To think you can live decently on a low wage?

[Idessa]

Can anyone give me examples of how they've made it work? Enjoyed life etc? Lone parent here on less (quite a lot less) than 30k. Feeling like I'll need to earn a log more than this to ever actually feel comfortable and enjoy life fully... thoughts?

It depends how you define decently.

I watch every penny, don't splash out, keep my car 10 years plus, cook from scratch, run & cycle with ds rather than pay for classes or gym. No pay tv, no flash gadgets.

It means I've learned to enjoy cooking, redecorating, gardening. We host friends rather than eat out. I'm busy and happy, but I know it wouldn't suit everyone.

How feasible it is will depend on how many kids, and what your rent is (and are you in a high-rent or lower rent area of the country). Then its a case of managing expectations - there will always be families poorer than you who can't manage everything you manage. There will always be families richer than you who have more. This would still be true if your income doubled, tripled or quadrupled. Whatever your income, you need the skill of appreciating what you can afford and recognising and accepting the fact that some things can't be stretched to.

It's not clear from your OP how close you are to living in real poverty. There's a big difference between the £16k or so (depending on hours) that you'd get on minimum wage vs the £26k that would still qualify as "a lot less than £30k) so I don't know if you're being unreasonable.

Channel 4 Dispatches released this about what it's like for kids growing up in poverty at the moment. It is certainly tough.

The capitalist systen ensures that there's always more and more stuff, and more and more experiences, to spend more and more money on. So the rich get to spend all their huge incomes and still feel that they aren't really rich just only about "comfortable" because there's still some holidays or luxuries they can't quite manage despite the fact that they have so very much more than those at the bottom end of the scale.

Meanwhile even the family in the Channel 4 video above are better off than a family in a slum in a developing country.

There are some good resources out there to help make ends meet when you are finding it tough. Take a look at www.youneedabudget.com/the-four-rules/ for help managing your money and turn2us.org.uk for help with checking that you are getting all the support you are entitled to and signposting any additional help you might qualify for.

I was raised in the 1970's with very little. We wanted for nothing as we didn't know we were so poor back then! I think my first new dress was when I was 13. I'd had hand me downs from my northern cousins up until then.

But the upside is I know how to survive on a very small income.

I can forage, including fuel (wood). I know how to find the best cheapest seasonal ingredients and turn them into delicious meals. We recently had a wood burner fitted and a friend laughed at my priorities, mine were to make an opening big enough for a wide burner that had riddling to burn coal. This way it will double as a stove too when it heats the house. In the event of power failure I have a source of heat.

I know how to budget. I know how to pack an oven leaving not an inch spare, once a week to cook all meals and puddings and bread. Things are then reheated on the hob or in the microwave as electricity is expensive.

I also was taught to source fabric cheaply or reuse fabric, how to cut patterns from newspaper from existing clothes and how to sew them up. I was taught how to do patchwork so no piece was ever wasted.

I was taught DIY, so I can choose the most long lasting carpets, or Lino and fit them. I can do carpentry and decorate. My father started me off at 2 years with polystyrene, my own tin of nails, a saw and a hammer.

I understand basic building work so can ask the right questions and get help without being ripped off.

I was taught how to grow my own food from collecting and drying seed. To make my own compost. To do organic companion planting with lunar cycles.

I make my own preserves from pickles to chutney to lemon curd to jams.

The only thing I couldn't ever master and it didn't seem an important skill at the time was knitting my own jumpers. I was taught how to repurpose old worn jumpers into new balls of wool. But it was the 1970's and many cheaper jumpers were available. I can darn socks tho!

I could decorate a Christmas tree to look wonderful with natural gathered items and a few bright decorations that came out every year. I still have some from my thrifty grandmother that she collected in the 1940's.

I have a lot of very good life skills from this time that I now pass on. I would say the downside is it's very very time consuming, You couldn't do a 9-5 and do this in its entirety. The upside is you really need very little, enough to cover basic utilities, a car/ mode of transport, some money put aside for replacing appliances, and stuff for school for the children. It gives options for those who only have a single wage coming in.

We were lucky to live rurally so Gods garden surrounds us.

I still find myself doing much of this today regardless of income. It's just how it is. My mindset is if it's a hobby it must be self financing. So I use my skill set to make things to sell to cover costs. I've just made a huge batch of sloe gin for Christmas gifts.

