"I'm Skint"

This place in Leeds (LS7 postcode with a 10% deposit would be around £450 per month mortgage. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-54963700.html

This place in Leeds (LS7 postcode with a 10% deposit would be around £1200 a month mortgage. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-55791526.html

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well, the second place is in a nice area, the first is borderline to an absolute dump.

I don't know leeds, I just rasndomly picked a city up north as an example. The houses are not the point, the point is that if his friends choose to do things that are "not have a burger and a pint" for lunch with him then it is their right, nothing wrong with it. It's up to his friend how his friends wants to live his OWN life.
 
He said his mortgage is £2,400.

v32hys.jpg
 
There have been a lot of posters in the thread talking about how as their income has risen, so have their outgoings. Interestingly enough, I'm halfway through reading a book called 'The Millionaire Next Door' - it's actually a rather interesting insight in to saving, spending, accumulating wealth and why some people are better at it than others.

It talks about how most people with significant assets, contrary to popular belief do not drive supercars. They do not even drive brand new cars all of the time. They don't spend thousands on watches. Not trying to "keep up with the Joness", making sure you livw comfortably within your means, and saving and investing for the future. It all makes sense but ultimately it comes down to self-discipline and self control.
 
[TFU] Thegoon84;29982385 said:
Just throwing this out there..... You can rent a council property in Swansea in the Gower for £331.23 a month .

Google Gower...

Looks great to me:

Fok2ALm.jpg

There have been a lot of posters in the thread talking about how as their income has risen, so have their outgoings. Interestingly enough, I'm halfway through reading a book called 'The Millionaire Next Door' - it's actually a rather interesting insight in to saving, spending, accumulating wealth and why some people are better at it than others.

It talks about how most people with significant assets, contrary to popular belief do not drive supercars. They do not even drive brand new cars all of the time. They don't spend thousands on watches. Not trying to "keep up with the Joness", making sure you livw comfortably within your means, and saving and investing for the future. It all makes sense but ultimately it comes down to self-discipline and self control.

It is indeed a fantastic book, I'd also recommended Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki if you haven't read it already.
 
It talks about how most people with significant assets, contrary to popular belief do not drive supercars. They do not even drive brand new cars all of the time. They don't spend thousands on watches. Not trying to "keep up with the Joness", making sure you livw comfortably within your means, and saving and investing for the future. It all makes sense but ultimately it comes down to self-discipline and self control.

This is me to an absolute tea!

I drive a 2004 Mondeo, don't wear watches, splashing out is 2 takeaway a weeks..... We still go away with the kids and my wife has a new car (but a box standard one for the warranty, Duster)... HOWEVER: We live in a 5 bedroom house in a nice area, (Saved for an extension) with a mortgage worth half the house value, decent savings and ultimately are extremely happy.

I will say tho "keeping up with the Jones" couldn't be more true these days! Its been a tough process but, my wife now values the house we have and the life we live more than the expensive shoes, cloths, watches, cars and mega bucks holidays!
 
I've heard it for years from numerous different friends but to me just seem like a poor excuse. Nights out I could understand but some even say it when I ask them if they want to get lunch which is £7 for a full meal and pint!

Based on someone earning 20k the takehome would be £1415

Base figures for a nice(ish) apartment / half rent in a good house;
Rent £400
Bills £250
Food £220 (£50 x 4.33)
Lunches (£8 x 20) £160

£385 disbosible income a month left over

How can people be skint if you have a job earning 20k + (presuming you are sensible, none alcoholic / drug user / gambler / hooker addict etc.)

MAybe they have other debts that you do not know about? OR their rent is substantially more?
 
I think it's a case of (as previous posters have said) "I have the cash available but would rather spend it on other things"
I've bought lunch out at my new work (been there 6 months) about 3 times in my new place when saving for a mortgage. (I think that says more about the workplace.... Was at least twice a week in the old place with good workmates!)

Does anyone else try save quite a lot but not really keep an Eagle eye on tracking it? I just try to minimise spending where I can and see the bank account grow :o
I could estimate it, but I don't see where/how it would really help - note I have saved a fair bit and (hopefully) buying a house at 25 if I ever manage to exchange contracts...

There have been a lot of posters in the thread talking about how as their income has risen, so have their outgoings. Interestingly enough, I'm halfway through reading a book called 'The Millionaire Next Door' - it's actually a rather interesting insight in to saving, spending, accumulating wealth and why some people are better at it than others.

