To wonder how poor I am??

[Imustbemad00]

I know there will be varied responses from really well off, or ridiculously poor. I sort of class myself as low paid but not in poverty but would like opinions.

I have around 1000pcm after paying rent. 2 children. Out of this 1000 by the time I pay bills (council tax, car insurance, broadband, tv, car tax, parking permit, gas and electric) I probably have around 600 left.

That 600 is then for food, after school clubs, day to day stuff, clothes, shoes, and anything else that might come up such as school trips. Also obviously the odd luxury, cinema trips, days out, treats for the kids, birthdays, Xmas, maybe a holiday.

Do I sound really poor? I get by, pay the bills ect. But I really struggle with clothes and stuff, obviously prioritise kids, struggle to get all their bits and then end up never getting anything for myself. Going for a meal or a day out always has to be planned and saved for and obviously I have no savings.

I guess a lot of people are in the same boat.

£600 goes on the children’s after school activities/swimming lessons
Having £600 to spare for this in the first place is a massive privilige.

600 is hardly a huge amount left over if it is to pay for food and daily living expenses clothes shoes. I am always handing over for something extra every month. Birthdays Easter Christmas. It would be hard to save any of it.

I think I’m irresponsible sometimes when I first get paid, as in I’ll think I’ll treat myself to a coffee or a £5 lunch, the kids can have a magazine. Then the last week of the month I have to make £10 last a week and I realise I’ve messed up. I maybe need to track everything I spend on for a month and see what I can do different. I don’t think I’ll ever have the money to go out and spend £100 on clothes on a whim though.

The Poor House have to provide food within that 150. And usually top up the key meter / payg phone etc.

In a similar boat here. I don't feel poor but do have to budget and count the pennies. I never buy new clothes, most of kids pressies are second hand, can rarely get coffee, eat out/ takeaways a few times a year. I have a roof over my head, food and can hear the house though, kids do their activities and we can afford to go on holiday, so not poor.

So if your kids didn't do those after school activities you'd have more money for clothes.

You have enough money to make choices like that.

I wouldn't say poor but I understand that you may feel fed up if you can't easily afford a holiday day out etc.

I think your getting a hard time on here tbh.

I dropped some things off at the food bank yesterday, there was a woman in there sobbing. That’s poor.
I have less than you to manage on each month and I don’t think I’m poor. I would love some fancy face cream or a lovely meal out more than once in a blue moon, I don’t buy expensive clothes or have trips to the salon and I wish I had more cash but I don’t think I’m poor.

As you've acknowledged, you're 'comfortable'. You could cut back on the extras that you do with your dcs with no direct impact on theirs or your life.
That's not being poor.

How many of the people saying op is privileged are in that position themselves? Or have been?

600pcm for food and clothes (how often do you really need to buy clothes?!), isnt poor

It's not dirt poor no, but it's still a pretty tight budget when you have kids.

It's £150 a week so you need food...let's say £50-60. Then you have £90 left. Let's say there's a school trip £10, a kids party your DC is invited to £5 on a gift...after school activity £5....then bus fares/petrol. Maybe one of your DC needs a new coat or loses their pe kit it needs new school shoes. Then maybe it's your DC's birthday or a kitchen appliance breaks...ok, you're not at food bank level but I can assure you, it's tricky.

You are doing OK but not well off no.

I think you're a JAM (just about managing.) Not starving or destitute, but would go under quite quickly if some big bill came up, or you lost your income for just a couple of months.

Many people are like this, more than people realise. Some are very poor obviously.

Well I think you're likely in the bottom 10%

There's a calculator somewhere. I will have a look for it.

It's also all the little things isn't it.

Let's say your DC have a dress down day at school...they each need to bring in £1. So you take a tenner out the cash point...buy some milk so you have change to give them. Then they want a trip to the sweet shop after school so you use the rest of the change on that.. now that tenner has gone on not a lot.

