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?

I would go onto Money Saving Expert and download their budgeting tool. It will help you (and him) work out how much you will actually have left over at the end of the month - once costs you know you're going to happen (car costs, birthday and xmas, clothing etc).

Then you can figure out how much disposable income you have

You haven't really included everything you need to in your bills and essential stuff e.g.
Running a car.
Clothes.

Do you have regular clubs and memberships?

I am a bit baffled as to how your DH can be worried that 1.5K isn't enough when you were earning NOTHING for a few months.

@ChloeCrocodile yes.. low earnings, but low outgoings..

Morning OP - sorry you're getting a rough ride. I can have a little empathy with your husband's anxiety. Very many years ago I was married to someone who was a high earner and we lived very comfortably. I don't want to go into lots of details but due to some particularly difficult circumstances we divorced and I was left bringing up my children on a vastly reduced income. I was petrified about how I would make ends meet but the reality is you cut your cloth accordingly and somehow you make it happen.

10 years later, my financial position has improved significantly but I still have no-where near £1500 left each month after food and household bills so I agree with PP that that is a very manageable amount to have and can appreciate that for very many people it seems like a vast sum of money.

I think it is just the shock of having to adjust expectations initially that is causing your DHs anxiety. You will find a new normal shortly and it sounds as if you are being really sensible about things and getting on with it which ultimately is all you can do.

That is a huge amount of disposable income if that is after all bills are paid.
I earn less than that a month and still manage. £1500 disposable income is a massive amount.

I think you’ll be ok...

@trappedsincesundaymorn

Well that's more than what I earn in a month so I'll swap my disposable income for yours if it helps. As for the "we don't earn much" well clearly you do if you have that much left over. Don't take us for fools, it makes you look worse than you already are.

Same. These threads are tedious.

Budget for all expenses, OP. Including an amount for variables each month. You'll be fine.

I wonder how many of the people making snipey comments spend less than £1k pm on housing, bills and food?

This is Mumsnet, the place where a £1k pm is considered small, grocery shopping is £200+ pw 'because we prioritise good food' and John Lewis is the place to go for household items.

raspberryk

That's roughly our family income for 2 adults 2 kids a dog and a cat. Funnily enough I think you'll be fine. I wouldn't say we go without anything.

Seriously?!?!? You'd get twice that on benefits for two adult & two kids
No you won't. Unless you qualify for disability benefits.

titchy - Read the fucking thread. This ISNT OP's disposable income at all - which she later clarified.

YES it is her disposable income .... which she clarifies in many posts!

OP that is a huge amount .... definitely think this is a stealth boast.

Why do people keep posting these threads?

Ok i can see you pulled yourselves back out of a hole you were in when you had no jobs and decimated your savings so all I can infer is that coukd be why you OH feels that way. So priority should be to rebuild those savings anything else like presents holdidays etc are lower on the list.

If it was me on the situation where I'd used up my savings I'd be putting in £1k per month back in and leaving £500 a month for everything else even £500pm is quite a lot, birthdays aren't every month, you don't buy bikes every month etc.

Disposable income after all bills are paid?

Wow

@Myglorioushairdo

This is actually a serious question?

@TheFormerPorpentinaScamander

raspberryk

That's roughly our family income for 2 adults 2 kids a dog and a cat. Funnily enough I think you'll be fine. I wouldn't say we go without anything.

Seriously?!?!? You'd get twice that on benefits for two adult & two kids
No you won't. Unless you qualify for disability benefits.

Yes they would if they're renting as universal credit contributes towards (or in some cases, pays all of) rent - thus adding to overall income

@bigdecisionstomake thank you for your kind post! Like I said, I'm not worried (or boasting) and just trying to reduce his anxiety. Igrew up quite poor, so I know how to manage and make do.

The £1,500 is not completely 'disposable' as some posters have pointed out. It is just what is left after all essentials we absolutely can't live without like housing, food, gas, electricity, water, phones and internet. We haven't built up our savings again, but thinking I might be able to put away a few hundred a month.

clothes, petrol, toys, bikes, hobbies (if the kids want to got to a swimming school act..), car servicing, things breaking, birthdays, christmases

These are all pretty important.
But can easily be covered on 1500 a month thats 18000 a year !!

The benefit cap is £1515 so you won't be able to get twice that! (Higher in London but not £3000)

We live on just over this now hubby has lost his job due to covid and we have still had 2 mini holidays this month and we have 2 kids! Our income is low but so are our outgoings so we can do a version of everything we want to do.

We haven't built up our savings again, but thinking I might be able to put away a few hundred a month.

Honestly even with clothes, clubs and birthdays etc you're going massively erong if you think you'll only be able to save a few hundred per month out of the 1500!

Is this a fucking joke?
Twat.

I think you have misrepresented your 'disposable income' which is part of why you're getting such a hard time. If the car is essential then budget for all bills and keep that money aside - it's not disposable. Clothes are essential - esp for growing kids. You can get hand me downs and sale bargains and buy as George rather than Gucci but you need some money for that and unless you're buying expensive clothes or things you want rather than need, that's not 'fun money'. Hobbies, takeaways, meals out - they are all to be spent if you can and from 'disposable' income. It would be very sad if your kids didn't get presents though you can budget £100 a child for Xmas and still get them some nice stuff. If you own your own home, essential repairs and replacements come out before disposable income. Taking all that into account, how much really is your disposable income? I think it might be good to really figure that out and then discuss with your OH how you want to choose to spend the money you have left for fun. He clearly needs to adjust his expectations down and seems to be struggling to live like the masses rather than as the more privileged person he used to be so spelling things out together in black and white might help him to know what he can have and what he will have to do without.

@BarbaraofSeville I spend £280 on food shopping a month. I refined my shopping list down to fine art during the lockdown months when we had no income. I only go shopping once a month, get everything we need and bake a lot. Plus we grow some of our own veg and berries. I love it! We have a nice healthy balanced diet. Just very planned.

Tell you oh to get a grip.

I dont think £1.5k is much for the things you have said. Those things probably take a huge chunk of that money up.