To ask how much you have left after all outgoings apart from shopping?

[Carlie97]

I'm thinking of going for a new job but with one I have an interview for, I'd be left with around £240 per month and I'd need to get shopping out of that (food, cleaning products, toiletries). There's just me. I currently have £500 left at the end of outgoings and can afford the luxuries. I'm scared I'll miss the nicer things in life, but I'm so miserable and feel so taken for granted in my current role. Plus it's a current 2 hour commute, whereas this would be a 10 min bus journey or 30 min walk.

Huh?? I was on your other thread about fact you were devastated you were going to have to come in an extra day a week as you currently work three days from home and need that as a minimum!

Oh crikey yes we in 50s now with kids grown up and those at home paying their way of course
Both worked hard and did overtime/got second jobs when needed extra cash /wanted a holiday when kids were small etc
In public sector and have worked way up DH in corporate world but worked way up from YTS scheme as a teen lol!!
As the years tick by paying off mortgage , salary rises, etc etc does get better x.

Thanks for your reply. I could definitely shop in bulk. After the shitty commute I can't be bothered cooking a lot of the time, but I'd be home by 5pm, 2.5 hours earlier than currently, so I'm sure I'd cook fresh every evening instead of spending £££ on ready meals, eating out and fast food.

I am fairly sure in a job with a 2 hour each way commute like OP's current role we would all want to work from home a bit more!

Do you really mean everything? I allocate budgets for things like car insurance and Christmas costs monthly so not much at all but if you need to include them it would be tight.

3k for food/savings/ days out

That's because i live far from the office and my commute is expensive which is why I negotiated 2 days a week wfh before I moved away so that my commute wouldn't be as expensive as five days in the office and my mental wellbeing wouldn't be on the floor with the shitty commute. They agreed to it so I was able to move to my dream location.

We are a family of 4 and after all bills we have just over. 4.5k left.

Wow, that's great! You must have a lovely lifestyle.

Thanks for sharing. That's quite something to aim for. I'd be forever out and about and eating at lovely places!

Thanks for your understanding. I felt a bit bashed on my other thread with many replies saying my arrangement wasn't fair on the other team members (who are also free to negotiate more days wfh).

in that case, if you’re happy with 100% in the office, then take the 10 minute walk! You’ll save so much on petrol and get your steps up!

It's a 30 minute walk and if I got the new job, I would walk if my health allowed. If not, there's a handy ten minute bus 😀

Much more than that, but we are older with a tiny mortgage. £60 a week might be a struggle, but perhaps there's room for promotion later on?

I have about £1400 left after bills but before food. It absolutely wasn’t always this way and I do realise how lucky I am. I massively prioritise savings now though because I don’t live a fancy life and I’d rather have the security of savings in case things went to shit.

In your case OP, depending on when the closing date is for the job, I would try living on the new amount now as far as possible so you’ll know how viable it is. It does seem very tight giving the financial situation in this country could get worse before it gets better but there is a lot to be said for prioritising your wellbeing too.

What’s your saving on transport? Surely that goes back into the pot?

Why? OP has said new job is would be a 10 min bus journey or 30 min walk.

I don't think £240 is enough. Food will take a massive chunk of that so you won't be left with much - are you never going to want to go out, buy new clothes, buy birthday/christmas presents, get a haircut etc?

We eat out maybe once every few months and get a take away some weeks. We save over 2.5k per month. It may not always be guaranteed

That sounds very tight to me, I have about a grand after bills and savings but that’s for myself and teen dd (and I still run out of money by the end of the month 🤦‍♀️)

That's too tight for me!

DH and I do contract work so we very intentionally set outgoings so that we could survive on one salary if needed (well, before cost of living crisis anyway!). If both employed that month we have about £1.5K left over that goes into savings in case we have a period where one or other is out of work.

It depends. I think it’s very tight.
I should have more than I’m left with, even the bit I have left over is used up by social occasions and pop up expenses. This month I had to buy two birthday gifts €50, school tours x 2 total €92, two communion cards plus cash €50, my niece is home for the weekend, going for dinner later in a group €30.
It is a pain in the neck, it’s hard to be frugal.

I live alone and my food budget is exactly £240pm so I think it’s too tight

£240 including food wouldn't be remotely doable for me.

We had for a long while there £100 p/w for everything after bills had been paid.
This was with no subscriptions, very cheap mobiles and no gyms etc.

From that we needed to pay for food, toiletries, clothes, DC bus travel, petrol and everything else

It was really really hard. There was literally no enjoyment in life. No money for presents or for really any social activities apart from walks - which really friends got bored with. Good friends knew the score and did invite us for dinners at their house etc.

Things have got better and the weight that has been lifted is unbelievable. I was under so much stress I ready found it hard to cope.