No not poor. Not well off, but certainly not poor. If you can afford luxuries like swimming lesson for the kids and cinema trips, then you can't be truly poor. As others have said, poor is where you literally can't afford to put food on the table or heat your home, if you have a home. Some people have to live on your £150 disposable income (e.g. Some pensioners) and that includes food, rent, heating.

It’s all relative. From where I’m standing you’re very poor. But I guess if you’re all fed, warm and houses, you’re probably not in a bad position. I’d be worried about your lack of savings. What if something happened to your washing machine for example? Could you afford to replace/repair it? I imagine if not, it leads to pay day loans and that’s the killer.

Husband earns 3k a month, we have 2k of bills/mortgage etc etc and we still feel poor. By the 3rd week we are skint. Trying to change it now though and shop st Aldi, stopping shopping etc the first weekend.

https://www.ifs.org.uk/toolsanddresources/wheredooyoufitt_in

Calculator here

We have about the same. We get by. We don't have money for holidays though!

But I would agree - poor to me is literally having to choose between feeding your kids and putting the heating on.

I do have to often go without whilst the kids have a a milkshake - but the fact I take them for a milkshake in the first place means we are not poor (if that makes sense) Also, say if we have a coffee whilst waiting for kids to finish swimming, we can only afford to buy one. But again, we're paying for the lessons.

It would be lovely to be able to afford two coffees and the swimming lessons - and a holiday would be fab!

To answer some questions, the £600 (nearer to £500 after paying for swimming lessons and after school club) is for all food, toiletries, occasionally have to put extra on the gas and electric keys as I only put £40 on each on pay day.
I know kids don’t need clothes/shoes/haircuts and what not every month but when the change in seasons comes round and they practically need a whole new wardrobe or I need £500 for all new uniforms in september, then it really is tough, and we do go without proper food shopping.
I know it may seems a lot written down but if you really think about all the day to day extras and things that come up that I’ve not accounted for, are people honestly saying I’m comfortable. I’m quite shocked.
I shouldn’t of used be word poor. Of course I’m not poor and that’s insulting to real poor people. It was jist a figure of speech. But I didn’t realise this was seen as the ‘norm’. Or that I’m seen as living comfortably.
I guess I just yearn after an easier life, not having to keep charts and lists and counting every penny. To be able to just see something nice, and buy it. I rotate 2 pairs of matalan jeans. That’s all I own. When one pair rips. I replace.

I think that is a very low income to manage on. You are not destitute but I would say that you are "poor" in my opinion but I think we are just disagreeing on definitions which isn't helpful.

It's a low income to manage on and that is difficult. Yes there may be others worse off but that doesn't mean your situation isn't difficult too.

Not in my book, no. Til l got my work pension recently, l was relying on the goodwill of friends to tide me over. You know it's bad when you don't have £1 to buy a loaf of bread.

For context you are welcome to have my wages op

We both work, part time around each other so no childcare and earn £1800 pcm between us- from this £700 on rent, £136 council tax, £105 electric/gas, £60 water, £40 sky/broadband, £76 insurances (including car, breakdown, contents- can’t afford life!), £66 on loans/tax credit overpayments from the past (desperate to get debt free so we can get a mortgage), £200 petrol/bus fare/kids travel, £400 on food/toiletries/cleaning etc. And that leaves us a couple of Quid a month for ‘luxuries’

I have to refuse the kids things like swimming lessons/ music lessons/ gymnastics- because we just don’t have the money! Christmas comes out of the food bill and we have grandparents on both sides that fund the kids presents (but wouldn’t buy day trips for us instead hmm] ) so we get by and I feel that we are far removed from the poorest in society!!

That calculator is bonkers! It only takes away your council tax! Nothing about water, gas, electric, rent/mortgage etc!

If he earns £3k a month he must be on over £50K? Hard to consider you poor if that's the case.

And apologies if this sounds harsh, but if you want an 'easier life' as you put it, you could get a job yourself....