What's your life situation like living on minimum wage?

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yalliepants@reddit

Live with partner and our child (toddler). Partner lost their job 2 months ago and can't find work despite trying as hard as possible. I'm working overtime completely burnt out. Savings completely gone. Can't pay the bills next month. No idea what we're going to do. He can't apply for benefits/help as he isn't a citizen. Completely fed up of things getting better then life bending us over with a cactus in hand.

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ServerLost@reddit

Your partner might be able to claim JSA depending on how long they've been working in the UK, worth a shot https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/apply-new-style-jsa

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yalliepants@reddit

Thank you, but he can't as they are considered "public funds" which would be a breach of his visa.

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

Praying for you family. Job market is a comppete joke. I remeber my parents telling me they could leave a job one week, the have one secured by the next week in their day. I know times have changed, but it should never take more than a few weeks, month max, to secure a job. The process is abysmall.

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yalliepants@reddit

Far too abysmal. Part of the problem is that he wasn't given any warning. The company went into liquidation within 3 days of telling anyone they were having issues. I've spent so long trying to rebuild my credit so we could maybe start saving to buy a house but the only way we're eating next month is by destroying that. The world is fucked. Thank you for your kind thoughts.

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WheresMyFlamingo@reddit

They will find something if they keep up the consistency tell them to keep their chin up and that they're doing their best. Been out of work and I know how hard it can be.

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yalliepants@reddit

They're trying and so am I but it is useless. It's depressing knowing there is money we need now locked away in a pension that I will likely never be able to use too. Sorry to be so depressing. It's just hopeless at the moment.

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PipBin@reddit

When I was on minimum wage with two incomes we could buy a house! But that was back in the 100% mortgage days!

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gothycarebear@reddit

I earn about 20k a year due to the nature of my job. I absolutely love my job and would never leave to a different career purely for more money.

I rent, get the bus everywhere, and have a strict budget for my weekly food shop that I have to stick to. I even have a spreadsheet which I track my spending on- having to manually add it in somehow makes me double think any non-necessary purchases. I live with my partner and, as he earns significantly more than me, we split shared bills about 60/40 which is a massive help. I don’t have any family to ask for money, but I’m okay with that. If I can’t afford it, or save up for it, I don’t buy it. When I lived by myself and earned even less I had about £20 left over each month after bills. That was hard, so I’m grateful for where I’m at now.

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UnrivalledPG@reddit

Perfect in the north-west!

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

3rd reply ive seen praise the north for its cheapness! Seems like a hidden finacial gem up there.

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Intelligent_Mud_2267@reddit

We live in a large NW town, my wife and I earn just above min wage. We live in a lovely 3 story town house on a beautiful street.

House prices are the real killer elsewhere in the country, I'm sure our house would be worth double or triple it's value if situated further south and no way we could've afforded to live there.

I really feel for people struggling to just survive because they happen to live somewhere unaffordable through no fault of their own.

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blackberry_sorbet@reddit

Living and renting alone with no dependants. Don’t own a house or even a car.

I get by. I used to live in Glasgow but rent kept going up and my salary didn’t, so I moved to a smaller city. I can’t afford extravagant things, but I’m not worrying about every penny like I used to.

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johnnycarrotheid@reddit

Not bad actually. Scotland.

Full time, pennies over £13p/h.

£340 mortgage, £140 council tax, £100 gas/electric, No car/No travel as 5 mins walk to work. Big bills approx £600 from £1600 wage. £1000 a month to feed and pay netflix etc for me and kid I have 50/50.

Comfortable tbh

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Crafty_Ambassador443@reddit

Everyone I seem to know who is penniless/on the breadline has a family member who bails them out

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Pedantichrist@reddit

I do not understand how it is acceptable. I work 12 hour shifts on a 999 ambulance for the NHS, with nights and lots of overruns, sometimes responding to the very sickest patients and worst emergencies, alone, yet my pre-tax earnings last year were quite lot less than £24k.

I have a family of 5, and that will not even house them.

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GothicPlate@reddit

Criminally underpaid you guys work very hard! I definitely feel you guys should be on 35k at least. Literally saving lives, thanks for what you guys do.

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Royal_Community_9626@reddit

Why did you have 3 kids while on minimum wage and you evidently work part time?

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O_C_Demon@reddit

Don't be a dick. Life isnt always a series of perfect decisions and choices.

