Anyone else feel like they can’t afford much?

[Kitten189]

I earn around 19.5k a year which is low, but I have no dependants.
I live with my partner and he earns slightly lower, our rent isn’t that high between us but sometimes I just feel like I can’t afford to live very well.

I used to go shopping with friends and they would be spending hours buying quite high-end things and I could just about afford something from primark.
Virtually all my clothes are from Primark, charity shops, EBay, Tesco etc.

I don’t drink or smoke, I have a basic gym membership, a phone contract and Netflix but that’s it.

I get my hair cut every 6 weeks at £25 and I very occasionally get Botox or a facial, but I get it cut price.

I have zero debt which is good, no overdraft etc. As until last year I was in debt, I paid it off with birthday money from my parents.

I just don’t seem to save anything and don’t know where it all goes. I see people going out to fancy places, wearing nice clothes etc and still managing to save money.

I recently went for a meal with friends. It was at a fancy restaurant one of them had chosen, I just had one main but they were all ordering cocktails, desserts etc like it was nothing.

I shop in Poundland, Wilkos and mainly Aldi etc.

Just don’t know where I’m going wrong, I can’t seem to afford anything and never seem to save. I used to have a friend who was out drinking twice a week yet still managed to save £200 per month.

Anyone else feel like this?

Agree with a PP that perhaps OP isn't actually interested in doing stuff to boost her income, even though her qualification means it's much more possible for her than many. I agree that she's more interested in discussing her pending on Botox etc and what other people are having that she isn't, than looking to make changes.

It's true that lots of jobs pay £20k or under for full time work. Lots of people will never earn much more than that. That's fine and people live their lives and manage. The point about OP though is that she is qualified to do a job that could pay double that after a few years of experience. Lots of people do t have many other options, but she actually does. But I'm not convinced she wants the demands of teaching, even if it boosts her income substantially.

Lots of people are a bit envious of those around them and what they have. As mentioned, often people don't know about the debt people have racked up, or other financial circumstances suchbas gifts peop,e have received. But often people also don t really engage with the things they could do to boost income. Whenever suggestions are made (often sensible) thry knock each down as to why it can't work for them. But people who are genuinely serious about boosting income often do make it happen. They do things that aren't easy or enjoyable such as moving location, or taking jobs they don't really want, or persevering when facing knock-backs. But if you're only ever prepared to do the exact same job you do now and to live in the same place and never make any adjustments, then the options available, will be limited. Some people do have more choices than others, that's very true, but OP and others like her have more options than people often think....but the question is how much they want to sit on their bums vs how much they want the stuff and life a higher income can bring. Their choice.

You need to sort out your career.
So does your partner

@FrownedUpon

Surely it’s because you’re on a really low wage. I save & spend quite a lot but I earn over 60k. Not really rocket science.

What a vile condescending post.

@firstonealong

You absolutely need a better paying job.

In 1998 I was on your wage as a PA.

Wow. I bet the OP and everyone on this thread is bowing at your amazing and awesome response. You are a font of great knowledge.

WOW!!!

#sarcasm

You win the award for the most spectacularly useless post on the thread.

Can people stop giving the OP a hard time for spending on botox? If it makes her feel better about herself, so what? She isn't spending a lot, and it's not like she is spending £150 a month on cigarettes!

@Kitten189 YANBU. But it's like this for many people unfortunately. I don't think you sound like you're doing too bad tbh. Gym, haircuts, botox and other treats, no debt, a partner to share finances with, and on a similar wage to probably half the country!

And as a few posters have said, many people (who appear to be 'rich',) are VERY much in debt, and lots of it. It's not until one of them (if they are a couple,) loses their job, that their life goes tits up, and the house of cards built on sand, comes tumbling down.

And yes yes YES, I know not ALL people who are solvent/who flash the cash are in debt, but many are!

And also, as a few others have said, stop comparing yourself to others, and don't take any notice of what you read on here. Contrary to what people want you to believe, MOST people on here are not on £50K a year, (for a 3 day a week job,) with a husband on £100K a year... There are a lot of fantasists on here.

Full time teaching jobs are hard to come by at the moment in some parts of the uk, I have a friend who is a maths teacher, secondary and can only get supply.

DSs girlfriend has just picked up her first post as an English teacher, and was up against far more experienced teachers. Apparently her youth and enthusiasm (and probably cheapness) counted for more.

Can you start doing ‘top up’ to HLTA rate ?
And can you work on holidays, weekends, or evenings?

TAs generally do no more than 28.25 hours per week TTO, so you’re getting pro-rota’d for hours, and again for TTO, so you need to increase this with another income stream.

Hats off for living within your means though.

MostlyMaple
Totally agree! If I want to feel totally shit about my min wage job. I just read some of the money matter threads.

Have you looked at local authority roles? At 30 I was doing school support work on £19k with a bloody masters degree. Taking the LA role, my salary went up to £31k.
Much better work / life balance than what I was doing as well.

There are a lot of fantasists on here.
And not just about wages. No one can be normal. It's always some extreme.

There are hella lot more people on minimum wage than on 100k (via husband or sometimes themselves) and there is no shame in lower wage🤷🏻

Ahhh ! Don’t be fooled by fancy things, most people get it on the monthly ect.

I would absolutely look around more in job roles. So much remote working going on! Don’t sit and wait for a company to get you to progress in years to come you deserve it now please don’t feel disheartened x

Do a spreadsheet for a month and see just how much you don't need to spend.
Prioritise what's important to you, and ditch the rest.
Cheaper phone and contract, run for free, don't go out with friends who spend a fortune.
Have important expensive things for presents.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

There are a lot of fantasists on here. And not just about wages. No one can be normal. It's always some extreme.

