cost of living has become a joke!!!

[vts-yes]

Working our bills ect with the mrs last night at its just a joke.

She is a cliet services manager for a lrge distribution firm anbd earns £30k P.A
Im a sales manager for a large financial firm on £25k pa but have a meeting tomorrow about running a new office in sittingbourne and a payrise to £29,500 P.A

Now with us earning that you would think we had it cushty! well we dont lol.

HAVE

£850 pm rent
£144 pm council tax
£122 pm electric ( no gas)
£325 pm car payment
£110 pm car insurnace for noth cars
£185 pm loan
£480 pm petrol. ( she works in central london and drives and i have a commute from rochester to maidstone and back 4 times a day)
£780 nanny fees ( have a 2 year old)
£56 pm sky
£300 pm food
£50 pm house phone
£50 pm mobiles



TOTAL £3,452

Thats a joke for a familey of 3. me the rs and our 2 year old.

Thats without money for weekends to go and do stuff with the youth, money for clothes or anything.

How much do you spend on a monthley basis to keep afloat?

[Mystic]

No idea my ins and outs lol but i live with maw and paw and dont pay any bills or anything, i work 2 days a week and about £950 after tax per month and can easily get by on that :P

P.S. I'm im full time student, not an amature bum, a professional one full time...

[vts-yes]

2 days a week for £950 pm? ll what the feck do you do?

[Evolution4589]

£200 rent
£100 insurance
£20-£30 a week for food
£10-£30 petrol

Ingoings:

£100-£160 a week (work)
£200-£400 a month (sideline)

There's still a large debt to clear though...

[vts-yes]

whats the sideline lol

[Mystic]

2 days a week for £950 pm? ll what the feck do you do?

The full time salary is like £28k or something and i do 16 hours of it. Would love to be full time over summer but they wont let me. Work for an online learning project funded by Napier uni in Edinburgh.

[Peejous]

whats the sideline lol

+1 please

[vts-yes]

mrs is on £30k and only takes home £1750? thats almost £10k per annum in tax and NI

[Mystic]

Yeh well mine is 16 hours of a 35 hour full time so although i do the work in 2 days its just about half the fulltime salary im on.

[Mikey]

you moan to much for a lad...sure youve not got both?

[vts-yes]

^ lol. no just gets on my nerves having to work 50 hour weeks sometimes for fuck all

[Mikey]

we pay so much coz were in a great country. most of the world you get shot at for saying you like spice girls, or anything western lol!!

its not that bad bloody hell

[pjm300]

to vts-yes, sell the car you're paying monthly, get a 1.1 saxo or similar as a cheap runaround.

also get public transport into central london.

[vts-yes]

Have looked into that but if we are going to graft ateast want a ok car to drive at the weekends lol. Also mrs starts in central london at like 6:30 so cant really do the public transprt then as the trains ect are so fiew and far between.

[Evolution4589]

whats the sideline lol

- Custom lights for the 206, got a massive customer base.
- Custom spray jobs for people.
- Teaching guitar.
- Doing installations of certain parts in people's cars.

All adds up, Saturday I got £370 alone which sorted me out for the month, plenty of money left over for a new camshaft and head :)

[Clouds_mate]

Mother £150
Mobile £35
Car £240

Total of - £425

[pjm300]

ah true, i'd still look into getting a shit box for the commute, just to try and make it cheaper to get in there. congestion charge cant be helping either?

[vts-yes]

luckely just outside of it lol. If so £7.00 per day extra lol. altho the firm would prob pay for that?

[pjm300]

pics of missus and where's she got to get to, i might be able to give her a lift...

:D

[Nick_T]

I have noticed this recently
£250 to cover rent and car insurance
£120 in phone bills/insurance (have 2)
£45 finance

only take home £800 a month, sucks

[pjm300]

250 rent and insurance?!

im on 450 rent exclusive of bills :|

[Nick_T]

I live at home

[vts-yes]

^ what do you live in a flat? £450 for somthingin potters bar is cheap

[matt_vtr_15]

140 quid board including meals for dinner (take sarnies ) and tea etc..
115 quid insurance
40 quid phone contract
25 quid gym

so 320 outgoings gives me plenty of spare change now...

recently was paying 250 quid to my dad a month but thats all cleared now..

due for a payrise also... good times

[pjm300]

im in st albans mate, 2 bed top floor maisonette for 900 pcm.
rip off tbh

[seat-craig]

200 - car
150 - insurance
40 - gym (havent been in about 3 months)
120 - petrol

510 and only usally take home around a grand or just over

[vts-yes]

pjm300 £900 for a masonet is quiet bad but its due to location in rochester we have a 3 bed semi for £850

\/ who said you moaned, i surley didnt ;-)

( luv u)

[seat-craig]

moaning at £500 pm spare lol. i wouldbnt say no.

pjm300 £900 for a masonet is quiet bad but its due to location in rochester we have a 3 bed semi for £850

where did i moan?

