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Original poster

How much money left over at the end of the month?...

26 replies

user1472663171 · 31/08/2016 18:12

My husband and I have a 16 month old, he works full time - self employed in security and I work full time as a graphic designer (Devon wages!). At the end of the month, after all expenses we are left with about £1k in our account.
My husband is flapping saying it's not enough of a buffer to have, should be need it, my argument is, we are lucky to have that much and we shouldn't waste time fretting...
Am I wrong not to worry?...

OP posts:
isthistoonosy · 31/08/2016 18:14

Do you mean you can save 1k a month or is that all your savings?

NoCapes · 31/08/2016 18:15

Hmm you're kidding right?
By the end of the month we're overdrawn past our overdraft

ineedamoreadultieradult · 31/08/2016 18:17

You have £1000 left over at the end of every month?! So you could save £12,000 a year?! That seems like a good buffer for me. I'm happy if my balance is around £20 the day before pay day.

winewinewhine · 31/08/2016 18:20

If you have a 1k surplus every month then you don't have an issue but if 1k is all your savings then you have a problem.

LuckySantangelo1 · 31/08/2016 18:20

Weirdest stealth boast ever Hmm

P1nkP0ppy · 31/08/2016 18:22

Good god, I'm lucky if it's in the black 😳

CremeEggThief · 31/08/2016 18:24
Confused
Comingandgoing81 · 31/08/2016 18:25

Don't understand your post. Are you saying you put £1k per month in savings?

NapoleonsNose · 31/08/2016 18:26

Crikey! We've survived all of the bank hol with £12 in the bank! Only got paid today and expect things will be even tighter next month with DD's 'off to uni' expenses.

Mymouthgetsmeintrouble · 31/08/2016 18:28

We feel lucky if theres not too much month at the end of our money

Fairylea · 31/08/2016 18:48

By the end of the month we are £1500 into our overdraft...! We don't have anything spare! (And we don't overspend either, money is just super tight!)

AyeAmarok · 31/08/2016 18:51

Eh, you think a grand a month (when I assume from your post neither of you are on great wages) is too little?

Whut?

Kenworthington · 31/08/2016 18:57

Are you on fuxking drugs OP???? Many many people have nothing or less than nothing at the end of the month, us inc, and actually we have a good devon salary but three kids and hefty outgoings. You are gonna get slaughtered on this thread

MrsBoobier · 31/08/2016 19:38

Sorry, I didn't explain properly, £1k surplus x

MrsBoobier · 31/08/2016 19:47

No I think it's a great amount! I think we are really fortunate, my husband however lives in bloody coo coo land and says it's not enough. I think he needs to be grateful for the position we are in. I know for a fact growing up neither of us were in this position with our parents. But he's not taking that as a good enough answer. I can't seem to find a way for him to wake up and go "yes we are fortunate and I'm grateful for that" instead he just seems to be so far up his own arse he's bouncing on his head!

EarthboundMisfit · 31/08/2016 19:50

Well if you have a 1k surplus, you save £12000 per year which is all the buffer you need!
We save half that in a very good month, but we're on a low income so saving that much is a massive struggle...we don't run a car.

Spice22 · 31/08/2016 22:32

That's a good buffer, enjoy it ! Show your partner this thread. Maybe if he sees how little others get by on, he will get some perspective ?

JigglypuffsCaptor · 31/08/2016 22:36

We earn jointly £2600 per month and have about £200 a month surplus, that goes in to savings Confused we think we're very lucky to be able to do this, we have one child! Our buffer in the savings account at the moment is 5k

Honestly your doing amazingly well!

Comingandgoing81 · 01/09/2016 12:19

A lot of people have nothing. I wouldn't worry about it sounds like you are doing ok.

90daychallenger · 01/09/2016 12:23

It varies from about £1,500 to £2,800. All goes into savings ready to over-pay the mortgage or toward house renovations.

RebelandaStunner · 01/09/2016 18:18

We always have a buffer but never much left as we do all our savings at the beginning of the month. If we left saving until the end of the month we would save less.
Has your DH been poor? He sounds a bit panicky about finances.

Grumpyoldblonde · 02/09/2016 11:13

It's a great amount, many can't pay their basic bills.
You both work, as your husband thinks it isn't enough what does he think you can both do to change that? Does he think that you can tighten your belts a bit by buying less/cheaper food for instance? Or losing SKY/cheaper phones? On any wage it makes perfect sense not to spend more than you need to, you don't get rich by spending money as the saying goes, but if you live in a way you are happy with, e,g. full larder, the odd night out, clothes to wear and a warm place to live then he should be very glad to be in this position.
He could maybe be thinking up ways to save more if he is a panic arse, and to be honest, redundancy/illness can strike anyone at anytime, I know that all too well.

If you are saving 12k a year (did I understand you correctly?) then that is going to accumulate over the next few years into a lovely nest egg.
If he is worried about 'what might happen in future' it might be worth looking at good insurances (life/redundancy) if you don't already, but do take advice with those.
Many would give their eye teeth to be in your position, well done!

FemaleDilbert · 02/09/2016 11:28

I'd interpreted this differently, are you saying your total savings are 1k, and you keep this buffer in your account, but month in month out you spend all you earn?

Alicesmith85 · 02/09/2016 17:03

I've just taken a reduction in hours due to childcare purposes. So from next month our joint disposable income will be 1k. £350 each personal spends, the rest we will try and save. I spend money like it's going out of fashion so not sure how this will pan out.

Alicesmith85 · 02/09/2016 17:12

We have 10k in savings. Won't be able to top this up until childcare bill ceases.

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