Living off £100 a week for one person after bills - do you class that as 'doing ok,' 'doing well,' or 'struggling'?

[user1499590110]

Just that really. I want to hear people's opinions before explaining what was said on this date (let's just say our views clashed hugely..)

But I appreciate i have a warped perspective when it comes to money as dh earns well

Sounds like a lot to me if all bills are paid so I'd say doing ok

I have about £185 to live on for myself after all bills, travel and rent are paid. Usually works out at about £60 food shop, £70 savings and £55 on spending money.

For me day to day it's ok, but I struggle when unexpected things happen (like having car rear light smashed last night ) or a night out

I think it is the wrong way to look at struggling/ doing tbh. For me, what is important for determining how well someone is coping financially would be how much they have saved over a year or years- the rainy day left over money in a savings account once the bills, and personal spending are taken care of. I think it doesn't matter so much if you have £100 or £1000 per week if the person is spending like a lunatic on stuff they don't want or need, just because they have the money there.

People become unstuck financially by not having any savings for an emergency, a holiday, a car, a washing machine...it is those people that are preyed upon by pay day loan companies, and it is those people who I see as really struggling. Of course there are people who are struggling due to no fault of their own (i.e. they have low income) and those people who are struggling because they don't make wise decisions with the money coming in (i.e. gambling, spending like no tomorrow, buying everything brand new, paying on credit).

Sounds like plenty to me too!

Depends where you live - I'm in London so £100 a week is a stretch

For one person Not? So you'd want 800 free a week to be not struggling as a family of 4 - 3200 disposable a month!? 40 grand a year after bills.... thats truly loaded!!

To live comfortable I'd say you need approx 150-200 a week to live on after bills paid.
But I live in London where it seems you need a big income to get by.

More info needed. It depends on what has to be paid with it

For me it's about quality of life so I earn less and live more. Comparing yourself and income to others is pointless. You could be dead tomorrow

I'd say just about ok. £30 on food and toiletries. £25 spending money a week (that buys a book, a cheap lunch out and a cinema trip each week), and £45 a week saved towards clothes, Christmas, haircuts and holidays (so say £45 a month on clothes, £45 on a haircut every other month, so £22.50 a month, £22.50 a month towards Christmas, that leaves £90 a month saved for a holiday).

Most students manage to live on this amount for three years....

ten years ago after my mortgage I had 100 a week. single... so it was 30 quid petrol. 20 quid for sat night out...30 for food and 20 for any thing else. it was tight and things like petrol were much cheaper then.

Struggling.
We have £135 to live on. That includes electric meter, food and travel.

Struggling definitely, it isn't enough.

I think it depends on context. DS had about that as a student with his phone, gym and car at home paid for. We thought that very generous and he finished uni without an overdraft.

Depends on his background security and once all bills are paid for. Utilities, rent and council tax not great but if "bills" means what's left after: mortgage, utilities, car, insurances, phone, gym, pension, savings, etc, then it's ok.

It would be ok in the short term, but longer term how do you manage when you need a new fridge, washing machine or boiler?

You would struggle to save for these and neither would you have enough spare money to pay on credit.

For one person, I'd say that was doing ok. You'd be able to eat properly and have enough money for essentials. But there wouldn't be much left over for a social life or holidays, etc.

100 after all bills except food for a single person I think is ok.
£35 for a weeks shop? Leaves £65... I'd put £15 a week back for bday/xmas and spend the £50 on clothes/shoes/books/coffe stops etc

On face of it struggling however, i think other factors such as property equity, trust funds & whether or not savings/pension contributions are included prior to remaining cash

£100 a week for one person? I'd say that's doing well! At one point I had £40 a week for a family of four, and we just about managed.

We have that each (DH and I) but after all food, bills, car savings and joint savings) so it's purely recreational money. Fine just to 'spend' but not if food and travel has to be deducted.

Flower I'd be saving around £100 a week on that. I think it'd go down with more people so I'd say £250 for one or £400 for a couple and kids are just added on. Food shop wouldn't increase just change items. Obvs you go out less as a couple and when you have kids.

Depends where you live and work as well. I'm in London so travel is a big chunk and unavoidable. Dinner out once a week and drinks once a week is £50 gone easily.

Doing well seems to mean different things to people. Scrimping by on a £35 food shop is not doing well to me thats breadline economy. I spend more than £35 on fruit and veg alone just for me! Doing well is being able to afford what you want or easily saving for it.

I think it depends what needs to be paid out of that £100 per week. I have about £1000 disposable per month, as in available after all bills, petrol, food and hobbies have been budgeted for. I opt to save a fair chunk of that per month for holidays, rainy days and any inevitable surprises that crop during the month so generally give myself an allowance of about £100 per week but that is purely spending money as all regular outgoings have already been budgeted for. I don't feel particularly stretched, but appreciate others might.

Over £400 per month left after bills including food. I'd say that's rolling in it.

I don't think I have anywhere near that much and I feel pretty comfortable.

What are you including in 'bills' here? I feel I must be missing something