, and I know every situation is different. I just feel really frustrated that I work full-time, pay my way, and still don’t feel like I’m any better off.
It’s made me question whether working hard always actually translates into a better standard of living anymore.
Does anyone else feel like this, or am I just having a wobble?

There are several city farms in the city I live in where admittance is free.

Hope this helps.

Give up your job and claim UC then. It's great and not a complete shitshow where they can't decide from one month to the next whether they're paying housing costs, so you go from nothing to a backdated load of housing benefit, to nothing again. They make up random shit about who should be paying, people you've removed from your claim appear back on it. Carers Allowance (£86.45 a week) is classed as income, so taken off the amount you can get, because hey, we get so much money for caring for our disabled kids, we deserve to have money taken off us.

My holiday this year was taking my disabled son on a £69 caravan holiday. He loved it, but we're definitely not jetting off abroad for weeks in summer. The car is his motability car. I have no credit, so if I can't afford it we don't get it.

But yeah, we're raking it in being on benefits, you carry on believing that.

Like I’ve said .. maybe Im the problem. Looking at it yes I don’t need hair and nails.

Because she thinks she's worse off than people on benefits when her household income is 5 flipping grand a month!

Because thats what the daily mail and nigel farage tells them and people like op are gullible

I can’t, they don’t listen 😊 x

Im on benefits disabled and work part time I've never had my nails done apart from some stick on ones from amazon for special occasions and I get a dry trim twice a year that costs £10.

People don’t like these kind of posts on mumsnet but it is true that some people on benefits have more free income due to lower rents / outgoings. Yes it can be frustrating. I have been on benefits, I had a child at 16, but now i’m a higher rate tax payer and I know which i’d prefer. People on here seem to think everyone on benefits is on the breadline and that is not true, and they certainly don’t like anyone complaining about it, but many people here you. If you’re working full time you do expect to be able to afford some luxuries.

A non-working family will not be taking home £5k.
If you feel people on less than you are somehow better off, then have a look at where your money is going, and look into budgeting better.
Also, not everyone has the same priorities.

I never said I was worse off. I asked a question I’m being around someone who “seems” better off.

If going on Instagram makes you this envious and dissatisfied you should do yourself a favour and stop looking at it. It's making you miserable so what's the point?

Are you very young? If you're struggling to understand that insta isn't real i think you need to come of it.

https://www.lidl.co.uk/p/bon-gelati-ice-cream-cones-strawberry-6-pack/p10046104

Six pack icecream. £2.19.

5k is a good income. I assume you struggle because you have a big mortgage? Bet your friend on benefits is in rented. This is a massive difference.

I never looked at like that to be honest x

Can I challenge that

you might not “need” hair and nails but what stops you from having them as something for yourself a treat to Make you feel good? It helps mentally I think when we’re looking after ourselves.

youll get flamed for this OP. Don’t worry you’re right, people in the normal world agree not
I have friends who are on UC who openly say they won’t work because they would struggle to get as much money.

went to London zoo last week, if I was on benefits I’d of got discounted tickets! - I’m not so had to pay full whack. No incentive for people to work.

not including those who can’t due to disabilities.

Here we go again…
Try being diagnosed with 2 incurable cancers, forced to take ill health retirement and claim pip and ESA.

Life isn’t rosy.

We earn similar to you and have a four bed detached house, save around £500 per month plus over pay on the mortgage and have a week abroad in August every year.
You just need to budget better, remember we all have the same 24 hours

£5,000 is alot for one household however everyone’s expenses are different

i take in £2100 a month as a single parent private renting and I still struggle

Have you thought about quitting work and going on benefits for your cheap zoo ticket?

Many times x

And that’s fine, if that’s how the OP wants to prioritise spending her money! But very few people can afford everything. If she wants to go to farms and have money for coffees and ice creams etc then she needs to cut back elsewhere. People are just suggesting that that could be an area she cuts back in, if she wants those things.
It would be lovely to be able to afford everything we want to buy/do, but that’s not real life. So people budget and prioritise.

Having your hair and nails done on the regular is not ‘going without’. And a lot of people have to cope on much less than 5k income per month, myself included. You need a reality check