Can´t survive on salary without benefits. Doesn´t seem right.

[Fashionesta]

Just wondered if anyone else was in the same boat as feeling a bit miserable. Recently started new job, 31K a year, felt happy with that, potential to grow. Having done all my calculations and bills, if it were not for getting some money towards housing, I would be 300 pounds a month short :(

After pension I get around 1800 per month. Rent is 950 and I have one of the cheaper properties in my area so no ability to find anything cheaper - its me and DD in a 2 bed. No luxuries at all. Basic mobile phone on giff gaff 8 per month, no SKY etc, old car although paying off car loan of 150 month which bumps outgoings up. By the time I have paid all my bills, council tax, loan, after school club for DD and swimming lessons for her which I feel is essential, if it weren´t for the fact that I get some help towards rent, I would be -300 per month.

I generally feel like I earn a decent wage and panicking a bit about the situation. Not asking for a solution really as I think I am quite frugal, also sensible so pay for life insurance, car insurance, pet insurance and house insurance. Pay TV licence and so on. Shop at Tesco.

Anyone else don´t feel like they are getting by on what I actually consider a decent wage (although I realise in MN terms I am probably not earning much at all).'

Argh I just hate feeling poor all the time and I shouldn´t have to rely on benefits when on 31K surely!

How do you only take home 1800 if your annul salary is 31k?

Weird thing is they fighting so hard for the 1% that they are not a part of.
Someone tell me why, it's so weird?

People bang on endlessly about greedy landlords but most landlords only have one property they let. The profit is normally 5%. There are a lot of costs to being landlord, its not like the rent is all going straight into their pockets. Landlords are no 'greedier' than homeowners selling their homes at high prices, often making huge profits for doing nothing at all.
The problem is the shite state of our housing market, not individual landlords or homeowners.

How do you only take home 1800 if your annul salary is 31k?

Because she pays into a pension

For those concerned that they are funding my lavish lifestyle, my earning potential is good so it won't be long until salary and UC cancel each other out and I won't be sponging off the state anymore 😁

People bang on endlessly about greedy landlords but most landlords only have one property they let

So are they greedy if they have more than one?

Yes!!

I'm the same it's madness.

Private rent is mad.

@Crabbypaddy

How do you only take home 1800 if your annul salary is 31k?

When I earned the same my take home pay was about this - deductions were income tax, national insurance, pension (fixed % that you couldn't change), student loan. I suspect a lot of those who are incredulous about this take home pay had free university education.

@Ithinkyoucan

People bang on endlessly about greedy landlords but most landlords only have one property they let. The profit is normally 5%. There are a lot of costs to being landlord, its not like the rent is all going straight into their pockets. Landlords are no 'greedier' than homeowners selling their homes at high prices, often making huge profits for doing nothing at all. The problem is the shite state of our housing market, not individual landlords or homeowners.

It pushes up house prices so that they are way out of reach of people like op who could end up renting long term despite being on a decent salary.

If my calculations are right that would be around £750 per month into a pension, that’s awful steep.

Ahhh possibly then. Astounding!

@Crabbypaddy

If my calculations are right that would be around £750 per month into a pension, that’s awful steep.

No way. Some of it must be student loan.

If my calculations are right that would be around £750 per month into a pension, that’s awful steep.

They are wrong 31k without any pension is just over 2k a month. have you forgotten about tax?

@Crabbypaddy

If my calculations are right that would be around £750 per month into a pension, that’s awful steep.

Your calculations are very, very wrong.

So OP, from this we’ve gathered that you should

• sell your dog
• downsize to a one bed and sleep on the sofa
• take your daughter out of after school care and let her fend for herself until you’re finished work, oh and stop letting her learn that vital survival skill, pfft, drowning?! Not a problem
• move several hours drive away for cheaper rent, leave DD at home while you travel

obviously

• cancel all insurance policies, cos who needs life insurance?! Who cares if your house floods?! Pfft, there’s woods around right? They provide shelter
• stop paying your pension, why would you want to have a plan in place for retirement anyway?!
• force the ex to pay his way

What you waiting for! We don’t want to pay for you anymore!

Bloody hell, MN is full of wankers at times

If she paid £750 pm pension, her take home pay would be around £1460pm, if there was no student loan.

@Crabbypaddy

If my calculations are right that would be around £750 per month into a pension, that’s awful steep.

I earn just under 32k and pay around 800 in deductions between NI, tax and pension

Universal credits went up 20pounds a week during the pandemic due to job losses and helping people survive more yet the people who never worked still got the extra 20pounds a week!!

Actually there's an aspect to this that's even worse. This'll blow your mind. Workers on the old system of tax credits+housing benefit also got the £20 a week uplift through tax credits. But then had it taken off them by their housing benefit being cut. By £20 a week.

Everyone should be entitled to affordable social housing. Rents should be capped

I also don’t get this teachers on 25K in London, the starting salary for a probationer teacher in Scotland is 27K now, rising to 32K once they finish their years probation, after 5 years experience a non promoted teacher will be earning almost 42K not 25K in Scotland where property is a lot cheaper than SE England.

@JinglingHellsBells the state pension is £137 a week. If someone has no savings / private pension and lives in a rented property, then they will receive significant top ups from the state to pay rent, council tax etc. Those top ups won't mean they aren't poor, however. So by design OP paying into a private pension now means that she will not require as much state help when she is older.

@AColdDuncanGoodhew lol. You forgot:

• walk to work. From your lovely little house in Yorkshire to (presumably) SE England.

@sweetkitty

Everyone should be entitled to affordable social housing. Rents should be capped

I also don’t get this teachers on 25K in London, the starting salary for a probationer teacher in Scotland is 27K now, rising to 32K once they finish their years probation, after 5 years experience a non promoted teacher will be earning almost 42K not 25K in Scotland where property is a lot cheaper than SE England.

Lots of things are better in Scotland - better provision for carers, free Uni education, free prescriptions for everyone ( I think).

In theory it is easy to suggest OP move to a new area but it is not that easy in real life especially as a single parent where you have your support system, a job, kids in school and friends, childcare sorted etc

[quote balloonsandboobies]@JinglingHellsBells the state pension is £137 a week. If someone has no savings / private pension and lives in a rented property, then they will receive significant top ups from the state to pay rent, council tax etc. Those top ups won't mean they aren't poor, however. So by design OP paying into a private pension now means that she will not require as much state help when she is older. [/quote]
New state pension is a lot more than £137 a week !

I also don’t get this teachers on 25K in London

London - £26,948 to £42,780 (fringes), £29,915 to £45,766 (outer), £32,157 to £50,935 (inner)