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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How little can you live on?

38 replies

Drabarni · 21/01/2020 16:59

When all basic essential living costs have been paid, how much could you manage to live on.
I think lots of people could live on far less than they earn, friend thinks I'm mad.
So AIBU to think that some could live on far less.
I'm not suggesting they do, though, all have different choices.

OP posts:
MerryShitmas · 21/01/2020 17:01

About £550 a month as I have low rent of £60 a week, my gas and electric is quite cheap, I don’t have tv license or WiFi and my phone bill (sim only) is only £9 a month. But for everyone It is different.

MerryShitmas · 21/01/2020 17:03

Ah shit I misread! Without bills (so only paying for food and entertaining) I pay about £40 a week. But that’s with meal planning, shopping exclusively at Lidl and I rarely have time/ability to socialise due to my circumstances.

BedraggledBlitz · 21/01/2020 17:04

Depends on what you class as essential living expenses but yeah if I really budgeted and bought cheap food I could definitely survive on less than my wage (and I'm not a high earner)

user3575796673 · 21/01/2020 17:07

Depends on what you class as basic essential living costs and whether we're aiming for mere survival or living with quality of life.

CSIblonde · 21/01/2020 17:07

I'm not sure what your point is. Are you saying people don't need a well paying job? I'm sure a lot people could strip back & live on less if they had too. (When things are tight, for whatever reason, you rein things in) . But otherwise IME its nice to earn decent money & not have to debate every single purchase.

Drabarni · 21/01/2020 17:08

Just essential bills, food, roof over head, food in belly.
Nothing that isn't essential, no luxuries just the three main things we need in life, to survive.

OP posts:
Drabarni · 21/01/2020 17:09

No, I'm not saying people don't need to work, just talking about money.

OP posts:
Feminazgul · 21/01/2020 17:12

Once all essential bills are covered then I guess the answer would be £0 for everyone.

In reality it would be a very miserable existence though.

Ponoka7 · 21/01/2020 17:18

Clothes and skin care are also essentials. I'd be miserable without hair colouring and makeup.

I'm currently disabled and I live on a third of what I used to. I could probably spend even less.

We won't do without unless we have a plan to save, though.

worriedandannoyed · 21/01/2020 17:20

I'm sure we could all live on less than we currently spend. But who wants to just survive and watch every penny they spend? When I've been in that situation before (and I'm not much better off right now!) and it's a miserable existence.

BiddyPop · 21/01/2020 17:22

I could put a lot more money into savings, if that is what you are asking. But I do put roughly 25% of my salary into savings monthly, and I also like to use some of the money I earn to make life a little easier on me and the family. And like to be able to buy things when I see them, if I love them or know I will need them anyway - and not have to rush and try to get them when life is hectic when the old one breaks or DD has actually grown out of her uniform or the seasons have changed or whatever.

And I have improved the standard of wine I drink in recent years, which has been slightly more expensive overall (a combination of some really nice bottles from Lidl, and some more expensive bottles from the off-licence near my office).

But I do a fair amount quite thriftily too - mend clothes myself, take shoes to be repaired, waste as little food as possible (I'm not great at the moment as life is too hectic, but generally we're pretty good), grow some veg, do some of our own DIY repairs and maintenance (I'll climb up and clean gutters and do a certain amount of clearing drains - but I do call in the electrician or gas engineer if necessary, and if we are painting/tiling etc it will depend on how hectic we are as we've done a lot ourselves in the past but have paid professionals more recently to get it done before the next century comes.....).

And if we were to find a need to cut back, we would happily drop things like sky (only got it a couple of years ago for broadband and have no extra packages), Netflix, buying books, reduce/stop eating out, reduce alcohol consumption and takeaway coffees, drop quality of toiletries etc, and standards of food (still good food but reduce the conveniences and the luxuries), give up 1 car….

Lippy1234 · 21/01/2020 17:23

Are shoes essentials?

BiddyPop · 21/01/2020 17:24

And if I had to reduce, there is still plenty of nice food that just takes longer to do, freeview channels on tv to enjoy, books in the house to re-read, and craft materials to make use of to pass the time.

We also quite enjoy having dinners at home with our neighbours and some friends - much cheaper than going out but still a lot of laughs are had.

okiedokieme · 21/01/2020 17:28

My fixed bills are £1650 a month (mortgage, insurance, utilities) then plus petrol, food so £1800 for the 2 plus dog would be just breaking even. Not very interesting though, I work hard to have more than the bare essentials!

IndecentFeminist · 21/01/2020 17:28

Once all bills have gone out (approx 1200) we could probably do food and fuel for the 5 of us for between 80 and 100 p/w. I'm sure I could get it less, but it would be hard.

ragged · 21/01/2020 17:30

We save a lot so yes we live on far less than we earn.

KaptenKrusty · 21/01/2020 17:30

Dh and I both cycle or walk to work each day - so that’s free

We can feed ourselves for 20£ or less a week batch cooking and taking lunch to work !

So about 90£ a month for 2 of us

That would be without treats, meals out, fun activities !!

We have very cheap months like this when saving for something!! Or from time to time just to get our house deposit up

But in normal circumstances we would spend a lot more money that that - for nights out, meals out, holidays!! Life would be miserable if we didn’t splash out once and a while

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/01/2020 17:31

I could live on far far less than what I earn.

If we are talking absolute basics - no internet at home, no mobile phone, no insurances - my rent is £425pm, council tax £90, utility bills £70 (just electric and water). Food I spend about £250pm on but could cut back to about £150pm if I needed to and didn't buy any luxury extras.

So that comes to about £735pm. I bring in about £2000pm so plenty left over. I would not want to live like that though.

FreyaMountstuart · 21/01/2020 17:33

I can live on about 30% of what I earn (safe the rest)

RaininSummer · 21/01/2020 17:36

I live cheaply but this year I have had to spend over 6 grand on house repairs so this has a huge impact on how little a person needs.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 21/01/2020 17:38

So is food already paid for? I could live without spending anything then, just never see friends and pray nothing brakes down. Take LO to the park and see extended family at home

managedmis · 21/01/2020 17:39

Clothes and skin care are also essentials. I'd be miserable without hair colouring and makeup.

^^

My kinda girl!

NemophilistRebel · 21/01/2020 17:57

My salary will be dropping by £1500 a month during maternity leave

We will make it work

Drabarni · 21/01/2020 18:00

I know life would be shit without any comfort or the odd luxury, but dooable, surely, especially in the short term.

I'm trying to find a range from lowest to highest, just food, warmth, essential bills like council tax and water, and of course rent or mortgage.

OP posts:
AriadnesFilament · 21/01/2020 18:07

I'm trying to find a range from lowest to highest, just food, warmth, essential bills like council tax and water, and of course rent or mortgage.

Why?

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