You always get used to living to a standard that your earnings will support. I have no idea how I used to live on £30K tbh but I'm sure if I had to, I could.
Families need £36,800 to live acceptably.....
- Thread starter Castiel
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You always get used to living to a standard that your earnings will support. I have no idea how I used to live on £30K tbh but I'm sure if I had to, I could.
My mother said to me (single mum with 5 kids at home and me at uni) If she was on around £22k a year she would have more money than she could spend. These figures to me based on my own upbringing seem huge. I live relatively comfortable on the 5k a year I get in student finance. My only struggle is luxury computer parts. That said I don't run a car as I live in the city.
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Caporegime
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That means your rent/mortgage is 400 quid a month or less and you spend literally nothing on anything else
Caporegime
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Big difference between being a student and living alone, 5k is nothing that would put me out on the street without doubt...... Well back home with parents.
£308 shared accommodation. with 2 mates. Surprisingly good place actually. Of course im not comparing my outgoings and situation to someone out of education and working. And like I said I don't run a vehicle or have any dependants (or tax for that matter) But still im accustomed to living off a very tight budget.
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Sounds like you need to move to a higher paid profession then dude, i am paying my plasterers £150/day cash in hand which is miles above min wage (as a random example), so it isnt hard to earn significantly above min wage for something which is not at all mentally taxing if you put your mind to training at something
Soldato
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Sounds like you need to move to a higher paid profession then dude, i am paying my plasterers £150/day cash in hand which is miles above min wage (as a random example), so it isnt hard to earn significantly above min wage for something which is not at all mentally taxing if you put your mind to training at something
yeh, I want to retrain, have been considering doing distance learning on a Law or Accountancy course or something. but then something pops up and I get proper low, so don't see the point.
Associate
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I live on 13k a year (before tax) in London and its very tough. Most of the time I don't have much left after each month. I can't even remember the last time I bought myself anything just because I wanted to. Saying that though I'm pretty happy. I eat well and don't live on the street.
Soldato
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what?!?! i earn a bit more than you but not enough to get tax credits (i only work 4 days a week) yet with tax credits you get a fair bit more. what the hell?!?!
do you have 1 or 2 kids? live in london?
I did the test, seems I'm in the top 10% if I put in my after tax income - it's crazy that people can defend wages so inflated when a majority of the population suffer living on the breadline & are one family disaster/financial mess-up away from poverty.
It could be worse, we could be in the USA in which most of the population are one medical condition away from poverty.
It could be worse, we could be in the USA in which most of the population are one medical condition away from poverty.
Soldato
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maybe they had them before the recession.... our family was around £25k a year better off before the recession.
maybe try to think before you spout off.
You would be better retraining into a trade in my opinion. You can retrain inside 6 months. A lot of the tradesmen i know and use make very good livings for what they do.
What annoys me is that it's the chavs who don't work reproducing the most and taking every handout possible and spending it on things like TVs, booze, takeaways and cigarettes. The hard working responsible folk are putting off or even not having kids at all because they decide that they can't afford it, and if they do it's often only one child.
Where do you think this will lead? Not looking good for the future IMO.
The system should make it more difficult for those who have no intention of ever working, and easier for the middle, who are actually more financially capable of having children. I have no idea how this could be achieved though now, I think gate has been open far too long and the horse has already bolted.
Where do you think this will lead? Not looking good for the future IMO.
The system should make it more difficult for those who have no intention of ever working, and easier for the middle, who are actually more financially capable of having children. I have no idea how this could be achieved though now, I think gate has been open far too long and the horse has already bolted.
Soldato
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you just joined the 1% of the forum who doesnt seem to want the poor to starve i wish the super rich were as generous.
Soldato
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but how do I support myself whilst learning a trade for 6months?
I don't have a safety net as I really didn't see the split coming so I shelled out on things I didn't need, but at the time could afford (sky, broadband, mobile......) and its killing me. Personally, I have gone a week living on just bread as I couldn't afford to eat that week.
if I could have foreseen the situation and not signed up to the contracts then I would be 'ok', but not comfortable.
Soldato
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1 child, combined income of approximately 27k basic gross, one PC, one rusty old banger, a 5 year old TV and an Xbox 360. Child benefit no tax credits, no holidays, my wife and I don't smoke or drink.
Our life is relatively comfortable, but when my wife returns to work we're going to really struggle due to the cost of childcare, if her work doesn't allow her to work part time then some months she will be taking home £16 after childcare.
Our life is relatively comfortable, but when my wife returns to work we're going to really struggle due to the cost of childcare, if her work doesn't allow her to work part time then some months she will be taking home £16 after childcare.
The problem is that it's based on a survey of people's perceptions.
I am pretty sure this morning on tv they said the figure needed had risen 25% in the last 4 years as 4 years ago people questioned didn;t say you needed a 5 year old car to have a socially acceptable standard of living.
People think you shold have more and more nowadays.
I don;t have time to read the report in full but I bet it says for the 2 kid family that both kids should have mobiles, their own tv in their bedroom and their own computer each.....
I am pretty sure this morning on tv they said the figure needed had risen 25% in the last 4 years as 4 years ago people questioned didn;t say you needed a 5 year old car to have a socially acceptable standard of living.
People think you shold have more and more nowadays.
I don;t have time to read the report in full but I bet it says for the 2 kid family that both kids should have mobiles, their own tv in their bedroom and their own computer each.....