How is everyone else surviving in this day and age!?

[Mummyrere]

I’m just so mind blown how other people are living -

I see so many people with mortgages, going on holidays, having nice cars etc etc and there jobs are obviously not that well paid! My partner works really hard and brings home £5000 a month. It doesn’t work out beneficial for me to go back to work as I have a one year old and the childcare is about the same as I would earn - now we are scrimping and saving, struggling to save each month, getting absolutely rinsed paying rent (in not even an expensive place!) and we can’t afford a mortgage, and really doesn’t look like we ever would be able to. It’s very depressing and I’m feeling so sorry for my partner who is working hard. I’m considering getting an evening and a weekend job but that would mean I would never see my partner as he’s back so late, and to be honest it wouldnt even make too much of a difference to us. I just feel like why is this fair? When he’s in a well paid job he’s worked years in that we’re in this position when other people seem to be living it up!? Ahhh just having a stress tonight!

They don’t get child benefit with a salary of £90k.

Yes, but the point is that Mumsnet is biased in that direction. There's little empathy for those of us who want to be with our babies and toddlers.

On 5k a month even in London you should be able to afford a mortgage. I’m in zone 6 and looking to buy a flat and bring home 3.4k per month. I can just about afford a 2bed flat. Better than wasting money on rent. 5k is a decent income, and if you worked evenings / weekends it would make a difference of course. Whether you want that is a different matter but you’d probably earn enough to make a bit of a difference

You do, don't worry. Others on here would have you think otherwise. It's job or nothing 🙄

Yup. I only use credit card for the cashback/protection but I pay off in full every month. NatWest have a great reward system. Made £50 last month.

That is a salary of £90,000 a year. It goes a bloody long way if you make it.

I disagree, yes 90k is a high salary but add in wage stagnation, frozen tax bands, high house prices & now inflation & no it really doesn't go that far to support a young family. Earn 90k & bought your house 20 yrs ago, it's another story.

Wage stagnation is huge; 90k today is the equivalent to 60k in 2010 & about 69k in 2015.

Good reason for it - it traps the woman and the child

Yes, but that’s just state pension. Most people have an occupational pension to live off too.

Or if OP was married, she would be entitled to half her DH pension.

You do not say what the breakdown of rent and bills are but I am guessing you live either in the South East or London. I don't know how anyone affords to live there tbh. If you do not have loads of debt that is one thing but realistically the only way you will get ahead is with two of you working even if that means weekends and evenings. Eventually you will pay less childcare which means you can adjust your working hours. If you ever want a mortgage and save for a deposit you will need to move away from London. We did it more than 30 years ago and best thing we ever did. Now early retired, mortgage free home and good pensions. Both our kids also own their own houses and have jobs in the West Country.

It's definitely one of the points to be factored in. If pension age keeps being pushed further up towards 70, many in lower salary brackets won't be around long enough to enjoy a pension, state or otherwise...

What about enjoying salary at the moment? My salary provides me with a lot of benefits at the moment? Rather than focusing on early death?

Yup. I only use credit card for the cashback/protection but I pay off in full every month. NatWest have a great reward system. Made £50 last month.

Currently addicted to getting our Avios points up

£90k salary is out of the reaches of most, come on now. Believe it or not, many survive on much less and have a good lifestyle all the same, and don't really struggle.

You can't miss what you have never had.

I’m on £500 a week and going through a divorce that’s so far cost me £24 k in a year and a half. It’s not over yet. I’d love to be struggling on £5 k a month.

Only if you're a woman.

Sometimes it comes with dire consequences, especially when unmarried and when just thinking about the short term.

OP our expenses are so similar to yours. You’ll get loads of posters telling you that £3k is ridiculous for rent and bills but if they don’t live in London they haven’t got a clue how lucky they are. That’s exactly what everyone round here pays for two beds plus bills

Hahaha! Same 🤣

I’m too scared to live in London. Happily commute 1-2 day a week. But never live, so so so expensive

And a £1k for travel on top of that? No one is spending a grand to commute across London.

Something doesn’t add up.

But usually those who live in London. Work in London. With a grand a month on travel, they might live in London but her husband must work in Scotland!!

The government won't be happy until they have pushed pensionable age up to 75/80 when only those in the wealthiest occupations will benefit. All the rest will not live long enough to see their pension. It's what they want.

OP said it’s £3,000 for rent and bills. That is totally average in London for a two bed and bills. Two sets of our neighbours are moving because their landlords are putting the rent up to £2,800 before bills. These are two or three bed flats in nice enough blocks with shared gardens.

I don’t like the government. But, there is more to working than just pension.

It absolutely goes both ways.

I was called sick on here because my baby goes to nursery, I've also been asked on more than one occasion why I bothered having a baby if someone else was going to raise them.

That's just two examples of many.

We both work FT and bring in about £4700 net between us. With one child and no childcare and a partner who must be on what, about £80k I find it hard to believe you can be struggling I’m afraid.