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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think a family can't live on this...

322 replies

verydoubtful · 29/12/2013 07:48

40K? I've done the sums and it just doesn't work. I know it's relative and a lot of families make do with a lot less but I can't see how I can make it work. No car finance in sums and no debt. Just basic expenses.

PS have namechanged for this

OP posts:
RescueCack · 29/12/2013 08:36

We support 5 of us on £25k. It's tight. I wouldn't recommend it. In that figure we are paying off debt and a car too. When that is finished hopefully things will be easier.

Frankly I wouldn't move to the UK if you are looking for financial comfort. I don't know where you're coming from, but it's been hard for years and getting worse. Sad

ViviPru · 29/12/2013 08:36

How many DCs have you got??

Sharaluck · 29/12/2013 08:36

I think it depends on several things.

Is there one income earner or is the 40 000 from 2 wages combined?

Do you have child care costs? How many children and how old?

How big is the family? Are you able to live in a 2 bedroom flat or would this be impossible?

I think that having no debts would put you at an advantage but it could be impossible if you have a large family (5+ people) with high child care needs.

foslady · 29/12/2013 08:37

YABU. 2 cars and 650-750 rental pcm and you recon you can't live on approx £2400 pcm........no sympathy here. I live rural on less than half that.

MrsPear · 29/12/2013 08:37

Mrslouis £2400 is not allot. I live in south east London on a housing estate in a private rented 3 bed flat and it is 1100 a month for rent alone. Then there is council tax 117 a month, gas and electric on card and key so 120 min a month - no choice on that as landlord insists, TV licence 12.12, landline and broadband 35 - no choice as self employed - mobile for dh 40 -ditto- and plenty of others e.g food, car, work related expenses. Plus no benefits to top you up except child benefit.

LightastheBreeze · 29/12/2013 08:39

Is this 40K before or after tax, ni etc

froubylou · 29/12/2013 08:39

Because they have no choice?

We are a family of 4. Run 2 cars, rent similar to yours, have 2 ponies in livery, only 1 credit card with a zero balance and a small amount in savings. We go abroad, have decent food and treats in and socialise more or less when we want.

40k is a decent wage oooop north.

MarlenaGru · 29/12/2013 08:42

I know we couldn't live on that but then the nature of our jobs means we have to commute to London so minimum £120 a month each just on travel. Nowhere to rent for under £1000 a month in our not so great area (zone 3) or if we moved further out we would double commuting costs.

I do think those who manage with families of six on £20,000 are getting HB and other help. Certainly can't imagine running a household on less than £1,700 a month (not sure how much goes on tax at that level) with council tax, gas, electricity and rent. And then feed 8 mouths.

bonkersLFDT20 · 29/12/2013 08:45

Did you post to just have a moan, or do you want help and advice? If the latter then it would be useful if you could tell us how many children you have an how old they are.

Do you have any savings? How old are you?

picnicbasketcase · 29/12/2013 08:45

We have half that, and as you can see, what with me typing this and everything, we are still alive. Not just surviving but actually quite happy too. So it must be possible, eh? Hmm

ElbowPrincess · 29/12/2013 08:46

We are a family of 5 with a mortgage survivng fine on 27k. 40k seems like a fortune to me.

CoolaSchmoola · 29/12/2013 08:48

I'd say check your sums.

Three of us manage very nicely on a lot less than that, with a mortgage, full broadband, phone and Tivo in two rooms on a high package, mobile phone contracts, running two big cars (an mpv and a 2.2 litre Landy), DH drives 40 miles a day for work, I'm a SAHM with a toddler so use utilities all day. We have holidays and have a caravan on top which we insure and pay storage for.

Even factoring in the disparity between our mortgage and your rent we would still be laughing all the way to the bank on £40k - at our current income we could afford your rent.

We were living overseas until Sept 12 on an income more than double ours now, with subsidised housing to boot, it's different here, but if you think you can't afford to live in a £650 pm house and run two small cars, utilities and phones/Internet etc on £40k there's a mistake in your calculations somewhere.

cjel · 29/12/2013 08:49

If you will own your cars, rent 650 a month then £40,000 is more than plenty to live well on.

Sparklymommy · 29/12/2013 08:50

We are a family of six, dh earns 19k. We do not get hb. We do get tax credits which bring it up to about 24k. We cope. Just. But that's because dh and I go without so that the children don't have to. We have 1 car, a small mortgage (400 pm). It is manageable.

perplexedpirate · 29/12/2013 08:53

We are on about that and manage very comfortably. We have done debt and two cars, but spend a lot of groceries and entertaining. We are in the north (thank god! Smile).
Mind you, I don't like holidays and think they are a waste of money, so that's an easy saving!

TimeToThinkOfYourFuture · 29/12/2013 08:53

Depends on deductions, surely. I earn nearly 44000 but take home is 2140, not 2400. We do live on this, with a rent higher than OP quoted, although we only run one car.

AcheyFanny · 29/12/2013 08:53

Two of us live on less than half of that in an EU country where electricity, bread and milk are reputed to be the highest in Europe. Food, cars, most consumer goods are ridiculously expensive as they are imported.

Sorry but I find your post a bit of a stealth boast. If we had 40k (or the equivalent in Euros) we would have an excellent quality of life. BTW our rent is €600 a month which amounts to almost half of our monthly income and we can only afford to run one car.
You cut your cloth.

Original poster
verydoubtful · 29/12/2013 08:54

Rent 650-750
Electric / gas 120
Water 36
Council tax 120
Home insurance 25
Tv license 13 (146 per year)
Broadband / landline 25
Sky 40
Mobile (x2) 40
Food & other household groceries 600
Vehicle insurance 80 (500 per car per year)
Petrol 280 (2 tanks of petrol per car per month)
Vehicle tax 22 (2 vehicles)
School lunches 84
Sons haircuts 10
Husbands haircut 15
Wife's cut & colour 60
Christmas presents 34 (4 people - 100 each)
Birthday presents 34
Dry cleaning 45 (husband suits -3 suits each month)
Total:

what's not included is:
School uniforms, shoes
Clothes
Entertainment
Birthday parties
Holidays
Savings

OP posts:
Original poster
verydoubtful · 29/12/2013 08:55

Sorry, the total is 2433

OP posts:
ThurlHoHoHow · 29/12/2013 08:57

There's quite a bit on that list you can loose - expensive haircuts and sky for one

JonSnowKnowsNothing · 29/12/2013 08:58

That seems an awful lot of food/groceries. And is Sky really needed? And why is lunch stuff so much? Sarnies/veg/crisps are just part of a normal shop, surely?

JonSnowKnowsNothing · 29/12/2013 08:58

Also colouring your own hair isn't too tricky once you get the hang of it.

Original poster
verydoubtful · 29/12/2013 08:58

For anyone who thinks this is boasting..... I have mentioned neither of us have lived and worked in the uk for our whole adult lives, 25 odd years. We are trying to workout costs before making a decision.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 29/12/2013 08:59

I wonder if you are expecting a high standard of living on that? It is certainly very doable on £40k with that sort of rent - we could help you check your sums?

You can get mobile contracts for £7.50 per month - ok not unlimited use but rurally you may not got any reception anyway!!!

Ememem84 · 29/12/2013 08:59

Speak to your hair dresser. Find out what c

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