The cost of living

***Mr D*** · 05-02-2009, 18:07

Cost of living, expensive dont you think.

Rent - £350
Rates - £100
Gas - £61
Electric - £82
TV Lic - £11.95
Water - £16.14

Total = £621.09

That just the Basics most people will have to pay

Now add Car running costs, Insurance, Food, Pets, Sky, Internet, Debts (Lucky if you have none nowadays), School Clubs Ect and in the event of a emergency things like cooker ect breaking, clothes needed, Pleasure items, kids.

How do most people cope I for one stuggle and things arnt getting any cheaper.

How do you find it.

Caz · 05-02-2009, 18:16

Well you just do, it's just a matter of getting your priorities right and cutting your coat according to your cloth, as they say. If your basics are in place you may have to make choices on other things

But it's really galling when you struggle to do your best to bring up your family on a limited income, and others who don't give a poo get things thrown at them because they are so blooming useless or feckless.

flashy · 05-02-2009, 19:19

wow MR D, you only pay £16.14 a month for your water?

your lucky, mine is £30 a month, £300 a year

panther · 05-02-2009, 19:30

Was just about to say ya pay less water than me too, i was paying £18.25 amonth, which i may add will go up again in April

BUT, you do pay more in gas and electric....up to now!
Not much left out of a grand these days is there?....

pipinfort · 05-02-2009, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashy

wow MR D, you only pay £16.14 a month for your water?

your lucky, mine is £30 a month, £300 a year

Are you on a meter Flashers............? they sometimes work out cheaper if you watch what you use...................................

panther · 05-02-2009, 19:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by pipinfort

Are you on a meter Flashers............? they sometimes work out cheaper if you watch what you use...................................

Well thats a loada bull, i did one of them question thingys on the water site and i was told id be worse off if i had the meter, so if they ever make em compulsary, they wont be getting in my house!

emamum · 05-02-2009, 20:02

oh no, not water meters.....jambutty was ranting about then not long ago wasnt he?

Neil · 05-02-2009, 20:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by emamum

...jambutty was ranting about then not long ago wasnt he?

You were brought up better than to be rude about old folk. Anyway he does not rant, he moans

pipinfort · 05-02-2009, 20:18

Sorry i mentioned them , they worked out miles cheaper for us............

lancsdave · 05-02-2009, 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

Cost of living, expensive dont you think.

Rent - £350
Rates - £100
Gas - £61
Electric - £82
TV Lic - £11.95
Water - £16.14

Total = £621.09

That just the Basics most people will have to pay

Now add Car running costs, Insurance, Food, Pets, Sky, Internet, Debts (Lucky if you have none nowadays), School Clubs Ect and in the event of a emergency things like cooker ect breaking, clothes needed, Pleasure items, kids.

How do most people cope I for one stuggle and things arnt getting any cheaper.

How do you find it.

Start cutting down on the luxuries. Get rid of the TV then you don't need a licence or Sky. Sell the kids off and that cuts out School clubs, and for good measure give up food, it's bad for you

entwisi · 05-02-2009, 21:54

eleccy at 82 seems high for a normal household?

similarly gas.

I now pay 120/month for both in a large 3/4 bed semi dormer bungalow with non energy bulbs, a washer that I'm sure is on constantly

and a gas fire that I'm sure is like an open pipe on fire from the gas co. !

you don't mention if you get any help with rent/council tax etc which if you are on low income you should.

I'll start another thread if we think its neccessary but I have to ask, what are your career plans? if you are sat there without looking to increase your earning potential then you need to consider it.

12 years ago I earned 20% of what I do now for 2-3x the hours. I'm lucky that I have a particular aptitude for something that happens to pay a lot of money. 11 years ago I didn't know that I did though. I made small but important steps with a view as to where I wanted to be next, 8 steps later I'm 'content' which my position and career. I know (and don't want) to be CEO or even any higher in the management chain than I am but I've got where I am by having a plan and working hard towards it.

If there is one thing that schhols don't teach in career mamagement is that change is not necessarily bad and can actualy be just what you need. It also doesn't teach you to gain whatever you can from every position you are in and to take that to teh next role. I've sold TVs from a little shop in Rishton, waited tables and run pubs round east lancashire and started in Barclays as a Trainee programmer. I'm now Technical Lead consultant for the Middleware Live support team advising on systems that deal with Billions of pounds a day. some of the skills I learned selling Tvs I use daily to sell my ideas and propsals to senior business people. In some ways its what stands me out from most other techies in that I can SELL an idea. Similarly In teh pubs you get used to dealing with a wide variety of people and gain teh ability to 'read' them and what makes them tick. Using this I can aim my sales at teh right people in teh right manner. Just because selling TVs only paid me 100 quid a week means nowt now. The skills I learned doing teh job make a massive difference in my job here and now.

I have always lived by teh mantra that only I can decide how and where I want to be and only I can make it happen through hard work, hard choices and in some cases a dose of luck.

Good luck in what you do but you need to remember that no-one s ever going to hand you a cushy job on a plate, its up to you to chase down that plate and to make sure that its got your name on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eric · 05-02-2009, 21:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashy

wow MR D, you only pay £16.14 a month for your water?

your lucky, mine is £30 a month, £300 a year

You guys pay for water

Holy faeces ... next thing is, you will be paying for the air you breathe.

***Mr D*** · 06-02-2009, 00:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashy

wow MR D, you only pay £16.14 a month for your water?

your lucky, mine is £30 a month, £300 a year

£30 a month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Start cutting down on the luxuries. Get rid of the TV then you don't need a licence or Sky. Sell the kids off and that cuts out School clubs, and for good measure give up food, it's bad for you

Good advise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

eleccy at 82 seems high for a normal household?

similarly gas.

I now pay 120/month for both in a large 3/4 bed semi dormer bungalow with non energy bulbs, a washer that I'm sure is on constantly

and a gas fire that I'm sure is like an open pipe on fire from the gas co. !

It includes built up arrears over the years I had been on estimated readings.

The above was the new rate I was told today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

you don't mention if you get any help with rent/council tax etc which if you are on low income you should.

I get just over £10.00 per week from Tax Credits and only started claiming this when they sent me a bill for £1000 (Ill let them pay themselves back), due to overpayments 3 years ago, this was my mistake I should of started claiming earlier but didnt bother.

I wouldnt class myself as low income, just not great, most of it my fault as I like to have luxeries which has resulted in debts, but I see it as why not I have worked for the past 17 years (11 at my current job) I should have things I want, other wise why work at all.

My reason for the post was to see how others found it as the cost of just general living is IMO a costly thing

I feel for people on the minimum wage of £5.73ph x 39hrs, bring home around £190/£200? must think why bother working. when benefits is roughtly £160/£170? (Inc free rent & Rates).