Are we going to be able to survive on this money?

[username6050]

£2,100 between us a month.

Rent is £900.
DP has to pay £400 maintenance.
£450 nursery charges a month.
Will have a 2 year old and a newborn.

It's all seeming impossible!

Have you applied to universal credit? I just did a basic calculation and it looked like you’d get help. There’s a group on Facebook called Universal Credit Essentials that can help you work out your entitlement.

That's clearly incorrect. The four hundred fo thr two kids includes everything from food, rent, utilities the lot. Clearly it doesn't come close to housing these two kids.

No, the mother can also contribute to her own kids. Through work or claiming benefits as a single parent - of which maintenance is not included.

The thing is that no one would have two children like this without sitting down and looking at the budget first. So what’s happened in between doing that budget plan and now?

OP, I'd be more concerned in 12 months' time when you're back at work and playing for 2 lots of nursery. Even with a sibling reduction and your part time salary, you'd be looking at £700+ in nursery fees.

Why does that matter? It doesnt make a shit of difference now unless you expect op to give up her kids for adoption.

pop if in uk when the 2yo turns 3 theyll get 30 funded hrs at nursery so wont be 2 full bills

Not projecting AT ALL, just angry with the 'you are paying too much maintenance posters' HTH

So why direct it at the OP then who didn't say anything about cutting maintenance but actually said the opposite, that she wouldn't!

Good for you that you don't find yourself in need of benefits, neither do I but I don't look down on those who aren't as fortunate as you or I. You never know what life will throw at you. Perhaps stop being so judgemental and look at yourself.

Nothing the OP has said has warranted your nasty and judgemental replies.

Of course telling us the amount of maintenance is relevant, it doesn't have to imply anything. How are we supposed to answer the OPs question if she doesn't tell us where there money is going?!

£800 a month to bring up 2 kids is plenty.

Well by that token the OP must be rolling in it, because minus the maintenance, they have £1700 a month to bring up two kids. But oh - that also has to cover rent, nursery, and everything else and leaves them with not enough to feed themselves. So it's not plenty after all, is it?

pink "bring up 2 kids"

Doesnt mean pay every single bill does it?

I never said bring up 2 kids and pay for 2 adults. It was in regards tp maintenance ie 800pm to spend on 2 children is enough.

Can you cut out the nursery fees when you're on mat leave?

Jesus some of the posts on here, absolute nuts. 800 a month is plenty? Tell that to thr op on 1700.

And no he shouldn't reduce maintenance. He's not paying anywhere near enough to house and feed them as it is.

And people suggesting the answer is to give up and live on benefits?

No the answer is to get jobs that work round each other, reduce the need for nursery and pay for your own kids. Not stay home and get thr government to bail you out.

bluntness ah yeah so easy to just change jobs isnt it and find ones with opposite shift patterns. With an equal salary so that the ex cant complain - but also leaves enough time to continue regular contact.

Next joke.

You have no idea about exs circumstances so you absolutely cannot say 400pm is not enough.

Are you the higher earner OP?

What's changed in your situation to cause this money problem? Is it just you going on ML?

You need to move to somewhere with cheaper rent and you need to pull the childcare, those are your only options.

You are living beyond your means and you're going to be in a lot of debt if you don't drastically change things ASAP.

Is this a sudden change in income? Because even with one child this was exceptionally tight, so now there's two it'll obviously be even tighter.

I didn't say change job Joan, I said find jobs. And no it's not that hard to pick up work with opposing shift patterns if you're willing to graft. From shelf stacking at your local super market during thr night on.

There are jobs out there. And when you've four kids to feed and not enough money to pay the bills, then you do those jobs.

@Bluntness100 couldn't agree more.

JoanMavisIcecreamGirl you do know maintenance isn't purely for the direct costs of the children don't you? It's also there to assist in housing costs, bills, school travel, clothes, food. All of these things together certainly come to well over £800 a month. Just by breaking up woth the resident parent you shouldn't get to forgo all of these aspects of raising your own child - as most would believe.

The fact some people are given nothing or a very low figure in maintenance doesn’t mean £400 a month is too much , the OP hasn’t been back to clarify anything apart from not planning to reduce the amount paid.
Some of the comments on here about bitter first wives etc are disgusting , worst thread I’ve seen in a while.

I give up. Bluntness and some others get it, but there's a really weird value system here. Almost gleeful about how little the existing DC should be able to get and be glad of it!

Totally agree Q

ie 800pm to spend on 2 children is enough

We have one child, our total bills/nursery fees/council tax/food/mortgage come in at £1800 a month. Why, if my DH and I separated should I have to pay £1400 of that and he only pay £400? I would not expect half obviously as some of those costs are my own housing, but Jesus how can you not see that the £400 can be a drop in the ocean for paying for all of the above for 2 children, before you've included school meals, clothing, pocket money, car seats, uniforms and anything else which comes with it.

Work from home! There are loads of part time jobs online. Ones that you can arrange to do at the hours you know your children will be asleep.

Could you fird somewhere cheaper to live? £900 for rent seems like a lot of money...

Foofighter £900 is cheap for a two bedroom house where I live (not London).

Op we are tight on money and that would only just cover our food let alone all the household bills and fuel there is no way it can be done. Council tax is £150 for our two bed house so I'm guessing yours is similar which leaves £200 for everything else. I can't see it being possible at all.