If you didn't have mortgage payments or school fees, how much would/could your household live on?

[InnerBlonde]

Am doing some sums for us, and wondering how much bills, food, insurances, (one) car's running costs, basic clothes, odd day out, etc, amount to for other families; what the cost of a fairly modest existence is, with mortgage and any school fees taken out of the equation.

If you roughly know this figure, please say how many adults and children are in your household too.

Many thanks.

Really interesting to read more posts. Am enjoying this thread. Thanks.

Riven, as another poster said (and again, not meant at all patronisingly), you're an example to us all.

Because I'm unattached, and have only DS, not going out much at all would drive me (and him) insane, I reckon. So I need to budget for this, even if it's a light meal or a few drinks once a week with friends, and a trip with DS maybe once a month.

BTW, we don't pay school fees, but I know a fair few mums on here do, so I figured it was worth asking what household outgoings would be not including the mortgage or school fees, since these would obviously skew figures a lot.

Is £70 cheap?
We pay monthly by direct debit £35 each - and I got £80 back last month on the electric.
We are very tight with the heating as the boiler is in DS1 room and I don't like it on when he's in bed.
So the heating only goes on when we get up for about 1/2 hour. And it goes on for about 2 hours in the evening until they are in bed at 7.30.

I guess as we are out of the house most days as I work part-time that makes a difference on the electric too.

pippy your council tax seems awfully cheap too - here in Devon we are paying £126 per month, which I think IIRC is taken over 10 months, so means our yearly rate is £1260, a lot more even than my SIL pays in London, and we only have a 3-bed terrace.

We are in the sticks so no mains gas, we are tied to Shell liquid gas their prices went up times last year. At present we pay £90 per month, plus £40 for elec. The gas has doubled in price over the past 3 years.

Phew, whinge over. Sorry chaps.

You know one variable that increases in cost over the years? Children!! I have two teenagers and oh boy are they expensive! It's things like hockey sticks & trips to the cinema with their mates. Bless 'em.

Shell prices went up 8 times last year.

Your right my council tax is cheap because I have typed the wrong amount

• it's £120 per month for 10 months...... ooops! {blush}

I know we are lucky to beon mains gas - my IL's are on oil and my FIL paid over £1000 last year to heat their house.