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Original poster

How much disposable income do you have in your household?

111 replies

Niahm · 10/03/2022 15:00

Now I know that some people are uncomfortable revealing how much money they actually have and that’s fine, but for anyone who’s not fussed I’d love to know how much you have left over to spend as you please!
After reading all the recent breadline vs comfortable threads I’m more confused than ever and have no idea where I fall. I feel like people often tend to include things like owning and running a car, haircuts, clothes, getting the house sorted etc which skews the end results quite a bit.

Personally after rent, food, council tax, energy, water and internet I have £700 for me and a toddler. Definitely enough to eat and get by okay, but it all seems to just fly away from us on travelling, clubs, basic clothes, Netflix, phones etc.
How about you?

OP posts:
Lovinglavidaloca · 10/03/2022 22:38

@Niahm I feel the same as you. I know we aren't your typical MN high earning couple but I also can't relate to not being able to suck up £1/200 extra per month for my energy - obviously I am very sorry for those who will really struggle with this.

Of course, I do realise that everything will start going up soon and that's a different story.

One thing that is strange is that MN is usually full of high earners but now all I seem to see is the ones heading into deeper poverty and not having a spare £ at the end of the month. Maybe they hide have more to say now?

worriedatthistime · 10/03/2022 22:50

After all bills are paid about £500 for food and things for 4 of us 3 adults , i teenager so feeding four adults and its tight
We earn ok but have debts due to me being out of work for a lot of the time during covid and those credit cards put the interest up a lot in that time
I include 2 cars in that with tax and insurancs not fuel as we live in an area with no real public transport so car is essential to get to work and dh has to have a car to work
Honestly not sure how we will manage electric rises
May have to consider a debt management plan
Silly thing is if we could get a loan to cleat the debts we would have a much larger disposable income and be debt free in 2-3 years

Lovinglavidaloca · 10/03/2022 22:57

@worriedatthistime is it a credit rating issue? I'm thinking it must be otherwise you'd balance transfer?

Sorry to hear things are touch right now.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General money
worriedatthistime · 10/03/2022 23:00

@Lovinglavidaloca yes because we have debts they won't authorise us for zero percent cards which is crazy in some ways as I pay over the minimum on the cards but barely dents the debt , if they were zero interest we could probably cleat down in a year or so

Disneydatknee88 · 10/03/2022 23:01

We include most things in our budget so Netflix, tv and Internet,groceries on average, fuel and everyone's "pocket money" (including the adults, we have a standing order of £50 a week for both myself and DH for personal spending). After that we have about £400 left over for savings or Disposable income. It used to be £1000 but we have recently relocated and both taken pay cuts temporarily until we have settled in and found better jobs. We have factored in projected gas and energy prices but food and fuel keep going up so who knows where we will be in a few months? We are at a comfy spot at the moment. We managed to save quite a bit when we had that grand a month spare. Now all our excess just means we can have a takeaway or a day out and it won't bankrupt us which to us is "confortable" financially.

GloriaSilver · 10/03/2022 23:03

Honestly no idea. Does petrol and haircuts and stuff like that count as disposable income use?
As I could choose not to have either?
Or is it just mortgage bills etc you count as non disposable?

dinosaursgorawrrr · 10/03/2022 23:09

After all the bills are paid I have roughly £200 to spend on food/packed lunches so £50pw for 3 of us. Nothing spare for anything else and honestly it's Sad. This week we had a bill that meant we couldn't get food.
Trying to save for urgent bits like a new wheelchair battery and at £1 saving a week should be able to leave the house again in around 2 years Grin. If I don't laugh I end up crying but it is what it is.

People had to chose between heat or eat but what are they expected to do when they can't do either?

FrownedUpon · 10/03/2022 23:13

I have 2k left after everything is paid & partner has about 1.5k. We save & overpay mortgage with a good chunk of that though.

mummykel16 · 10/03/2022 23:16

@Niahm

Now I know that some people are uncomfortable revealing how much money they actually have and that’s fine, but for anyone who’s not fussed I’d love to know how much you have left over to spend as you please! After reading all the recent breadline vs comfortable threads I’m more confused than ever and have no idea where I fall. I feel like people often tend to include things like owning and running a car, haircuts, clothes, getting the house sorted etc which skews the end results quite a bit.

Personally after rent, food, council tax, energy, water and internet I have £700 for me and a toddler. Definitely enough to eat and get by okay, but it all seems to just fly away from us on travelling, clubs, basic clothes, Netflix, phones etc.
How about you?

Some months I may have £40 left after buying the die if you don't stuff, but that's ok I don't need more, mostly.
Lovinglife45 · 10/03/2022 23:22

Wow - some of you have good saving pots.

For years I have been determined to save the equivalent of 6 months salary. I have barely managed to save one month's salary long term. 9/10 our savings are dipped into each month which tells me we require more to live on. It is totally demoralising to see the balance reduce.

