Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask what you have left over after bills?

90 replies

Tulips1234 · 24/05/2019 22:27

I’m sorry if this has already been discussed. I’ve just done a budget calculator as I have gone back part time after having dd. I’m worse off than I planned due to dp contributing less than we agreed to the household (that’s another thread), and I have £380 to live on a month. This is after all the bills go out but not including clothes (for me and dd) and the day to day stuff that always crops up. Does this sound doable? I know to some people it may be a lot and but it just doesn’t allow for unexpected things like the washer breaking etc. Does anyone have any tips for living on a small amount or is it not actually that bad?

OP posts:
Lifeisabeach09 · 25/05/2019 16:36

Better to split when she is little than when she is older. Having her dad living elsewhere will be her norm.

You would be better off without him--child benefit, UC, maintenance, cheaper utilities, cheaper food bill, get rid of any packages, reduced council tax.

Imsureitsasugaredpoo · 25/05/2019 16:40

I just feel guilty to Dd having her parents split up when she is so young

Don’t you think you’ll feel guilty knowing that you brought her up in a household where her mother is financially fucked over and her father doesn’t even want to cook a meal, play with her etc? Do you want your daughter to think that is a normal and acceptable way to be treated by a partner, or anyone?

It’s much better to split when young, having separated parents will be her norm. She’ll have a happier mother and has less chance of accepting such crappy treatment when she enters relationships.

DroningOn · 25/05/2019 16:43

£2070 per month after bills

ILiveInSalemsLot · 25/05/2019 16:52

He sounds awful. I wouldn’t be living with him.
You’ll be better off emotionally by yourself. The finances will work out.

KnittingForMittens · 25/05/2019 17:12

Sad to say that we are always in minus balance :( we are struggling at the moment due to high childcare costs but just have to keep plodding on. Before anyone thinks I'm not careful with money, we do budget extensively! We do not smoke or drink or go on holidays either. I try my best but main priority is roof over our heads and my DS.

Asta19 · 25/05/2019 17:22

How does everyone else ever have enough for things like a kitchen or a car when you have £95 left each month

They don’t. Simple as that. Most houses come with a kitchen and people just make do with what’s there. Things like new kitchens and bathrooms are a luxury many can’t afford. I’m surprised that you struggle to understand that. Car wise they have an old banger or use public transport.

My kitchen is nice, if a little dated, and I might replace the work tops and tiles soon but the cupboards are still sturdy and perfectly fine. I’d see it as a waste of money paying 15k to have it all ripped out and redone just to keep in fashion. It’s functional as it is.

OP I suspect you’d probably be entitled to some benefits if you kicked him out so definitely look into that. There is no excuse for him not contributing and you have nothing to feel guilty about. If he can’t put his DD first then that’s on him.

Merryoldgoat · 25/05/2019 17:38

I give my wife a stipend of 1.5k a month and she's to pay all food, baby costs and treats for herself from that. She's been told to not expect a penny more and she's never asked.

I don’t even know where to begin with this shit.

Tulips1234 · 25/05/2019 19:33

Thank you so much for all your replies, I think they have told me what I knew deep down. It’s not on at all is it, and even if I was worse off I bet it wouldn’t be that much as I would save in other ways.

I really don’t want my Dd to see this as how relationships are, and to be honest I doubt he would be wanting her overnight that much anyway if he did move out. I could talk to him about it, yet again, but the fact that this even needs doing speaks volumes.

OP posts:
TotHappy · 26/05/2019 15:19

Yes it does. Hope you're ok op

stopitandtidyupp · 26/05/2019 18:00

I give my wife a stipend of 1.5k a month and she's to pay all food, baby costs and treats for herself from that. She's been told to not expect a penny more and she's never asked.

Aren't you a delight!

Merryoldgoat · 26/05/2019 19:03

@stopitandtidyupp

I hope she’s squirrelling away any excess so she can fuck off.

itsnotallbbqsandshrimp · 26/05/2019 23:37

@Merryoldgoat ditto

stopitandtidyupp · 27/05/2019 08:28

Merry hope so!

IQuit3 · 27/05/2019 08:34

£1000 between me, dh and 3dcs. It all seems to disappear though

BarbaraofSevillle · 27/05/2019 08:49

What other random people have left is irrelevant, there is no norm. Some people don't have enough to cover even their basic expenses adequately while others have thousands a month, and everything in between.

What is relevant to you is that you and your DP should have the same amount of personal spending money after all joint household and DC costs, including saving up for annual and irregular expenses have been covered. She is the child of both of you, so you are both responsible for feeding, clothing and housing her and these costs should come out of the joint pot, not your personal spending money.

Pay all wages and any benefits into one account. Work out how much things like insurance, car servicing, repair and MOT, holidays, Christmas, savings for white goods replacement etc should be and put some in a savings account to cover this.

Pay all bills, grocery shopping, work travel, childcare, DC expenses from the joint account and then split what remains 50/50 between you and DP and that's what's left for your own personal expenses like clothes, food and drink out of the house when it's 'personal' not joint, etc etc.

Things like mobiles and cars can be joint or individual, but if all adults need a car for work, and a basic phone service you could just pay it out of the joint account, but if you want something fancier than the household can afford, you should contribute to the cost out of personal money.

If he won't agree to and co-operate with a system like this, that might be a deal breaker to be honest.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page