What is your household income, how much is benefits, and how are you coping?

Oh I forgot the water and car insurance and stuff. I wondered why I was so skint.

Also a massive part of disposable income is when & if you bought. An income of 90k if you bought decades ago will go a lot further than a couple trying to rent today.

£500 a month after you've paid everything is not bad. I wouldn't call that penny pinching. You can buy clothes and go out on that.

when I read the first post she said a combined income of £90K. It didn't break it down into who earned what.

Money saving Expert gives the £7500 figure but clearly that is for one earner.

That's why I asked what the income split was. Still no info on that from her.

Student loans- she's not mentioned.

Your income sounds good - that must be the tax applicability. My gross salary is 90k a year (not including bonus) but after pension and other deductions my take home is about 4600 a month.

Single woman, no kids / no partner so obviously no benefits. Obviously not “struggling” but far from wealthy and need to budget very carefully each month. Definitely don’t feel as rich as I imagined I would feel when I earned a fraction of this salary! I cannot afford to travel much - just about 1 trip a year overseas mainly weekend somewhere in Europe.

Rent and fixed expenses are about 2000 per month. Currently spend 400 on average a month on groceries but trying to reduce that dramatically. Now finally debt free for the first time in my life since 19 so that’s good.

Children are expensive and the nursery years are tough financially.

I guess, as you are supporting more children than average, then earning 90k between you isn’t going to afford you a better quality of life than average quality of life. And by average quality of life, I mean you can afford day to day expenses but luxuries are limited.

How about applying for jobs on a higher salary? Would that give you a bit more headway?

I became a single parent unexpectedly when DD was 11 and it took me a couple of years of study, exams and promotions to get to a point where we could easily afford luxuries again.

Oh, I got that stat by a crude Google.

"With a salary of £160,000, you are likely in the top 1% of earners in the UK.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Top 1% Threshold:
To be considered in the top 1% of income earners in the UK, you generally need a personal taxable income of around £160,000."

I'm not sure how the number of children impacts where you place on household income.

@HerOopNorth how have you worked that out? 2 people on 45k will take home 3k before any pension or student loan deductions

It's actually quite reasonable that people have noticed their income, whatever it is, doesn't buy what it would've done a few years back.

Wanting a ‘better quality of life’ on 90k is ridiculous. If you want a ‘better quality of life (whatever that means) then make changes, move, smaller mortgage etc. You are better off than most people in the uk. It’s not about your QOL, it’s about your choices

The old race to the bottom.

Total net income on £90K is around 7,500 pm.

Unless one of you is a higher tax payer and the other much lower. Like 70/20 split.

Your main extra outgoings are commuting and his other children (which is not an insignificant amount) .

How much is your mortgage and how much are 'bills'?

If you're paying subs for TV, phones, gym etc, that will all add up and aren't 'essentials.

How’s you husbands ex going with his £500 I wonder when you’re struggling on £5500…

90k is the equivalent to 72k in 2020 & 59k in 2010.

Wage stagnation & inflation plus frozen tax bands have really done a number

I know - I was just replying to the statement you were in the top 1%, as you aren’t.

With four kids that makes you in the top ~18% of households.

Apparently I'm not allowed on legacy benefits, the DWP operative laughed at me for even asking. I rang CA for a household support grant they have all gone. They went through my benefits and no entitlement to anymore. I'm not having more than one child have a SCI I can't cope with more than one by myself. Im 44 unfortunately I couldn't wait till back at work. As have no idea if I will be able to. It 12pm already the spine migraine has started, feet are going numb.

Household about 56k plus 170 CB.

Mortgage 2100
CT 250
Car etc 200
Energy bills about 250
Food 100 - 300 depending on if we are being careful.

We really, really struggle.

We have 4, I have 2, he has 2 :)

I agree on paper it should be loads , but it doesn’t feel like loads anymore and I guess that is what the OP was about

Kindly, I’d delete this post. Wanting a ‘better quality of life’ on 90k is ridiculous. If you want a ‘better quality of life (whatever that means) then make changes, move, smaller mortgage etc. You are better off than most people in the uk. It’s not about your QOL, it’s about your choices

£160k household income with two kids is about the top 10% of households.

Our mortgage increased by 1k overnight when our term ran out. We didn’t see such a huge increase coming when we moved into the house, we did have a buffer and still do so and I’m starting a higher paid job soon. We are lucky but as the OP originally said - I did think I’d ’feel Rich’ when I was younger at this point!

55K total household income, partner disabled but not enough to qualify for benefits he’s self employed and PT plus house husbandry. Mortgage 800, food, energy, car etc same as everyone. Used to foster but they’re all grown up now, support some of them when we can (deposits, first month rent, those sorts of things). We get by but it would be great if I could get back to relative wage value of about 10 years ago before stagnation and inflation bulges.

You're in the top 1% of earners in the country and it sounds like you're spending within those means - large mortgage, large family, cars for children.
People spending to the limit of their income are indeed noticing that costs have gone up.
I would argue that people earning so much should have created a big financial 'just in case' buffer so that they could absorb the rising COL costs.

Single parent to 3.

Salary £1350 (Monthly)
CMS £648 (Monthly)
Child Benefit £238 (4 Weekly)
Universal Credit £1610 (Monthly)

Rent is £1300

Of course you did - you presumably didn’t have children, didn’t own a property and were living in a houseshare or the like. Plus you were living off loans from the taxpayer, which require paying back.

It’s a bit crass complaining that making choices to own an expensive house and have multiple children and have other nice things is expensive. There was nothing stopping you being single, living in a house share in a cheaper area, not having children and instead having money for haircuts and holidays.

You can’t have everything.

I’m in London and have about £8k a month of direct debits at the moment.

~£3k in mortgage
~£4k in childcare
~£1k in household bills inc council tax, energy, water, internet, insurances etc

Our household income looks very high but our outgoings are astronomical.

I thought we would buy a bigger house at some point but even less the childcare costs at this level, the mortgage would just be too ridiculously huge.

In terms of benefits received - just the 15 hours.