We have a decent income. I shop in sales only. I take lunch to work. We have a £10 takeaway once a week. I never buy coffee/food on the go. I paint my own nails, colour my own hair, do not buy magazines.

I would love to have £20,000 or even £10,000 of savings which remain untouched.

wejammin · 10/03/2022 23:23

I have a spreadsheet that includes the following as 'committed outgoings'
Mortgage
Utilities
Home and life insurance
Nursery
Phone
Car loan, tax and insurance
DC swimming lessons
2 'big shops' per month (that's for tins/freezer/snacks/toiletries)
Fuel
Credit card bill (used for holiday/Christmas/birthdays)

After all that is paid we have £400 per month for extras which would be top up shops for fresh fruit and veg, clothes and shoes for the kids, any days or meals out. We have 3 kids and it really doesn't seem to stretch far. It won't take many more bill increases before it's a tiny amount.

That's with us both working well paid jobs, with hindsight I think we overstretched ourselves on our mortgage which is 25% of our take home pay.

MissM2912 · 10/03/2022 23:23

I have 1500 ish. Husband has more. We keep everything separate

Manekinek0 · 10/03/2022 23:23

We have about 1.5k after everything is paid. You wouldn't know if you met us. We live in what most would class as a starter home, drive an older car that we share, I cut my own hair and wear second hand clothes. I know we are lucky, we lived in poverty for years but as we earned more we didn't let the lifestyle creep set in.

bumblefeline · 10/03/2022 23:26

I play set for life on the lottery each week and some of these "salaries" are equivalent to the winnings. I would have so many holidays, fuck saving it all. Maybe that's why I don't have a pot to piss in.

I need a spreadsheet I think.

RedPandaMama · 10/03/2022 23:28

Me, DP, DD4 and DD 3 months - the moment £500 a month leftover, I'm on maternity leave. Saving £100 and £200 each spends for me and DP. We spread it out so we have £50 a week each. I end up spending most of it on clothes for the kids because I just can't resist baby things. It gets us a couple of takeaways a month, clothes and shoes, maybe a family day out but not much else.
I feel we are lucky and in a better position than most but with the massive rises in petrol and gas/electric it does worry me. Last month the washing machine and oven both broke. We couldn't afford both so bought a new washer and the oven is still unusable at the moment.

Once I'm back in work in Sept we'll have £1400 disposable and be in a much better position.

mummykel16 · 10/03/2022 23:29

@Viviennemary

I have never really worked it out tbh.. But it is sad that some folk have next to nothing and others have a fair bit. It does make for rather uncomfortable reading. I can't really see the point of this type of thread.
Maybe it's the kick up the arse some need
Dogmum40 · 10/03/2022 23:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummykel16 · 10/03/2022 23:35

@dinosaursgorawrrr

After all the bills are paid I have roughly £200 to spend on food/packed lunches so £50pw for 3 of us. Nothing spare for anything else and honestly it's Sad. This week we had a bill that meant we couldn't get food. Trying to save for urgent bits like a new wheelchair battery and at £1 saving a week should be able to leave the house again in around 2 years Grin. If I don't laugh I end up crying but it is what it is.

People had to chose between heat or eat but what are they expected to do when they can't do either?

Are those batteries expensive?
Silentbobbi · 10/03/2022 23:36

The kick up the arse some need haha

Absolutely insensitive to the situation of others. Plenty of people are stuck in jobs with little or no opportunities available to them despite working hard. They don't need a kick up the arse just the bit of luck that you and others have received in life.

olaamigo · 10/03/2022 23:37

@bumblefeline I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not but spreadsheets really do help!

Obviously they can't change what you earn or spend but it really does help to see what goes out every month and more importantly every year on things like Christmas, birthdays, school uniform time etc so you can budget for that monthly.

LizzieSiddal · 10/03/2022 23:38

I need a spreadsheet I think.

They are fantastic , I do one for each month of the year so you can add in things like birthdays/Xmas/cat MOTs/holidays etc.

qualitygirl · 10/03/2022 23:39

Incoming is over 6k

Outgoings 1500ish

That's everything including food, fuel and a cleaner though. Food, fuel, the cleaner, kids clubs and the small amount of childcare accounts for over 1100 of that 1500 though.

LizzieSiddal · 10/03/2022 23:39

That should be Car MOT not Cat Grin

mummykel16 · 10/03/2022 23:39

@Silentbobbi

The kick up the arse some need haha

Absolutely insensitive to the situation of others. Plenty of people are stuck in jobs with little or no opportunities available to them despite working hard. They don't need a kick up the arse just the bit of luck that you and others have received in life.

I was talking about me.
bumblefeline · 10/03/2022 23:45

[quote olaamigo]@bumblefeline I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not but spreadsheets really do help!

Obviously they can't change what you earn or spend but it really does help to see what goes out every month and more importantly every year on things like Christmas, birthdays, school uniform time etc so you can budget for that monthly. [/quote]
No definitely not. We waste so much money each month so I think I really do need to see where it is all going.