Money left over

[Jaspall]

After taking into account all bills, petrol, pension contributions and food shopping I have just under £1300 left over each month. I am married with two children aged 10 and 12. My wife has a small part time job but just on a casual basis so she keeps her own money to spend on herself and the children. Does this sound like a comfortable amount of money for most people to play with each month?

So you don't have the same spending money? That's not right. If you're a family you should have equal spending money and equal access to all the family money, regardless of who earns more or works longer hours. In our house dh works, I'm a stay at home parent and have been for the last 6 years and we pool all our income into a joint account and then withdraw £200 each to spend as we wish.

We have 0 left over every month...! We are also overdrawn and a fairly low income family (under £30k for the four of us) but we get by.

How old are and how old are your kids?
It sounds like a great amount but if you have loads of savings and pension why not mow clear your debts?
And as other have said - why are you asking - are considering changing job?

Nowhere in the OP's posts do they say that they don't allow their wife access to the 'leftover' money.

Sounds like almost all of OP's wife's money is discretionary spending.

Why not put some of that left over money into your wife's pension account?

£1300 sounds like a very good amount for disposable income.

DH and I are not badly off by any stretch but found that £400 each disposable was more than adequate for us. (Joint spending on nights out etc comes from the joint finances so is outside that amount).

Anything we have beyond that goes on the mortgage which means at 32 we now only have about £30k outstanding in our SE home. I'd definitely propose channelling some of your money into the mortgage.

I'd also question whether you really know how much your wife earns and has to play with each month? As PPs have said, is she a frugal spender through necessity? And surely things for the kids should be a joint expense, if not already? If she's been at home for a period of time and now only works PT, topping up her pension may well be a priority.

more than I earn in a month. We have nothing left. HTH

whats strange is your wife choosing to buy kids clothes out of her money rather than the joint account. especially if she has hardly any money. why does she do that?

Dh earns about £15k more then I do. We have a joint ac for bills and mortgage.

Our mortgage payments are £1300 a month (2 bed flat in jersey - property is at a premium here being that were an island and limited by space).

My take home pay every month after tax is £2600. His is more.

We both put £1250 into joint ac to cover mortgage bills food etc.

After savings I'm left with about £300 for the month. Dh has the same. We are saving for a deposit for a new house.

I don't understand why your wife uses her money for the children. Are they her children only?

Yes is the short answer. What would I do with £1300 pa extra income in your shoes?

Overpay your mortgage by an extra £500 to pay it down/off more quickly.
£500 pcm into a stocks & shares ISA OR top up your pensions for the maximum tax relief possible.
Save £300 pcm for family holidays/birthdays/Christmas/emergencies.