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ExternalSalad5212@reddit

It's not but you don't do a bad decision 3 times and then complain. I agre that support for people who want family should be more but I am 26 and I cannot imagine having family until I am on at least £50 000 and that's in South Wales

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O_C_Demon@reddit

Well bully for you pal. Im 45 and now on disability benefits after working since 16. Mostly on NMW

Imagine you lose your 50k job and, shock horror, have to work for NMW. I bet you'd have a different attitude.

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ExternalSalad5212@reddit

Shock horror when you hit 50k and put away a good chunk while paying insurance and income protection. Life is about planning and it sucks when people have it hard but I used to have it shit and I work 24/7.

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O_C_Demon@reddit

Well you dont work 24/7. Not everyone is in the position you are. The "I had it shit but look at me now, why cant you do the same" bullshit is ridiculous.

Life is absolutely not about planning at all. Its about blind luck.

I suggest you try a bit of empathy.

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ExternalSalad5212@reddit

Nobody had empathy for me when I struggled and I give back to people more than I received. I am sorry that you're in this position but a good chunk of people who have kids and struggling are the ones responsible for their choices.

My parents had me way too young and I struggled when sometimes there wasn't enough money for necessities. It was all due to decisions and bad luck where my father nearly died. So don't get me with the 'i have/had it worse bullshit ".

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O_C_Demon@reddit

You sound like a swell guy.

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ExternalSalad5212@reddit

Nothing else to say? Thanks for your input and have a wonderful day 👍

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O_C_Demon@reddit

All I can say is you're ridiculous appeal to bootstrapping shows a basic lack of a grasp of reality.

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ExternalSalad5212@reddit

45 year old commenter here btw. I didn't make this world this way. I won't waste more time on you since all you can say that people don't know reality when they have a different view point to yours

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O_C_Demon@reddit

Whatever mate. You were 26 earlier....

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ExternalSalad5212@reddit

I am talking about you being 45 ;)

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Mickleshake@reddit

That's absurd. Kids are expensive and you should absolutely build a solid foundation before starting a family but over half of the country would be excluded from having children if they had to wait until they earn £50k a year (many never do).

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ExternalSalad5212@reddit

If my partner has to drop her jobs so she can take care of kids, 50k is literally NMW X2. I don't see a shock here

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Pedantichrist@reddit

I work full time.

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MrCrystalMighty@reddit

Circumstances change dear

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Kaizer0711@reddit

Because I bet you're so perfect?

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surruss@reddit

Wow. Terrible reply mate. You have no idea of someone’s circumstances.

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

I feel for you. how many hours a week do you do. I thought minimum wage last year around 24k ish? And are you on any type of benefits?

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Pedantichrist@reddit

2024-2025 (my last P60).

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CelDidNothingWrong@reddit

I thought EMTs start at band 4 / 27k?

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Pedantichrist@reddit

Bottom of band 3 for the first 2 years.

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I_I--COBRA--I_I@reddit

It's alright up north if you live away from city centres and you live with someone who is also earning

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idreaminlowercase@reddit

I moved from the south to the north a few months back and I will say it’s a lot easier financially

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GrabOk460@reddit

Im in south east & divorcing and it’s realistically looking like I may have to do this. I have no support network or skills/education. My main fear is moving there then not being able to find a minimum wage job.

Im trying to learn the process of buying a place/mortgage etc but it’s so confusing & overwhelming.

No backup or safety net should things go bad is also very concerning. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated

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sich_freuen_auf@reddit

Martin Lewis has a really good step by step first time buyer guide on his website that explains all the steps and the purpose of each one

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Ready_Ad_1421@reddit

If your willing to take warehouse work you’ll likely have no problem finding work at all mate, try agencies

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CMR1891@reddit

Sorry to hear you’re going through all that. I just wanted to chip in and say that getting a mortgage is not as difficult or overwhelming as it seems as long as you have a deposit. I know a lot of people choose to use mortgage brokers, but this only incurs costs that don’t need to be incurred.

As someone who was clueless about it, I managed by myself. All you need to do is make an offer on a house, go online and get a mortgage in principle which is just a piece of paper to say you’re good for the money (I chose to have my mortgage with my bank so that’s where I applied for this). Once you have that and your offer is accepted, you arrange a meeting with your lender and they just look through your finances and the details of the mortgage and tell you whether you have been accepted. They will also talk to you about things like surveys and insurance. I ended up getting my survey and insurance through my lender as it wasn’t expensive and it was a lot simpler to keep everything in one place. When you’ve been accepted, you find a conveyancing solicitor and they will handle everything from there. You may have to push them at times because they aren’t the quickest, but they can also answer any questions you may have.

