To be struggling to survive on 65k household income

[Soddinghell]

By the time we have paid mortgage, phone bills, bills car insurance, kids activities etc we barely have anything left. I don’t know what’s going on. DH earns 50k and I earn 15k part time. Please somebody help me I am thinking of going full time to stay afloat, I don’t know where we are going wrong, we are not in London or an expensive area, just outside manchester and people keep telling us we should be fine. We are not though!

That’s a bit naive it’s roughly £3800 a month after tax and NI , you realise nursery fees alone in parts of the country are 20k to 26k a year alone . Add car expenses food , rent or mortgage off course she can and will be struggling

Honestly don't know what to make of it. Without specifics ie mortgage cost or do you exceptionally expensive vehicles you should be having a great time. With that kind of income in my current set up at least half would be going into savings

Wow! Talk about naive! If they should expect to struggle what about those on significantly less??!?

If you aren't getting help from the govt then it's because you shouldn't need it. Live within your means is the mantra I believe.

I earn less than the op but I”’ well aware that it’s not a race to the bottom and that 65k is not an amazing wage of that’s a household wage .

@Doubletroublemummy2 Lots of people on lower incomes with children get help with childcare costs and rent via universal credit. The OP won’t even be entitled to child benefit. It’s actually you that is naive. There are lots of people on middle incomes who are struggling because rent/mortgage costs and childcare are so expensive. It’s £1500 to rent a basic house where I live plus £1500 per month for a full time childcare place. So you need £3000 after tax just to pay those two bills. Which means you need to earn £50,000 a year to cover those two bills. But what about council tax, energy, water, phone/internet and food. And commuting costs. And then clothes and shoes for a growing child.