My garden is completely cost neutral and my dressmaking funds Christmas. I wish my children would listen and learn but it's a consumer world. They are all plugged in!

I'm just sat finishing off a dress to put on eBay to raise Christmas funds.

@beautifullymad you sound awesome!

How much less and do you get benefits?

@beautifullymad wow, that is amazing!!! Your children will want to learn it all someday! I know I would!!!

@MilkywayMonarch22 @SignOnTheWindow

Thank you. I hope they do too.

We live in a rural area (that's gradually becoming a holiday village - so house prices are increasing) so days out consist of visiting the beach, homemade picnic, flask etc.

We are lucky to have a low mortgage and we own our own home.

I batch cook, look for bargains in the sales, we have one cheap car. Haven't been on holiday since we had the kids.

We buy second hand furniture etc.

One of the most miserable people I know is a land owner and landlord. He can afford to have £20k go out of an account and wonder where it went, without worrying about using it to pay any bills that month. When I say 'miserable' I mean he thinks he has nothing to live for, so it is true that money doesn't buy happiness. It does however go a very long way to alleviating stress.

I've never earned over £30k per annum. At times this has been incredibly stressful but it really does depend on your starting point. If you're not in debt, you won't be playing catch up, which makes things easier. I don't go on holidays. I have a very old, but very reliable car, and I walk or cycle to places when I can, to save fuel and the environment.

I think if you're careful and know how to budget you can be perfectly happy on a lower wage. I think more of us will need to learn to live like this as it is much better for the environment. We don't need a lot of stuff and we don't need to jet off to other countries four times a year to be happy. You can be very happy on less but you do have to let go of a lot of competitiveness and consumerism.

I’ve kept my bills to a minimum; council tax, gas/electric/water, Internet/SIM card only, house & content insurance

No tv, second hand car with £20 car tax. Economic to drive but only use for longer trips

Cook for friends at home rather than eat out, I can cook a roast dinner for the same price as one dinner & glass of wine at pub.

Have games night with friends & get everyone to bring food for sharing. Kids always live these types of nights

Film nights with homemade popcorn & homemade pizza

Library is free for books, audio books, high priced subscription magazine are free on library app

Winter walks with DIY coffee & cake. I love coffee so invested in a machine, shopped around & got eBay bargain - cheaper than coffees out and friends come round, I don’t feel I’m missing out. Coffee machine and milk frothier £100 but that’s only 12 trips out for coffee

It’s organising your life to how you want it within your means.

For me I want to socialise but do so in a way that’s economically viable for me.

I do look for cinema tickets cheaper, Internet search for free stuff to do. So we live well but not splash the cash

@beautifullymad can I come live with you and you can teach me? I don't know how to even stitch buttons back on 😳 the last time I tried to repair a hole in DDs leggings the repair lasted all of 2 weeks!!

OP I think it depends on what mindset you have. We earn what I consider to be an ok income, about £32,000 between us. It's not a lot compared to the majority of people but I know there are a lot of people much worse off than us. We live quite frugally, I meal plan and stick to a strict shopping budget, try to get as many yellow sticker bargains as possible, and we've learnt to live without fancy gadgets, nights out, takeaways and new clothes all the time. Sometimes I think we could treat ourselves a bit more as we do have spare money, but we are prioritising saving so we can do out home up and live debt free.

Oh and market place & eBay are my first port of call for purchasing, but if I can’t find what I need I can then buy new.

I recently purchased a second hand Moses basket, it was with a stand and was £5, the seller gave me the sheets with it. Had a purchased the item new it would have been £80 total and item was. 7 months old

It depends whether you want lots of new shiny or are happy with getting a bargain

It took me less than 30 minutes to earn the money for that item, rather than more than 7 hours

@beautifullymad THIS is what needs to be taught in schools.

I think it hinges on your housing costs. I earn between 20 & 25k, also a single parent. It was OK when rhe kids were young, tax credits helped a lot but a struggle as they got older and more expensive. I have now paid off my mortgage and live comfortably but will never be able to afford expensive holidays etc.

Sorry, you asked for examples. Basically strict meal planning, v cheap holidays and lots of free activities.

Depends where you live. Our whole family (of 4) income is well under that and we are often fine-until business goes quiet then suddenly we’re not because there’s no padding. We spend a lot on food but VERY little else because we prioritise time, space and cheap holidays over stuff-eg very rarely buy new clothes etc apart from uniform and shoes, no labels etc.
Tldr: you can live a good Life on a low income but you have to change your focus.

