Are other full-time working families finding there is nothing left?

[fatface001]

Alarm went off at 5:30 this morning, then an hour stood on a packed train into London for the commute. We are a normal family: one child and two full-time jobs. I’ve always enjoyed working and have always worked hard, and I don’t mind that at all — but I do expect that full-time work should still mean there’s something left at the end of the month for a normal life.

But that really doesn’t feel like the case anymore.

There’s nothing left at the end of the month. Everything has been stripped back, all non-essentials have gone, and even basic things around the house are being put off or done ourselves because there isn’t spare money for trades. It’s just constant cutting back.

What’s hard is that we’re both working really long hours and doing everything we’re “supposed” to do, but it still feels like we’re going backwards rather than getting ahead.

When I hear talk about “those with the broadest shoulders” contributing more, I honestly don’t recognise it anymore in real life. It doesn’t feel like anyone in our position has anything left to give — it feels like the pressure is entirely on ordinary working households just to stand still.

I’m not looking for luxuries — just the sense that working still gives you a bit of breathing room. Right now it doesn’t feel like that at all.

Is anyone else feeling the same?

Right wing click bait - op is long gone

There is still plenty of money in my bit of the SE though - mostly retired but some still with businesses . I have a number if friends that go to the theatre on a monthly basis, big holidays, off doing stuff. They prop up our small town. Ours has numerous fresh flower shops, expensive coffee shops and several clothes boutiques

I think those with normal jobs, commutes and kids are feeling it whatever they are paid.

Are you having a laugh im on benefits and worry about all them things then on top of that have to worry about the government suddenly cutting benefits to the point i wouldn't be able to survive

I am 30s and feel I have spent most of my adult life (the last 15 years most definitely) lurching from one crisis to another. Things have been hard non stop - first austerity, then brexit then covid and now COL / energy crisis and the wars. I know people keep saying it will get better than it was like this in the 80/90s but for my adult life it’s felt like a downward spiral and no end in sight. I think we could manage the hard times better if there was light on the horizon but it just feels endless……
my husband and I both work full time and although we are not breadline I definitely think our quality of life should be much better for the hours and stress we put into our jobs. It’s really disheartening and I worry about my children’s future.

The level of resentment is fueled by the media which is fueled by politicians a few months ago it was all about pip now its all about uc give it a few months and it will be all about pensions

When I rule the world, I will tax every. single. person who has an income of more than (at present) £12,570, regardless where the income comes from.
Salaries, dividends, benefits, pensions, maintenance, disability benefits, UC, the lot.
My dh is now in a low-paid job after being made redundant last year. He's lucky to clear £1300 a month, yet he's taxed on that. I read upthread that the average UC claimant gets around the same as he does - yet it's not taxed. Can someone explain to me how that's fair? Work to earn your income and you are taxed. Don't work and you don't pay tax.
My friend claimed UC as a single parent to two children. So she got everything she was entitled to - plus £2000 a month maintenance from her high-earning ex. Did she pay any tax? She did not. So she had an income of around £4,500 a month and paid not one penny in tax. AI tells me this is the equivalent of around £75k pa salary - yet not taxed.
Posters on here are always keen to deride pensioners, but they are one of the few groups who DO still pay tax on their total income.
I would be interested to see if anyone could justify why everyone should not pay tax.

It’s fuelled by increase in taxes to increase benefits and the endless entitlement shown by the recipients in threads like these. It’s not going away until it is corrected.

What entitlement on this thread?

When I rule the world, I will tax every. single. person who has an income of more than (at present) £12,570, regardless where the income comes from.

Yes & scrap NI & just have 1 tax.

I know people keep saying it will get better than it was like this in the 80/90s but for my adult life it’s felt like a downward spiral and no end in sight

Its the lack of hope that is so depressing

Agreed. One payment and everyone pays it. Simple.

The point is most people who earn six figures work long hours. My DH is one of them and works weekends and some long days. This means that most of the household stuff, childcare etc. falls to me. I work full time too so it is not like I have a lot of free time. This means I hire a cleaner once a week, we also have a bigger mortgage than someone on a lower income, therefore council tax, utilities are higher. We also pay higher tax. DH also pays a lot of work related expenses like insurance, GMC reg, RCP, BTS etc. I am not saying we can’t and don’t save because we do. But 10 years earlier we would have had tons of disposable income and now even we need to be careful if we want the same lifestyle we had in the past.

Might be at work I suppose?

Sorry for the entitlement but I've become accustomed to living inside and being able to eat . Sorry if you see this as entitled. Il try not to be disabled when I get up tomorrow

We are earning more than before, childcare costs are pretty low as dc are older & I am having to budget & cut back far more.

Why do people respond to posts like this?
'Right-wing clickbait', Tory bot, Written by AI?
I suppose it's easier to respond in a way you at least think is clever and/or amusing than actually engage in something that many people clearly want to discuss.

You know as well as I do that no one would advocate cutting benefits to disabled people who need them.
You are being dramatic.

Where have you been for the last 6 months

There have been many threads of disability benefits but I honestly don't recall any where it was said that disability benefits should be abolished altogether.

If you've got about 4k net a month I don't class that as a relatively low wage.

Sorry that was directed at @Hellohelga

There has been lots and its disability benefits that are being cut by the government

Feel the pain, one of us is unemployed (me 😟) and finding it really hard to get a job - late 50s.
We are really struggling.

Exactly what I was thinking. Plenty of people on here support cuts to disability benefits.

Could anyone explain to me which taxes levied to individuals have gone up under the current gvt( apart from people that have kids in private school)! I appreciate employers tax has gone up but that’s for companies- in my case the gvt actually doubled the allowance on employers NI tax though, so I am effectively taken out of paying any at all now for me and H . I appreciate taxes are high beyond a certain level and yes allowances have been frozen for quite a few years- but they also were with the Tory’s - I’m not seeing this massively increased tax burden to individuals - any tightness as far as I’m concerned is due to generally rising prices, Wars, cost of imports by Brexit or poor harvests etc - I realise they are reducing tax free iSA savings limit, but you are hardly on the poverty line if you can stick away £12,000 a year individually in ISAs although the way some people go on you would think they were.