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Original poster

Is £1800 a ‘decent wage’?

75 replies

Laurendzx · 10/11/2023 15:13

We have a 3 year old and a 5 month old. I could only afford to take a very short maternity leave this time and was back to work within a few months just to try and pay the bills. I’m obviously not able to work as much as I used to due to childcare so I’m working nights/weekends/hours around when I have childcare. I’m having 4 hours sleep some nights just trying to keep everything afloat. I’m permanently exhausted and running myself into the ground trying to do everything (as well as most of the household jobs).

My husband has his own business with his business partner. They have been working together for quite a few years now and are making a good amount of money. However they agreed at the start not to take ‘too much’ until they’d built the business up (which they now have) so they take just under £1800 per month. This would be fine if we were able to cover our costs with this. I have a pot of money that I use to pay my tax bills and have had to just about drain it in the last few months just to stay afloat. I repeatedly ask my husband if he can please take more as I’m majorly making up the shortfall every month but instead of doing it he goes off on a rant about how we live outwith our means and shouldn’t have moved house 3 years ago 🤔 He says £1800 is a decent wage and how much do I want him to be making? as if that’s loads.

Is it just me or is £1800 below the kind of average salary for a main earner mid-30s? I don’t think I’m being unreasonable to expect him to take £2000 or £2200. We literally can’t afford to put the heating on half the time 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
LadyDanburysHat · 10/11/2023 15:15

It's just under £26k gross for the average person. So not a great wage by any means. Although depends on where you live too.

Drttc · 10/11/2023 15:20

I agree. £2200 after taxes would be equivalent to a salary around £37-38k, which in this climate isn’t as great for a breadwinner as it was a few years!

SiobhanSharpe · 10/11/2023 15:21

It's about £450 a week for a family of four.
Is this for everything, rent/mortgage, utilities, phones/broadband, clothes and household goods as well as groceries ? Crucially, Is it net of tax and if not is he putting any money aside for income tax?
Sounds very tight, and you're already having to use your savings.

Paddleboarder · 10/11/2023 15:21

It's not a good salary, more of a just above minimum wage amount. I get a bit more than that and find it a struggle. If his business can afford it, he should take more in my opinion.

cestlavielife · 10/11/2023 15:21

The issue is you are going to collapse. Who will look after the kids then?
Does dh not get cold?
Sit down with the figures and if he can pay for everything on 1800 plus your income then great! If your family needs 200 more a month to keep kids warm, it should be apparent

Octavia64 · 10/11/2023 15:22

It doesn't matter if it's a decent wage, the problem is it's not enough for your family.

TokyoSushi · 10/11/2023 15:23

It does seem very tight...

Cornwallsfaveflappyj · 10/11/2023 15:24

depends where you live. e.g most office roles at all levels in Cornwall are NMW or thereabouts. so £1800 would feel great.

however not so great if in a better, more connected & more forward thinking area (basically the rest of the UK!)

Octavia64 · 10/11/2023 15:24

If he starts winging about past decisions then sit down with him and say ok, we don't have enough money.

Maybe we shouldn't have moved 3 years ago but we need to downsize now because there isn't enough money.

CuriousGeorge80 · 10/11/2023 15:25

It’s irrelevant really. In your situation it’s not enough, so he needs to take more if he can. If he won’t, he needs to find the savings on a monthly basis (cancel his gym / phone or whatever) and not just moan about overspending.

Crikeyalmighty · 10/11/2023 15:26

It's just a little above minimum wage - - the point is can he afford to take more- ? How much is lying round in this 'building up the business ' if the answer is next to none after paying themselves- then what is the likelihood of it building up to much more than this?

You say they are making good money- not really if they can't afford to pay themselves more. If there are huge amounts of surplus in the business- why is this and why can't they pay themselves more??

