How much do you live on per month?

Malky

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Hi Ladies & Gents

I have been reading this forum for a while now and it has been a great help to me.

Would you kind people tell me how much you have left to live on per month after you have paid the mortgage/rent, all domestic bills, debts and petrol/travelling expenses? ie how much do you leave for food and general living per month? I just want to compare it with what I budget for.

Thank you

I didn't really want to post as looking back there's a lot of you on here really struggling. I don't want to sound like I'm gloating but over the last 5 years we have been really canny with money but still managing to fund a reasonable lifestyle while sticking to what we can afford. My wife and I are not big on material things so buy what we need, and when we buy something it's with the money in our pockets so to speak. The only finance we have is my wifes car which was getting paid for until she switched jobs so have been paying for it ourselves the last year or so.
With that, after the mortgage, domestic bills, car loan, fuel and food, we are left with a little over £1100 per month but most of it goes into various savings accounts.

ani_26

Malky wrote: »

I didn't really want to post as looking back there's a lot of you on here really struggling. I don't want to sound like I'm gloating but over the last 5 years we have been really canny with money but still managing to fund a reasonable lifestyle while sticking to what we can afford. My wife and I are not big on material things so buy what we need, and when we buy something it's with the money in our pockets so to speak. The only finance we have is my wifes car which was getting paid for until she switched jobs so have been paying for it ourselves the last year or so.
With that, after the mortgage, domestic bills, car loan, fuel and food, we are left with a little over £1100 per month but most of it goes into various savings accounts.

That makes me feel very depressed. If i knew i had what you have left over every month to save, actually coming into my account every month, it would pay my bills, rent, essential living costs, etc.etc.etc....

Instead, i feel as though i'm banging my head against a brick wall, as i try and muster up the energy to do my paperwork, now, after working all day,on a sunday, after which i've got to get everything ready for a long day at work tomorrow. After which i can collapse into bed, and contemplate which dd i'm going to cancel first on tuesday, if no pay goes into my account, tomorrow.

I think i just give up, full stop.

Lucy1010

Nohope wrote: »

That makes me feel very depressed. If i knew i had what you have left over every month to save, actually coming into my account every month, it would pay my bills, rent, essential living costs, etc.etc.etc....

Instead, i feel as though i'm banging my head against a brick wall, as i try and muster up the energy to do my paperwork, now, after working all day,on a sunday, after which i've got to get everything ready for a long day at work tomorrow. After which i can collapse into bed, and contemplate which dd i'm going to cancel first on tuesday, if no pay goes into my account, tomorrow.

I think i just give up, full stop.

This is what I meant when I asked if people were happy.... you can't be if people in Malky's position can depress you so easily. I guess people accept the situation and make the best of it but happiness does include money, well it does for me... it enables me to go places

ani_26

Money does'nt buy happiness, but money is required to pay rent, utility bills, and various work neccessities, and somewhere down the line, maybe food. With £10 in my pocket, for tomorrows work expenses, and £5 in my bank account, to keep it open, i'm naturally slightly concerned about the £600 worth of direct debits due to be taken out of my bank account, next week, and maybe someone else's comment will easily upset you.

So with that, thats the last i'll post, on this thread, because it clearly is upsetting / depressing, when you are really struggling. Its time i switched off the computer, and go and get some work done. Maybe things will seem better in the morning. Night, night all xx

Lucy1010

Sorry you're upset xx

joolsybools

Nohope wrote: »

Thats exactly right YL.

Theres a fine line between having enough money to pay for ' essentials ' required in basic living, and poverty, or being on the breadline. If you can't afford bread, is this classed as being on the breadline? I guess so.

But i would never class myself as being in poverty, or on the breadline, as i run a car, ( i have to do, for work ), and maybe in a years time, i'll be able to buy a freezer, who knows?

Hi Nohope, have you tried freecycle for a freezer (free)? Or second hand? I managed to get a 2nd hand fridge freezer for £50 a few years ago. Worth a look?

Aesop

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Interesting point you make here but for me there is a big difference...

I don't know where anything is in Lidl, I don't understand their logic... the pasta is in the same rack as hats and gloves or a random saucepan. I guess I want things to be easy, I must be a supermarket snob, I want to be happy when I am food shopping!

my DH is a supermarket snob, he won't carry a Lidl bag with his packed lunch, but will carry a sainsbury's bag.

At the end of the day, as I told him off this morning, it is cheaper for me to buy nearly the same products from Lidls than it is Sainsburys. The money saved by doing this, can go towards the bills, or as he keeps telling me to go and buy new clothes. My reply... I would rather pay bills, buy DS new clothes, etc and plod on in what I have to wear.

It's not fashionable what I wear, it is years old, but it is wearable.

Until I get to a stage where my bills are upto date, and I am not worrying how I can afford them, I will not buy new clothes.

I am happy to buy meat from Lidl, tinned goods and vegetables from nettos, and their yoghurts are yum!

When prices of food are going up, bills, etc, and wages are staying the same, the amount of work I am expected to do has increased, I am happy to go to Lidl and Netto with their illogical aisles and save money.

backinbusiness

It's all so relative isn't it.

£50 is an absolute fortune to one person, and to be frittered away on a night out for another.

I am now debt-free, but so ingrained are my mse ways that I am finding it hard to "cut loose" and spend a little, even tho' I now have a decent disposable income.

Money doesn't bring happiness - but the total lack of it to the extent that you dread the post, or pray that white goods don't give up the ghost is totally debilitating - I for one hope never to be in that situation again!

Take care all.

bib

Ash1982

Flat Budget


Monthly
Rent £400
Council Tax
£78 Water £17
Electricity £45
BT £49
Mobile Phone £20
Cinema £13
TV Licence £12
Which £11
Gym £28
Food £150
Clothes £50
Eating/Drinking out £100
Credit Cards £25
Debt Repayment £545

£1,465
Salary £1,465
Disposable Income £0

kerri_gt

Nohope wrote: »

Thanks for that info. I've seen people talking about freecycle, but did'nt understand what they are talking about. So i just google freecycle in my area?. I don't have room for a freezer, to be honest, but maybe a small one, if such a thing exists? I will have a look. Do you have to be on benefits, to apply? I'm caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, at the moment.

Thanks whiteguineapig

Freecycle (well Freegle as it is now called) is a free 'group' with the aim of keeping items out of landfill - bascially using the principle of 'one man's junk is another man's treasure' I think it originated in the US (as Freecycle) and the UK version which was Freecycle is now called Freegle.

Basically, you find your local group (I'll post a link in a min) and then you can post items that you are either Offering or Wanting. You do have to offered at least one item before being able to post a want.

If you want something offered, you reply to the person by email, and if they choose to offer it to you, you arrange with them to collect it (some people will also offer to drop off items). The same works if you post a want, if someone has the item you are asking for, they will email you in response to your post.

Some things like white goods, beds etc do get snapped up quickly - but it's not always first come first served - it's up to the person offering who they choose to give their item to, so it pays to be polite.

I myself have used the site a lot - we got given a lawnmower last year from the site which I have now been able to replace with a newer one, and have 'offered' the previous mower so someone else can benefit from it.

Here's the link;

http://www.uk.freecycle.org/