Edinburgher gets cracking!

elantan

Oh here ... I didn't add buildings and contents insurance lol

edinburgher

I think I can see where some of our lower costs are coming from.

Council tax -£56
Food -£55
Utilities -£66
Car -£20
Broadband -£11 (including line rental)
Mobiles -£15

I wasn't making light of anything with the comment re. £700 poverty El, just basing the assessment on our own (subjective) experience of life

elantan

Your right to do that ( base it on your experience) Ed, as an INFJ it is about you and the world you know ... I honestly didn't think you were I do the exact same

Wow to your food bill though, that's very impressive

That's a great council tax and car spend as well

At the end of the day it is a very subjective situation, if Mr El and I found ourselves struggling we would have to take more extreme measures ie get a lodger ( really wouldn't help Mr El's mental health) or sell up and move somewhere cheaper etc

We are lucky though that we can manage on what we are doing and still save some for retirement so that we won't be struggling on £1400 a month if that makes sense ?

edinburgher

Absolutely - I'm grateful every day for having a good bit more than is needed!

I think one of the good things about the 'MFW mindset' is the fact that we're all acknowledging the big picture and realise that saving/OPing etc. isn't being miserly, it's realising that things may not always be this good :beer:

Edit:

That's a great council tax and car spend as well

Thanks to well meant government attempts to address poverty, we're listed as being in an area of 'sooper deprivation' (or similar). We didn't pay SDLT to buy our home and CT bands seem very low. I think they should look at these areas again, it's £300k+ for a townhouse at the end of our street, easily £500k for the 'fancy street' approximately 50m up the hill!

elantan

you have hit it square on the head there Ed ... its about a mindset, which is why it is always great to have a meeting of people with similar goals so that we can help each other along.

part of me does empathise with those that didnt plan though ... and part of me thinks well surely you must have known its not like its a state secret, and whilst you were hiring limos ( thinking of a person in particular here btw) and going out every weekend and slagging me for not buying new clothes all the time well that was your pension, I will return the favour but not rub it in ... i will just listen when you explain that you cant afford electricity or food and I will nod and say that must be hard for you... before I head out for a meal and a theatre experience ( all paid for as cheaply as possible ... but atleast i can afford it )

there is that part of me I sometimes dont like... but i try to embrace it occasionally

elantan

edinburgher wrote: »

Absolutely - I'm grateful every day for having a good bit more than is needed!

I think one of the good things about the 'MFW mindset' is the fact that we're all acknowledging the big picture and realise that saving/OPing etc. isn't being miserly, it's realising that things may not always be this good :beer:

Edit:



Thanks to well meant government attempts to address poverty, we're listed as being in an area of 'sooper deprivation' (or similar). We didn't pay SDLT to buy our home and CT bands seem very low. I think they should look at these areas again, it's £300k+ for a townhouse at the end of our street, easily £500k for the 'fancy street' approximately 50m up the hill!

were classed as an area of deprivation as well ... sadly our council dont care lol ... i cant complain really as it is still less than we paid during the poll tax years when we lived in a caravan and i wasnt even 18 .. got shafted on that one :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

edinburgher

Your thoughts re. the limo hirer sound familiar, they're like the FI people on the ERE forums who are advised not to mention the fact that they've 'retired' at 40 with $500,000 in the bank. Except with your example it's sadder, because you're talking about the fairly normal existence of sensible people saving up a nest egg for retirement and then have to hear about the terrible choices of people who were too busy 'living for the moment'. Sod the moment, I'm planning on being here for another 50 years.

I remember a work colleague who did all his shopping in M&S (something like £15 a day on food), despite living in a tiny flat with single glazing and no central heating and a massive interest-only multiple remortgage due to be repaid when he was 65 (with no repayment vehicle in place) :eek:

On a related note, I hear that school children now do this for their 'proms' (another wonderful import ) I've never once fancied riding in a limo, apart from 'Home Alone', but that was largely cos he got a cheese pizza :rotfl:

Alchemilla

Round herd they arrive at prom on the back of a tractor trailer...it worries me when I hear of primary kids having a prom.

edinburgher

I'm sure that was a deliberate typo, good one Al

I was talking about secondary, can't believe the wee ones are already promming!

gallygirl

elantan wrote: »

i will just listen when you explain that you cant afford electricity or food and I will nod and say that must be hard for you... before I head out for a meal and a theatre experience ( all paid for as cheaply as possible ... but atleast i can afford it )

there is that part of me I sometimes dont like... but i try to embrace it occasionally

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Oh dear, sounds like me :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

"This month I will mostly be living on those skirts you bought on that shopping trip. Next month I will mostly be living on the makeup you bought in duty free"