[pjm300]

thats not bad at all mate, this is the cheapest one with a garage, its en-bloc, so not ideal, but plenty of space to store all my shit.

only 10 mins from work too, so its not tooooo bad

[vts-yes]

fair doos. and sorry seat craig read the post wrong.

[AGM]

£137 car insurance
£100 keep
£30 mobile phone
£25 gym

plus the endless amount I spend on petrol.

[lemon191]

looking at you guys i think i shall stay at my parents for aslong as possible lol atleast my wages will end up in my pocket instead of someone elses then lol

[Yates]

phone - 30
mother - 75 - i spend around 4 days there a month lol

[Chris]

Tell your missus to get the Kings Ferry coach in to London.... that would save a packet. I get Chalkwell, but they only route through Sittingbourne/Newington/Rainham, so don't go near Roch.

Sell your car and get a Diesel.... we have done this and are now saving shed loads on Fuel, Tax and Insurance.

Try and get a mortgagae instead of renting.... that way, you are not paying as much and also it'll be your house rather than lining someone elses pocket.

Chris :)

[vts-yes]

We have a flat in new hythe that we rent out that covers the mortgage and as we couldnt get a 2nd mortgage we had to rent the hse. Looking at the vectra 1.9 cdti 150hp deisel at the weekend.

[Chris]

I leave all the finance stuff to the missus to sort out, but at a guess I'd say between us we are probably paying: -

Mortgage = £850pm
Utility Bills = £250pm
HousePhone = £50pm
Mobiles = £60pm
Diesel = £100pm
Virgin Media = £40
Loans = £500pm
CSA = £280pm
Council Tax = Not sure
Car Insurance = £32
Food Shopping = £250

Probably missed off quite a few, but that is a rough idea.

Chris :)

[dispin]

tax is the killer. You should take a note book with you everywhere you go for a month and write down every singe thing you buy. Even if its a pack of chewing gum. Then at the end of the month add everything up. You'll be surprised how much you spend on somethings, it'll be a big shock to you aswell.

[HayleyVts]

£780 on nanny fees? fcuking hell your mrs might as well not work!

[danzman1991]

I have noticed this recently
£250 to cover rent and car insurance
£120 in phone bills/insurance (have 2)
£45 finance

only take home £800 a month, sucks

Why do you have 2 phones?

[Chris]

Why do you have 2 phones?

1 each possibly......... like most couples nowadays!

[danzman1991]

Ohhh I read it "(I have 2) :P

[jaybiss]

200 house keep
30 phone

Pow

[Yates]

i intend of looking/buying a house after next deployment where ever that may be, that way i think that i can go away and spend what the fuck i like on beer and prostitues and not have to worry abou mortgages

[RallyeNick]

lol,

welcome to the world we all have to live in.

[Mark51]

vts-yes - i dont have a kid so my outgoings are slightly less than yours but not far off and my girlfriend and i earn £48k a year combine and we have not been out of our over draft in 12 months. this next month will hopefully see us in the black but its taken a year.

im planning to move to another country in a couple of years to start over again whilst im still young enough

[Yates]

mark you cant leave me

next time im around i wont ask for milk and cookies, i will just have one or the other...

[Mark51]

mark you cant leave me

next time im around i wont ask for milk and cookies, i will just have one or the other...

im sure i can steal some milk from next doors doorstep and then will only have to buy the cookies

[Fezz_vtr]

car- paid for
insurance- paid for
petrol- 160 per month
phone- 40 per month
rent- non (live with parents)
dont earn that much but always have money left at the end of the month.
savin up for a couple of flats to rent out when the property market hits rock bottom. wait a few years then sell for a healthy profit lol. (hopefuly)

[RallyeNick]

You're going about it all wrong.

REDUCE NANNY FEES.
Read this: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/health/childcare-costs

Basic overview because you're too lazy to read?
Say you get paid £1500 a month.
Tax and N.I. will make up around 33% of that, so sadly, you'll only receive £990 in your bank account.

OR
Ask your employers to deduct £500 from your wages and pay you in childcare vouchers instead.

£1000 is subject to the (rough) 33% for tax and NI, but the other £500 in vouchers is tax free.
£660 (what you actually get into your bank account) + £500 tax free childcare vouchers = £1160.

£200 better off :D

All you need is 2 things.

1) Nanny accepts these vouchers and isn't a cash in hand job (ofsted registered)
2) Your employer will provide these...

If your employer doesnt provide these, give them the info from the link above. It's a tax incentive for both you and your employer!
All credit to the website

[Yates]

ill buy cookies mate xx

im down in hull in august, i can come by and say hi

[RallyeNick]

And slash your house phone bills, seriously..

