How much is your disposable income?

[Amee]

How much do you have to spend after bills including food and petrol? We have roughly £1000 a month and we are a family of 4 (dc's are 14 and 10).

£500 or thereabouts but that tends to go on things we need anyway.

I am truly astonished at the amount some people have - in no way am I jealous because we're comfortable now when in the past we haven't been, but we can't seem to save at all!

I'm wondering if people have different definitions of disposable income on this thread, as I have no idea how the people who say "nothing" or "£40" survive otherwise.

After bills (including internet, tv, and phones), food and regular travel costs my "disposable income" gets spent on (I have included average monthly amounts for the year to November):

Household equipment/furniture/house maintenance £222
Car costs (excluding fuel) £126
Train travel (excludes regular everyday costs) £6
Gifts £36
Other cash expenses (extras for kids, small food shops, ?) £202
Family toiletries £15
Printer Ink £8
Kids pocket money £60
Kids uniform and other clothes £112
Extras related to kids music lessons £34
School trips £66
Kids birthdays £45
Other kids expenses £40
Going out as a family £60
Eating out (including on holiday) £104
Holidays £150
My personal spending (clothes, hair, music etc) £93
My professional development £92
Christmas £39

and this is with me trying to be careful! My kids are teenagers and they are expensive and I don't want them to suffer due to my circumstances (separated 2 years ago and now single parent). I am feeling very stressed about money.

About 6,000. Early 40s. No kids. No husband. Desperately poor BF.