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

[verydoubtful]

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

Looking at OP's figures, I don't see provision for pension or any investment/savings of any kind.

Have you thpught about these things, OP?

Wordfactory is right, particularly if you've not lived in the UK for years so are unlikely to pay enough years of NI to get the full state pension.

Worth thinking about retirement planning.

I do not understand why you think moving back to the UK will give you a better quality of life. I have just spent Christmas in the UK and was very glad to leave again. I found it expensive and sinister with all the cctv cameras everywhere.
Food prices were outrageous.
If you have a choice, I would strongly advise shopping around for a region or country that ticks all your boxes.

I agree with Quint too - what are the pulls to living here?

I get what you are saying, Quint. This is slightly different from 'shit, I've lost my job, how do we manage?' The OP isn't wrong to have a standard of living that they are used to where they live now. Knowing that if they move here they might have to change that standard a lot makes it a very big decision.

I reckon loads of posters will have things in their monthly expenditure.which other posters wouldnt see as essential, but they are to that poster. Just different horses for courses. Personally I doubt I would make a move that then involved us cutting our food etc shop radically unless there were.massive benefits to the rest of our life

Me, DH and 2 DCs live on £20,000 a yr we have to pay mortgage, all bills and petrol/car tax etc (car is thankfully paid off), childcare etc and I would not say we are poor. I think if you cant live off £40,000 your expectations are too high or you will have to move to a cheaper area.

I agree with Quintessential Shadows.

Wages in the UK generally are very low and taxes are high.

We are making the move back to the UK this summer after expat-ing for almost 8 years and I have just worked out DH's take home salary and it's scary to think how squeezed we will be compared to how we live now abroad.

OP isn't looking for sympathy and questions about why are you spending such and such on food, petrol etc aren't terribly useful. Did you read the OP they are currently living abroad and she has found her figures etc from the internet and they are trying to work out whether for their family that it would be worth moving back to the UK or not!!

Sorry cross posted lots of sensible posters just appeared who had read the question!

Wind your neck in. We have a lot less than that coming in, and were are comfortable.

Apparently I have seen on MN that you cam almost eradicate your food bill buy the purchase of a chicken once a week?

I also live in a rural area, tis why my wages are rubbish.
Go for cheaper cuts of meat, have a Sunday roast where there will be left over meat for the week. A butcher will be able to help you. I buy plenty of shin of beef as it's very cheap! And have stews and curries. Chicken, use thighs or legs instead of breasts. I know families who buy a whole lamb or a whole side of beef.

I have sky and I get the free internet. Is that a option for you? I have the basic package.

I also have my veg delivered every Wednesday, so I don't get trapped in the supermarkets buying things I don't need. Like chocolate and sweets.

The dry cleaning can go.

The thing is you will get lots of posters saying they can live comfortabl;y on £2.50.

Well good for them.

If I had to then I'm sure I could make it work. But the OP doesn't have to.

So she needs tyo work out if the move is worth it. And for me, she needs to factor in pension provision (a must!!!!) and savings investments. Because if you spend you entire income on outgoings, where is the money going to come from for big ticket expenses?

To be honest, I think all the frugal advice, for example about buying Christmas presents in the sales throughout the year to be able to afford them, is a sobering thought for the op, on a different level than the poster of that particular advice thought.

See how much "penny pinching" and thought goes into affording life in the uk.

@OP. It doesn't matter what amount you originally put. The laws on MN mean that someone will always say YABU and tell you how they live on nothing but buttons and fresh air.

But the fact is that £40k isn't a bad wage by UK standards and you can manage albeit not with the lifestyle you may be currently enjoying.

The UK is typically very highly taxed and unlike other highly taxed countries we get little back other than maybe the NHS.

Your budget did have a lot of items where you can save. For example Sky is a huge let down and there are many alternatives now like FreeSat, netflix, Virgin. Monthly haircuts and food were the other ones which leaped out at me where money could be saved.

But ultimately if it's looking like a drop in your current standard of living then you will have to both think really carefully. The grass always seems greener.

I think £40,000 is very reasonable, ( it is more than most people after all). It does depend on other factors, like what standard of life you are used to, how much driving you would need to do, living costs of local area (apart from the rent that you've already mentioned) etc. but I think you could definitely make it work.

We live on approx £11, 000 and are normally comfortable (though always in overdraft).

Evilwater I would be more intetested to hear what you are buying on a £70 a month food spend?

I think you shot yourself in the foot by getting the tittle wrong!

It's not 'can you' live on £40,000, it's what does £40,000 get you compared to how you live now.

Yes, we could live on £40,000 a year, and have done, but we wouldn't give up outlet current quality of life to do so no matter how personally those on lower incomes take that statement!

I earn 40K. My take home is 2100 after tax, pension and student loan contributions.

I live with DP but if I had to live on my own, I would seriously struggle. I would have to move closer to work (I wouldn't be able to afford my commute) but rents there are close to £1K per month for a small flat. That is without council tax, bills etc.

I also have my car lease to pay £200 per month, mobile phone £40 per month, sky £50 per month, gym £40 per month. All of these things are things that could go, but I'm tied into contracts at the moment so if I had to move tomorrow, I wouldn't have enough money.

I think the trouble is, people expect that on £40K you should be able to live in a nice big house in a lovely area, have holidays, nice cars etc but the reality these days is different. You can have your lovely house and not much else, or stay in a cheaper flat and have all the 'extras'.

MarlenaGru

You really have no clue we run our house hold on just that amount and may I add

We get diddly squat

No HB
NO ctc
Nothing

There Re. Four of us we have two cars
And ds has a private tutor we go away for the whole 6 weeks hoilday

Also very doubtful is paying far to much a month for food I done a weeks shop yesterday including nappies £57

Well £600 a month for food is £150 a week! Nobody needs to spend that much on food unless you have 10 kids, yes some people can afford to, but if you can't afford it then don't! You could get that down to £300 a month and still have plenty of food.

Also, £40 a month for Sky? What is this for? Its not the full package, I have a basic package plus sports and pay £47 a month, once sports finishes I downgrade it and its £24, so where have you got £40 from? Either just get a basic package for £24 or get free view.

We have an income of just over that amount and do live reasonably well on it although no car household which probably helps. I think it's quite easy to live within one's means (whatever they are) but it just takes some adjustment....

Have a friend who is about to get divorced and reckons she can't live on an equivalent amount with two children....she can but she's not prepared to sacrifice three/four lots of paid-for after-school activities and the very hectic social life.....

I sometimes think we all need to take time out and go on a trip to a developing world country to get our 'extravagant lifestyles' into perspective....

It breaks down like this,
£45 on veg
Roughly £24 on meat
Milk £10

Ok it's over £70 but still not bad.
Evil

£600 on food seems a lot. I agree though the UK is expensive, our rent is more than that and our house is very modest. Be aware that if the property you are looking at is old then the electric/gas estimate you have may have to go up.