what do you live on?

Soapn

saidan wrote: »

of £2K spare each month we can spend between £250 - £1k

the rest is saved........

we may spend it on - takeaways, days out, broken washing machine or similar, childrens shoes, new computer games, bike repairs, vet bills etc......

we do not budget the £2k spare - if we need something we buy it, but i would look for the best buy. likewise if we don't need it but want it - then we would consider for a while before shelling out IYKWIM

if we know we have expenses coming up we cut down in other ways - eg kids need new shoes (£40 each) so we won't have a take-away that week. or we had an expensive day out last week so this week so go to the park and spend only on an ice-cream.

for us it all balances out - without making me feel 'what have i got to show for us working this hard?'

hth.

if you have that much spare a month....I thought it cost a fortune because of your kids' disabilities which is why you claim DLA?

turtlemoose

Wow, after everything that has to be paid, I don't have anything left.

I own a house (mortgaged) but partner and I have moved in together somewhere else (rented) since end of Nov 2011 - however I only got a tenant for my place at the start of this month, so paying all that and associated costs as well as another household has been financially crippling.

(and before anyone says, no we can't live at the old house, long story but it's just not going to happen, and I can't sell it because of massive negative equity)

However now I have a tenant (which makes me break even on the house once you pay mortgage, LL insurance, tax and £50pm maintenance savings) - I will now have £465 a month because I'm not paying the mortgage etc out of my own money. I will be putting £400 in the household pot, and will keep £65 'spends' for myself.

That will last for 2 months, and then I go on maternity leave end of May so will be back to my partner paying the lion's share, I will have zero non-essential spends, and my existing commitments (like car insurance, loan etc) will be paid out of the large interest free money transfer I did on my Virgin card - interest free period runs out just as I return to work, so I'll still have no 'spends' as I'll be paying off that card.

I estimate I will have some personal spends money at around, oh, March 2014!!

I'll be using ebay etc and surveys and so on to try to make extra money - that will be used to buy Xmas prez and so on, but it's going to be a tight few years!

Humphrey10

Soapn wrote: »

if you have that much spare a month....I thought it cost a fortune because of your kids' disabilities which is why you claim DLA?

DLA isn't (and shouldn't be) means tested.

Pee

I have £1000 spare a month and my boyfriend could have any amount between next to nothing and £2,000.

My bills are next to nothing, but we do need to run two cars and there is a lot of petrol for my commute to work.

I think we lead a very extravagant lifestyle with the spare money. I am very careful that everything we spend is a bargain, but that can mean great reduced rates on lovely hotels sometimes.

We don't have children, not through choice, and I do feel that it's important that we make the most of not having them so that when I think about that, I know that I would have to give up an awful lot for a baby and sometimes I genuinely wonder would it be worth it.

honey10

After all the bills/repayments/petrol we have about £200 a month to do food, clothes, trips etc for 2 adults.

LandyAndy

Enough......

alias*alibi

Can't help feel this thread is mainly being used as a p!ssing contest.

milliebear00001

About £1000 for food and everything else. No idea what that all disappears to as we are permanently broke!

Two adults and two children.

moneypuddle

Ours varies (as both of our wages are heavily dependent on bonuses) but somewhere between £400 on a bad month and £800 on a good month. We also save £500 a month though so if we had a really terrible month we would just save a little less. That's me myself, and my OH and will soon be for a baby too.

aylithuk

Me, Boyfriend and Cat ( Only 1 wage coming in right now as OH is still looking for work )

£162.50 for the month after all household bills, rent, food, travel costs (1 bus pass as we don't own a car), mobile, 1 small debt and small amount of savings (£100).

All my savings in my signature have come from selling stuff on ebay, bonus from work and the £100 savings.

I know it could be worse and when the OH get a job maybe we can look at savings for a house, starting a family or going out for meals again......sorry just feeling it tonight given I am 31 this year and I thought I'd at least have house by now