To think a family of 5 can’t survive on 25k take home?

[Backpainagain]

Just that really. We are f**ed.

I couldn’t not now that I’m paying £800 more on my mortgage. My utilities would be more than I was earning.

It depends on your outgoings.

We would definitely struggle yes.

Mortgage/rent and childcare costs are the big variables really.

After that utilities, car loans etc.

Food bills can be minimised but for 5 will be a lot. Does depend if there are nappies, formula, 3 teenagers, alcohol, smokers, etc etc.

It's perfectly doable for some, impossible for others. Our mortgage alone is £2.5k a month so no we couldn't do it.

My daughters is a single parent to 3 teenage boys ( rent £800 a month) she would be over the moon with £25k a year. She gets much less than that.

Do you both not have jobs?

Three kids, presumably.

You'd get some UC on top of that. My take home pay is less than that but I get about £800 a month with one child and that's with no childcare costs.

Does that include benefits? I am also a single mum, UC tops up my income to around £2k a month take home and I only have one child and my rent is less than £800. So I'd be very surprised if a single mum with 3 kids is living on far less than £25k.

Lots of people do.

Child Benefit is wholly separate to UC and is disregarded as income so CB is over and above any UC.

Take home? Should be fine depending on your mortgage.
We have around £1500 mortgage and bills
£500 food
£400 car
£100 spending
We could definitely survive.

If you don't have to pay rent/mortgage and don't have to pay childcare you got 2000 for bills and food so there not struggle there.
If you pay between mortgage/rent and child care 1200 you won't make it. So depends on circumstances.

I'dve thought you'd qualify for the child element of UC and that makes a big difference.

As others have said, we need more details. What's your total net income, inclusive of all benefits? What's the cost of your rent/mortgage? Do you have any non-negotiable childcare costs? Do you live in a location where travelling by public transport is realistic, or do you need to run a car?

As others have said, it's impossible to answer your question without knowing all of this.

£25k per year, even if that's the take home figure, does not add up to £2500 per month.

What are your specific circumstances? Is there a potential to increase this take home at all? It would be tight for most families, yes. For some, it would be impossible depending on their outgoings.

Why not? However, it does require someone being resourceful with EVERYTHING around the family and Ninjalike with budgeting.

Try learning about budgeting, followed by cooking batch meals, and learning to replace ingredients without losing taste. Was there a sudden change in your situation ( I know it does happen) or have you just 'recently' woken up to this?!

We are a family of four. After mortgage (on our very tiny house) that would leave us less than £12kpa for basic bills, fuel, and food. Without thinking about childcare costs, clothing, prescriptions, dentistry, pets etc. At the moment food alone costs us at least £500pm - and we buy basics ranges and cook from scratch. We make about £60kpa between us currently and are struggling but we do live in an expensive area and live rurally so spend a fortune on fuel.

Run entitledto.

If you're on a mortgage, that'll make it harder but also, you're better off than renting long term

Believe me when I say this, there's people living much less.

Get you're account up online and detail every outgoing. .split them into absolutely essential, necessary but, luxury.

Essentials (speaks for itself, make sure best deals and lowest usage possible);
Rent / mortgage
Electric
Gas
Water
Council tax.
Food. (Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan... And slow cooker budget meals)

Necessary But (are necessities but could be cut down or found cheaper etc);
Phones (dump contracts, go £8 a month GiffGaff)

TV (dump license and sky and streamers you're not using, go Netflix, prime, Disney+ on a rolling month by month basis .. have Netflix September, prime October, Disney+ November, Netflix again December so on and so on)

Internet (dump the big expensive speeds you don't need, go for a fast enough speed after doing some research on what you actually need. The amount of people I've helped that had a £50+ internet mega fast h limited this that and the other etc package and when they've looked at it they could save £30 and get a £20 fast enough package like BTs essentials)

Car (lots to be saved in cars. Some people have such huge cars for £300 a month for running to Tesco and commuting 20 minutes. Realistically look at the size of cars you really really need. If it's empty, beside driver obviously, for 90% of journeys ..why haven't you got a fiat 500 instead of a Range Rover 4x4 Tractor that you can't park in a small space anyway. Also insurance, save money there.

Luxury:

Holidays
Clothes
Takeaways
Costas
Etc etc

Brutal honesty is necessary when looking at luxuries.

"Oh but I NEED my Costa to function"
I've heard that before.. till you use a pink highlighter on the outgoings and just highlight coffee bought out and it totals £50 in one month...

So on and so on.

Depends on outgoings and what help you’re entitled to. But in short yes that will be very tough

Well I don't know...depends on your housing costs, but when my three kids lived at home, we managed on less than that amount. It wasn't easy, but we were ok. But we live in East Yorkshire and only had a small mortgage after moving from Hertfordshire.

I would think that 2 people or a single person knowing that their income , single or combined, will be only 25,000 would think seriously before increasing the family size to 5 members.

There is a difference between living and subsisting.

But we don't know that's the case. They could have had an income of £125k and the main earner has just lost their job and that's what their income is now.

But seeing as the OP hasn't given any details, no-one knows what's really going on and they probably won't be back now.

OP, if you're still there and actually need some help, rather than just wanting a moan or dropping cryptic posts for shits and giggles, you could post again on Money Matters or Cost of Living with some more detail (or look on Moneysaving Expert if you've been scared away from MN for good) and you will get some good advice instead of light hearted and no so light hearted piss taking

@BarbaraofSeville

True!