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!

Given that childcare is usually around 1k pcm and mortgage isn't too much less, this is a very insensitive comment.

Yep!

So... You've got £27k, which includes no mortgage costs, no childcare costs for young children, and one of you home full time (so no costs for daily commuting, work wardrobe, and more time to search for bargains, plus travel at cheaper times on public transport etc).

Do you have any children or others you're supporting? Because if not, then once a mortgage, childcare and unavoidable child-related costs and work-related costs are taken home, you're probably in the same place or potentially better off, depending on the costs of the area you live in.

We take home about the same OP and are in a similar position. Everything costs more, so it’s not going as far.

I had zero money worries last year.

I'm assuming at 60 you don't have childcare fees? That combined with no mortgage means you are better off than me. I don't have anything close to £27k a year left after childcare and mortgage, even pre-tax.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I'd say £400 a month on utilities is optimistically low
(my council tax is £150, water £60, electric/gas £180 but I fixed before the recent rises so with the increase in cap OP could have a gas/electric bill easily over £300)

Food shop - depends on number of kids but I'd expect that's more likely to be around £800

Also she may have outstanding loans and credit cards etc and all of a sudden that £500 is £0

Car could be on finance - there is another £300

WTAF is going on that £65k could genuinely feel like not enough?

Poor budgeting skills. My friend is probably on over £30,000 (don't know how much)and doesn't see how she can live on less- she's going to have to because for various reasons she'll be on minimum wage or something instead soon. Her money is partly going on a car finance deal she shouldn't have. And credit card bills.

I'm disabled and unable to work, so on quite a low income but I manage ok which is why I find her 'I can't possibly live on less' kind of amusing TBH.

She was going on like this before the recent cost of living issues.

Admittedly I find money is disappearing faster now.

Are you having a laugh?

You have no mortgage, no childcare bills, no commuting costs, no small children to pay for. Nursery full time is a minimum of £1k a month, so 12k a year, plus extras. A smaller food bill. Less people to use energy, water etc. A smaller car probably.

Your comment is so deluded it’s laughable!

Get on a budget, cut some of the activities and lower the food bill and see where you are. Digital envelopes might help. A budget is crucial though if you don't know where your money is going.

We are about the same income slightly less and we are struggling too , it’s hard to suggest things but wanted to say I completely understand your situation . I think those criticising don’t even realise teh amount of tax on those wages . And how mid earners get nil help with anything

And no child related expenses either.

We are in exactly the same position. Thought we’d be comfortable on this income as it’s a big jump up for us in the last few years, but there is nothing spare at the end of the month. We don’t go on holidays, have savings or do kids activities.

Large mortgage, large childcare bill, paying off a loan for new kitchen (old one was completely ancient & kaput), bills, public transport costs, car, groceries - it all adds up doesn’t it! We’ve had some large home maintenance / repair costs which have set us back in the past couple years so always feel we are playing catch up.

We are budgeting and analysing our spending like mad trying to free up some of our monthly funds, so that we don’t feel we are treading the line so much.

Sending lots of support to people on lower incomes, it’s very hard times at the mo and some are struggling a lot more than others, we gotta pull together and hope to see change

Well yes, YABU and completely tone deaf. £65k is more than enough to live off. The question should probably be: ‘AIBU to feel like my salary isn’t giving me the lifestyle that I want for me and my family?’ In which case, of course YWNBU. And as you’ve pointed the solution to that is to go full time. Many families don’t have the luxury of having one parent in part time work.

Nowadays £65k isn't enough to raise a family in most parts of the UK. It sounds like it should be, it's probably above average, and plenty of people are doing it for less, but no.

You can just about get away with it if you have cheap housing and low childcare costs. But if you don't, the base costs are really high, and you won't be able to change that by skimping on avocados.

OP, I’m the same. I earn just over half of that, but I have no childcare to pay. I used to be fine for money, putting a few hundred into savings for a house deposit and still living a decent lifestyle.

I’m going to go back to how I lived a couple of years ago. Meal plan and food delivery rather than nipping to the shop 2-3 times per week. Meet up with friends for walks rather than coffee / dinner. Take lunch to work rather than buying it there.

At least you'd still get child benefit at that level as neither OP or partner earns over the cap

(I'm a single parent with the same overall household income as OP and don't get CB - really don't know why they haven't done anything about that inequality or increased the cap)

Nowadays £65k isn't enough to raise a family in most parts of the UK

😂

Our mortgage is around £900 per month and our childcare is around £900 as well. On £85k total…we are in the north and are doing fine, obviously full impact of energy hasn’t hit but we can still save a little each month, but we do have to budget more and can’t just spend on whatever we like.

Same here OP, the salary that seven years ago
looked like a lottery win to my broke ass now stresses me out as I’m wandering around Aldi with my meal plan and planning to get selling on eBay to cover Christmas. @HairyMothballs Wtf do you know about paying a massive mortgage and hideous childcare costs and feeding a family while energy bills and food costs are as they are.

Try giving Step Change a call. They are a debt charity and offer budgeting advice. (My sister works for them) You don’t actually have to be in debt to use their services as their advice may prevent debt.
They might offer an insight into something you could cut back on that you haven’t thought of.
I don’t think you are going to be alone, my nursery fees have gone up 40% on top of everything else I don’t know how people are meant to keep up.

It isn't. Blame stratospheric house price rises for that.

If you live in state funded housing you're ok though.

And as you’ve pointed the solution to that is to go full time. Many families don’t have the luxury of having one parent in part time work.

Yes Agree with this to be fair. Had forgotten this

OPs situation is "easily" remedied by going full time

Unfortunately choosing to work part time is a bit of a luxury if you also want to complain about living costs

Yanbu it’s not really a large income these days. How people manage who earn less is irrelevant because often the more you earn the more your outgoings.

it’s not a race to the bottom.

It stands to reason that someone earning £65000 is going to have outgoings based on that income. So a bigger mortgage, more expensive care, potentially more children and consequently higher childcare costs.

So when prices go up they go up for everyone and the lower paid do not have the monopoly on struggle.

No it's not a high income up north. We're not all poor up north. I don't earn that much, but most of my friends several times that amount. I am, obvs, up north.