I would say a good resource that I used was Money Saving Expert and solicitors websites can be handy too for any questions you may have.

I know it seems like a convoluted, but once you’re in it, it’s surprisingly easy and everyone is very helpful. I hope this helps. Happy to try and answer any questions you may have, although I’m not an expert

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CMR1891@reddit

Just to add, some mortgage lenders want to know that you have security in your job, so moving jobs could be an issue. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t at least try. If you have any questions, you can most likely arrange a meeting with a mortgage advisor at your bank and they can talk you through the process. That is what they’re there for

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GrabOk460@reddit

Thanks very much that’s very helpful. I like the idea of keeping everything in one place also. I don’t have a deposit yet as divorce hasn’t finalised but I’ve luckily found a job in starting Monday in a factory. ATM Im thinking I need 12 months payslips from the job and to save in the meantime/learn how to do all this. I was thinking of getting a credit card to raise credit score during these 12 months also, mine is only 590 as never had credit.

I have accommodation I can stay at for the first year of this job but the accommodation is not permanent and could end at any time, Im hoping it doesn’t though.

How have you found the entry level/minimum wage job market up north?

Thanks

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CMR1891@reddit

You’re welcome and it sounds like things are looking up for you. I’ve never had credit either and it didn’t seem to matter to my mortgage lender. I actually organised a meeting with my bank before putting an offer down as I was panicking about that and the fact that I had a £200 overdraft that I occasionally go into. The lady said ‘does the overdraft get paid back every month when you get paid?’ I said yes and she said ‘well then, there’s nothing to worry about. If anything, it makes us feel better about lending you money’.

They looked through my bank statements for ten minutes, realised I wasn’t frivolous with direct debits coming out of my ears and then told me I’d been accepted. I think the overwhelming part is the overthinking involved in it. The banks are used to people coming in who have never had a mortgage before and are really helpful!

Unfortunately, I can’t really help with the job market side of things as I’ve been in the same job for nine years now.

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Effective_Topic_4728@reddit

I moved from the South to the midlands a few years ago and it was the best decision I've ever made. I don't earn mega money but I'm comfortable. The same salary down south would still mean I'm poor.

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FlatCapNorthumbrian@reddit

It’ll be easier in some parts of the UK. 40 hour week on minimum wage is £26,436.80. Even easier if there’s two of you working full time since that’ll be £52,873.60.

It would be pretty easy to live together as a couple in the North East on that. Still possible on your own as well, especially if you have no debts.

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PhilosophyFormer4609@reddit

Between housing benefit and UC on minimum wage its not to bad. Yeah I cant afford a car but I can still afford to travel every 3-4 months so it ain't to bad. I dont get takeaways and I dont drink or smoke so thats a huge chunk saved. Im able to walk to work and I live in the rougher area of my city so rent is fairly cheap (£525 for a top floor studio, shared laundry facilities). With council tax and bills its about £650 a month. All my stuff i get off of Facebook or wants. My clothes from vinted. And every now and then ill treat myself to a lol flight away somewhere (its almost the same or cheaper than visiting London to fly to another country from my nearest airport). All in all its doable, and quite a simple life as long you dont go crazy spending. Also dont live in the city centre, its the worse place to live financially, for transport just get a secondhand bike off of Facebook market place for £100 and you're sorted.

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PhilosophyFormer4609@reddit

Also always hostels when traveling, never hotels, those are way above my budget.

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Spaceraider22@reddit

I work 30 hours a week at minimum wage. It’s not a permanent thing just for a while after finishing university ( I hope)

I earn around £1500 a month.

Rent = £300 - town in Scotland living in a 2 person flat with a friend. Total rent is £650 but he has the bigger room so pays more.

Car = ~£200. I drive a 1l, pay insurance yearly it’s about £500. £40 a month petrol, £20 yearly road tax. Needed a lot of repairs recently so I would reckon if you averaged it out it’s about £200. But with repairs aside it’s probably closer to £100.

Bills = ~ £150. Phone, Netflix, council tax, electric, gas, Spotify.

Food = ~£150 I mainly buy meat in bulk from Costco and freeze it. Don’t get many takeaways or eat out though I will if I want to and the opportunities there.

Household = ~ £30. Cleaning products etc.

That’s it. About £600 on essentials, the rest goes on savings and fun.

