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?

Depends where you live, if in council housing or low mortgage

I would like to reduce fuel costs. Also, with the power cut scares lately, I need a back up that isn't gas or electric.

Pp mentioned a woodburner that also serves as a stove. I'd like to do that, but I thought woodburners were generally terrible for the environment, so not sure of the best option?

middleager woodturners are not a healthy option inside a home, many studies show how they are bad for health.

Insulation is your primary source for reducing fuel bills. Insulate the attic, don't store things in the attic onto of insulation.
A condensing boiler will also reduce bills - but obviously the initial outlay is a big chunk.
solar panels have reduced in price over the last 5/7 years to about 24% of the cost - they cost between £3-5k and can produce electric through the daylight hours - so you could heat with electric in the daytime.
wall insulation, either inside, outside or in-between - costs vary
look for any grants that may help with costs
turning the dial down on the central heating by 1 or 2 degrees and using throws and blankets is also a good way to reduce heating bills.

I used to be a single parent of 3 children with an income of below £30k and a mortgage.

How I managed:

Tax credits to fund childcare/childminder.

Charity shop clothes and toys.

Freecycle for furniture etc

UK based caravan holidays in basic parks, not Centreparcs or abroad or even Butlins.

Penny pinching - would walk to save petrol, buy cheaper cuts of meat or veggie food, supermarket own brand essentials/value food. Would regularly go to supermarket at 5.30pm to fight it out with the other paupers for the yellow sticker produce.

But we always had hot meals, the heating was on, we had days out and some treats so it wasn't miserable. It's just about avoiding unnecessary spending and always choosing a cheaper option.

When I first met DH, he had been used to a high income (his XW was a high earner) and it was a revelation and quite shocking to me as to how he used to spend without thinking or even looking at the price.

I am much more comfortable now financially, mortgage paid off etc and have savings but the feeling of financial insecurity has never really left and I am still inclined to be frugal.

My partner grew up with parents in unstable employment. His parents diluted milk with water, he didn't go on school trips, etc.

The one thing they always budgeted for was a yearly holiday in Britain. They would make cuts throughout the year elsewhere to ensure that they could all go away for a week together. Their holidays were never fancy (all hikes and outdoor swimming, no paid stuff), but my partner is super grateful he had these experiences. I think they struck the right balance. He felt he had a great childhood, even though kids around him had fancier day to day lives and more stuff.

Mine and DPS combined wage is 30k and we have DSS 50/50. It's hard especially with unexpected expenses like our fridge broke last month and I had to get a new one on credit but we still manage to set aside some money for treats like the cinema or a take away.

Another thing I grew up poor. Both my parents were in huge debt (still are) because they grew up in extreme poverty. We learned to walk for miles to go to free places like farms and beaches, we would get a McDonald's only even on holiday and our holidays only consisted of visiting my grandparents house. But looking back all of my siblings loved our childhood.

@beautifullymad, you sound amazing. Wish we all had the opportunity to learn the amazing skills you have. Thank you for writing about it

I love reading the replies. Depending on your circumstances with rent etc it’s certainly possible, the key is to find your happiness in the situation and not weigh yourself down with wishing you had more. If you live in a decent size town for example you are most likely to be surrounded by plenty of options of low cost alternatives such as Primark, Homebargains, Poundland, Quality Save, Aldi, The Works etc which give you choices and allow you to be frugal yet not go without.

I suppose it’s a different situation if you live in a small village. Some people can easily thrive on low incomes as long as they have the right mindset, others struggle because it’s never enough and they are unable to budget or shop around.

I have a low mortgage, under £300pm, and low outgoings, also under £300pm, so for me 30k is quite a lot of spending money. About 1000pm?
I live very well imo.

MN has opened my eyes to how rich everyone else is though, and thats a bit depressing. I should leave MN as I don't want to be depressed and at the end of the day I wouldn't want to be them. I'm not keen on their jobs and I hate big gated 4 bed houses with bi fold doors and no soul.

