Are we on a low income?

[biganlittle]

I earn 33.5k pro rata’ to 4 days a week.
DH full time of 48k, I know there’s some high earners on here but I’m guessing the majority earn less, maybe not as little as us.

We have a little one in nursery still which I think makes us feel that much more skint!

Are we low paid? Both in jobs that we needed qualifications for and I have a degree but part time for years and 2 maternity leaves I think has held me back.

@biganlittle We don’t have big pensions, possibly 30k in mine, DH maybe closer to 40k, I know we really need to build them up.

Please ensure you learn about SIPPs and the different investments that are available if you haven't already done so.

Most people should really be putting their pension into medium/high risk funds to maximise growth over time.

@PrioritisePleasure24 it's further up! I'm in Sunderland and we've just bought a huge 3 bed house, back garden could fit 5 bouncy castles on and still have space. All been renovated, only £110k. Our forever home.
Average rent for a 3/4 bed around here is between £600 and £800 pcm. And thats in a good area. Much cheaper in questionable areas.

Edit to say our mortgage is under £400pcm x

Is this a wind up. As John McEnroe would say "you cannot be serious". My hubby and I combined earn 11k a year LESS than you and yours and we aren't classed a low income. You need to give your head a wobble.

I work 25 hours a week, on minimum wage! Yes I do get help from the government, but I literally have to budget for all my bills! So in my opinion no, you are not low paid. But it's all perspective! You think you are low paid in your opinion. But from my perspective you are very well off!

I need to move to Sunderland, Bedford is wayyy more expensive, and it's annoying that I live here because I hate London and never travel there! Unfortunately this is the place I've been born and bred in and far too many ties to leave now

I read that post. That poster should be ashamed of themselves.

@Onekissisallittakes my family is originally from down south, hemel heamstead and Luton mainly. Years ago our nana sold her business and moved us up here to buy a house outright and this part of the family settled here. Slowly over the years all the others have joined us because its soo much cheaper 😅 my aunt is currently looking to buy a house and the one she seen down south was £600k. She found a bigger one here for £160k 😳 she is definitely moving! It's absolutely crazy how much difference there is on such a small island! Although tbf, the wage and cost of living obviously reflect this too.

We are family with two kids plus dog and we live more less off what your husband earns. I work 30hrs we live in Yorkshire. We manage but save very little.

I read it, too and genuinely believe the 170K post was a wind up.
The OP has valid concerns imo.

What state was that house in when you bought it for £110k? How long ago? What’s the area like?

@Fruitlips amazing condition. Building survey came back a small amount of damp where the old fireplace used to be, but thats it. All recently renovated bar the bathroom. Brand new boiler with hive. Brand new kitchen. Drive out the front. 2M French doors in the sitting room. We done the bathroom before we moved in so it's all been done. Huge garden 3 levels, one level patio for seating, next level grass which currently has our kids play ground equipment on, next level is grass and patio mixed which we're getting a shed on. We bought it in March this year, 2025. Area is an old council estate, very cul de sac vibes, 2 amazing primary schools in walking distance, we all have the kids in and out the houses like it's the 90s. Lovely area.
Edit to add the main thing that needed work is the gardens, but we're happy to chip away at that and make it what we want over the years. It's very large but been a bit neglected over the years x

I see in your later post to OP question, you say both you and DH have sisters who are high earners and this I believe your words say it makes you feel like the poor relatives. Perhaps, this is the underlying reason you feel the need to post, and question your income. Please don't feel their lifestyle makes them happier and more successful. They may hate their job, life ar home may not be happy as it shows to others. Comparing yourself to others is not a positive feeling. You. your children and husband as a family unit, your happiness, enjoying life is what matters.

I just did a rightmove search covering the entirety of Sunderland and the cheapest property is £110k
and it’s…. Well, a shit hole.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/166797182#/media?id=media0&ref=photoCollage&channel=RESBUY

And then the second cheapest is £119k
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/166797182#/?channel=RESBUY

so I can’t fathom a phenomenal wonderful fully renovated with huge garden in superb family area for £110k

You did very well, and I’m sure you can now see that you got rather, shall we say, lucky!

And because I’m a property obsessive 😳, I went to look at sold prices on Zoopla and for the entire region of Sunderland Tyne and west for March 2025 the cheapest 3 bed house with a garden and driveway was this

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-history/16-bergen-street/sunderland/sr5-4nj/68489633/

and as you can see…. Not in the slightest bit beautiful and fully renovated! And more expensive that yours.

so you did incredibly well, and presumably privately sold. That isn’t the “norm” @dontcomeatme !

@Fruitlips well even if it's outing I'm not really fussed. I live in farringdon sunderland, most around here go for about £120k - maybe £150k max.
We were lucky that the woman who owned it before us had a builder for a dad and she owned her own business so she invested a lot of money into the property. Then she part exchanged it to a building company for a new build. We purchased it off the building company, who had the price at £115k but we settled on £110k, I think they just wanted rid of it at that point. But around here this is pretty average. Well our budget was £130k and we viewed A LOT of houses within that budget in the area!
Very interesting though. We did get lucky I guess, but nearly everyone I know has bought a house, because of the price mostly!

As I said the gardens need the most work, that awful grey fence and the "decking" steps are our worst eye sores! But we're happy to chip away at it. We paid for a single skin wall and gate to be put at the front of the property, blocking the drive, but keeping our feral toddler safe 😅 the inside was ready to move in, lick of paint and I replaced the carpets. 2 big bedrooms and 1 small/medium, but not a box room due to the shape of the house.

Well done @dontcomeatme !

You did really well

@Fruitlips thank you! We love it, hopefully here forever..

Lovely family home

Well Manchester has been a bit of a success story for high paid jobs and as a result the property prices rise to match it, however £1.4k for a 3 bed in the region's biggest city with all its opportunities is still hugely cheaper than the equivalent in the south. Brighton's our nearest big city, and well, it's ridiculous. London is a whole other world. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?sortType=&searchLocation=Brighton%20and%20Hove&useLocationIdentifier=true&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E61480&countryCode=GB&radius=0.0&primaryDisplayPropertyType=houses&minBedrooms=3&maxBedrooms=3&minPrice=&maxPrice=&maxDaysSinceAdded=&_includeLetAgreed=on&letType=&letFurnishType=&retirement=&_propFeature=on&_propFeature=on