How much disposable income do you have?

dippykitty

It varies from month to month for me (I'm freelance so income is up and down) but I only usually have something in the region of £100-£150 left most months. On a really good month, maybe £200-£250 but £130 is pretty typical for me.

elvis86

dippykitty wrote: »

It varies from month to month for me (I'm freelance so income is up and down) but I only usually have something in the region of £100-£150 left most months. On a really good month, maybe £200-£250 but £130 is pretty typical for me.

I really don't get it? How do you go out?

A night out for me usually costs at least £30, usually £40+. I don't get to go out every week even with nearly £500 a month. How do people with less manage?

Also, what about holidays? I don't spend a lot on holidays, but in the last 4 months I've been to Dublin for a weekend, Amsterdam for a weekend, and I'm off to Spain next week. Do people never have a holiday?:(

CompletelyLost

elvis86 wrote: »

I really don't get it? How do you go out?

A night out for me usually costs at least £30, usually £40+. I don't get to go out every week even with nearly £500 a month. How do people with less manage?

Also, what about holidays? I don't spend a lot on holidays, but in the last 4 months I've been to Dublin for a weekend, Amsterdam for a weekend, and I'm off to Spain next week. Do people never have a holiday?

Unfortunately not everyone can afford to have holidays in 4-months It's not that I wouldn't love to, I just have other priorities.

Nottoobadyet

Im 22, not single and share a flat with my OH, but TBH its probubly ballanced out by being in London so outgoings arent much lower than living alone elsewhere!

I'd guess that I have about £1,200 left after rent, transport and bills, £750-850 of which goes towards my debt and the rest of which goes towards food, travel etc. I dont go out a lot but do go to the theater from time to time or meet friends in the pub for a drink or two. Of course other, less fun things come out of that as well, like dentistry.

elvis86

Nottoobadyet wrote: »

I'd guess that I have about £1,200 left after rent, transport and bills, £750-850 of which goes towards my debt and the rest of which goes towards food, travel etc. I dont go out a lot but do go to the theater from time to time or meet friends in the pub for a drink or two. Of course other, less fun things come out of that as well, like dentistry.

A massive amount of disposable income, but so much on debt repayments!!! :eek: How did you accumulate so much debt by 22? I'm the same age, can't comprehend that!

Nottoobadyet

Not a cent of it is consumer debt, its exactly the cost of tuition for my MSc. Im paying it off as fast as possible which is why payments are so high, the debt should all be gone by September.

catmiaow

I am debt free but with working part time(trying to get f/t job), do not have as much disposable income and I would like.

Live with OH in my house and he pays for most of the food for a month and pays me money to help with bills. So with that and my income, I get roughly £150 spare per month, depends if 5 week month or if doing over time as it could be more.

Not too bad, hardly buy clothes unless have too and do not go out a lot as always saving for stuff. A the mo for a weeks break in the UK and after that will be for when we move. Always something to save for

hullight

20 years old, have about £300-400 left per month from my salary but seem to spend a lot! Need to train myself to save up.

scottishblondie

elvis86 wrote: »

I really don't get it? How do you go out?

A night out for me usually costs at least £30, usually £40+. I don't get to go out every week even with nearly £500 a month. How do people with less manage?

Also, what about holidays? I don't spend a lot on holidays, but in the last 4 months I've been to Dublin for a weekend, Amsterdam for a weekend, and I'm off to Spain next week. Do people never have a holiday?:(

A night out is in the region of £20-30 for me, depending on how many drinks the OH buys! :P But seriously, I don't go on a proper night out every week. I'm only 24 but I really don't feel the need, and there are other things I would rather spend my money on. I will usually meet my friends for a drink one night and have lunch or dinner out once or twice a week, and I get in the takeaway a couple of times a month.

I don't go on holiday very often, I don't really have the time TBH and as my OH is a teacher we can only go away together at certain times. However, I am in the fortunate position of getting to go abroad for conferences a couple of times a year so I'll usually take a week on my own then, paid for out of the money I put into savings. As I don't pay for the flights it's a pretty cheap way to see the world!

niccatw

In the last three years I've been abroad 3 times, all of these were no longer than 3 days as I just don't have the spare cash - but then I'm putting £600 pm toward debts.

In terms of disposable income, when I was discusing buying my house with the broker, they expect you to have £200 spare after everything, so you can - supposedly - cope if the price of everything goes up! On paper I did have. In reality, it was only once I bought my flat that I knuckled down and sorted out a budget as now I've a lot more to lose.