£5,200 a month in this situation…

[IneVan]

Is absolutely on any analysis at all, NOT a problem.

Single parent, 3 year old who has 30 hours free now.

Am I losing it or is this MORE than ample to live off and live off pretty nicely??!

Which person are you in this scenario?

It entirely depends on the cost of housing them and the cost of extras at nursery.

Depends on their outgoings. Sounds nice on paper but you can't judge it just on face value.

is that before or after tax?

The 3yo

@BeenThereBackThen it’s after tax.

@SaltyCara its my ‘friend.’ I had no idea she earned so much and has always pleaded poverty, so much so that DH and I have bought every drink, lunch, dinner (and I see her once a month at least!). Me and DH combined take home 4700 and have two dc (not in nursery but they still cost us for wraparound etc!)

@spindrifft 😃

If your income is from full time work, it's going to be challenging getting childcare to support you to keep it coming in

If your income is from benefits the child presumably has very challenging health problems (or you do).

are you sure she gets the free hours on that salary as if that’s what she gets after tax she won’t. She won’t get child benefit either, which I presume you might.

It would depend on her outgoings, but yes, I’d imagine that she’s quite comfortable, certainly not living in poverty

@Pavementworrier she works but has always pleaded poverty

Well now you know stop paying for their drinks, food etc.
They are seeing you coming.
It doesn't matter if they are a single parent they are treating you like a bank.

@readingisallowed well it’s too late. Been doing it for the last 3 years. She’s not so much as given me a gift on my birthday or Christmas, she actually has said she can’t afford it being on her own with the DD. I can’t get over the cheek of it.

How did you come to find out how much she's taking home every month and did you mention you were shocked at the time?

@CucumberCool she mentioned it shortly after the budget when we’d had a few drinks. I said I was really surprised and said it was more than mine and DH’s income combined.

Before or after tax? Because I earn a bit more than that before tax, and am also a single parent of one child, and let me tell you- it doesn’t go far.

Life is not half as expensive, because you are half the number of people in a couple. You pay more tax (because you hit the 40% tax rate- which you wouldn’t if two people were earning half or whatever). You also hit the high income child benefit charge (or did until this year). And you end up paying a premium for stuff for convenience as a single parent, because you are time-poor (in my case very time poor), but can throw a little bit of money at the problem.

i wouldn’t plead poverty, but I don’t have spare money, and I budget every penny.

Is this £5200 net pcm?
What is this person’s mortgage payment?
And other unavoidable outgoings?

Assume that includes her rent, is she in an expensive area?

@TiredofLDN @Run30 it’s take home

@Run30 i don’t know her mortgage repayments but she’s aiming to have it cleared by 45 (currently 39)

So she’s not getting 30 hours free childcare then!

Too many unknowns to judge. For me, I’d be laughing with that wage!!! And can only dream! For my friend, her mortgage alone is £3000, her nursery fees (with the funded hours) are around £1000, so she would likely struggle.

Actually she might be.

She’s taken you for a ride, I’d be annoyed!

What benefits do you get vs what benefits she gets? How much tax do you pay vs how much she pays? Do you work FT? Do you have family help (financial or in time)? How much do you and she put in your pensions and how much do your employers? What are your relative housing costs? What are your relative childcare costs? I can well believe that as a single parent on a high wage she still feels like there's not much slack.