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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if £150 disposable income a month means I'm skint

201 replies

MissJoeBlogs · 19/08/2020 14:28

After all bills (including food) are paid for, I have £150 left for myself and 2 kids, this generally goes towards clothing, days out, birthday presents, etc. I'm grateful for what I have and I'm happy, but I have been watching repeats of Rich House/Poor House and the poor house had a similar amount of money left to me. Blush Am I skint?

OP posts:
FelicisNox · 20/08/2020 19:48

You're not skint if you have £150 but I know what you mean.

It's dependent on what you do with it.

You and the kids could go to the local park and have a Macdonald's every Saturday, that will get you out of the house and give you a "treat" at a cost of only £40 per month or you could go out for 1 good day out I.e zoo. It depends on how you spends obvs.

Cloudspotter · 20/08/2020 19:56

I would say that's skint personally. I've lived on less, but there's not a lot of slack there for unexpected costs that can tip you over.

X

CremeEggThief · 20/08/2020 20:02

@Graphista, I grew up in 1980s and 1990s Ireland, amid high unemployment and emigration, so I have always been around educated people who have struggled to get regular work. So I suppose that's why I find it so surprising that people my age and with my level of education in this country are so often ignorant of the reality of living with not much money and don't think it's possible to have a good education and yet still be unable to find a suitable, permanent job. I am really sorry to hear how circumstances changed so much for so many members of your and your former husband's family so quickly.

jannier · 20/08/2020 20:16

The £150 for you is after food on the one I've just seen they have to get their food out of that as well as clothes repairs travel and luxury like birthday gifts

TheRobotsAreComing · 20/08/2020 20:48

Op can you pop over to mine and sort my life out please? You're so organised and frugal... Two things I cannot consistently do. It may be 150 a month but your preplanning is your strength here.

ThursdayAfterNext · 20/08/2020 21:32

I'm in the same position as you, OP. Single mum to 2 kids. I also work part time and have a similar amount of cash over at the end of the month. At the moment it doesn't worry me and I feel fortunate to be able to cover my bills on part time wages and have some money, however little, to do things with. Like you, I plan ahead, have been given lots of hand-me-downs & our days out are park trips and inexpensive picnics. I don't need too much more to get by...

That said, I do worry a little about the future when DCs want to start sports clubs, music lessons, go on school residential trips etc. Will they have the same opportunities of getting on the school sports team as the children who have been going to footy/rugby/tennis tots classes since 3 years old? Will they have the same life/career choices as wealthier classmates who have been going to private French classes since preschool? I particularly worry that they will feel sad or jealous when their cousins get to go on 2-week foreign holidays 2-3 times a year and we have weekend trips in the UK staying with my school/uni friends. I do worry that I'm not going to be in a position to give them access to as many extracurricular activities as their peers in future, so definitely would like more money at the end of each month... but right now, I'm definitely happy having less money and more time off work. It's a tricky balance, particularly as a single parent.

Devlesko · 20/08/2020 21:36

Skint is having no money not £150, but that's not disposble income if it's to buy kids clothes and days out as they would surely be part of your budget.
Take these off and that's more like your disposable income.

hibbledobble · 20/08/2020 22:07

It's very subjective.

I would struggle with that amount, and I imagine many others would too.

It doesn't leave much for days out, presents for kids and friends, toys, emergency costs etc.

Mummadeeze · 20/08/2020 22:24

This thread makes me feel ashamed and guilty. I feel like I struggle on so much more than that. It is mainly food shopping actually that is the issue. I would really love some tips on how you manage to feed yourselves on £70 a week. My shopping bills are massive compared to that :(

HateIsNotGood · 20/08/2020 22:34

Yes, you're skint but not quite poverty-stricken.
Seems you already know how to stretch a pound
and the value of hapiness.
You're on top of it OP - being skint is actually doing ok in the big scheme of things - and one day you won't be as skint as now.

lilkitten · 20/08/2020 23:05

£150 isn't much but, for me, skint is when I have no money at all at the end of the month. I'm self-employed and my income varies wildly from month to month.

lilkitten · 20/08/2020 23:11

@Mummadeeze

This thread makes me feel ashamed and guilty. I feel like I struggle on so much more than that. It is mainly food shopping actually that is the issue. I would really love some tips on how you manage to feed yourselves on £70 a week. My shopping bills are massive compared to that :(
I budget £75 for food for me, DH and 2 kids. I note on my list how much I'm spending, and when it's getting close to my limit I consider what I can do without, and often put things back. I am a star yellow-label buyer, I buy whatever is cheap and diversify my meal planning (or freeze it for later). Also helps that we are eating less meat nowadays, and we grow a lot of veg. Out of the £75 we spend £17 on milk & juice deliveries, so it has to stretch a bit. I'm grateful for £75 though. I remember a time when it would be that DH could make £20 overtime and I'd go and buy what I could with that, because it was all I had.
Yellowcakestand · 20/08/2020 23:46

They get more left than me! I get 200 for the month for petrol, clothing and shopping for me and DS. Sometimes I think id be better off not working!

Tartan333 · 21/08/2020 08:39

It's very tight

BrimFullOfAsher · 21/08/2020 08:40

Not RTFT yet but on Rich House, Poor House - the budget they have is for a week, not a month.

I'd say £150pm probably does put you fairly close to those on the poor house side. However, as long as you are happy, your family is cared for and loved as well as you being solvent, then who cares?

There is always going to be someone with more

EugenesAxe · 21/08/2020 09:03

I agree with @isabellerossignol - skint is nothing at all. £1,800 pa for non-essentials is very small though, when you consider holidays and clothes.

I always look second hand first for most things I want to buy, both for environmental and economical reasons, and I would recommend doing this. Get on the FB selling pages of an affluent town and there’ll probably be some nice clothes available for boys and girls.

Teateaandmoretea · 21/08/2020 09:31

What matters OP is what you think.

I also wouldn’t take all those people on telly too much at face value. I know of someone who went on one claiming to be skint and had a job on around 50k Confused

expatinspain · 21/08/2020 11:45

For you and two kids, pretty much, yeah as that £50 per month each. That wouldn’t even be a great amount for trips out, any extra activities for kids like swimming lessons etc. When you factor just their birthdays, Xmas and clothes in, it’s skint. That would be hard for even one person, never mind three, with two who are growing and needing new stuff etc. Holidays etc would just be out of the question. I’ve been there OP and it’s hard. People inviting you out to do things and stressing about if they’re going to want to go for lunch or even sometimes things like ice creams being a stretch.

kennycat · 21/08/2020 16:38

I’d say £150 is a good amount to have left. Some months I’d
Spend that bit most probably not tbh.
I wouldn’t say that’s skint at all. It’s quite comfy to buy a few treats but not so much you end up with spoilt brat children who expect a lot.

blibbka · 21/08/2020 16:46

It sounds like a pretty tight amount to cover the things you list for yourself plus 2 kids.

If you feel that you're okay on that money then who cares what's on rich house poor house or whatever.

Original poster
MissJoeBlogs · 21/08/2020 19:43

Thanks for the responses everyone, really enjoyed reading them :)

OP posts:
Jack80 · 21/08/2020 22:40

As long as your happy and providing for you and your family. You are never skint.

LoisLane66 · 26/08/2020 04:36

I, for one, think you're marvellous and a real role model for other single mums AND your own children, when they are old enough to appreciate your planning and determination to do the very best by your family. I have every respect for you. 💐

LoisLane66 · 26/08/2020 04:42

This is a much nicer and more interestin site than GN.

LoisLane66 · 26/08/2020 04:42

Interesting

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