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Original poster

I earn £81,000…

280 replies

Sueretiredawhileago · 15/09/2023 17:36

And (although clearly I am not on the breadline and understand how lucky I am compared to others) I have very little spare money. I am a single (co) parent and I live in London so mortgage is a lot. I used to have loads spare and felt ‘well off’ but now I’ve had to cut down on all the little spending I once never gave a thought to. No quick coffees, pastries for breakfast, no brunches, no magazines, new lipsticks etc etc.

If I can’t afford these things I don’t understand how ‘they’ keep saying that consumer spending is still strong and driving inflation. Who the hell has the spare money??!!!

OP posts:
Butterfliesbutterflies · 15/09/2023 20:03

You won’t get far on here OP. It’s a race to the bottom.

My mortgage in London is £2,300 a month for a small 2 bed flat. Childcare for one child is £1,700. That’s £4,000 gone just on basics, not including any bills or anything for my child, and I don’t make much more than that. If I moved further out I would have to pay more for childcare in order to get to work on time and back again, because nurseries usually don’t open until 8am and close at 6pm. There would also be insane travel costs. I don’t have any family support nearby. Of course I’d also have to save for stamp duty, legal costs etc, which is hard at the moment. Of course I could also leave London, but my job is here and the prospects don’t exist elsewhere. And the point is - I should be able to afford to live here and look after my child!

I think the point the OP is trying to make is that people earning these (and any salary for a full time job!) should be able to afford a property big enough for their family, all the essentials and then some luxuries too. Life shouldn’t be about just scrabbling to survive. A lot of people have forgotten that. There should be incentives to work hard and increasingly, there aren’t.

Princessandthepea0 · 15/09/2023 20:04

TedMullins · 15/09/2023 20:03

Neither. It was in 2021, I had no help. I had a 10% deposit on a one bed flat that cost 200k. There are still flats around that price round here, certainly a lot of options for less than 300k. I saved 20k myself over about 7 years.

Show quote history

Of course you did.

NerdyIsMyMiddleName · 15/09/2023 20:04

@TedMullins No kids? Or did you all fit into the one bedroom?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General money
Princessandthepea0 · 15/09/2023 20:04

Butterfliesbutterflies · 15/09/2023 20:03

You won’t get far on here OP. It’s a race to the bottom.

My mortgage in London is £2,300 a month for a small 2 bed flat. Childcare for one child is £1,700. That’s £4,000 gone just on basics, not including any bills or anything for my child, and I don’t make much more than that. If I moved further out I would have to pay more for childcare in order to get to work on time and back again, because nurseries usually don’t open until 8am and close at 6pm. There would also be insane travel costs. I don’t have any family support nearby. Of course I’d also have to save for stamp duty, legal costs etc, which is hard at the moment. Of course I could also leave London, but my job is here and the prospects don’t exist elsewhere. And the point is - I should be able to afford to live here and look after my child!

I think the point the OP is trying to make is that people earning these (and any salary for a full time job!) should be able to afford a property big enough for their family, all the essentials and then some luxuries too. Life shouldn’t be about just scrabbling to survive. A lot of people have forgotten that. There should be incentives to work hard and increasingly, there aren’t.

This.

TedMullins · 15/09/2023 20:05

Princessandthepea0 · 15/09/2023 20:04

Of course you did.

Show quote history

I’m not sure what you think is so unbelievable about that? Look on Rightmove at South Norwood and Thornton Heath - not the most desirable areas for sure - but you’ll see plenty of flats around that price range.

TedMullins · 15/09/2023 20:06

NerdyIsMyMiddleName · 15/09/2023 20:04

@TedMullins No kids? Or did you all fit into the one bedroom?

No I don’t have kids I already said that and acknowledged my money goes further because of that. Still, if I earned 81k it’s likely I’d have been able to afford a 2 bed flat to stow my hypothetical child.

FlissyPaps · 15/09/2023 20:06

How much exactly is your mortgage? (Or rent) I apologise if you’ve already specified.

What supermarkets do you shop in? Do you buy branded?

How much do you pay for household bills? Broadband? Phone contract? Council tax?

Do you have a car on finance?

Do you pay any childcare/nursery costs? Or is DC in full time education?

TrashedSofa · 15/09/2023 20:07

Princessandthepea0 · 15/09/2023 20:04

This.