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SidneyDeane10@reddit

They still find enough money for cigs/vapes and alcohol don't worry

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CMR1891@reddit

I have commented further up about my life on a close to minimum wage pay. I chose that life and some people don’t. I don’t do anything too extravagant, I don’t go out all the time and I’m very deliberate with how I choose to spend my money. Sometimes, the one little luxury in my life that I like to afford myself is the occasional bottle of wine. I don’t see the problem with that.

I work in an industry which deals with bankruptcies. I see people getting loans, car finance, getting themselves into debt on credit cards just to look the part, when below water they’re in desperate financial situations.

If someone wants to have a drink or a smoke here and there, it is hardly ruining them financially. But they are the people you chose to judge instead of the ones that are living a life that they simply can’t afford, driving around with their flashy cars and Rolex watches.

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Cielo11@reddit

Newspaper delivery and Parcel Delivery. Self employed in both.

I was earning around 35k but the Newspapers are dying out and the Parcel companies have only given us only pay cuts since 21' so I am probably earning closer to 25k.

All costs (vehicle, fuel, insurance etc) are on me. So my pay is lower after taking that into account.

Thanks Donald and £2 a liter fuel!

I only get by because I own my vehicle outright, my rent is low at £650 and I have no kids. I have a GF to share living costs with.

If I was single I'd be struggling and have to go back to live with my mum. I don't have much left over anymore so had to cut back on hobbies and holidays etc.

Starting to feel like I might never own a home or have a family.

I work 7 days a week.

I have anxiety and social issues so the idea of just getting another job or spending money retraining is horrifying to me.

I liked my jobs, I liked being on my own with no boss. I turn up every day and do the job but the Parcel company has cut my pay by over 20% I'm treated like I'm worthless, number on a spreadsheet.

So now I'm in a dead end. Feels like a matter of time before I need to buy a new vehicle and I can't afford it because the pay is too low and therefore can't do the jobs.

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Endless_road@reddit

Depends if you live with your parents or born

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CMR1891@reddit

I’m on a salary but decided to drop down to 4 day weeks for my own sanity as my time is worth more than money, so I am practically on minimum wage. I don’t buy a lot of things, but I’m not really into having lots of things.

I was able to move back in with my mum after uni to save enough money for a deposit on a house. I live up north so it took less than a year and this has been my saving grace. My mortgage is less than £300 a month for a two bedroom terrace. If I was renting, this would be double the amount and I wouldn’t be able to afford it.

I accidentally acquired ownership of a senior dog, so she costs money.

I grew up in a single person household where money was always tight, but my mum had her parents in her corner and she does it for me too. She taught me how to cook and how to budget. These are my other saving graces. I shop smart, I bulk cook and I enjoy budgeting.

I have a car, but it’s getting fairly old, but I don’t mind as long as it gets me from A-B. That being said, once it conks out, I wouldn’t be able to replace it. Luckily, my grandad is giving up driving so I will probably have his car.

I like to travel, but don’t often get to do that a lot because of my dog and the amount it costs, but I’ve been to a few places in the last couple of years including Turkey and Barcelona. For Barcelona, I found cheap flights and a cheap Airbnb and asked my mum to come so she could split the cost. For Turkey, I paid a deposit a year before I went and then small monthly payments.

I manage to save around £250 a month which I put into separate pots. I have a pot for emergencies, a pot for my dog, one for travel, one for gigs, one for my car etc. I split the £250 between these every month just in case of an emergency.

Life isn’t luxurious, but I get by and I could be way worse off!

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PoolRamen@reddit

In another life I feel like this could have been my lot in my 30's. I grew up poor, probably have gone to the very average local college if scholarships weren't a thing, and entered the workforce at 18 in something technical - IT perhaps.

I wish you the best once you get fully back on your feet.

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CodeBeginning6548@reddit

This is a brilliant comment. Well done you, sounds like you're really making the best of it!

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CMR1891@reddit

Thank you!

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

4 day work week, House with cheap mortgage, a pet,, a car, travelling and savings. Honestly this is genuinely one of the 'richest' ive seen a person be, who may no earn as much as others. Looks like a life lived by focusing on prioroties. Praying for continued fruitful life for you my freind!

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CMR1891@reddit

Thank you. It comes with its own stresses, like maintenance issues, vet bills, car maintenance, but I have been surprised that by just saving that £250 a month into different pots, it adds up quickly and the money is there for a sole purpose - in case anything goes wrong!

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

What was you experiecne like getting a job in this market over that past few years?

