To ask if you can live on £500 a month?

[calliiee]

No housing costs but council tax, electricity and gas and insurance, phone, Internet and groceries. Is it doable?

[ReturnfromtheStars]

Not having a car is a huge difference. If you can walk to places you you don't have to pay for bus either. If baby is young enough you can go to baby groups and make friends.

I think it's doable, but you do need a good location and whether you find friends is up to luck.

[calliiee]

No no one so it would just be me and baby in a flat.

Not sounding great!

[ohtheholidays]

Not where we live no I don't think I'd be able to,we live in the S.E were not that far from London and although were generally lucky when it comes to food shopping(we have lots of supermarkets,good butchers and good markets)which helps save us quite a lot of money and we've managed to get a pretty good deal on the phone,broadband and tv package things like the Council Tax and Insurance are mad and were now spending a few hundred a month on gas and electric,even though we try to be really careful with our energy bills and we get a dual fuel discount.

[CantSleepClownsWillEatMe]

Ah ok Does that mean other than your partner you don't have anyone else right now? I imagine life is lonely already if that's the case but there are things you can do about that. Can your HV put you in touch with mother and child groups?

[PurpleTraitor]

I have lived on less, just me and a baby. For a little under three years, before circumstances improved. I had just over £900 per calendar month before all deductions. £388 was mortgage which I managed to switch to interest only. £100 a month went to paying off debts I accrued in the early days of single parenthood - that was a court agreed amount. £32 a month had to be spent on buildings insurance (I cancelled contents) and I had to have £17 a month on life insurance as both of those were conditions of my mortgage, essentially meant my mortgage was in effect £437. Council tax was £95 but single person discount knocked off £24 a month.

After everything else, I had £122 a calendar month for travel, food, luxuries, etc. You might laugh, but it was OK. I knew I had £30 a week and it was doable. Cloth nappies for baby, I got childrens centre vouchers which helped with formula or fruit. I got free prescriptions and dental. I was a student and shopped in charity shops. I kept my house. It was OK.

Good luck to you.

[noeffingidea]

cailee I really advise you to pop onto moneysaving expert. Personally I don't find this forum too helpful in situations like this (though great in other ways)because it seems like a lot of posters are used to a slightly higher standard of living than what I'm used to.

[Obsidian77]

Council Tax benefit isn't an income but it reduces your liability. You apply online for this and can save a draft for 30 days (I think) so you could prepare your application ahead of moving out and submit it the day you move into your new place.
It's definitely challenging living on a small amount of money but plenty of us do it. Good luck op.

[anotheronebitthedust]

just checked my dd's from a few months ago:
ctax £70 (band c)
gas & elec £40 (max in winter - £20p/m for both in summer)
water £25
broadband & phone line £20
home and contents insurance £12
car insurance £20
petrol £25 (work within walking distance)
food £75
1/12th of road tax and MOT £15
= £302

so unless bills have shot up hugely in the few months since I've moved in with DP, yes, easily as a single person with nearly £200 spare for clothes/eating & drinking out/saving and without living a joyless, paycheck to paycheck existence.

...... with the caveat you don't have to pay out for £££ commuting costs or have a taste for expensive shoes/hobbies, or are paying off a car, or have to pay child maintenance, etc.

Do-able with a couple too, just about, I would have thought, as long as you have two cars. Otherwise the only thing that would increase much is the food bill, and perhaps the water bill slightly. Oh suppose you wouldn't get ctax single person discount - but if you were only earning £500 plus rent for two of you I would have thought you'd be entitled to some benefits.

[flossietoot]

Ok, I would start by phoning Gingerbread or One Parent Families Scotland if you are in Scotland for advice. I previously worked with lone parents who were unemployed and it is a very very tough life, but support is available. Ideally you would try and get a part time job, as on Universal Credit, 85% of your child care costs would be paid for (depending on your salary), so something to bear in mind before selling your car.

[flossietoot]

And also- remember, you are entitled to child maintenance

[flossietoot]

www.fifegingerbread.org.uk/bairnscomefirst/

[chipsandgin]

You really can do it (we've survived on less) and things will work out, it is tough but for the sake of you and your baby it sounds like you are absolutely considering the right thing. Good luck OP.

[Manumission]

Is someone other than him is helping with the housing somehow? Would they be practical support in other ways?

Do you have good support generally?

[griffinsss]

Not for me, I'm in central London though.

[calliiee]

Yeah working is better. But then childcare costs cancel it. So it's not worthwhile then.

[flossietoot]

But you would get 85% paid for on universal credit, so you would be better off in work. Just need to get the right thing.

[ohtheholidays]

I should have said there is 7 of us though.

Is there anyway for you to save some money up for yourself and you baby that your husband won't be able to access before you move out?

If you could that might help give you a bit of a buffer zone incase of any emergencys and like PP's have mentioned make sure you look online and use the benefits calculator to see what your entitled to and to stop yourself from feeling isolated have a look for baby and toddler groups in your area and if your have a Surestart childrens center they're usually really good and very cheap to use as well.

[calliiee]

No I'm not going into benefits I'm not on any

[Wildernesstips]

If you are on Universal Credit or are on a low income you can get a BT basic +broadband package for £30 a quarter. You can also contact your water company to ask to be put on their lowest rate. You would get single person discount for council tax but you may also qualify for council tax benefit.

[calliiee]

I'm
Not on any benefits. Apart from Cb. I really can't talk beyond that about my situation.

[MT931]

It's doable but won't be much fun and will need incredible discipline. Cheapest phone contracts or pay as you go, no cigs, no alcohol, no car. Water meter, charity shops for clothes. Own brand for food and a freezer if possible so you can bulk make and freeze lots of it.

As for the loneliness, you just have to get out there and join groups. A lot of new mums are lonely but you have one thing in common!

[calliiee]

Yeah they Rent going to come home with me though

[PushToOpen]

For us to help you fully would have to give us rough figures.

I.e what you would earn if you left.

Otherwise is difficult to help you.

However, I've been a single mum, a single parent student, a single parent to two children, a full time working parent to two children and a married mother of two both parents in full time work I can tell you know that I'm more financially fucked then I ever was. It's so, so bad.

If you are thinking of leaving, the help is there for you. ❤️

[PushToOpen]

To be clear (gins happened) the latter of my examples is my situation.

[calliiee]

I have given you figures, £558 p/m