If you have a contract phone, use it. Only use house phone on evenings & weekends (when free calls to 01/02 numbers) and for freephone numbers.

Sky package should include the calls anyway, so in theory, you only need the £12 line rental.

[Chris]

Can't believe you let her drive in to London..... seriously, look into the local Commuter coach companies.... they work out around £2000 a year (£170ish a month).

Not only is this cheaper than having to pay petrol up there and back, but also she wouldn't have to pay Congestion Charge each day, the coach company pay it, plus it will cut down on the wear and tear of your car, so will save on repair/parts bills.

Chris :)

[Natalie]

It is getting ridiculous how much things are going up. We've been in our house 10 months and have felt it increasing more expensive. Our bills are:

Rent - 810 (will probably go up when tenancy is up in Sept)
Gas and electricity - 37 (but was estimated before the fuel when up so we owe money)
Water - 33
House insurance - 11
Council tax - 140
Sky - 21
TV license - 11
Internet - 10
House phone - 25
Car loan - 170
OH's loan - 105
Personal bills like credits cards - 115
Petrol - roughly 270 between 3 cars
Food - 200

Total - £1958 a month

We earn about £32k between us so we are brassic most of the time lol

[vts-yes]

rallyenic you the man.

[Yates]

me and leckie had an awesome experience when we used the national express coach to london

[rushy_23]

Cost of living has risen, but tbh looking at your outgoings it seems you simly have a lot
going out each month!

You must be living in london if your paying £850 rent a month mate!
Rent my way it £495 for a 2 bed house. Main outgoings are phone/car insurance/elec/
water bill/food/petrol/train pass/overdraft interest/contacts lenses/cc payments

I bet they all come up to less than your nanny fees (if there monthly!)

[RallyeNick]

rallyenick you the man.

I'd familiarise yourself with moneysavingexpert.com

No joke, it's saved me £1000's along with Quidco.com.

Well worth finding out about the childcare. That could save you nearly 3k a year.


The coach/train sounds like the best option for reducing fuel costs.

[Peejous]

Despite the high cost of living, it still remains popular.

[Chris]

me and leckie had an awesome experience when we used the national express coach to london

I get the coach to London everyday and have done for 8 years now... so much easier than driving your self or getting the train.


Guarenteed a seat
Give the stress of driving to someone else
Don't get other people's armpits in your face or umbrella up your arse
Cost half the fare of the trains
Cost less than driving/parking/congestion charge
Make new friends with fellow travellers
Can sleep (which you obviously can't do when you drive up yourself)
You don't have to pay for the servicing/repair/wear and tear bills


Chris :)

[Yates]

im saying we had an awesome experience, looked like we had the coach to ourselves on the way back at night

[Chris]

You must be living in london if your paying £850 rent a month mate!

He'd be lucky to get anywhere in London to rent for £850... would be an absolute sh*thole.......... he lives about 20 miles out of London (I live about 45 miles out) and that is the cost of rent in this sort of area.

Chris :)

[Clouds_mate]

im saying we had an awesome experience, looked like we had the coach to ourselves on the way back at night

hahahahahahahahahahaha

[Mark51]

ill buy cookies mate xx

im down in hull in august, i can come by and say hi

let me know when

*edit* - just give me a ring before you set off and just come down

[rushy_23]

As long as your pay takes that into respect thats not too bad.

But bladdy hell man.

[Yates]

let me know when

*edit* - just give me a ring before you set off and just come down

yeah who you kiddin tryin to pretend you have plans and a life

[Karl]

hahahahahahahahahahaha

Full of Ethnic origins?

[Mark51]

yeah who you kiddin tryin to pretend you have plans and a life

my life IS you,lol

[bullit]

Despite the high cost of living, it still remains popular.

that cracked me up lol

[bullit]

im the master with money now. just dont waste it. suprising what you save and drive a heap round

[RCD-Performance]

we pay so much coz were in a great country. most of the world you get shot at for saying you like spice girls, or anything western lol!!

its not that bad bloody hell

Did you just say england is a great country?

I think i just fainted.

We get taxed to the hilt, we have a stupid retard for PM whos only interested in bumming the US and lining his own pockets.

Our NHS is shite, our OAP's cant afford to live, hardly anyone can afford to buy a house, and to make things worse, even beer and fags are going up :( (again)

Oh yeah, england is great mate lol.

[pjm300]

everyone always moans about england, id rather live here than anywhere else tbh.

[RallyeNick]

Yeah... I'd much rather have a country run by the mafia, or where you get taken away for simply opposing a leader who wants to rule the world.

If only hitler won the war eh? Arien race FTW...

