To wonder how people afford to live with these jobs

[Dreamer14]

I have worked in the private sector for nearly 20 years. In a high paying industry too. However… I’m bored. So very bored.

My Monday dread starts on Friday nights. I’ve changed company and the feeling is the same. I feel isolated because I work at home all the time. I don’t feel like I’m being the best version of myself. I’m grumpy as I’m unhappy etc.

I’ve thought for years, I’d love to go do something completely different. Each time I try… I give up because I simply can’t afford to work 37 hours (with all the childcare I’d need) for £20k.

I would love a job helping others. I look at NHS and school jobs, council jobs, charity jobs etc. but the pay simply isn’t enough. Am I doing something wrong? Have I missed something?

We would like to move in next few years but if I went to bank and said I earn 20k they wouldn’t lend me nearly enough. I don’t have a rich husband! I’m the main earner.

I'm working 37 hours a week and hate every moment. My dream situation would be slightly less hours so I can pick my kids up one day a week and something I love that involves a bit more human interaction.

@WhenRoyWentCrazy

Start your own thread - more people will see your question

Lots and lots of project manager type jobs all over the NHS right now in HR, corporate, support departments, most at least Band 6/7 or much higher and many not requiring degrees any more (they're only needed for professional Band 5s and up). That's around £33K to £40K starting salary, unless you're very lucky or connected to the hiring manager and can negotiate in some way, they'll put you on the bottom of those scales even if you have lots of previous experience though. You do also need to bear in mind you won't get a pay rise for at least 2 years, then you have to wait another 5. Of course this all depends on how easy it is for you to move geographically.

Jobs come along every day, check out NHS Jobs (expiring at the end of this month) or www.nhsjobs.com/ - and make sure you do your due diligence on the Trust, as not all NHS organisations are created equal. So double check the staff survey, CQC rating (whatever that's worth these days - it varies massively from region to region also, "good" in one region is another region's "requires improvement"), customer reviews, Glassdoor, Google Reviews, and how much money the Trust has spent on legal fees and estate repairs in the last 15 years or so - it'll give you an idea of how much money they've got for actual staff!

I earn between min wage and 24k depending on commission. No UC, no benefits as no children and single. It's tough

There’s no need for this kind of tone and bragging in this climate. People are really suffering and miserably and don’t need to read flippant ignorant remarks like this.

Perhaps it depends on the company and the culture of the departments. I've seen individuals who are long serving and competent picked out for redundancies whilst the department is in a growth phase. It's caused a lot of people to feel on edge and like they could be next. That causes a high stress environment. Also the yearly bonus causes back stabbing. Big jobs are picked based on personal relationships and there's a boys club. It's the only industry where I have felt it is a disadvantage to be female. I often receive emails which is addressed and "Gentlemen,..." People refer to each other as "Sir" to show respect. Obviously there are only small things but it's indicative of the culture.

Which companies would you recommend for treating employees well?

*which are addressed to "Gentlemen"

In this case I'm the only woman in the email. I often feel like my opinions aren't considered. Often excluded from papers I continue to etc. But this is a very simple thing to pick out

PeloFondo
yes I feel for you, my sister earns just above and I just mean above the threshold. No kids, no benefit top ups, absolutely nothing. Struggles from one month to the next. Has a mortgage in a deprived area.she bought it when you could get a 100% mortgage years ago. Heating broken, windows shit. Drives an old banger, shops in the free market on fb. Can’t get any grants as she isn’t in receipt of benefits. Really annoying when the couple across the road as peeing out kids and don’t work, everything bloody paid for them. Drive newish cars and so on. She cries at night!!!

Our family income is £31k plus child benefit. We don't all get UC.
It is fine. You obviously make it work by having lower costs. Not having expensive mortgages on big houses, not having two cars, not flying abroad regularly on holidays or having expensive hobbies for you and the children.
You seem to want a different kind of job on a lower pay but to keep the same lifestyle. It is not possible unless you have inheritances.

@JustBetween this is not bragging trust me. I find myself stuck. I’m in a job that Is very dull and rather high pressure. If I could rewind I would go down a different path.

lots of jobs I fancy require a different degree or further training or are not in my area. to some degree I’m stuck!

I always think this. I'd love to be a paramedic but just couldn't live on that level of pay sadly.

Following because Cornwall salaries are literally £20500 for a professional role. And I'm stuck as what I can afford to retrain as....

I can code. But not for the £19500 developer role vacant in Cornwall last week 😂

@antelopevalley we actually don’t have that good a lifestyle. Most of my money went on childcare for many years. I am lucky to have got a decent paying job lately BUT the threat of redundancy is quite high I would say. I pay a lot of tax. And the kids are out 8:30-6pm so I can do my work.

my eldest child is nearly 9 and we have never been on a plane together. We’ve never had a holiday abroad ever. The children don’t even have passports. We live in the same house me and DH first purchased in our 20s (mid terrace 3 bed in south east) the only property we have owned. We can’t afford to move. We shop in tescos.

I mean I wouldn’t say it’s a luxury lifestyle!

Are you sure that's the correct figure 39k a year? Are you in London?

From my experience it's because their partners are the main breadwinners.

My experience with UC is that those who think they get plenty as per PP - will get asked to repay in the future due to overpayment.

Most people on UC find it isn't enough. This is more accurate.

What does your sister do? Even whilst pregnant I worked 60 hours a week. Carr work agencies pay half decent. Nights and weekends, live in work?

We survive.
I earn 24k salaried, my DH was earning 20k. We couldn't afford to live after rent (private 1k a month) childcare costs (up to 1k a month, no family to help out) running two cars to get us both to work etc. No help available.
DH went self employed, and gets UC top up. Never gets more than 800 a month, I take home 1600 after tax. We live on less money but we don't pay childcare as DH takes on the lion's share.

No holidays, no luxuries, we visit the community fridge once a week to help out with food, no Netflix, no pets despite wanting one, no visits to family living far away. We survive. Just.

You could, you just do not want to. You are making choices.

She probably gets housing benefit for rent plus help with childcare.

Sorry I don’t mean I get 39k a year. Per month I get about 1500 wage varies a bit as paid weekly plus 700 UC plus child benefit. Works out to the equivalent of a take home salary of £39k a year which is £2.5k a month give or take.

We are on 32k between us, no benefits anymore but we did get tax credits to help with a bit of nursery fees before DD started school. As a pp said, it’s not a luxury lifestyle but it’s fine. We recently bought a house, own my old banger outright (£2k a couple of years ago), shop in Aldi, going for our first family holiday in a caravan park in October. We’re still on an energy fix so haven’t felt the pinch of that yet (although I am overpaying to build up a good buffer)

Being out the house for that many hours is pretty normal I think.
I don't understand why you have never flown though. You can fly ultra cheap weekends away. It is often cheaper to go abroad than holiday at home.
I have to be honest, I think some people on lots of money on MN just sound spectacularly bad with money.

It is not the equivalent of £39k a year. Closer to £34k.

@Realityloom but someone has to do the lower paid jobs, and even working as a carer/waitress/all the essential jobs you shouldn't be having to work 60hrs a week and consider live in jobs to be able to afford food and heat

I work 40hrs a week, I can't work more due to health issues

I'm 39 hours on about the same. I can't afford to live in comfort. I eat cheap junk and keep heating off until November. Don't have TV just Netflix