It talks about how most people with significant assets, contrary to popular belief do not drive supercars. They do not even drive brand new cars all of the time. They don't spend thousands on watches. Not trying to "keep up with the Joness", making sure you livw comfortably within your means, and saving and investing for the future. It all makes sense but ultimately it comes down to self-discipline and self control.

I think this is what I learnt growing up, so thus don't really need to think hard about savings (plus being good at arithmetic helps :p)
 
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Interestingly enough, I'm halfway through reading a book called 'The Millionaire Next Door' - it's actually a rather interesting insight in to saving, spending, accumulating wealth and why some people are better at it than others.

It talks about how most people with significant assets, contrary to popular belief do not drive supercars. They do not even drive brand new cars all of the time. They don't spend thousands on watches. Not trying to "keep up with the Joness", making sure you livw comfortably within your means, and saving and investing for the future. It all makes sense but ultimately it comes down to self-discipline and self control.

I know quite a few people with supercars who are also massively wealthy with significant collections of watches, houses and no mortgages. Whilst I understand the book having read it and other books such as Stop Acting Rich, they try and evidence a perspective that isn't anything more than a view based on a few examples. I know lots of incredibly wealthy people who also don't have posh cars, dress in cheap clothes, always moan about a penny too much, I call them farmers, bankers, business owners and many other things. Their assets are vast but you know what, cars and watches are not their thing and they are more than happy to buy cheap clothes, even second hand in one example I know, as person who pays 5 even 6 figures just to insure their house for example.

I also know people to who cars are their thing and watches and boats and houses and land and holiday homes and planes (I could go on) and you would meet them and know they are minted. I also know of people who have supercars they struggle to afford or cars, or watches. I have a supercar, I don't struggle at all to afford it and I have some nice watches but I am far from rich, something I've said on here many a time. I do OK but would never and have never discussed my earnings on this website for that is just vulgar. I do well and recently have done very well, but as I said above well is just a term of words that means one thing to one and one to another. I don't need to tell anyone how well on here, it's enough for me to have what I need and want and allow me to experience some nice things, places and life experiences.

Different wealthy people display that in vastly different ways, many not at all, many blatantly but let's not start the "most wealthy people don't have lots of flash toys" because I know several that do whom 20K a day, week, month or year is, in their language, chump change. I also know wealthy people who like to play poor, they feel it makes them humble in public and like to point out to others that they should act the same, usually when they feel exposed or know said person has less than them because really, it's just a cover. Put them in the room with other wealthy sought's and their true colours show up and they become all bling.

Health, family and friends would and should take precedence over things but having 'some' money is nice to have things if you have the other stuff....but never instead.
 
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Context for me is as follows

Single, living in my own house
Mortage 310
Concuil tax 110 (not single supplemetn reason will be below)
Gas / electric 41
Water 41
TV/Phone and BB - 35 (going up to 55 in jan)
Home insurance 20
Car insurance 58
Mobile - 36

Total for basic's 651

Debt
Loan 1 105
Loan 2 166
CC 1 50
CC2 100
CC3 100

Debt 521

Total out per month

1172

Take home (13 pay days a year) 1345

173 left for food, fuel etc

Lodger
375

Total left 548 a month

Less 20 for gym

528

So although I'm not great - I could be worse and having the lodger helps massively

Get rid of those debts one by one and you'll be coining it in relatively speaking
 
About skipping breakfast and lunch?
Yes. Why?

Because it is unnecessary, and unhealthy. You could buy a large saver bag of oats and eat them with water each morning.

If your profile description is still true then I fail to see how you can be so poor that you need to skip meals, when there are truly poor people that eat two to three square meals a day.
 
It's been said enough times in here but some of the figures are way, way off. If only my mortgage was 400 instead of 1400 pcm. Sad times but I kinda wish the op was right.
 
Ahh, the UK obsession with buying houses and getting tied into mortgages as early as possible in life, thus financially crippling themselves during what should be the most fun times of their lives... never really understood it myself.
 
they try and evidence a perspective that isn't anything more than a view based on a few examples.

I appreciate what you're saying but from what I understand the book is based on decent statistics of a relatively substantial sample size.

Anyway I just thought it was an interesting point - It was just a question mark about consumerism and consumption in general; mainly in response to those that said their outgoings increased just as quickly as their wages were rising with nothing left spare after everything else was accounted for. :)
 
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