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CMR1891@reddit

I’ve been in the same job for around 9 years now. I started as an office junior on barely any money and worked my way up slightly. It’s not my ideal job.. I don’t think I HAVE an ideal job, but it’s easy enough and I don’t have a lot of pressure on me, which is very important for me.

Some people strive for a lot of money, which a lot of the time causes stress or less personal time. Like I said in my original comment, my time is worth more than money. I don’t need luxury, as long as I’m comfortable

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WheresMyFlamingo@reddit

Good stuff. Well done on home ownership!

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CMR1891@reddit

Thank you! I don’t know how people manage to rent in this economy. I think I’d have to move back in with my mum full time if I hadn’t been lucky enough to be able to save for my deposit. I really feel for people who don’t have the support to be able to do that!

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Venoxulous@reddit

I think people living within their means are normally financially alright, not great but not bad.

I have clients on lower salaries with large families, living in a mansion wondering why they cant afford to go on holiday 3x a year.

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Shot-Water-2973@reddit

Getting a mortgage isn’t difficult. Especially in the north. That way you know you’re not just throwing all rent money away. Plus drive a car I can afford insurance and tax.

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dinkidoo7693@reddit

Ive just managed to get a part time job averaging 12 hours a week, after looking and applying for ages. I get help with universal credit because i have a child. Most of my clothes are years old because she’s growing and needs them more. Not had my hair cut professionally in over 2 years. Starting this job has made me feel so down on myself because of these things. My sketchers i wear for work are 4 years old and not in the best shape, hopefully I can replace them in a couple of weeks.

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FraggleGoddess@reddit

My salary is just above minimum wage, but they cut my hours, so its less than FT minimum. It's harder as my spouse is disabled, has hardly worked in 20 years, but we get little help because I work and he isn't considered "disabled enough" to get more than minimum PIP.

I just became very good at budgeting and made the most of any small bonuses and temporary promotions. Not loads, but I own my current (wee, cheap) car outright. We have a small council house which helps rent wise.

I cover our living expenses, but we can't treat ourselves much without 2x generous Dad money at birthdays and Xmas. I have started a reduced cost gym membership but it's an essential spend to improve my health conditions so I'll make it work.

Colleagues who earn more than me always say they're skint, but im the one with savings. It all seems to come down to the spending vs. frugal mindset.

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SenSel@reddit

Silly question but has he appealed the decision?

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FraggleGoddess@reddit

We had a long nightmare to get him what he deserved in the first place. Appeal refused. All the way to tribunal, they didn't even see us, just said you have it, no end date, go away. We won't go through it again until desperate. Its the Scottish one now so may be less inhumane but dont want to risk it.

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Proud_Ad_8915@reddit

Not been on minimum wage for years but as an unpaid carer, there is no takeaways which I don't mind, no brand name foods. No car, walk if I can to somewhere. Basically cheapest of everything

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thelaughingman_1991@reddit

I can't speak for myself, but a cousin I saw last night who's 30 this summer is living in a very affluent area of our city in the East Midlands with his Mum/my aunt, who's not charging him anything.

He's got a car, disposable income, and has a few silly things like a £70+ phone bill and a mattress on finance. Spends a lot on things like meal deals, and I don't think he has savings. My aunt's 65, and heartbreakingly she won't be here forever.

I keep trying to get my cousin to maybe aspire for more, or at the very least be a bit more tactical with his cash but, he deflects it a lot. Just hoping it doesn't end badly for him.

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Existing_Doughnut985@reddit

I’m currently living off savings rather than earning minimum wage but it’s been much cheaper than I expected. I only planned on having 4 weeks off but here we are coming up to 4 months and I’m only just now having to start to think about producing income again

I think I could certainly get by with me and my child and still have a good time solely on minimum wage

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Evening-Web-3038@reddit

Now the question is, how comparable is your 4 months of sitting around using your savings situation to someone who is likely living month to month in a 40+ hours min wage job?

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MrCrystalMighty@reddit

Exactly, if you’re not working there’ll be lots of expenses you won’t have, eg travel (my commute would cost about £120 per month if I couldn’t get a lift with a colleague), and you’ll likely have more time to prepare meals from scratch

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Existing_Doughnut985@reddit

From my personal experience as a gas engineer, my commute has always been the walk from my front door to my works van. Once I’m in the van all fuel was paid for

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MrCrystalMighty@reddit

That’s pretty rare, most people have some kind of commute unless they work from home

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Existing_Doughnut985@reddit

It was only £5000 in savings, which is less than 4 months of minimum wage work but I live in a cheap area and I’m a cheap date.

