How do people afford it?

3KIDSNOMONEY

Thanks for the replies, lots of views there.

It is true that kids are expensive and we are now expecting our fourth so things are only going to get harder. I know that the real things in life are health and happiness - i'm not disputing that. I know that some people must be sky high in debt to run their cars, etc.

I am going to cut back but it is hard when you have kids and you don't want them to go without and when they really do need things and school is asking for money for things.

Before i got pregnant i was thinking of looking for a job but it just isn't worth it with the childcare costs - a lot of people i know work all work to pay the private nursery or childminder and the rest have grandparents who look after the kids.

hilstep2000

I'm a single mum, who works part-time. I get WTC and CTC, and DLA because I've got MS. No mortgage now, due to an insurance payout, but I run a car, and my son and I have a good life really on about £13000 a year. No holidays, but we live opposite the beach, so that doesn't matter.

I think it all depends on your perception of life. Before I got MS I was always working hard, to pay the bills and get the things I wanted. Now, however, I' look at life differently. I don't work so hard, I save up for what I want, and most of all...........I'm HAPPY!:T

KittyKate

I'm really sorry to say this OP but you got yourself in debt somehow. Whether you were buying vital things or paying bills or not, you at some point must have lived beyond your means (through your own fault or otherwise, I'm not having a go). So you have less money now as you are paying for not only the present, but the past too!

And I don't agree that *everyone* who appears to have nice things will be in debt. I don't buy things for 'face value' but I do like to buy nice things NOT because I am a snob or I don't value the real important things in life, but because I work flipping hard for my money and I don't give a t*ss whether things are value or finest, I just like what I like.

It's very harsh to say that people who might appear to be like me are racking up debt on credit cards. I've never had a credit card or a loan and I don't spend what I don't have. It's almost like (and this is NOT meant as a dig at the OP OR offensively to anyone on here) that people with less income/debts take out their jealousy on people who have more than them by suggesting that they cannot afford their new car/designer handbag/five bedroomed house and that one day 'it'll all fall at their feet' or whatever. Maybe they CAN afford - maybe they budget, maybe they paid for their new ipod with
quidco money!

It's possible to be affluent with money saving - I like a lot of other people on here am not in debt but LOVE freebie-ing, pigsbacking etc. Don't judge a book by it's cover!

nickiboop

Fay, I know what you mean! we have a decent income (2 professional jobs) but after paying over £1k per month mortgage and £800per month chilcare fees for babyboop and runing the two cars that enable us both to work our disposable income is surprisingly small!

strangly we cannot afford a second child when the childcare is £800 per month

Chollita

I am on a low income, but happy - not jealous of anyone at all, I don't want gadgets and possessions!

3KIDSNOMONEY

Don't really think that this thread has been taken the right way. i'm not jealous of other people and what they have, i would just love to know how other people afford it. I don't want a lavish lifestyle or anything like that, just to be able to have a bit more spare money so that when the kids say they would like to do something I don't have to say 'we can't afford it'.

I know possessions can't buy happiness - i never said they do.

Spendless

frivolous_fay wrote: »

I'm baffled how people can afford kids

Right now we're comfortably off on our joint income, despite taking on a mortgage which costs us £1300 a month... but add a kiddie to the mix and we've got £20k income taken out of the equation, and an extra mouth to feed! I have no clue when we're ever going to get round to having babies, and I'm 30 already, can't hang about! :cool:

We never got used to 2 incomes, so the loss of mine didn't come as a shock.

Spendless

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

Don't really think that this thread has been taken the right way. i'm not jealous of other people and what they have, i would just love to know how other people afford it. I don't want a lavish lifestyle or anything like that, just to be able to have a bit more spare money so that when the kids say they would like to do something I don't have to say 'we can't afford it'.

I know possessions can't buy happiness - i never said they do.

I hadn't taken your post as jealousy, but unless you know other peoples circs it's hard to say how they afford it. My husbands car is brand new but it's a company car, part of his package. Our home was bought just before the prices rose in our area, and husbands career has taken off since we had kids. I'm aware of other people who have had their mortgage paid off (due to an accident), one's who have fancy holidays several times a year cos both work and grandparents provide free childcare, and another who are putting it all on their cc and I am wondering exactly when their LBM and day of reckoning is going to come.

calleyw

KittyKate wrote: »

I
And I don't agree that *everyone* who appears to have nice things will be in debt. I don't buy things for 'face value' but I do like to buy nice things NOT because I am a snob or I don't value the real important things in life, but because I work flipping hard for my money and I don't give a t*ss whether things are value or finest, I just like what I like.

It's very harsh to say that people who might appear to be like me are racking up debt on credit cards. I've never had a credit card or a loan and I don't spend what I don't have. It's almost like (and this is NOT meant as a dig at the OP OR offensively to anyone on here) that people with less income/debts take out their jealousy on people who have more than them by suggesting that they cannot afford their new car/designer handbag/five bedroomed house and that one day 'it'll all fall at their feet' or whatever. Maybe they CAN afford - maybe they budget, maybe they paid for their new ipod with
quidco money!

Want to take a deep breathe.

Would you like to go back and read what I said "As has been said some of it is illusion."

Meaning that for a lot of people they are in debt to get nice things don't think that I said everyone who has nice things are in debt . Not sure where you are getting that from.

But a lot (not all)of people are in debt for nice things that is why the country as a whole is in debt to the tune of about £1 trillion.

Also I said "But if it is a illusion based on a house of cards then it is them that will suffer and not you when it falls."

Notice the words "IF" it is based on spending more than you have you will be in the brown sticky stuff.

"that people with less income/debts take out their jealousy on people who have more than them":rotfl:Oh please why would I be jealous of someone having a £900 handbag. I would be scared of being mugged for it.

I too work hard for my money and want to get the best for value for money.

I prefer a much simpler life with out lots of bits and pieces clogging it up. And funny that we poor people (you have no idea what my income is or what my savings are)are suppose to be jealous of people having fancy cars and designer clothes etc. But they look down on you for not having a fancy cars and designer clothes.

As said before I don't really care what people do if they want to spend money they don't have that is up to them. I know my limits and my budgets and stick to them.

So don't assume that everyone who has replied is low income and low savings.


Yours


Calley

kippers

I get fed up sometimes as we struggle with money.

We got together 13 years ago and had children less than three years later.

We do have a morgage (first taken out over 30 years-with 25 years left). My husband works and i work part-time around school hours.

All our friends and family have nearly paid off their morgages so they have very small monthly payments. They do have lovely houses as they made them nice before they had their children.

We don't have any debt but we just did everything years after everyone else....i try very hard to be happy about my happy home and old furniture and extremely old tv etc but all my friends and family have lovely houses, clothes, cars etc and its very hard not to compare yourself to them, though i do try extremely hard not to think about it.

So i can understand others getting fed up.