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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that full time workers shouldnt have to take on extra jobs?

22 replies

malificent7 · 27/05/2017 19:16

Like me and most of my colleagues. Nor should they have to visit food banks like some of my kind.
If you work ft you should afford the basics even if you are not in a high powered job.

OP posts:

StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2017 19:18

Yanbu. I thought this was the point of the living wage, do you not get it? What do you do

IllBeAtTheSpa · 27/05/2017 19:18

I agree!! Do you earn NMW? I'm a low earner and work pt but manage. Do you have very high outgoings?

Dishwashersaurous · 27/05/2017 19:18

Well it all depends on outgoings. If you spend more than you earn then getting another job is a sensible choice

Original poster

malificent7 · 27/05/2017 19:18

And im talking about taking in cleaning/ caring evening jobs rather than extra responsibilities at their current jobs.

OP posts:

Original poster

malificent7 · 27/05/2017 19:19

Average outgoings tbh although i do get hammered for childcare.

OP posts:

IllBeAtTheSpa · 27/05/2017 19:24

I think I need more understanding really. Amongst my peer group everyone has one job and a mix of pt/full time.
Are you a sole income household? Is your rent/mortgage massive as well? Do you shop in expensve places for food? Are you on the best tarrif for gas and electricity?

IvorHughJarrs · 27/05/2017 19:25

I agree with you, you should be able to live on a FT wage

I think one of the problems is in-work tax credits. I am old enough to remember them coming in and Gordon Brown telling us how everybody but the super-rich would be better off. Sadly I think they have backfired and, although the intentions were good, they have led to employers feeling they don't have to pay anybody a reasonable wage and can take more in profits for themselves and shareholders leading to lower wages all round

Original poster

malificent7 · 27/05/2017 19:26

Exactly Ivor

OP posts:

WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid · 27/05/2017 19:27

Yes you should be able to live on a ft wage. But we do need to talk about outgoings.
Is there only one wage coming on?

insancerre · 27/05/2017 19:29

When DS was born in 1989 dh was in the armed forces
I had no job before getting married and no maternity pay when DS was born as we moved because of postings
I did get a job but got sacked as I was pregnant
I also had to pay poll tax despite having no income
Dh had to get a second job, he worked evenings and weekends in a bacon factory just so we could eat
30 years later and not much has changed has it?

amicissimma · 27/05/2017 19:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

malificent7 · 27/05/2017 19:37

Tbh.... i just want to get by without running out of food ( from lidl) galfway through the month.

OP posts:

Original poster

malificent7 · 27/05/2017 19:38

Yy only one wage.

OP posts:

JaceLancs · 27/05/2017 19:43

I think it's difficult if there's only one wage
I supplement my income with selling things on eBay and would consider an extra job if I wasn't too tired
I am p/t carer (unpaid) for elderly parents as well as some voluntary work

LadyPW · 27/05/2017 19:44

Do you have a big mortgage / rent or a small mortgage / rent? Debts to pay off each month? Multiple children? Expensive habits? A car that costs a fortune to run? You can't just say that f/t employees shouldn't have to work more than one job without looking at all the individual parts.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 27/05/2017 19:57

Yanbu. I thought this was the point of the living wage, do you not get it?

The 'living wage that was introduced isn't actually the living wage. It's the minimum wage rebranded by the conservatives in the hope they could convince people they'd introduced the living wage.

The actual living wage as calculated by the group that was campaigning for its introduction is higher.

Badbadbunny · 27/05/2017 20:05

Depends where you live. In London and other high cost cities, minimum wage isn't enough. But out in the lower cost regions, minimum wage is fine for a basic lifestyle. Then again, places like London probably have more opportunities for second jobs and better jobs.

luckylucky24 · 27/05/2017 20:07

Well we have had around 32k coming in this year. I have been on mat leave so this is a lot less than usual and we have really struggled in the last few months. Partly due to debt from tax credits (because they are useless and despite constant updates have overpaid us which is apparently our fucking problem) partly because of all four of us having a birthday in the first few months of mat leave followed immediately by xmas and also because we have struggled to adjust to a more frugal lifestyle. We don't use food banks but had to borrow money last month and sell things this month to get by.
DH is struggling to cut back as we have worked hard to get decent(ish) paying full time jobs and feels we shouldn't be penalised.

luckylucky24 · 27/05/2017 20:08

Oh and childcare is normally a huge issue and will be for a few months after my return to work but we have reduced that whilst I am on leave.

Original poster

malificent7 · 27/05/2017 22:04

I survive on 16, 000 and sadly make ends meet by selling my worldly possessions/ out of hours work.

OP posts:

Dishwashersaurous · 28/05/2017 07:02

A good rule of thumb is that housing costs shouldn't be more than half income. And housing benefit was introduced to address the disparity between rent and income. So is the argument really is it possible to live on a few hundred a month, to which the answer is it should be but depends on outgoings

LedaP · 28/05/2017 07:25

It may depend on where you are.

I know two people who have second jobs. But one does it because its realted to his hobbie. The second is a performer. The full time job he has is no enable him to pursue that career as he doesnt earn enough to live on.

Both earn around 16k and most at work, dont have secind jobs.

We are in Yorkshire, the office is in between a few expensive areas and a few cheap ones in relation to property.

I will say though that the majority can noy afford cars. The company does free shuttle buses into the city centre and they are always packed out. It doesn't seem enough to maintain a car on top of housing costs.

Where as the most of the managers (an above) do drive.

I think its quite worrying as i have always managed to maintain a car and a house since i was 19. Its gave me many more employment options and definitely helped me grow my career and earn more.

Driving or not being able to maintain a car can hold you back especially if you live in a rural or semi rural area.

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