AIBU to ask what you have left monthly after bills?

I think you could have specified your/our category here single mothers with 2 kids or just single mothers

Why? They are normal amounts. Average salary is around £38k, two income of average salaries are £76k. A large chunk of the population will earn more. We have two above average salaries but not huge, but added together we have a joint income of £120k, with left over after bills of around £3k. That’s not unusual.

Someone has asked a question to which others including myself have answered.

why does it cause bad feeling? You can’t control what other people do/earn so no need to consider them or compare

It took me a long time to get to a position of actually having a disposable income, its not all roses & easy. Spent a long time wondering when life was going to get better. Should we refuse better jobs/promotions/bettering ourselves to stay at the no disposable income stage in case it upsets someone?

Its all relative, I don’t earn anywhere near what some who have posted in here or generally on mumsnet but I don’t let it get me down, its not my concern.

comparison is the thief of all joy.

But if she didnt claim it, that doesnt mean that others will get more.

Live alone
bills about £1550 including everything (food, fuel etc)
take home about £1800 so £250 should be left but it always goes on something

We shouldn’t be snipping at each other - it is nobody on this threads fault that there is such a discrepancy across incomes.

Yep, it brings out all “£100k salary isn’t that much” types

I'm on 2.5k a month (ill health retirement). Single person as both my DC have moved out.
Doing quick maths in my head I spend 1.5k on bills. The rest is 50 for petrol, 200 for food, 30 for cat food.

£700 left over.

Absolutely insulting. Apparently theyve made a big thing of paying it on time this year unlike every year where its never on time and then back paid. As if we're supposed to be grateful for that.

A mixture of commitment and right place, right time.

I work in the private sector for a plc in an industry sector that has grown significantly over the last 15/20 years.

I have been with my current employer for over 10 years now and have had what were invariably organic promotions as the business expanded. We are probably 10 times the size we were in revenue terms compared with a decade ago which meant that senior exec roles expanded in line with that over time.

People who were functions directors 10 years ago in a much smaller business are now earning 3 or 4 times as much don’t similar level albeit expanded roles in a larger organisation.

When I first joined the company I don’t think I envisaged being in the position I am 10 years later however I am of course very pleased how things works out.

One other unrelated and again fortunate factor that helped me significantly was the timing of everything. When we bought our house we had a mortgage with an interest rate below 1%. This coincided with career take off and allowed us to clear the mortgage without paying hardly any interest.

I have no desire to build up huge sums of cash beyond what I need so I plan to retire before my DS starts secondary school and will have enough to fund a comfortable life from then on without ever working again.

Enough.

That’s very worthwhile, apologies for any offence

I think we have about £3k after the direct debits. Though included in that are things like Netflix, Spotify, sky etc which we could easily live without if needed. Food and fuel come out of that £3k. Of that just over £1k goes into savings and to pay for holidays. So we spend £2k on food, fuel and general spending, which sounds like a lot, but soon goes.

These threads are always totally pointless.

OP surely before creating this thread you had a little think and realised that responses would range from 0 to thousands?????

Exactly how does it "enlighten" you to know that you are somewhere on that scale?

I sort of think this!

@Jane143 you didn’t mean to offend anyone but you have offended me, my job is worthwhile, I work in a pharmaceutical company that makes products including cancer therapies, and products for rare diseases. My job is to ensure that we comply to rules and regs set out to us. If we don’t make the drugs…no one gets them! We are the only site that makes them. No one else can make them. So take from that what you want.

@Jane143 you don’t think there are worthwhile jobs paying £50,000? You do know there a loads of public sector roles that pay that kind of salary, teachers, doctors. Even people in the charity sector can earn that, and not just director level. You’re being ridiculous.

Usually nothing. I get my state pension, a local government pension, and Im still working part time and generally spend everything I get. But this is the first time in my adult life when Ive not been in debt so I’m quite happy with my finances now.

It’s insulting.

Maybe you do I have no idea. Doubtful though on that salary

If you feel well off and enjoy life then why feel shit? Enjoying life is the only thing that matters. You may not enjoy life quite as much if you earned significantly more. More money doesn’t necessarily mean better.

It’s part choices, part luck. I only took one maternity leave then went back to work full time when my twins were 6 months old. Doing so meant I was promoted a lot and eventually reached a very senior position. But if you talk to many mothers they wouldn’t want that sort of life/work with having kids. Which is perfectly understandable.

My DH’s income is part luck, part choice. He’s always been in public sector but job-hopped an awful lot. He’s never stayed in a job more than 2-3 years since he started working – that’s a classic way to maximise salary. He has landed very lucky positions being right place and right time.

After mortgage, bills and food etc. I have £167 left each month. I deposit £40 into my SIPP and £27 into my Emergency Fund. I keep £100 as “fun money.”

Our household pays over 100k income tax/NI every single year. It’s not a boast it is a simple fact in response to the question posed.

The notion that people who generate such tax liabilities have just been handed it all on a plate is ridiculous.

Were it not for the relatively small number of people paying similar amount of tax, everyone else would be in a far worse position than they are. We have a system where a small minority bankroll an ever growing majority.

She’s not boasting! She’s answering the op!
The answer regarding charity work was in response to your tantrum.

FWIW, I’m a nurse aa well and don’t blame Stats for my budget! 😂

She’s not personally responsible for other people’s financial situations. It sounds like a person who has done well, made good financial decisions and is planning for the future. I admire her!

Too late for that, it’s burst! Seriously though, I know these threads always cause bad feelings, but surely I’m not the only one that can see the unfairness of life? I’ve never earned anywhere near these amounts and have worked bloody hard all my life. I think nurses, police, ambulance staff etc, all essential staff should earn much more. It just makes me cross to see how some people struggle. no offence meant to anyone 😀x