Cloclo93 · 10/11/2023 15:26

No it's not enough for this day and age

easylikeasundaymorn · 10/11/2023 15:29

When you say he takes £1800 is that what he thenkeeps - as in no student loan/pension/nsi deductions or anything else coming out of it? Because as a pp said that's equivalent to about £26k a year PAYE
The average full time salary is about £38k so significantly less. https://www.forbes.com/uk/advisor/business/average-uk-salary-by-age/

While what a "good" wage is considered will obviously vary depending on individual cost of living and what you do for that wage I can imagine £1800 a month being a struggle for a family of 4.

Original poster
Laurendzx · 10/11/2023 15:30

Crikeyalmighty · 10/11/2023 15:26

It's just a little above minimum wage - - the point is can he afford to take more- ? How much is lying round in this 'building up the business ' if the answer is next to none after paying themselves- then what is the likelihood of it building up to much more than this?

You say they are making good money- not really if they can't afford to pay themselves more. If there are huge amounts of surplus in the business- why is this and why can't they pay themselves more??

I saw for myself what is in their business account the other week and was shocked. There is more than enough for them to be paying themselves more but he keeps making out £1800 is a good wage. Clearly not!

OP posts:
booksandbeans · 10/11/2023 15:33

It is a good graduate wage - maybe with a year or two of experience. Not for a father is 2 young children.

easylikeasundaymorn · 10/11/2023 15:34

4 weeks of 40 hours on minimum wage of £10.42 per hour would be £1667 as a comparison, a month is usually just over 4 weeks so probably about £1750-1800. So depending on how many hours he's working he could be paying himself below minimum wage. Although tax etc would then come out of that if PAYE.

Everycompanyisafuckup · 10/11/2023 15:36

It's simply not enough. He either needs to up his game or get a better job or you will have to downsize for real.

Caterina99 · 10/11/2023 15:38

Is he getting 1800 net a month (ie after tax etc) or is he paying tax on that amount? Is he paying into a pension?

Whether it’s a decent amount to live on very much depends on where you live and your lifestyle? But I don’t think anyone will claim that 1800 per month (net or gross) is highly paid as it’s pretty close to full time minimum wage.

Is he in a partnership with his friend or are they directors of a company? In which case a low salary and then paying dividends is often the most tax efficient way to take money out of the company.

ICanSeeMyHouseFromHere · 10/11/2023 15:39

I have my own business, and I take up to the lower tax band limit - so about 40k (non-UK), of which my take-home is then about 2400/month - this isn't a 'good' wage, but I only have me and 2 kids, and no mortgage, so it's plenty to live on (and I put money from the company straight into pension as that's the most tax efficient)

I keep 6-12 months runway in my company, and would only pay myself less if I went below that.

Terfosaurus · 10/11/2023 15:40

It's more than I've ever earned. Which doesn't mean a lot because I've always earned min wage.

Can you claim some UC to top up on that?
If its enough depends on you outgoings as well. How much is your rent/mortgage? Car? Etc.

Broodywuz · 10/11/2023 15:42

I'm coming home with around that for a 3 day week. My DH needs to take home at least the same just for us to get by

Feellikeafailurenow · 10/11/2023 15:43

It isn’t

3WildOnes · 10/11/2023 15:44

Are they both taking out 1.8k as a wage and then re investing the remaining profits into the business, or are they also taking out dividends?

It's not a lot. It does make sense to take out a lower wage and then extra in dividends but I unsure if this is what they are doing?

Original poster
Laurendzx · 10/11/2023 15:45

3WildOnes · 10/11/2023 15:44

Are they both taking out 1.8k as a wage and then re investing the remaining profits into the business, or are they also taking out dividends?

It's not a lot. It does make sense to take out a lower wage and then extra in dividends but I unsure if this is what they are doing?

I think this is what they’re doing but I haven’t ever heard of any occasion when they’ve had any extra in dividends so it makes no sense

OP posts:
SecondUsername4me · 10/11/2023 15:47

1800 take home is fine, imo, if you are putting plenty before that nett amount into a pension.

Is he doing that?

Has he and his BP had any pay rises?