How much do you need to be happy

Spendless

toozie wrote:

Remember 15/16 years ago, there wasn't Family Tax Credit etc to top up low wage.


Money was very very tight when DD2 had her first birthday, and I decided I had no option but to go back to work-part time. This was the turning point, more money was coming in, I wasn't as bothered to have a day out, as I was getting out during the week to work.

toozie do you mind telling us what you did about childcare when you returned to work. Your situation is similar to the one I had only 6 years ago (tax credits didn't come in till April 2003). Very fortunately for me I was able to find a weekend/evening job and my nan could look after my son in the interim till hubby got home.

SammyD_2

When my husband and I got together 10 years ago, we earned very little, just enough to pay the bills and have a bit left over...we now have what most people would call a substantial income, with a low mortgage. We were happy 10 years ago, and are happy now.

As I write this, my two year old has a cereal box on his head and is pretending he is a scary monster with his father and our six month old is giggling. It is moments like these which make you happy, not money. Although of course if you are miserable and wealthy, money will by a more comfortable sort of misery!

toozie_2

Spendless wrote:

toozie do you mind telling us what you did about childcare when you returned to work. Your situation is similar to the one I had only 6 years ago (tax credits didn't come in till April 2003). Very fortunately for me I was able to find a weekend/evening job and my nan could look after my son in the interim till hubby got home.

I went back to the bank, 3 days a week (not in the same job now tho) one day they were with a childminder, one day with a friend...but I had her boy every Monday to help her, and one day with my mum...she wouldn't have been able to cope for any more days. Things got much better when they were both in school.

Bogof_Babe

I am hoping that after a combined 70 years in work, I and my husband can now live off the interest on our savings (now including our redundancy pay-outs), plus hub's very small pension, which will net us about £1,000 a month in total.

We have no mortgage now, and a very modest lifestyle - only go out socially every couple of months, and never have takeaways. Don't need holidays, we enjoy being at home too much. No Sky TV etc. If there's nothing on TV, there usually is on the Radio.

The only bugbear in our calculations is the dreaded Council Tax. £150 per month last year, goodness knows how much this year .

The last thing to go will be Broadband :grinheart .

toozie_2

toozie wrote:

I went back to the bank, 3 days a week (not in the same job now tho) one day they were with a childminder, one day with a friend...but I had her boy every Monday to help her, and one day with my mum...she wouldn't have been able to cope for any more days. Things got much better when they were both in school.

I would have loved an evening job too, but hubby worked erratic hours then and still does now. So he could have been home by 5pm or at 11pm, just depands on the 'job' of the day, and the location. So nowhere along the line could I depend on him to have the kids etc.

tango

my sister and hubby have a very good salary now, but even though they are well off they now mix with people even better off than themselves, so they still have to budget, but on a different level to me!!
my grandad always said "no good will ever come of having to have two incomes as you always live upto your income, and then become trapped"
the point is the more uncomplicated our lives can be, the better, health and happiness cannot be bought :kisses:

Spendless

Bogof_Babe wrote:

I am hoping that after a combined 70 years in work, I and my husband can now live off the interest on our savings (now including our redundancy pay-outs), plus hub's very small pension, which will net us about £1,000 a month in total.

We have no mortgage now, and a very modest lifestyle - only go out socially every couple of months, and never have takeaways. Don't need holidays, we enjoy being at home too much. No Sky TV etc. If there's nothing on TV, there usually is on the Radio.

The only bugbear in our calculations is the dreaded Council Tax. £150 per month last year, goodness knows how much this year .

The last thing to go will be Broadband :grinheart .

Do you know about pension credits? My nan gets about £2 a month top up(small private pension) but also gets help with council tax and because she has this benefit (however small) it has entitled her to other things, eg bulky items (old furniture) removed foc. Check here www.entitledto.com

Spendless

toozie wrote:

I would have loved an evening job too, but hubby worked erratic hours then and still does now. So he could have been home by 5pm or at 11pm, just depands on the 'job' of the day, and the location. So nowhere along the line could I depend on him to have the kids etc.

I think you meant to quote me;) . After I packed in the evening job due to ill-health in pregnancy with youngest DH started working erratic hours too and also working away from home. At the same time MIL and nan had severe health problems and couldn't help me out.So I've been at home full-time again for past 2.5 years. I only returned to work as a dinner lady last year cos nan was able to have youngest for just over an hour a day whilst eldest was in school. We don't qualify for childcare help via the tax credit system due to having to add on hubbys benefits in kind onto income. What I am very grateful for is the childcare voucher scheme offered by DH employer. That and the funding children get after 3 has enabled me to return to college prior to looking for work.

nearlyrich

I know quite a few peple who earn more than £30K and some of them are far from happy, if you need money to make you happy you will never have enough, think about Victoria Beckham, she never looks happy to me and she can afford to burn £20 notes on a daily basis.

I have my family & friends, a warm comfortable home and I am still on speaking terms with all my siblings, plus a job that I love and it pays well, I am very happy thanks.

Bogof_Babe

Thanks for the suggestion Spendless, but as we have quite a lot of savings capital (hence being able to manage on just the interest earned) I doubt we'd be entitled to any supplementary income. I would feel cheeky applying for any actually, even though our stash is wholely due to our frugality during the major part of our lives.

If we find we start eating into our capital in a big way, then obviously we'd have to review the situation. I can't see it happening though - I find £12K p.a. is ample, every time I do the sums. Unless there is something huge that I'm overlooking :doh: .