40 grand a year

[Howmanytimeshasshesaidimnotgonnalie]

Would you consider this a good wage?

Could you live on it fairly comfortably?

Two adults, one dc and dog, South west, renting

That’s total household income, not each

We coped 2 adults, 4 children on 25k a year with a mortgage etc. that’s only 8 years ago or so (eldest is 26 now).

That’s equivalent to a Gross income of around 50K then I think. Very doable.

Not where I am, South East on the London border. It's not deluded it won't get you much of anything here. We are not high earners- £60k pa and it's hard.

That's a high rent for that salary, my bills are £680 a month to give you an idea, I don't have lots of subscriptions or sports packages.

That rent seems steep for a two bed but I suppose it depends where in the south west you're looking.

Well that's a bit different.

Yes it'll be manageable.

Although your rent is very high.

With all due respect, if you’re ‘barely comfortable’ on 80k+ a year, living in the North with no childcare fees, it reads like you’re living well beyond your already high income means. And barely comfortable to me means having to choose between heat and decent meals, something that puts a person in a genuine predicament of basic living. Not ‘ooh no, might have to give up one of our cars and not have a holiday insert Daily Mail sad face’.

I earn just under double that, live in the south east and it’s these days it’s tight. I can pay all the bills but there’s no money left for savings or luxuries. For example, we won’t be having a holiday next year, I dread anything breaking or needing to be replaced, a takeaway would be a very rare treat, no new clothes (or even vintage/charity shop clothes etc), weekly shop contains only what we need rather than include extras we may want, I time showers and the heating was barely on last winter as bills were so high.

I have a busy, stressful job and am considering applying to local supermarkets for any seasonal work in the run up to Christmas. Am happy to work hard but want more than to be able to just survive - some fun and joy too!

Indeed. Barely comfortable doesn't mean you can 'only' afford 3 holidays a year 🙄

What's the monthly take home? That rent is very high. Most posters saying they live/ lived on less won't be paying anything like that in rent/ mortgage. You really need to lay it all out.

If you aren't from the UK, then depending where you are from you could be in for a real lifestyle shock. Maybe if you give an idea of the type of property you will be renting posters could give an idea of the other bills they pay in similar accommodation and area. Council tax you can look up online. Don't forget car/ public transport costs.

Home owning lone parent on that salary and I struggle a lot. I feel like I had more spare cash when I was renting and on UC. I meticulously went through my spending over the course of 3 months and I can't cut anything, I have no subscriptions and my children are in cheap wraparound at school. All it would take is a dental bill or my glasses breaking and I would be under.

It's definitely doable if you're not ones for extravagance but you will probably have forgo luxurys such as holidays abroad, lots of new clothes areas of living etc. We are on double that but don't have much spare we have 3 kids and live in a four bed semi in a nice area in the north east. Our grocery bill is as much as our mortgage every month as is the childcare so essentially paying the mortgage amount 3 times over plus all the other bills etc. It all depends on your essential and non essential outgoings though which only you can really determine or change to fit according to what you need.

The South West is very expensive for private rentals because the tourist market is more lucrative than long term lets, so there aren’t many. Unless you have family there to help with childcare while you both work, you’ll find it a struggle to get by on one income or even two incomes plus after school and holiday childcare.

It depends on other outgoings I guess.

Just for some idea of likely costs, here is ours per month roughly, for a 4 bed house. Though a lot of these will vary depending on circumstances.

mortgage £1200
Elec £100
Gas £100 (average, a lot more in winter)
Water £40
Mobile contract sim only £30
broadband and tv £60
TV Licence £13
Car insurance £40 a month for 2 cars
Home insurance £20
School lunches £80 a month (high school)

It's about £3,300 so leaves you about £1,600 after rent. Council tax in Wiltshire is nearly £250 a month for a band D. I reckon we spend about £120 a week on food for 2 adults and a child. This leaves you maybe £800ish for insurance, transport, fuel, food/clothes, phones, internet. Should be fine initially as long as you don't put 2 cars on lease.

Whoops, forgot council tax. Ours is £125 a month is wales.

I’d work in a school so wouldn’t need after school care etc

Thank you for all the feedback about the rent, it did seem very high to me too, there’s barely anything for rent and anything for rent that’s half decent is v expensive, maybe we’d have to consider selling and trying to buy

40k salary is about £2600ish take home pay, so if your rent is already1700 then it isn't leaving you much for the bills, savings or any disposable income.

I consider this a decent wage for one person, but as a household income, not so much, and especially with a rent that high, it would be difficult.

Because they think taking 3 holidays a year is barely getting by 🙄

£3300 is before tax.

Because the OP said it's £40k after tax.

No chance.

Missed the bit about it being after tax, I still think it would be too right with a rent that high.

Sadly, most mumsnetters are under the (deluded) impression think that if you don't earn six figures, you will have to live on bread and gruel and burn furniture to keep warm.