Living on a single low wage.

[Tumbleweed101]

Any tips on how to organise finances on a single low wage? Currently outgoings are higher than my take home pay but there isn’t much to cut except a few subscriptions. I’ve been getting UC topping up my pay but my youngest leaves education in a couple years so I need to get my outgoings below my wage income before then. I do work full time.

Obviously I’m looking at changing job to a better paying one - but that is easier said than done when all the wages advertised are so low!

My main problem is that cost of living is too high for single wage households!

Sympathies OP, It is so expensive living as a solo householder.

Once your Dc leaves education will they be in a position to work and contribute? Until they leave, in which case could you downsize or re-locate to a cheaper area? Tricky if they go to Uni as they don’t really leave home, they come back in the holidays.

Looking to increase your income would benefit you in the long run, increased pension etc. Are there training schemes or promotion opportunities you could apply for? Any online courses that would improve your chances?

Do you rent or have a mortgage? If the latter, is there any possibility of extending the term to make monthly payments lower?

If you plan to remain in your current home rather than downsize or relocate, and your DC is planning to go to university, and depending on where you live, you could consider letting a bedroom to a student. A friend has this arrangement and it works well: her students leave at the beginning of summer to go home, and that’s when her own student DC returns. Lots of universities operate programmes for matching foreign students in particular as lodgers.

Whilst you’ll lose your UC when your DC is out of education, when they’re working or receiving a student loan then you’ll also lose the costs of their food, clothing and other sundries - which probably amounts to quite a bit.

It probably won't help with the big expenses, but try to cooperate with other households to share costs and mitigate the single-income penalty. We share a car with another family - not feasible for everyone, but an idea to think about. We share a streaming subscription (and rotate it regularly) and an internet connection with next door. DH and I share a mobile phone (little signal locally, so no point in paying for two when one barely functions). We share a small flock of chickens with two other families - splitting the eggs aqnd the care between us. Generally cultivate a culture of favours (lifts not taxis, split the BOGOF deal instead of eating/wasting too much, swap, share, host at home). Capitalism wants us all to stay in our silos and pay for everything individually. Cooperate and share the costs instead!

Can you list all your income and outgoings then perhaps you will get some more informed guidance for your situation?

I always had a second job - think 'agency work at the weekends' type thing.

Some months, my entire full time salary went on bills and stuff. Then, if I'd worked two x Saturdays 8 till 6 the previous month, I would have a couple of hundred extra for food this month.

I have never been without that second job. Bonus points if you give up the odd bank holiday for double time.

If a second job isn't viable, and it wasn't for me and would I think be evey harder as a single parent, maybe do some online surveys. I have done them for decades and do more now as everything is getting so expensive.
Swagbucks are my favourite and I get £10 every 4/5 days. In addition to survey income, you get loads of tops up at the end of the month for all the days you hit your daily goal and then they give you extra points when you hit points levels called Swag Ups. You also get money for online searches and cashback for buying shopping/train tickets etc. When you join and earn 300 points in the first 30 days, they give you a 300 bonus.
www.swagbucks.com/refer/MooWinner

Second favourite: You Gov as you never screen out :
yougov.co.uk/refer/5n4orle6y-iGn-xFyNEk-w/
It's not as good as it was but I get £50 every 3 months ( recurring points for connections section too).

I have to say this is not money for zero effort
However I do them in front of the TV, on public transport , at lunch on a work day and make a few hundred each month so it is worth it.
I started them when I was on maternity leave many moon ago with two completely different panels who I ditched when I found You Gov and then Swagbucks 6 years ago.
Ask for any advice you want.

What outgoings have you got?

After rent it'll be about £1100 left for all bills, food and car. I'm band B for council tax, currently £179 a month (over 10 months), water is £79 (can't get a meter fitted due to the pipes - have already checked this out). Oil - I put away £100 a month into a seperate account so I have enough money to bulk buy as needed. Electric is currently around £80 a month. I rent appliances - around £70 per month (cooker, washing machine and tumble), internet is around £25 a month. Car is £30 tax a year and about £18 insurance, plus whatever petrol I need, roughly £25 a fortnight currently. These are the very basic essentials just to run the house. Then I'll have food to buy, about £100 a month to paying back a couple credit cards (0 % - I could possibly have this paid off by then) and money for other essentials such as clothes or things like MOT and other annual bits and bobs. It is probably just about do able at a push but I would like to get things to a point it is more than just manageable because not having back up savings will worry me and it would be nice to go on the odd night out with friends now and then too!

The most control I'll have is over food.

Any children at home will have to contribute and this might help too.

There have been some great ideas on this thread though - I remember my mum and aunt going shopping together each week and sharing the BOGOF offers.

A second job I can do at home wouldn't be out of the question but I already do long days (we can open 7-6.30 and many shifts are 10-11 hours - I'm getting older and finding it harder to do these kind of days). I'd prefer to find a higher paying day job than more hours, if that makes sense (easier said than done though).