British are a bunch of moaners, yeh we never speak up about it, oh, bar the online petition or two, which don't actually work.

If you got such issues about the way the country, either leave or do something about it.

[seat-craig]

Yeah... I'd much rather have a country run by the mafia, or where you get taken away for simply opposing a leader who wants to rule the world.

If only hitler won the war eh? Arien race FTW...

British are a bunch of moaners, yeh we never speak up about it, oh, bar the online petition or two, which don't actually work.

If you got such issues about the way the country, either leave or do something about it.

Obviously no one wants that. But the way the country is run at the moment is shocking. I think the main problem is the EU. England are an independent island we should not be in the EU. We pay absouloute billions into it every year and don't see a thing back. It also means every other person in Europe can stroll into our country no questions asked and now our resources cant handle it. We are in a big mess and it will get worse before it gets better.

[Slammed_Posi_Vtr]

I agree with all the hate England stuff tbh, although i think living over here does have its ups and downs, we pay silly amounts for everything, way over the odds, its just the way the government introduces loads of new laws and keeps upping taxes but not wages. and the way the eu now controls us more than we do as citizens. if you look up laws that got introduced that we didnt know about then u'll find out that now the eu has made it basically illegal for us to export people that have migrated to england, legally or not, even if they are known terrorists, just so they can keep them out of thier own country. Fucks me off. just like speed cameras £6.00 packs of 20, google earth and gordon brown. but i like boris johnson.

[vts-yes]

Cost of living has risen, but tbh looking at your outgoings it seems you simly have a lot
going out each month!

You must be living in london if your paying £850 rent a month mate!
Rent my way it £495 for a 2 bed house. Main outgoings are phone/car insurance/elec/
water bill/food/petrol/train pass/overdraft interest/contacts lenses/cc payments

I bet they all come up to less than your nanny fees (if there monthly!)

i live in kent. And not even the nicer part at that lol.
Yes them nanny fees are mnthley.

[RallyeNick]

VTS-YES

This might also help a little (I don't have a child but have been looking into it for my sister in Law).

Free childcare for 3 or 4 year olds This doesn't benefit you just yet, but certainly will next year :)
There are free ‘early learning’ classes available for all three or four year-olds. For at least 38 weeks a year you’re entitled to 12.5 hours a week of this, though some local councils offer more.

In practice this provision is offered at a range of places including Sure Start Children’s Centres, Nurseries, pre-schools and Childminders. So if you're paying for childcare, you can swap it in for this free provision which could add up to a hefty saving over the year.

Where to find out more

The main source of information in England is the local Families Information Services (FIS), which should be able to tell you about the provision available in your area. Its number is 0800 234 6346. There is no central contact in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, yet the FIS will be able to tell you the telephone number for your area. You can also check if your child qualifies on the DirectGov site.

Nanny Vouchers update.

Dug a bit deeper, and it looks like each of you can claim £243 per month in childcare vouchers. This only totals £500, but that's £500 tax free. (You'd usually only see about £300 if it was cash). So you'll save £200 a month, £2400 a year, CASH!

[baker556]

what financial firm is moving to sittingbourne?

[Chris]

what financial firm is moving to sittingbourne?

Huh???

[i_am_not_your_b1tch]

i agree with ya on the cost of living and how much it's going up mate! luckily I live with my mum at the mo so don't have all the bills you have, but will soon be moving in to my partner's place which he's just bought with a bit of his dad's help (he's a very big mummy and daddy's boy lol!) and his bills aren't too bad at the mo as he's out all day and doesn't really have to have any food in or use much electric or water during the week as he goes back to his mums where he has his shower after work and gets his tea! (lol yeh, he's a lucky boy my partner! haha)

But when I move in, it's gunna be really hard for the both of us! Luckily my partner is a big saver with money and really knows how to budget, and i'm the spender, so I've said he can take charge of my finances when I move in, otherwise we'll have no money whatsoever haha!

this is what should be going out of my account each month:
- £80 insurance
- £100 to mother for rent
- £40 mobile phone bill
- £24 gym membership
- £150 petrol (just about, maybe more now with prices lol!)

but somehow....all my money goes each month! and i get just under £800 pm! probably coz my car keeps breaking down though lol!

[RallyeNick]

bitch,

it's likely to be pissing down the drain on socialising and getting out of the house.

I spent more when I lived with my parents simply to 'get out of the house' and continuous 'going out for a meal' with the missus etc.

Now we have a place, we can have a few quiet evenings a week with some cooking and DVD rental which saves a shit load.

Weird how going from £250 a month to £900 a month in bills and I'm left with the same amount!

[jonezy]

i take home £780 a month after tax, NI, accomodation and food.

love the forces, spend a fortune at weekeds just trying to stay sane.

im on the lowest wage band too, 4k pay rise in four months!