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Original poster

How much do you take home each month...

32 replies

Appleton246 · 27/10/2023 17:13

In the interest of being completely nosey! I'm wondering what people take home each month and what they are left with after paying ongoing bills.

For a little context, I feel I earn an average wage and don't have a huge amount of outgoings as these are shared between my husband and I. Yet, I still find myself obsessively working out how much I have on average daily/weekly to spend, we aren't able to save much and what we do save goes towards our shockingly high leasehold payments. If I go over my 'average' spend I feel out of control and panicky, is this 'normal'?

OP posts:
RaisinsOfMildAnnoyance · 27/10/2023 17:16

I don't think other people sharing actual figures (if even true) would help your feelings of anxiety.

I struggle with money related anxiety, but it is the result of being financially abused for years. I now earn a good wage, but I still fret about money. It ebbs and flows, but it's always there. Therapy helps.

loseweightpleasegod · 27/10/2023 17:17

Nobody is going to share their take home when you don’t!

arabellaL · 27/10/2023 17:32

Me £1700, DH £5200 or so. We are lucky but have a v v v mortgage and high nursery fees, plus doing a reno so still struggling. I find we spend what we have!

JaninaDuszejko · 27/10/2023 17:40

I think (assuming you're not on a low income when it's completely understandable) that anxiety about money can happen however much you have.

DH and I have a high income and live well within our means and he still worries about money. It can be quite annoying because he saps the joy out of spending money that we can easily afford. His worries are not proportionate (if I was a complete spend thrift they might be).

I guess you need to work out how proportionate your anxiety is. How does your household income compare with the mean in your area (Average incomes)? Do you have a high mortgage or rent? Do you have high childcare expenses and if so for how many more years? Do you have a lot of debt?

What’s the average income in your neighbourhood? Use our tool to find out

Household earnings per district data exposes the difference a few streets can make

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/britain-neighbourhoods-earning-most-income-postcode/

SilverGlitterBaubles · 27/10/2023 17:45

How much you take home is all relative depending on what your outgoings are. It is what you are left with after bills and essential outgoings that matters.

Thehonestybox · 27/10/2023 17:49

I was ready to share...until I saw you hadn't shared yours! How much do you take home OP?

HuntingoftheSnark · 27/10/2023 17:55

Thehonestybox · 27/10/2023 17:49

I was ready to share...until I saw you hadn't shared yours! How much do you take home OP?

Yes, same here!

Bedazzling · 27/10/2023 18:04

Me telling you will not help you at all, we do have a lot though as our mortgage is paid off.

What you need to do is work out your outgoings and see if you are messing up anywhere. We worked ours out to the exact penny a few months ago for retirement planning purposes. I know exactly where we could make changes is we needed or wanted to.

Eddyraisins · 27/10/2023 18:07

Yes hiw much do you and any other that live in the home bring in?

ShanghaiDiva · 27/10/2023 18:09

How does me telling you my income help you?
Having a budget may help as you can the see at any point if your expenditure is on track or if you need to cut back. My dh is a retired finance director and we have an annual budget for everything: from dentist to Xmas gifts.

bonzaitree · 27/10/2023 18:11

No numbers yet! Over to you OP

Friarclose · 27/10/2023 18:26

1786.00. Dh 2100.00. We struggle badly, 1100.00 mortgage and dh pays 450.00pm on child maintenance. We get by though.

Original poster
Appleton246 · 27/10/2023 19:10

Okay, sorry for not sharing my own, that would have been helpful. I take home £2300 a month and my husband ever so slightly more. We have one daughter who is in school, we both work full time and have no family to help out with childcare so pay for wrap around childcare. Both in our early thirties, have a mortgage (with over 30 years left to pay). We don't have any other hugely significant debt.

I guess I am just trying to work out where we sit in terms or 'normality' so I can work out whether my anxiety is justified. Thanks all.

OP posts:
Notamum12345577 · 27/10/2023 19:15

Appleton246 · 27/10/2023 17:13

In the interest of being completely nosey! I'm wondering what people take home each month and what they are left with after paying ongoing bills.

For a little context, I feel I earn an average wage and don't have a huge amount of outgoings as these are shared between my husband and I. Yet, I still find myself obsessively working out how much I have on average daily/weekly to spend, we aren't able to save much and what we do save goes towards our shockingly high leasehold payments. If I go over my 'average' spend I feel out of control and panicky, is this 'normal'?

About 3k a month, other half a few hundred. Rent, but not too expensive. One kid in uni which costs us a fortune because I earn too much for them to get more than half the amount student loan apparently!

Eddyraisins · 27/10/2023 19:17

https://ifs.org.uk/toolsanddresources/wheredooyoufitt_in

BarbaraofSeville · 27/10/2023 19:46

There is no normal as there's huge variation in income and essential expenditure.

All you can do is make the best of your own circumstances, but with a monthly income of around £5k you're probably better off than average.

addictedtotheflats · 27/10/2023 19:58

£2900. I have £1000 disposable after bills and savings. DP about £2000 not sure how much disposable he has we keep our finances separate apart from shared bills

DietrichandDiMaggio · 27/10/2023 20:47

Appleton246 · 27/10/2023 19:10

Okay, sorry for not sharing my own, that would have been helpful. I take home £2300 a month and my husband ever so slightly more. We have one daughter who is in school, we both work full time and have no family to help out with childcare so pay for wrap around childcare. Both in our early thirties, have a mortgage (with over 30 years left to pay). We don't have any other hugely significant debt.

I guess I am just trying to work out where we sit in terms or 'normality' so I can work out whether my anxiety is justified. Thanks all.

Have you overstretched yourself with a huge mortgage, because if you are taking home £4.6-5K and only having childcare around school hours for one child, on the face of it you should be comfortable.

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 27/10/2023 20:58

For my entire working life I’ve been on either hourly pay or been self employed. So, if I need more money, I work more, and I get more. If I need less, I work less, and I get less. I find it relieves anxiety, as I know exactly what I have to do and I’m in control. But such, I have no “take home pay”. I do get a nice big tax bill. But I never worry about not having enough money. I do worry about work life balance when I’m working a lot.

AHelpfulHand · 27/10/2023 21:03

Take home pay £6,500. Dh is the same.

we have about 7k a month left after all outgoings.

no mortgage, no childcare, no cars on finance etc

Neurodiversitydoctor · 27/10/2023 21:19

I think it's £10600 after deductions.
We have about £4000 left after living costs ( includes DC1 at University, mortage is £2,000). Holidays and personal spends come out of that. We put about £1,000 each away every month.

bonzaitree · 27/10/2023 21:46

As usual people will only say if they take home a fair whack.

OP you aren’t going to get a fair representation on here!!

pecanpie101 · 27/10/2023 22:37

I earn 1300 part time, husband 2500 self employed. Mortgage, childcare, no debt but not managing to saving anything per month.

Eddyraisins · 28/10/2023 08:23

Where do you lie on the link I posted op?

Granted its only on income. Savings and probably some own business will not be included.