I suppose it’s a different situation if you live in a small village. Some people can easily thrive on low incomes as long as they have the right mindset, others struggle because it’s never enough and they are unable to budget or shop around.

I live rurally in a small village. Yes, if you buy things locally it is more expensive. However, my rent is a lot cheaper than it would be if I lived nearer or in a big city. I just automatically plan ahead and periodically do a larger shop in the nearest larger town and really make it count so it's worth the trip in. I guess if you're used to spending without thought it might sound miserable. Then again, have a look at the stately homes thread, and you can see that having ample money doesn't bring happiness.

I think if we could have a universal basic income and far more secure tenancies so you can't be given such short notice to uproot but actually feel safe to put down roots, those on lower incomes could actually be quite happy. It's not so much the low income itself, it's that fear of being on the edge with no cushion if you fall.

beautifullymad what a skill-set! You sound amazing, and remind me of my incredibly resourceful mum (who is much older but does the same stuff). Always using her spare time to sew stuff to sell, or growing veg to feed us all. Your children will grow to appreciate the value of your skills I'm sure. I don't spose you could offer any tips on the food side of things could you? What kind of stuff do you make at this time of year?

Of course you can. You may not have flash holidays and a posh house but can still have a nice level of life! I earn less than 15k a year and am a single mum and get no child maintenance. We have nice days out together and my daughter always has what she needs and often what she wants. She has dance lessons and music lessons and is one of the happiest children I’ve ever met (and everyone who meets her agrees). We just don’t have “much” in the way of flashy things; I cook from scratch everyday and we walk most places. You just have to be careful!

It makes a huge difference if you're paying £150 pw rent on a 3 bed semi in a northern town or having to pay rental prices in the SE.

We had a few years having to scrape by. We're lucky that we have more disposable income now but we still keep the frugal habits and don't buy 'stuff' just because we can afford to.

It probably helped in an odd way that DParents didn't have much so we learned to live (and be happy) on very little from a very young age. Looking back there was no focus at all on what we didn't have. I think it must be much more difficult now, to avoid feeling your family is missing out.

Beautifullymad I remember taking jumpers apart for the wool. My Mother was an excellent knitter. I can knit well but don’t especially enjoy it though I may make some socks for Christmas gifts. People did have more skills back then because less time was used on online stuff. DH is really very good at all DIY, he actually loves it. We grow veg and I make chutneys, never got the hang of jam too well though. I enjoy crafting and buy stuff to faff about with as DH calls it from the hospice shop. It started as a child when I made a bag from a pair of jeans. I taught DS to sew and knit and he made his teacher a scarf for Christmas when he was 7. I grew up rurally so can identify edible stuff though don’t forage. We are comfortably off but lead a simple life apart from holidays.

I earn £15k a year I work 30hrs a week, doing night shifts when ds is with his dad. I save on childcare this way and I still get to do the school run and have quality time with him on my time. When he is in secondary school I'm going to up my hours. I manage to get by on my Wages and I'm going to be selling my current house so my costs will be going down significantly. I shop in Aldi and home bargains for the majority of my food/cleaning products. I've always been a frugal person so mostly buy second hand things anyway which saves a tonn of money and then when I've finished with something I sell it on which brings in some money. I have enough for taking ds on a day out and a takeaway a couple of times a week and when I move to a smaller place I'll be able to save up some money for a holiday and have a few more treats than I do now. I'm much happier living on my own with a smaller household income than I was living with an abusive husband in a high income household, I realised I didn't actually need much to be happy.

@ivykaty44

middleager woodturners are not a healthy option inside a home, many studies show how they are bad for health.

Insulation is your primary source for reducing fuel bills. Insulate the attic, don't store things in the attic onto of insulation.
A condensing boiler will also reduce bills - but obviously the initial outlay is a big chunk.
solar panels have reduced in price over the last 5/7 years to about 24% of the cost - they cost between £3-5k and can produce electric through the daylight hours - so you could heat with electric in the daytime.
wall insulation, either inside, outside or in-between - costs vary
look for any grants that may help with costs
turning the dial down on the central heating by 1 or 2 degrees and using throws and blankets is also a good way to reduce heating bills.

