To think 2 adults can live on £800 a month not incl rent?

[abacucat]

Just that really. I think this will be perfectly fine to live on and pay bills.

Provided your council tax and commuting costs are fairly low, which they are for OP, I'd say that's plenty. It doesn't leave much room for luxuries and you'll need to either build savings or have access to credit for unexpected costs but in my view it ought to cover the essentials.

Normal going out probably costs us about £30 a week...A cinema trip about £15...once a month.

So that's £135 a month of discretionary spending accounted for there. I'm not saying you shouldn't spend it on going out, just that you should be aware you're spending it on that and is there something else you'd rather use it for.

You could also probably get your broadband and phone bill down to more like £25 than your current 40, provided you're out of any initial contract period.

OP what condition does your partner have that oils result in him dying young? Have you applied for housing Benefit? Or are you in a universal Credit area?

Could not oils damn phone

@titchy
Where on earth do you live paying £550 council tax a month?!

Where on earth do you live paying £550 council tax a month?!

I would also like to know this, I live in one of the wealthiest areas in England and our council tax is about 150 or just over (can’t actually remember exactly).

Hmm. It would not be enough for us. Our fixed costs alone are around £550 for council tax and utilities although I guess we could move to somewhere smaller if we had to live on that little. If we had food, entertainment, annual bills, house and car maintenance, holidays and fuel it would be way too little

I think it’s doable OP, you sound like you have a better social life that most people I know and pretty frugally too. Money can’t buy friendship or the fact that you and your partner have common interests such as your sporting activity...I bet there are lots reading this with loads of money in the bank but a shit relationship.
I have a chronic health condition that will get a lot worse. We are living frugally now in order to squirrel money away for when the time comes (have critical illness cover but not enough to pay off the mortgage etc as took out a small policy when I was young and invincible before I was diagnosed!).
It means I struggle to get the balance right between enjoying life and saving for the future.
Hope things get better for you OP

"But can have the heating on less if need to"

"Need to" being the key words here.
I wouldn't call going cold in the 21st century to save money surviving or even just about managing.

I could do that easily and we have kids.

Yeah, easily. Our bills come to about £300 a month all-in between us.

Dla doesn’t award for housework or shopping either. What’s the health condition ? I may be able to advise.

Being in a wealthy area isn’t really related to council tax. We used to live in Westminster and it was dirt cheap despite being one of the most expensive parts of the country. Now we live in a fairly average outer London suburb and pay £170 a month

As far as I'm aware Dorset has one of the highest rates and even Band H is £300 a month so I'm just shocked anyone's would be £550.

There are two of us (1 adult one child). For many years now we have spent £200 a month on bills, £200 a month on food, £300 a month on childcare, £300 on everything else (entertainment, activities, clothes, holidays, day trips, things for the house). I don't claim benefits, no maintenance; but I have paid off the mortgage.

£800 a month is more than we have to spend and is more than adequate for two people. It's not miserable if you are creative and avoid buying too many unnecessary items. Not having any expensive habits or too much of a social life also helps.

Not to be too blunt, but what your suggesting is living well below the poverty line.

No it isn't.

Also, not having a car and cutting/colouring your own hair helps.

You're going to be so well off when you retire, OP!

Unless you can afford to replace every single item you own all at once, you need contents insurance.

In the event of a fire or a flood, your landlord's building insurance will not cover you for anything. You'll be left with the clothes you are standing in, without even the wherewithal to replace essential documents to prove who you are - passport, birth certificates, etc.

Contents insurance can be extremely cheap, and you can often get cashback if you use somewhere like Quidco. But if you're in a financial situation where you're considering as an expenditure too far - ie without substantial savings - I'd suggest you're exactly the people who need it most.

I think you could, but where are the savings, contingency/emergency funds, pensions etc? Our outgoings are around £2300 a month but £1000 of that is mortgage and life insurance. We don't live extravagantly, but that money doesn't include petrol, going out, savings, clothes, haircuts, mobiles, holidays and so on that's just what we put into the joint account to cover all bills, food, cat etc plus our car taxes and insurances, it also pays for the odd treat and this month we've saved £100 others it's closer to the wire. We mainly shop in Aldi but do get some things from M&S. We live like that because we have other accounts for personal spends, savings, house/slush fund for emergencies and holiday fund, so if we have an expensive month we can move money around. There are two of us at the moment, although we are spending some money each month on baby things.

I think you could, but where are the savings, contingency/emergency funds, pensions etc

You do realise that there are vast numbers of people in this country that don't have the money for those things?

And not having money for emergency pensions, insurances etc means you’re in poverty

My bills and food are ca. £1000. Would be a big squeeze to get down to 800. Wouldnt be able to afford even cheap clothes etc..

@SillySallySingsSongs OP asked if it was possible it is, but what if her car breaks which she says is very important to them, or the cooker or something else vital? I'm not suggesting investment funds, just some room for a bit of a cushion for when something goes wrong, it's life these things happen and she says she wants to avoid debt.

OP is there any way your partner could work even part time? Nothing too strenuous, it would just give you a little bit of wiggle room as you say this wouldn't be a short term budget, so if your rent goes up, bills are bound to increase our something goes wrong in your home, I'd be really worried about not having contents insurance too, that's a big risk. If he's not capable of any work is there anyone who could help you in terms of claims or appeals? If he's not capable you should both get some support

@SillySallySingsSongs I’m just trying to help. The poverty line is supposedly 60% of the national average wage, which is £25000. So it works out at £15000. Like I said, I’m only trying to offer practical advice to the op, because it sounds like an awful situation to be in. So I’m trying to direct her to agencies that might be able to offer practical solutions and help. It doesn’t seem to be a sustainable amount of money to live on with any quality of life, which from the sounds of it, the op and her partner desperately need and deserve at the moment.