Why do I Always Feel Like I Have No Money!!

The_Economist

bryam99 wrote:

Hi there,
I feel constantly skint too. I think its because everything is going up in price, gas elec council tax water rates etc but the wages are not going up in line with it.
We bring home approx £500 pw 3 teenage kids but never any money for days out or holidays its all work work work but no fun.
I buy my clothes on ebay only when we have sold something, i pay £250 per month towards paying off debt which should end next year but that still leaves £445 per week.
We feel bled dry just managing. Its sad, but it seems loads of people feel the same way these days.
We are thinking of emigrating x

If You stick a SOA on the correct thread someone might be able to give you some suggestions on saving some money. I do agree with you though it is getting to be all work and no play, and that bills are getting bigger than peoples wages. We all need to take note of what is happening.

levi76

if you cant live on £800 speding money then you must be living on caviar and bathing yourself in champagne!!!!!! out of £1000 bring hoime pay, i have £200 to spend on food and leisure. your lucky to own your own property, i probably will never get onto the property ladder or be able to afford to drive and im 31. think yourself v. lucky and stop whingin!!!!

ab7167

Interesting thread, I've just finished paying off my debts from university in the last couple of months. And since graduating I've managed to buy a house with my boyfriend as well. For a couple of people with no dependents, we earn a massive wage between us (£76k per year), and although our mortgage is large (£203k, repayments £1260 pcm - overpay by £300pcm at the moment), we have no other debts. Yet still, no money left at the end of the month, and I have really minimal savings against a rainy day.

We have always had separate bank accounts, with a joint one for paying the bills out of. And this morning, I found out why we have no money left each month - we had a review with our bank manager about our accounts (thinly veiled hard sell on a premium current account) - and my boyfriend confessed he thought I was crap with money and had been leeching money out of our accounts into a savings account - which has £11k in it! And has managed to use our ISA allowances and everything. (I had a dormant one already open in my name)

I'm not sure if I should be furious, relieved, offended or what! I had really been struggling to pay off uni debts, so a bit cross there. But I am fairly crap with money, just annoyed with the way he went about it. But nice to have the money... although I think it is a prelude to chaining me to the kitchen sink with a couple of brats in tow....

winkle1

i have just read this from start to finish and found it very interesting, plus loads of good tips and advice picked up as well.

like reformedspender i always feel like i am scrimping even though i dont have that much in debt. but then i dont have that much in savings either! my LBM was also ''realising that the money I spent on 'stuff' (clothes, shoes, make up, bits and bobs for the house) could be saved for something that, in the long-term, I'd enjoy more. When I thought about it buying these extra items wasn't really making me that much happier whereas I knew that if I cut them out I could save up for something more important.'' ( i have copied and pasted that from reformed spenders post cause it totally sums up what i wanna say and what i feel).


I always feel like I'm scrimping as well, ''but I know that every pound or two saved here or there is going to be used for something more important in the long-term (we're trying to buy a house).'' - again quoted from reformedspenders post - we might be the same person!??!?!??!

TurnaroundSue

Thanks to AnW's Mum, Dianeleonora, WesWes, Anne99 and Reformed Spender for all your posts - don't know how I managed to miss them, but somehow I have and have only just come across them today. Diane I will e-mail you shortly (if that's okay?). The points and tips you all make are certainly something I shall be looking into further and taking your advice on - so thank you for you kind, constructive comments:T

TurnaroundSue

levi76 wrote: »

if you cant live on £800 speding money then you must be living on caviar and bathing yourself in champagne!!!!!! out of £1000 bring hoime pay, i have £200 to spend on food and leisure. your lucky to own your own property, i probably will never get onto the property ladder or be able to afford to drive and im 31. think yourself v. lucky and stop whingin!!!!

If you actually read my first posting levi you would see that I am NOT actually whinging - I state I know that I am lucky and fortunate not to have alot of debt (unlike some people on this forum), but was just wondering why I cannot manage to live on a large amount of money each month

From putting this thought up - I have received alot of usual advice and has certainly made me look at my attitude to money and how much I do waste. It was certainly not my intention to come on hear and 'gloat' and make people feel obviously the way that you do - but you have your opinion and I appreciate that. The purpose was to share my thoughts with others and explain that even though some people do not have much/any debt, they can still feel like they have no money!!!

TurnaroundSue

weswesweswes79 wrote: »

English tuition? On the basis that your child has special needs, then OK. If it's just as a "buffer" to insure against some kind of percieved "failure", then lose the OTT paranoia and give it up, saving over £1400pa. Or is English tuition to your young child something you could consider doing yourself?

If you're not prepared to do (at least some of) these things then you should maybe stop obsessing over your finances when there's really no need feel skint, based on your household income. In that instance it'd might be psychological rather than financial issues you need to address.

As I say, that's just my two penneth. I'm not looking to be critical or presume anything, or be prescriptive, just offering possibilities.

All the best with it.

Hi Weswes, thank you for your thoughts - on the english tuition front just thought that I would let you know that my DS needs this extra tuition as he is starting his GCSE's next year and it has been highlighted that he is 2 years behind where he should be - so my OH and I feel that this is money well spent!! It is nothing with being OTT, just giving him the best opportunity in passing his GSCE in a subject that needs to be passed (and no I don't think it is something we could do ourselves and do him justice).

I will be looking into the other options you mention - we have booked the holiday this year (already paid for), but am looking at getting a tent (hopefully on freecycle ) and next year will be going camping!! Looking also into the sky thingy, but don't think that Virgin is in my area.

It certainly has been a psychological thought process as well as the financial one and all the advice received from yourself and others has been taken on board and looked into - some advice will be actioned, others may not (or might be a bit more difficult to) and for all the advice I am really grateful. Thank you.:T