What do you think is a reasonable disposable income?

[KingofCats]

So I’ve just worked out a detailed budget in advance of my mortgage going up and been tracking my spend over the last year and am interested in what other people think is a reasonable disposable income for say 2 adults 2 children (I’m 1 adult 2 teens and 1 pre teen but think easier comparison is 2 adults and 2 children)?
After all bills and mortgage / housing costs but before food, clothes, leisure activities, etc.

After food £100 per person is what we're aiming for- clothes are ridiculously expensive and the kids grow so much

I think it depends on what is meant by disposable. For me, that would be money where I had a choice on how to spend it. So essentials would be mortgage/rent, bills, fuel to get to work, food, school uniform etc. In theory, £0 should be enough disposable income because then you have enough to live on- the essentials are covered. In many parts of the world, this is considered enough. But that could make for a miserable life.

So, if disposable income is for the nicer bits of life, then that is subjective in what you want to do with it. Someone wanting a cruise every year is going to be different to someone that maintains a hobby with outgoings. For most people, disposable income has to be prioritised as well for the things they want to do.

I also think it's really important that my teen DSC have the freedom to get on a bus and go and meet their mates for coffee/mcdonalds/cinema. So I do value their spare money higher than ours. We can do without.

£600 for one adult here with no kids, which is a comfortable amount.
This breaks down as:
-£250 on travel to/from work, family, friends (no car)
-£150 on groceries
-£100 on general costs (eg. bits for house, bike repairs, books, clothes)
-£30 on pharmacy stuff, health (I often don't spend this)
-£70 on eating out, entertainment or day trips (including random coffees & pastries on the go)
I don't always spend this amount. This month I've spent £500.

I would have said £1,000 a couple of years ago but now think £1,200 to £1,500.

How much do you earn a month? How can you say £600 per month isn't a lot? I know it's all relative but surely giving OP example who has children. Disposal income is after you've paid your bills if your kitchen appliances broke then obviously you would have to spend the money (Disposal on a washer or towards).

1 adults 3 kids
£40 per week per person for food based on rownetree estimate for healthy diet a couple of years ago
672 a month

Clothes - children grow - 100 a month

Birthdays and Christmas for 3 children 100 each assuming something nice and sone essentials is 50 a month to put aside

One activity a week per person - gym or football or music - 10 to 15 per person per week 250 a month

Holidays fund - days out at beach, camping holidays - 125 a month , double if you eat out rather than bbq at the campsite

Do your own hair , charity shop for clothes , 10 a week for pocket money per person is £168

Personally I don’t class food costs as disposable as always have to eat ? Eating out costs yes but always budget food all utilities and tv plus mortgage and insurances as fixed outgoings. I try to manage on £500 a month and am fortunate enough to be able to save £1500 a month which I can dip into for any big expenses

We've had a very tight few months due to redundancy. We are a family of 3 and started feeling more "comfortable" when we had £700 left over after Christmas / Car and Birthday savings and food.

That's £700 fun money for us all.

I'm meticulous with the spreadsheet and track every spend. £700 meant I could breathe again and enjoy things.

(Although we're now back to below £700 again as my new temporary job closed down!)

NT membership helps hugely as we live somewhere where they have good carparks (£5 a day for non members)

Same. Weekly food budget.

OP is including food as "disposal income" if you include food £600 is not much

In 2012 we had £660 leftover every month after food and savings. Which stretched much further....but our salaries were only about £23k each

Knowing I was better off in 2012 has really depressed me!

Of course you have to eat but what you buy and how much you eat is in your control, hence being "disposable".

Rent or Mortgage and utility bills aren't in your control. Not disposable.

2 adults and 1x16 yo and 1x11 yo here. We need 1000-1500 a month for the 4 of us left over after all bills/food are paid.

We can manage on much less but to feel comfortable that's what we allow. It's a movable amount depending on what we have coming up and whether we are going abroad that year etc.

Oh no! Didn't realise it had to include food. Our food budget is £300 a month.

I think what you're actually after OP is your discretionary spending budget.

"Clothes and leisure" are far too subjective and broad, you'd be better off trying to gauge before those things, most of my disposable income goes on leisure (through choice, life is for the living!)

Sorry ignore me! I see that's exactly what you've asked!

@veryfluffyfluff ahh yes sorry agree with your other suggestion too. That's not the definition of disposal income though. Food budget is another world wind on MN never in real life have ever met anybody who spends so much on food per week even just for 2 people. How the other half live! I say this as a shopper at M&S twice a month too.

It depends on your lifestyle OP. I could survive on fresh air as my hobbies are all free (hiking, running, cycling, gardening etc).
But £250 a week (£1,000 a month) between you all sounds reasonable to me.

Sorry I'd missed the 'food' aspect. Add on £100 a week for that, so £1,400 a month.

I don't know why i click on these threads and read them.

They fascinate/annoy me in equal measures.

Everyone's different, but what i would say is i avoid the concept of disposable income altogether, i think its unwise. I save. I give myself about 15% of what's left after bills and 85% goes straight into savings. I've done this for decades. As a result i will be able to retire early, which is much more important to me.

I have roughly 200 a month after everything (Inc food, food is a bill). That is for new clothes and anything else that may come up. It's tight. I earn a good salary but unfortunately I am a single parent.

After all bills and mortgage / housing costs but before food, clothes, leisure activities, etc.

Food should be in the base budget, and so should essential clothes. Also we always viewed one activity per child per week as part of the main budget. You have to be mindful of birthdays and Christmas, and holidays too.

If your budget is very accurate and covers what you truly need, then you can get away with virtually no discretionary spending if you need to (e.g. no spare cash) or want to (e.g. if saving).

People have to be realistic about their income and their choices. Eating out multiple times each month costs a lot. Takeaways add up. Most clothes purchases are unnecessary. Much leisure spending can be done without.

The fact that some people have £1000+ each month to spend on 'leisure' does not make this the statistical norm.