How do other families survive on one wage?

[polkadot22]

Ok, so at the moment I am Mum to a young son and I am benefits as his dad left me when I was pregnant. I was very ill in my pregnancy and he encouraged me to leave my job and he will provide for us, he never did. My son has milld sen.

In the very near future I am moving in with new partner who I've been with for a year. He has no problem with providing me and my son and we are planning to have another baby.

He earns around 17 thousand a year BUT usually earns a lot more with overtime. So might be 25 thousand or more. He has a mortgage of around 400 pounds a month. Neither of us owe any money.

It is not possible for me to work as I have no childcare. Everyone in both our families work full time, nurseries are too expensive and my partners shifts change so can't find a job to fit around his hours.

Anyway, my question is how to other families on here survive on one wage? Do you have a lot spare each month? Neither of us smoke or drink, we don't go on holidays and generally careful.

I also get maintenance of nearly 200 pounds off my ex each month which helps.

Also how do people manage to afford two cars. My partner needs to get to work and I am moving to a new area but need to travel to where I'm from for nursery, family, friends etc and there are no buses. Our petrol costs won't be extreme. My parters work is 6 miles away and my hometown about 8 and I won't be going out every day.

Just wondering if and how other families survive on one wage? And we probably won't be entitled to any tax credits as he earns too much with overtime.

If you buy an older car you will have lots of repair costs to find - we have an 08 car and typically spend 700 per year on servicing and mot.

I have to disagree with the above statement. Firstly, I don't consider an 08 car 'old'. Mine is a 58 plate, so same year, and to me, it is indistinguishable from new. I don't spend anything like 700 on MOT/maintenance (probably about half that). And obviously a newer car would cost a lot more to buy, a lot of which would be lost in depreciation and loan interest if you have to borrow to buy it.

Could your DP cycle the 6 miles to work at least some of the time? It shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes.

Check how much tax credits you would be entitled to with 2 DCs - it could make all the difference.

Could you do a couple of weekend or evening shifts, when your DP can look after the DCs, so no childcare needed.

Also agree with the poster that said to learn the difference between wants and needs. An awful lot of stuff these days is seen is essential when it is really a luxury and people get trapped into thinking they need things like bought lunches, coffees out, lots of things for the house and garden, takeaways, beauty treatments, theme park visits, new clothes for every occasion, etc, etc, etc and can be spending hundreds of pounds a month, while complaining about the cost of food and electricity and feeling poor, because they think 'everyone else' has their hair and nails done every month, or does all their shopping in Waitrose, or goes on minibreaks all the time.

The vast majority of the population can't afford all these things all the time. Try and set a budget and save for annual costs and irregular expenses like broken washing machines and car repairs.

If you are not working, or working part time, try and use some time to save money by looking out for deals, meal planning and cooking from scratch, checking that your gas/electric etc are on the best deal.

Never eat out at a chain restaurant or visit a theme park or other attraction, without checking the internet for a voucher first. Sign up to the moneysavingexpert newsletter, where a lot of deals are publicised.

We save £170 per month for car costs-that covers petrol, servicing, MOT, breakdown cover, tax and insurance. That's one car-even if you shop around for everything (as we do!) they are expensive to run. We don't use it for commuting either-DH walks to work. (It's only a 45 min walk each way-if it was much more than that we'd probably get him a bike.)

I'm not saying we have no money. We don't even live together yet so we don't know what to expect. My son has mild learning disabilities. He is a normal healthty happy child other than a few minor problems. He is not the reason I don't work. With no family available to have him, my partner working irregular shifts and a lack of jobs suitable jobs where I live! We are not entitled to any tax credits as he earnt too much last year. If I had a job to go to and childcare I would go back to work tomorrow, I would love to. He starts school in September 2015. Maybe I can find a job then but for now it's not possible. I had 3 jobs before I had him, often working 7 days a week day and evening. There is a school where we will be living and it's one of the best schools in the county I live in. There is also a pre-school but it's that popular there's no space. He is also settled in the nursery he is in. Also, if I worked we would still need 2 cars as no suitable public transport.

we only get tax credits due to childcare costs. if we were not paying for childcare, we would only get very little (or nothing). worth checking how much you would get in tax credits if you were to pay for childcare (if you really want to go back to work). My partner works shifts as well and we have no family in the UK so I know it is hard (esp with a child with complex SN as mine) but if you really want to work it still can be done.

as for the two cars - my partner cycles to work (10 miles one way) - we could not even run 2 cars on 2 incomes. would this be an option for you?

Shooting star are you the op? Re earning too much last year to qualify for tax credits you can just ask for an in year calculation.

I am still wondering why, when it's such a struggle for you, you're TTC?

In answer to your original question- I think most families that live on one income do so either because that income is much higher than the one you have coming in, or because their income is low enough to qualify for HB, CTC, WTC, FSM etc.

Or (as in most families) both adults in the home work, though frequently one FT and one PT.

and 'Arf' at 08 plate car being old!

Well we have a low income - dh earns 15.5k, I get child maintenance of £200 per month for dd, we have tax credits of 124 a week and child benefit (2 dc). We have an old car 2001 (haha 2008 being old! ) we have a small mortgage of £330 a month. We manage okay.. mainly due to the small mortgage from when I used to have a well paid job.

We just budget carefully. I walk everywhere and we are very rural too but I guess it depends on circumstances and exactly where you live. We don't eat out or drink or smoke. We budget to the last pound and anything that goes wrong is a bit of a disaster but we use a credit card on 0% and pay it off religiously.

Everyone's circumstances are different. But it's possible to generally manage on a lot less than you think.

My DH is on a higher salary and we cannot afford to run two cars. So I walk or get the bus. On occasions when I really need the car DH will get bus or lift to work or I will drop him off (often very early). Luckily we live walking distance (within 2 miles) of schools, swim pools, clubs, shops etc. But it is a lot of trapsing in the rain or night time etc. And occasional dependence on others for lifts.

We have a small house for our family size, kids share rooms. So we have luckily a fairly small mortgage

We holiday in the UK and save all year for that and Xmas.

Budgeting is key. Big purchases from catalogue interest free. Wait till paid one before buying another. ISAs for savings in case need fix car or new tyres etc. Christmas club savings for presents.

DH and I had DC very young so had never built up a good two income lifestyle or took mortgage on two wages.

I win! I have the oldest car - 1997. Hardy little beast and the only real expense I've had in the past 6 months is replacing the bumper due a collision - it's not true that old cars are always too expensive to maintain if you get a decent one to start with.

Don't have another baby

make a budget, learn what you have to spend

don't make the choice to have more children

compromise

if the SENs don't stop your little one attending nursery, why would they stop you working? why don't you work whilst he is at nursery?

if you cannot afford a car, don't want to use buses, then ask people to visit you instead? visit less often? am sure your partner doesn't work seven out of seven days,plan your car use for his time off.

look into working from home, avon/ bodyshop parties etc even.

if you are sensible and prioritise you will be fine going off the figures you have given.

I think most people have similar issues when the children are younger, we have always looked for ways to generate more money working from home, ebay selling, stuffing envelopes and CD casesc etc, even got the kids involved. After lots of searching around we have finally found a home based income which is totally flexible. Just look around.

I think most people have similar issues when the children are younger, we have always looked for ways to generate more money working from home, ebay selling, stuffing envelopes and CD casesc etc, even got the kids involved. After lots of searching around we have finally found a home based income which is totally flexible. Just look around.