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?

Hello OP - are you still working at the moment? If so, is there any way you can withdraw a little extra and tuck it away somewhere to give you a bit of a cushion because £500 is really bare bones isn't it. The other thing you could think about is taking with you when you leave, things that you can sell to make some extra money like jewellery, electrical items, laptop etc.

So pleased you are now thinking about leaving and please don't feel lonely, there are lots of lovely people on here who will help you through the bad times until you feel up to meeting people in your area.

Whatever you decide to do, my thoughts are with you

Yep. Me and DS (14) live on just under £750 a month for everything after rent. I know I could back even further if I had to. In my opinion, these are my luxury items from that £750. Fibre broadband for £27.50 a month; I spend about £100 a month on clothes, footwear (both of us), hair, nails and waxing; we have £100 a month 'pocket money' for both of us; I save £35 a month all year for birthday and Christmas presents; £30 a month on Pilates and £65 a month paying off credit card debt, when the minimum payment is £25 a month.

Christ No! And I feel so sorry for people that do because they can only be existing.

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

Well, my costs are

Council tax £120
Gas & Elec £60
Home insurance £10
House phone and broadband £45
Mobile phone £60
Groceries £150 - 200

so works out at £495.

So just about , but if this is your only income, I'd be worried.

Nope

Yeah, I don't think it's doable I'd probably need a couple hundred more at least.

I did this with two adults and a child. It's tough but manageable. There's a Facebook group feed your family for £20 a week. They have some great tips. Charity shops, cut your own hair, shop around for everything and I think giving up the car would have to be done. If you're on a gas and electric meter then top up extra in the summer to help get through the winter. It wasn't fun but we got through. The bigger your support network the better.

Definitely claim child tax credits as well as child benefit, as it's your passport to free prescriptions, free dental care and free eye tests and a voucher towards glasses. You might even be able to claim travel costs for travel to NHS treatment, although I'm not sure of that one. It's your entitlement, so please use it and make life a little easier for yourself and your child.

I wouldn't be entitled but thanks

When I wasn't working and DD was a baby I couldn't afford Internet or contract phone etc (although I've not renewed my contract this year and have my iPhone on £6 a month with a lot of data etc so could have managed that) and certainly wouldn't have been able to run a car.

What you should be eligible for is (some of these will be together as Universal credit):
Housing benefit
Council tax reduction if not paid for
Child benefit
Income support
Child maintenance
Warm front help (until DD is 5) for electricity and gas help

If you're not at work keep fuel costs down by going out, library and toddler groups etc. learn to meal prep and plan so you don't waste food.

Holidays; we went to butlins during term time, DD loved it and fairly cheap and can pay in instalments Christmases and birthdays stuff was brought in the sales and put away.

You have to decide what's better, a couple of years of struggling, a peaceful home and independence or continue (presumably) in an unhappy relationship.

That's great you claimed those and went to Butlins.

OP

Is the £558 a month (minus all the bills you said) does that include your pay, cb, child tax credits, working tax credits?

I come to try and help and show that's it's not an entirely bleak existence and that's how you respond? Nice . I could have spent it on drink or cigarettes but I choose to take my daughter away (with the help of my parents and also received Child maintenance)

What do you mean Princess? How I respond?

Yes Push

It's do-able if you're careful. Our monthly figures:

• £108 full council tax (but if you're only adult it's reduced by 25%)
• £33 electric (cheapest according to MSE's Cheap Energy Club)
• £38 gas (LPG bottles)
• £15 buildings & contents insurance (went via Quidco compare)
• £10 mobile phone package (Talkmobile)
• £19 landline rental (Talktalk - with free internet)
• £300 groceries

= £523

I read Calliiee's last post as a compliment HairyMclary as in good that you managed to get what you were entitled to & a nice thing to give your daughter a holiday.

Yes that was what I meant. What did you think I meant Princess?

Would you be in an area where there are many cheap/free activities for you and a small child? Where I live you can get to something either free or £1 each day, not in the school holidays having said that. Within walking distance. I think that would make it much easier.

I'd also double check about costs of childcare vs working too, as a previous poster pointed out you get 85% of it paid on UC.

But I don't know how many times I can keep saying this, I'm not on benefits.

Just for one, or maybe a couple, in a small modern flat

That's me and I couldn't do it. My travel card for work is £180 a month, and however thrifty you are with power you can't change fixed things like council tax, water and service charge, all that alone is £150, so no phone, no wifi, no tv licence and the food/power would still be a huge stretch. Just huge admiration for people who manage this really, and horror that they have to. I just do not understand the anti-benefits mood in this country.

x post, sorry!

I know you aren't now OP, but based on what you have said, you would be eligible were you to leave. Unless for whatever reason you weren't eligible to claim them.

When I was born my mum managed on the equivalent of £600 a month, keeping all three of us, but that was after travel costs were paid for.

If you live near an Aldi or Lidl that will make a huge difference, I don't know what I'd do without mine. I'm shocked every time at the till when I end up at Sainsburys instead.

Yes but with the limited info you have given you clearly would (if that's your take home) be entitled to some help. I am and Work as a teacher.

I really don't understand the need of some to martyr themselves just to say they don't claim benefits. I have lived on less than that when my relationship broke down but we managed and I would never have gone back. And maintenance.... you don't get a badge for not making the child's other parent contribute. It all counts.