There are hella lot more people on minimum wage than on 100k (via husband or sometimes themselves) and there is no shame in lower wage🤷🏻

Amen to this! ^

Well, at least now I feel really shit about my low wage.

It's lower than yours OP

OP If your qualified your best getting into teaching properly, I am a deputy head in the north west there has been lots of teaching jobs this year. I can look at your personal statement and give advice if you like.

You’re doing better than me on less money! I don’t get my hair cut every six weeks or have botox.

I am a tad confused, is your lowish salary based on your homecare income or both jobs combined? Out of interest how do you manage to I assume be on call for TA supply work and fulfill your commitment to care work/
I am pretty sure you could still do teaching supply work even if you had not completed your nqt year?

Do you work for an agency or care company? They are notorious for low pay. If you do have you considered going it alone? I have three friends who are independent home carers, they all work full time and are turning work down. They charge £15 per hour.

What area of teaching are you qualified in? Primary or secondary? Which subject? I am a teacher so if you need help with your application maybe I can help 😊

It's shit op when you feel like you work full time and still have to count the pennies and when you look at what you actually spend on treats for yourself it's not much. I get it.

I've had a bad 18 months thanks to Covid so my earnings are low for the last two tax years and I've just about managed to keep covering everything including some emergency repairs and replacements to things in the house.

I wiped out my modest little savings accounts and had to sell bak my premium bonds that I've had for years.

I've not felt this skint for many years but I keep reminding myself at least my bills are covered and it will get better because I'm training in other services as extras to do in my own time to earn more money with a view to keep adding new skills as I go.

Are there any training courses you could put yourself on?

Or volunteer somewhere relevant to gain the experience that's asked for?

just don’t seem to save anything and don’t know where it all goes.

If you don't know where your money goes, start keeping track. Use online banking, make yourself a budget (there are online budgeting tools such as from MoneySavingExpert), keep a spreadsheet. Keep track of everything you spend.

Saving doesn't magically happen, you need to actively do it. Put aside a set amount every payday and consider it spent money, not something you can dip into. I'm not on a big wage at all, but I save something aside every month - I have lots of little online savings accounts that I have standing orders from my current account to on payday (one's for saving for the car's MOT etc every year, one's for holiday money, one's for household items, one's for the kids/presents, and I have a bigger one for long-term goals). I'm not saying my way is the best way or anything, but it's one way of doing things.

@wedswench

I don't agree with people saying don't have the Botox or don't have your hair cut. These are small amounts really (you seem to be getting great deals) and if you didn't have them you'd just spend the money on something else. What's the difference if it's Botox, a night out etc.

It's your salary that's the problem, that and the fact you don't run up debts which is what I expect your friends who seem to have so many luxuries do.

Maybe weigh up how much you actually love your job Vs getting in to something with more prospects

People are suggesting that because they're unnecessary expenses that she could cut out if she wanted to. She should absolutely be able to spend money on Botox and haircuts if that's what she wants to spend it on. But she is also upset that her friends were buying cocktails on their night out and she couldn't afford to. She needs to evaluate what her personal priorities are - we can't do that for her. If she didn't spend the money on Botox she might have been able to join in on the cocktails. Totally her choice. As long as she understands that she isn't in a position to do both.

I love how people are like 'why can't you get a teaching job?'.

Oh yes because it's so easy. The government have been idiots (here in Scotland at least, I assume they've equally moronic in England), and they will let you charge them for probationer teachers and then the councils have to pay for the teachers pay after they finish their probation. So councils here just keep using probation teachers, and then swapping for new ones if they can for any jobs going. Trying to get a permanent job is like hens teeth. Councils won't do it if they can help it as they don't want to foot the bill. There's heaps of teachers out there, not in jobs. And yet our government keeps claiming we need more. Soon most kids will be getting taught by people who haven't been a qualified teacher ever in their lives.

OP keep trying with the teaching jobs, but I know it's hard. Look at other jobs that you wouldn't usually consider, like cyber security or something. There's often entry level jobs into them where you learn on the job, and you'd get paid more than you do now.

Combined that’s a salary of more than 30K. Which is what single parent household live on.
Do you have a budget?
It’s really hard to see where you can save with expenses in isolation like this

Also to add - you don’t know where it goes because you don’t keep track.
Start a budget, use a financial management app like Emma to see where every penny goes. MoneySavingExpert website has good tips

From what you've said, you have about £950 ish spare each month - is that right?

Up until very recently I was in a similar situation to you - pretty much the same income, same amount going on bills, no dependents, no smoking/drinking/other expensive habits. If you haven't already, you need to see where you've been spending money each money. With the same disposable income and similar circumstances to you, I found some months I'd be left with no money and nothing to show for it, but obviously the money was going somewhere - maybe I wasn't meal planning and ended up spending more on food, maybe I treated myself to 'little' things a few times that added up, maybe I spent more than expected on travel, etc. Other months, if I really put my mind to it, I could save quite a bit.

Other than that, I guess it's really just down to your friends earning more than you. I know the feeling and it sucks, but if they earn a lot more than you then of course they're going to be able to spend more.

I'm not sure what the issue is actually. Yes, the wage is quite low. (I was on similar when I worked FT.) But you have no dependents and have low outgoings. If you spend 450 on Rent and Bills then that leaves you £910 a month spare and your partner a similar amount or slightly less. Which is about £210 a week just for you, not including your partner. He should have roughly the same. So, what are you spending that on? Imo, that seems loads to me. I'm in my overdraft at the moment and run out of money before payday every month.