Show quote history

Very true. And we mess with those incentives at our peril. We've already fucked up the relationship between work and living for lower earners, and the problem stands to get worse.

TrashedSofa · 15/09/2023 20:07

TedMullins · 15/09/2023 20:06

No I don’t have kids I already said that and acknowledged my money goes further because of that. Still, if I earned 81k it’s likely I’d have been able to afford a 2 bed flat to stow my hypothetical child.

Show quote history

You'd need a lot more than just another bedroom!

Vettrianofan · 15/09/2023 20:08

One income household. Earn a fraction of this. No mortgage. Don't struggle at all.

Sadandconfusedinstepland · 15/09/2023 20:09

I’m in the same boat. I coparent and believe my £80k salary is about the same as my ex - if not good for him but we split all child costs 50-50. I pay a mortgage that is up with rate rises to £1560 from £1200. My (goddamned) house is a listed cottage that needs constant work. The train to work seems to be up by thousands. Food costs so much! It’s Aldi instead of Sainsbury’s and packed lunches and friends round for dinner instead. I quit the gym and very rarely have my (now feral woman) hair done. I have no idea how single moms on lower salaries cope in the south east. I hope they have generous exes who earn more!

catslikeparties · 15/09/2023 20:10

Neither. It was in 2021, I had no help. I had a 10% deposit on a one bed flat that cost 200k. There are still flats around that price round here, certainly a lot of options for less than 300k. I saved 20k myself over about 7 years.

Do you mind saying whereabouts in London?

csigeek · 15/09/2023 20:11

The literally millions of people who don’t live in London and earn a decent salary?

Meowandthen · 15/09/2023 20:12

CheshireCats · 15/09/2023 17:46

I would suggest moving out of London and ideally to the North or to Wales for example. You earn twice our annual income and we would be living a life of considerably more luxury on that income here despite having more kids to provide for.

Maybe the poster doesn’t want to live in the North or in Wales. Or in some dreary town. 🙄

Cookingapizza · 15/09/2023 20:12

Bloody hell i wish i earned 80K. household income 37k 2 adults and 2 teens. I quite fancy a nice pastry too! 🥐

Meowandthen · 15/09/2023 20:13

Vettrianofan · 15/09/2023 20:08

One income household. Earn a fraction of this. No mortgage. Don't struggle at all.

No mortgage. Well of course you’re fine. What a pointless and smug comment.

TedMullins · 15/09/2023 20:14

catslikeparties · 15/09/2023 20:10

Neither. It was in 2021, I had no help. I had a 10% deposit on a one bed flat that cost 200k. There are still flats around that price round here, certainly a lot of options for less than 300k. I saved 20k myself over about 7 years.

Do you mind saying whereabouts in London?

South Norwood

CheshireCats · 15/09/2023 20:14

@Meowandthen because of course the whole of the North and Wales is dreary 🙄

MistyBay · 15/09/2023 20:15

i guess it’s not so much of a jump in take home pay from 63 to 81. I’m not going to bother pushing for a pay rise.

Vettrianofan · 15/09/2023 20:17

Meowandthen · 15/09/2023 20:13

No mortgage. Well of course you’re fine. What a pointless and smug comment.

Show quote history

Living in a very affordable part of the UK makes all the difference though. Hardly a surprise living in London when people say they are struggling 🤷🏻

Incywincywoo · 15/09/2023 20:18

F0XCUB · 15/09/2023 18:44

Please can I ask what your take home is when you earn 81k?

Take home would be about 56k (before pension contributions, student loans etc taken off)

Hollyppp · 15/09/2023 20:19

We live in south london, husband salary over £100k. Mortgage was fixed at 2% a few years back so that bit hasn’t affected us yet but know it will further down the line

Bored1000 · 15/09/2023 20:20

My spending has gone down since Covid, realised I didn’t need to buy 2-3 coffees a day, buy loads of clothes / beauty products etc and can live happily without them
Most people I know are the same

Vettrianofan · 15/09/2023 20:21

Have been saying this for years, there are loads of more affordable places to settle where your money can stretch further. If people choose to be martyrs that's on them. Life doesn't need to be a struggle.

Thistlelass · 15/09/2023 20:21

I now have an annual income of £27000. 66, no dependents. I have more than sufficient disposable income for the first time in many years 🙂