Thank you. Another daft question, but given the lack of sunlight and daytime light in the winter, are solar panels in the UK effective? I like the sound of them and would be keen to invest if they are worth it.

@beautifullymad wow I wish I knew what you knew! Sounds great.

Wouldn't it depend on how much your salary gets topped up by other means if you have dc? I know people who seem to get a lot in benefits on a low salary (which I think is a good thing) or have dc maintenance payments that bring their 'income' up quite a lot (again a good thing!)

Alone perhaps I think you could but I think with several dc you'd have to be lucky and live in a cheap rent area if that was your only source of income.

@beautifullymad I want you on my team in the zombie apocalypse! My mum was an incredible knitter and made some very much-needed extra money from her skill. She'd be sent wool from fancy shops and be paid to create works of knitted art that would sell for hundreds of pounds. I don't ever remember her actively teaching me to do things but from an early age I've been able to sew, knit and cook.

Even if they don't appreciate your skills in this moment, your children will definitely come to. I've appreciated reading about all you can do.

I'm also in awe of @beautifullymad! I can do some of those things, but nowhere near as many - though I can knit!

Hope your family appreciate your skills and learn from you.

It depends what you enjoy. If you love reading, going for walks in the countryside, spending time with friends in your houses with a bottle of wine etc then as long as you have enough for a roof over your head and food on the table of course you can live a happy and great life, because the things that make you happy are achievable. If you love designer clothes, treating yourself in nice restaurants, spas, foreign travel etc then you probably will need to earn a fair bit to have a happy life, because you will always be wanting things you can't afford and social media now means you will always be surrounded by other people with those things constantly reminding you that you don't have them.

No judgement at all over which is "better" (most of us are probably somewhere in the middle), but it all depends on what you enjoy and unfortunately it seems pretty innate and hard to change what you like - it's hard if you are a person who enjoys the finer things in life to get the same happiness traipsing through a wet wood in the Highlands as you would lying in the sun with a cocktail in the Bahamas- in the same way you hear of lottery winners who happily stay in their old homes and upgrade to a slightly newer Ford because splashing their money on more expensive things isn't for them.

I earn 33k and am sole earner supporting a family of 5, but we don't run a car, and cycle or walk everywhere. Occasional bus travel. All my clothing is charity shop but I am lucky to live close to several and have opportunity to pop in every now and again. A single mum with full time job can struggle with money AND time.

Almost never eat out and have maybe 3 takeaways per yer, so cook from scratch and batch cooking really helps.
Not been abroad for a holiday in 10 years (though to be fair, a UK break can cost more than a holidays deal to spain)
Thing is, those things make life a nice place, so don't recommend all out frugal. Its just choosing where you want to splash and where cheap is good enough. I love camping with the kids, but its not for everyone. I love cooking, but not everyone does or can. I hate fashion and happily wear the same stuff until it falls apart. But I do spend on hobbies and lessons for fun things like music.

well, so much depends on housing costs. (and all the other variables)

we are rent/mortgage free.

We have a MUCH lower income than you, but then we are not having to cover rent/mortgage.

Things I do:
buy in bulk if cheaper
meal plan and online shop (I spend more if I go into the shops)
buy loads of stuff online, on ebay, amazon etc, research prices and be prepared to keep searching.
Kids birthday and Christmas - budget and don't over spend, they do not need hundreds of pounds, they need something they like and will use/play with.
reuse and recylce where I can.
resell old things on ebay.
think twice before driving and travelling.
days out to free places, take picnics, walks, parks, looking at Christmas light etc.

One thing I noticed is that we never go shopping/in to town as a leisure activity.

My biggest tip is socialize with people who earn the same. It's miserable when everyone wants to go to expensive places and you can't keep up. Most of my socialising is cheap/free and very enjoyable.

UK State pension is approx 9k
Plenty of people live on that

@beautifullymad you really should write a book of all the things you've learned how to do, and your lifestyle. It would be an amazing read!

Maybe something to do in the long dark evenings (if you can spare the time!)