We have four kids and our combined wages are about £30k. We live a nice enough life. No, we don't own our house and we don't go on fancy holidays but we
Always manage a week somewhere in the U.K., the kids want for nothing and we plod along nicely.

I earn less but I have no mortgage and no debt. Drive a cheap car. Live in cheap part of the country. Apart from food fr me and ds plus petrol cannot complain. Modest savings. OnE small 4 day break abroad a year plus I pay a gardener spring summer.

I dont claim benefits except Child Benefit.

We do it and manage fine but..we live in a council house(£450pm) and don't have a car. We have 2 children. I work 30 hours on just above minimum wage and get working tax etc. My husband gets nothing due to losing pip and also losing his appeal. We don't smoke, don't drink much. Kids do out of school activities, we have a cheap holidays and I save up a bit each month for Christmas and birthdays.

@beautifullymad

I was raised in the 1970's with very little. We wanted for nothing as we didn't know we were so poor back then! I think my first new dress was when I was 13. I'd had hand me downs from my northern cousins up until then.

But the upside is I know how to survive on a very small income.

I can forage, including fuel (wood). I know how to find the best cheapest seasonal ingredients and turn them into delicious meals. We recently had a wood burner fitted and a friend laughed at my priorities, mine were to make an opening big enough for a wide burner that had riddling to burn coal. This way it will double as a stove too when it heats the house. In the event of power failure I have a source of heat.

I know how to budget. I know how to pack an oven leaving not an inch spare, once a week to cook all meals and puddings and bread. Things are then reheated on the hob or in the microwave as electricity is expensive.

I also was taught to source fabric cheaply or reuse fabric, how to cut patterns from newspaper from existing clothes and how to sew them up. I was taught how to do patchwork so no piece was ever wasted.

I was taught DIY, so I can choose the most long lasting carpets, or Lino and fit them. I can do carpentry and decorate. My father started me off at 2 years with polystyrene, my own tin of nails, a saw and a hammer.

I understand basic building work so can ask the right questions and get help without being ripped off.

I was taught how to grow my own food from collecting and drying seed. To make my own compost. To do organic companion planting with lunar cycles.

I make my own preserves from pickles to chutney to lemon curd to jams.

The only thing I couldn't ever master and it didn't seem an important skill at the time was knitting my own jumpers. I was taught how to repurpose old worn jumpers into new balls of wool. But it was the 1970's and many cheaper jumpers were available. I can darn socks tho!

I could decorate a Christmas tree to look wonderful with natural gathered items and a few bright decorations that came out every year. I still have some from my thrifty grandmother that she collected in the 1940's.

I have a lot of very good life skills from this time that I now pass on. I would say the downside is it's very very time consuming, You couldn't do a 9-5 and do this in its entirety. The upside is you really need very little, enough to cover basic utilities, a car/ mode of transport, some money put aside for replacing appliances, and stuff for school for the children. It gives options for those who only have a single wage coming in.

We were lucky to live rurally so Gods garden surrounds us.

I still find myself doing much of this today regardless of income. It's just how it is. My mindset is if it's a hobby it must be self financing. So I use my skill set to make things to sell to cover costs. I've just made a huge batch of sloe gin for Christmas gifts.

My garden is completely cost neutral and my dressmaking funds Christmas. I wish my children would listen and learn but it's a consumer world. They are all plugged in!

I'm just sat finishing off a dress to put on eBay to raise Christmas funds.

You just sound utterly amazing! Thank you for sharing.

Totally depends where you live. Around here £30k would be a struggle, a two bedroom flat is around £1000 a month in rent, after bills and food etc there wouldn't be much left on £30k, I wouldn't call it comfortable. We earn £42k a year between us and do ok with two kids.

Get in touch with companies whenever you have an annual bill like phone, WiFi, car insurance and say you're thinking of leaving (& find a few companies that you can mention), so that your premiums never rise dramatically

It's completely dependent on circumstances. It depends on what you define as a low wage. It depends on where you live. It depends on how many children you have and whether you have a partner who also has an income. There's a big difference between minimum wage and below the national average and there's a big difference between affording a flat in the highlands and one in London.

My kids and I live in a paper bag and we're ecstatic.