how would you cope (financially) alone?

picklekin

This is something I worry about in the back of my mind, my husband earns 4 times what I do... I don't know if its fatalistic but I've worked out I'd manage, just. A lot of the "nice" things would have to go but I'd be OK. My husband also has life insurance which would pay a good amount of the mortgage and without that outgoing I'd be in a good place.

Emotionally, I'm not so sure!

pink_princess

I'd be alright financially as we keep our overheads to the level of one wage anyway.

I teach my children to the same, Dd1 is thinking she might move out next year with her partner. Dd is at uni so only has a bursery, her partner has a good income. We are working their budget out excluding his wage. That then leaves them his wage for enjoying life and savings etc.

Dunroamin

We're retired and will lose half the household income when my husband dies but with only about a third less outgoings. We're trying to put away the difference in preparation but I'll be glad when the mortgage is finished.

stir_crazy

I earn less than DH just now, so we arranged our mortgage and household bills to be low enough that if he couldn't work or contribute to the bills for some reason then I could cover all the costs on my wage.

So if I found myself on my own for any reason then I could at least afford to keep the house, although I'd be eating much cheaper food and could only see my friends if they visited me. And took their own teabags and biscuits

mjdh1957

My partner has a serious cancer and is currently undergoing another course of chemotherapy.

We had a civil partnership a few years back, so my rights are secure. He also took ill health retirement a little over a year ago so has a huge lump sum but no pension. Our property is mortgage-free and we have no debts.

If he dies, then I will get a generous survivor's pension, and I earn a good living from my own self-employment.

So I would be very comfortably off and able to cope, at least financially.

Prothet_of_Doom

If I split from my wife, I'd have half a house, and half my pension, half her pension and half our savings. I'd be fine.
She'd be forced to admit that she couldn't work full time, and would have to claim the benefits for her disability (Chronic Fatigue ME), the benefits she won't claim now because she doesn't want the stress.
If she died, I'd be fine financially, but end up in a drunken lonely forgotten state, because (apparently) I'm unable to cope alone.
If I died, and she invested the life insurance money, in BtL's she would have to work again. But she wouldn't and would put it in the bank and gradually spend it on chocolate. (joking about the chocolate)

SandC

I've always lived alone since leaving my parents at 23 and I manage well, you can't have everything in life. If I got a live in partner who had a job and wasn't debt ridden (if he was he wouldn't be living with me anyway!) we would feel very comfortably off.

I do feel for those who have been married or lived with a partner and then have to start again because whatever your circumstances, and it's not necessarily about 'relying' on someone else's income, a reduction in the money coming into a household will hit hard in the early days.

Fluff15

I would be okay, but I'd be living a lot more frugally than I am now and I'd probably have to find somewhere cheaper to rent. However, this means I'd be able to move closer to work, saving £100 a month on petrol! I'd also be saving money on food shopping - most of the money goes on my OH's food. When I was a student I coped fine. I'd also get rid of the TV, so no sky or license to pay either.

System

I'd be stuffed if I'm honest. If we divorced he could take half of my house. If he died I doubt if I could afford to maintain it.

fashionlover10

I'd be out on the streets if OH left me in any way. I only work part time and am really struggling with my health at the moment so I couldn't afford the rent let alone the bills.