Renting appliances is a very expensive way of having them (unless you mean you’re paying them off and will eventually own them?) and you’d do better to buy reconditioned (or even new - perfectly good basic models would cost you less in total than the £800-plus you spend on renting them each year) and not have that forever cost. It sounds like paying off your credit card debt and not renting appliances will make a big difference to your monthly budget: even if you only take on a second job in terms of some seasonal bar or retail work in the short term, you could hammer those debts down relatively quickly and it won’t be such a big cliff face when your UC stops (and if that’s a couple of years away, you certainly have time.)

How long have you been in your current job? Your experience will count for things like looking to up your pay by applying for e.g. managerial or team leader roles etc. You’ll have transferable skills if you wanted to move industry or sector in search of higher pay.

Another thought. Renting appliances is so expensive. Join freecycle and you can easily pick up appliances free of charge ( though I appreciate you would have to get them home). Also clothes many people give away giant bags of clothes on there too, often BNWT. Good luck.

Your water bill is very high if that's monthly. Even £60 is, I would get it checked.

I love this idea. Need to start thinking about how to implement some of this in my little row of houses.

The trouble is as the OP cannot get a meter she is stuck with it regardless of how much or little she uses.

My united utilities water bill was £74 monthly before they began our metre trial

If your children move out entirely and a water meter isn’t possible you will be eligible for the single person discount. I get it and it’s 50% off the bill.

£1100 for bills (after rent) is tough but certainly doable for one person. Have you done a proper budget?

If you’re only spending £25 per month on petrol you must be barely using the car. Is it even worth keeping?

Finally, if your adult children are living at home they absolutely must contribute to food / household costs. I’d expect at least food, energy, water etc to be split between the adults. I’d probably be willing to cover rent if I could afford to AND they were putting some money into savings themselves.

rent appliances - around £70 per month (cooker, washing machine and tumble

That is a really expensive way to do it. Look second hand. We have had washing machines and tumble dryers for £30/40 from FB marketplace that have been nearly new.

I would look to move to a property that can have a water meter and is cheaper to heat and that comes with the electricals tbh.

Definitely try and get some appliances on facebook/ free cycle. Then save your monthly amount to replace them when needed. Try and pay off your debts. As it sounds like without those two costs you will have enough money.
You need to do a proper list of your expenses though all subscriptions etc and then people can suggest changes.
Apply for any discounts e.g single person council tax, social tariff on Internet etc. There can be cheaper water bills in certain circumstances as well.

You’re currently paying your C Tax over 10 months. Contact your council and ask to pay it over 12 months instead. It won’t save you any money, but will help cash flow.

Can you look at car sharing with a colleague or friend who is going the same way as you and split the costs?
I get all my books from the library and never buy.
For Christmas and birthday I always ask for things that I really need rather than nice presents. Last year I asked my parents to cover December's electric bill as a Christmas present.
Twice per year I have a clear out do a car boot sale. I share the plot with a friend and we split the costs of the plot and petrol. It helps that I have a neighbour is always giving me crap that she doesn't want. It all goes in to the car boot sale bag and you'd be surprised what sells.

You can get water meter rates even if you can't have one fitted - see #2 here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cut-water-bills/#meter

Agreed appliance rental needs to be looked at - see if you can buy on interest free credit, I got really good deals in a Very sale a couple of years ago on a cooker and washing machine when I divorced and was setting up on my own.

I feel your pain with single income and teens getting older - my child benefit 75% covers our monthly food bill, I'd be up more creeks without a paddle than I already am with out it.

Unless you have very high laundry needs due to medical reasons get rid of your tumble dryer totally, we have never had one and also never any damp as we dry in a room with windows open. Also spot clean stuff. I’m old enough to remember washing by hand so you were less fastidious regarding a mark, just wiping off a spot of food on a top for instance.

I love this - I wish I had neighbours I’d want to do this with! What’s the point in every house on the street having a lawnmower, etc - with a bit of organisation we could all do so much more with less.

The appliances have definitely been something I've been considering, buying new (or second hand) while I have the money so that I lose that monthly cost. Especially for the cooker as they rarely have issues - I find the washing machine is the one that needs most attention in regards to having problems. Tumble drier - if I'm on my own - then it is something I could start to do without. It's handy this time of year and I don't currently have much drying space but I might do in the future if rooms become spare. I'm finding it a little difficult to down shift. I had four children so I still tend to over buy food as I'm not used to the reduced amount I need! I need to start making better shopping lists and meal plans as part of this process.

In regards to the car, I do need it where I live as I'm quite rural with poor public transport. I tend to use it for work and shopping but I'm still ferrying my teen about so it is currently necessary. If I made a move into town and changed my job i could potentially lose it although I think I'm at a point where I'm quite spoiled by the convienience of having it! But something to consider in the longer term.

The water bill has already been reduced - it was £95 a month this year which is when I asked about a water meter!

It's a weird time of life when the kids start becoming independant. I had my first when I was 22yo and barely an adult myself and now I'm coming up to 50 and starting to look at reshaping everything for the next part of my life. My ex left when the youngest was only two so I've been raising them single handed for 14 years. I've been in my current job for 12 years at a nursery, so not well paid but did work well around the children when they were little.

Will your DC be staying at home and getting a job if so they can contribute. If they are going to uni you could rent out their room and your DC sleep in with you when home from uni. Renting a room brings in quite a lot of money too.