To think some people don't realise

[CybermanAshad]

A few years ago we were a surviving on 30k as a household. It was tight but fine. That was one wage. I was a SAHP as it was cheaper than nursery fees.

We're a family of three with two cats. That's 2 adults and a 4 year old.

Now we have an income of just over 40k and things are harder than ever and we've never struggled so much. That's one wage, child benefit and a student maintenance loan.

We have £5 in the bank to last until 25th of the month. Some food but not much. Both cars need fuel. Before if things were tight there was always some way to get by. Small savings pot (under 1k) we also overpay into our bills account every month not much but would mean if things got tight there might be a spare £100 in there we could use.

Now we have no savings, no spare in the bills account. A combined over draft of £2000 now maxed.

Never thought I'd be wishing DC was back at school to benefit from the school dinner every day.

Desperately trying to get a job. Looking for something that pays about 20k. Would replace maintenance loan and give us 11k extra a year. So far all rejections.

Partner has also managed to get a job paying 8k more a year but doesn't start until May so won't see the benefit until the end of May.

Just feels relentless at the moment.

Saw a thread on here recently with lots of posters saying 85k was nothing in London and people on benefits had a ton of money and had no idea what it was like trying to survive on 85k with no help. I know it's bloody expensive in London but from my own perspective, 85k would be a dream. We don't qualify for benefits beside child benefit which is £87.20 every four weeks.

As I said, a few years ago we got by on 30k and now we're struggling on 40k.

AIBU to think some people don't understand that there's a huge middle section of people who don't recieve benefits but earn under 50k?

I imagine struggling a lot more than those on 85k.

To be fair I wouldn't call those months essential expenses, more like annual things or emergency costs. I can't say I've ever called a plumber... when you're hard up you learn that stuff quickly! Hard up people don't get car serviced, the MOT is an expense in itself if there's problems and white goods, well again not a monthly expense!

But that's not a £19k salary. It's £19k net. You'd have to earn around £25k to take home £19k net of tax, NI etc.

Two cars is a bit of a luxury and selling one before it depreciated any more will give you a few quid til the summer.

Whatever your agenda is, your post is a disgrace. Try as you might, you can't invalidate the socioeconomic reality of millions of people in the UK at the moment. The pathetic gaslighting in your comments is not valid to us, but it's instructive to know the bloody minded ignorance and lies we're up against, so thank you.

Whilst I do have sympathy with you I think your comparison to £85k in London is pretty stupid because if someone is paying for full time childcare in London, half of that salary would be taken up with paying for that. They would have the same income as you but would be living in a more expensive area for rent. So they could easily be worse off.

There are plenty of jobs in the care sector. Could you work evenings or nights?

Though I could do with being a bit more strict about budgeting.
there we go, try a budget and stick to it and see what extra you find.

Small house, bad area.

If things have always been tight…why do you have pets? Honestly, I’d start by re-assessing my lifestyle. You could get some shift work that you could fit into evenings/weekends.

i would argue that you can’t afford to study.

It feels as if you are really close to finishing so I would personally try to stick it out. Int he meantime I would try to pick up evening shifts in whatever you feel most suited to (care work, supermarket etc) to try and rebuild the buffer you had before.

If this month is really tight I would explore a food bank referral. School may be able to help with this. University could also check on hardship funds/ extra support.

The price increases can really creep up on you I know!

It took my husband a full two years of applying for every job going to even be offered an interview. We live in a university town, there's loads of jobs, but if they can pay minimum wage to a 19 YO instead of a 40 YO, they will.

Why not set up as a self employed cleaner?

A few people I know have done it and been successful and not short of work.

Is 20k a year minimum wage now? That seems quite a lot!

I recently had a $10,000 pay increase. I calculated that it was only a $1,750 extra in my pocket with the reduction in benefits and increase in tax...

Why are an 18 and 20 yr old contributing negatively to your household ? Surely both should be earning and contributing? Are they both students? Do they have part time jobs? I contributed to family income as a teenager, no choice and lived alone and paid bills at uni from 18, surely they can contribute?;

@123rainbow you sound like my spirit animal 🧡

This is a great post and very inspiring.

OP, you have pets, an additional car, aren’t working in the time you aren’t studying and admit you aren’t budgeting properly. It’s a little soon to be asking for sympathy.

Just mad that a couple that earn twice as much as we do get more help than us just because we own a small two bed in a rubbish area up north. Mad.

Our local bus company is 77 drivers down atm as they've all gone off to be lorry drivers. As a result you can't rely on the buses to get to work/school - they often just don't run.

OP I think you're being a bit ingenuous here. You have the luxury of studying a humanities subject that won't actually qualify you for anything (nothing wrong with that if you can afford it), your husband has other children to support and you're going on holiday in June.

Get a job. I studied for a degree in my 40s while I had young children and I also worked 16 hours per week. Most of the mature students on my course were in a similar situation. I'm afraid you do sound rather lazy, bemoaning that you can't even get a job as a cleaner. Advertise yourself as a cleaner, be proactive.

Yes 👍glad someone sees that this is a smack in the face to many of us just getting on without state help so we can have the extras!!!

Also, to those women on here like me who had no choice but to return their jobs after maternity and put their children in nursery. Pay extortionate bills and hardly see them.

well it wasn’t that bad as on reflection now my career has moved forward and I earn more. The time we spend together is quality time and while I cut back on not having a car or pets and do over time. I manage to do things like this weekend take my child to London for the Easter weekend and make memories having quality fun time!

@Englishrosegarden I’m where do you live to have such low council tax? And how is your gas and electric so low? I feel like all my bills are double yours!!

@SaysRelaaxxx no 20k is not ‘quite allot’ in the current cost of living crisis.

All @Englishrosegarden's costs are incredibly low, how do you get home insurance for £5 a month? And car insurance for only £20 a month.