1,5k disposable income a month is enough

[Myglorioushairdo]

AIBU to think that a disposable income of £1,500 a month is enough for a family of four? That is after all living costs, fixed monthly bills and food/household essentials.
DH and I were a bit unfortunate and made a major life change just before the pandemic, and this is what our household income has now been boiled down to.

DH is majorly stressed out and says its not enough, I say it's OK for now. We are able control all the other costs with careful planning and even save a bit! We don't live in a big city and our kids are still primary school age. What do you think?

He’s a classic example - making himself unhappy and stressed because he can’t appreciate what he has in life.

Yes but op has £2500 per month, okay but not exactly well off. The op choices to move to be mortgage free has helped them. If they were stuck in their old place after losing their jobs, they would surely be in a very bad place right now.

Lots of people have rough times but they did not need to pour Vinegar on what the op was asking. She admitted quite early on that she had phrased it wrongly. The pages past that statement show how many mumsnetters are far too petty. To those suffering financially sorry. But if I'm struggling then I skip past threads like this incase they are boasting but if they carry on reading the op they can read that this is not the case here.

Even if you are on the lowest income, there is still no need to be so bitchy and yes people are losing jobs but they lose jobs everyday, become sick and disabled every day. We should have compassion at all times, not just now in covid with the fake "be kind" bullshit.

But asking questions and budgeting advice at any wage point is a good thing. Far too many waste money and have no clue, it sounds like the op husband was in that boat previously and is now worried. However learning to manage and save on any income point is a great lifeskill.

Just because someone on a low income has disposable income, why all the backlash?? My income is much lower than Ops but I have disposable income and my essential bills including food come to £700 pm.. I planned this and I live frugally to do this and the rest is disposable. So what? The op also does not properly have £1500 disposable per month as they need to count all yearly expenses into a monthly budget which they are not currently doing, like other posters have pointed out.

This thread and many of the answers show why people keep voting the Tories. Always so quick to jump on others. Can we not be respectful even if someone has more than we do?

Top many have no clue on how to live on a lower income but many do and have done so for decades. The figures quoted on this thread show how many live in a bubble if they think the UK average wage was £35k x 2. Laughable. Minimum of £250 per month to run a car is also laughable. People on benefits run and maintain cars as cheaper then put licences transport in many places in the UK and they do not have £250 minimum per month to do so.

Anyway op, get your husband to realise how good you have it and that you luckily moved or were moving in time to reap the benefits of paying the mortgage off. Also start budgeting all your yearly expenses monthly. You will not have £1500 left then and you need to start a new savings pot. What is left after that is your true disposable income.

Flirtygirl, the OP is certainly not very wealthy, but wealth includes assets.

If she’s been able to pay off a mortgage and owns a house outright, that would make her wealthier than most people in the U.K., depending on her pension provision of course.

I don’t see a lot of backlash on this thread. It’s perfectly reasonable to point out that the OP’s husband doesn’t need to worry as this is a large sum of money, especially as that was the original question, not ‘how do I budget?’

Jeezo. That's plenty. I never even earned £1500 a month when I could work; I'm sure I'm not the only one who fantasises about having that much spare cash. I'm not surprised people are a bit offended. You do not have a problem.

I am disabled and have to pay for my rent, bills and food with the £535 I earn a month. Give your head a wobble.

It's physically impossible here to find anything to rent, anything at all, for £500 a month. Even a flat share or lodger accommodation cost more that that. Even if you could beg for a rent reduction, you would still end up with 0 to pay for bills, food or the most basic essential. And you would still need money for a deposit, even in house share.

so the competitive misery is nonsense. Whilst someone might be struggling (but managing) with £500, someone else will struggle a lot more with twice, 3 or 4 times that amount.

Also not everybody finds barely surviving an acceptable option. life is too short.

Stripes galore, yes!

In laws are like this, it's All they talk about and worry about and yet are v wealthy and own everything . Its very depressing to be around. Very depressing because you feel like you can't win or ever have enough.

Op, our :disposable income gets broken down and filtered each week. Maybe this would calm your dh down?. Eg each month £ allocated to saving £allocated to weekends... £ allocated to bday funds /holiday /Xmas /car fund etc...)

A lot of people have live on this a month before any bills are paid.

@Myglorioushairdo stop apologising for your finances. It’s not your fault that some people are offended by your higher than average disposable income.

I wasn't offended by the income - it's brilliant and something to aspire too. I was offended by the question posed in the OP.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Op, unless you have 2 quid a month and 1 chicken to feed family of 16, you don't post on MN asking about money.

Or the opposite- 6 figure salaries and an inheritance of £500k and you need ‘investment advice’

It sounds like you've been through a few stressful changes and are not used to having the budget. You need to sit down together and work through it all in then it will feel a lot less stressful and you will feel more in control.

Have a look at Dave Ramsey or some another budgeting books. Most would suggest the following:

1. Build up an emergency fund

1. Set money aside for known irregular costs. (Christmas, car expenses, clothes, holiday etc)

1. See what pension provision you have and if you need to pay in more

1. Have a budget for fun stuff so you don't feel guilty

If you don't get control a bit it can feel like you don't have any money and can never afford a holiday etc because you are just wasting money without realising it.

I really don't want this to sound rude however I know it will come across that way.... please tell your DH to not be so ridiculous. My DH and I have around £200 "disposable" income each month. We are a family of 3 with a child with severe SEN we manage with what we have. I work as many hours as I can (mainly night shifts) to care for our DC. £1500 is plenty to live off. We even manage to have 1 or 2 takeaway a month. Stop worrying and enjoy what you have there are so many people out there who are worse off then me even.

Blimey there are some nasty people on here.

OP - it sounds like you're mighty good at budgetting, and have a DH who is scared. I went from a well paying job to having to living on savings earlier this year, and have reduced my outgoings by half. Its a huge change, and having no savings left is terrifying. I am not surprised he's stressed out, and impressed that you are not.

It sounds like you're on the right track. £1500 is a good amount of disposable income, and should let you save some. Do that, and build up as quickly as you can so you have a cushion in case something else goes wrong.

But also, perhaps, your DH could think about how he can help save, and so feel a bit more in control - that may reduce his stress?

Good luck, and remember that you're coping well! Good on you.

I'd love an income of £1500, let alone a disposable income of that amount

Is this thread a windup? Many people have a lot less than this as gross income.

I think a lot of people will wonder how you have high paid jobs, if you really have the low level of critical thinking and empathy that your post indicates

This ^^

I think a lot of people will wonder how you have high paid jobs, if you really have the low level of critical thinking and empathy that your post indicate

Lots of my friends who can barely string a sentence together and, don’t even get me started on how they write, are on ridiculously high paid salaries, and put in about 5 hours a day.

" That is after all living costs, fixed monthly bills and food/household essentials."

1.5K per month is far from "enough" in world wide standard with no doubt

That’s loads of disposable income! If you spent £150 a week food shopping and both fill up your cars every 2 weeks that would still leave a hefty chunk of change for extras!

That's actually pretty rich.

@PestymcPestFace

**It seems quite a generous amount of pocket money.

I think a lot of people will wonder how you have high paid jobs, if you really have the low level of critical thinking and empathy that your post indicates.**

I need a “like” button.

Oh...... just to have a quarter of that disposable income would be bliss.....my money is spoken for before it even hits my bank with being a single mum to a 9 year old son.

You have obviously been extreamly lucky in life to be thinking that £1500 disposable income is not enough 😄😄😄

That’s actually more than I have a month to do everything with

My friend with a family of 11 lives on £200 a week. That has to pay for food too

It's easily done.