I’m sure It wouldn’t feel very rewarding for me to be working 40 hours for minimum wage but I could certainly live my life earning that much

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MrCrystalMighty@reddit

But you’d also have more expenses if you were working

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Existing_Doughnut985@reddit

Ok yes, I do agree with you there but I suppose it also depends on where you work and what you do for work

For my personal experience, I think my only work expenses are tools (which I’m fully kitted) and washing uniform, unless I’m missing some obvious work related expenses? I am a gas engineer by trade so commute to work has always been the 5 second walk from my front door to my works van

Comparing that to someone who would need public transport or a personal vehicle to get to work I can see how adds up to a ridiculous amount each month

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MrCrystalMighty@reddit

I guess if you’re working for yourself you can claim your petrol costs as expenses so it’s kinda different. I’ve had jobs that were a 15 minute walk from my house but my current job would be an hour bus ride if I wasn’t able to get a lift with a colleague who lives nearby, and the bus is £3 each way which adds up

Personally if I cook a proper meal from scratch that’s basically my whole evening taken up, so I mostly have stuff I can make quickly which can be more expensive. I do make my own sandwiches for lunch though.

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

I hear you, Although not as comparable, was nice to hear their situation.

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Maleficent_Day_3869@reddit

i’m on just above minimum wage. i’m a room leader at a nursery and with the new wage increase, i get £13.50. before that i made £12.90

it’s absolutely awful. i live at home but dad is unwell and can’t work so i contribute to bills a lot along with my mum. things are so expensive and we struggle a lot because we both only earn minimum wage and it’s not enough

we live very frugally, we have a council house and one family car that is a 2008 banged up ford fiesta. i actually wanted to buy my own car because i recently got my license but it would’ve costed me about £400 a month even if i bought a shitty car outright. i chose the bus instead

things like takeaways and new clothes and treats are far between. we get a family takeaway once a month as a treat and i’ll maybe get a pizza to myself once a fortnight. bills get paid on time but there’s no money for much else

i want to move out and go to university because i cant imagine living on minimum wage for the rest of my life. i’m only qualified in early years education and all work with children is paid absolutely shit. but if i move out then my mum will struggle by herself so i’m stuck :/

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Helicreature@reddit

Just as an aside - a friend of mine was a nursery leader, did a degree in Early Years and is now a College lecturer making a decent salary.

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Maleficent_Day_3869@reddit

i would still love to work with children and families so while this is a great idea i don’t think i’d enjoy it. my plans are either to become a paediatric nurse or a social worker :)

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co_co_damol@reddit

Weird, I always thought 2 people working minimum wage would be plenty (about £3.5k a month after tax). Is your rent or mortgage particularly high? I can only see it being an issue if you live in London or a very expensive part of the country

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ElusiveCrab@reddit

When i was alone it was honestly not bad at all. Shitty little cheap car and flat were the biggest outgoings which left me plenty to spaff on weed and video games lol.

One thing that stuck with me is how many people felt entitled to living beyond their means tho. Like yeah of course its hard to live if you insist on living in central london and driving a fancy car.

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RoyofBungay@reddit

Like others, I suspect, near impossible. My outgoings typically take 80% of my salary. No kids, partner or car. Just rent and bills. I live on the south coast.

Haven’t had a holiday in 6 years just the odd day trip.

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NiaComb@reddit

Pretty good to be honest, though we are a two income household, we both earn minimum wage. Approximately £3000 a month as a household. We rent from a housing association, with an assured tenancy. Rent is about £550 for four weeks. A month we have council tax £200, energy £120, groceries £300, petrol £150, insurance £40, internet/tv package £40, water £70, mobile rolling packages £20. I could be forgetting something haha. But at the end of paying bills we generally have £1000 to £1500 left over, depending on whatever life throws at us that month. Our household has two adults, a teenager and a pet.

Whatever doesn't go to bills, is put towards savings and luxuries, such as holidays, birthdays, new clothes etc.

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mynameisjodie@reddit

Hi family of 4 both of us work part time At a supermarket We rent No car No mortgage We live comfortably but not rich

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1whoisconcerned@reddit

Very healthy as can’t afford luxuries like cigarette and alcohol or drugs biscuits cake etc

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

Nice! What foods would you consider a luxury, or like a treat for yourself currently?

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1whoisconcerned@reddit

Takeaways. Chicken and chips or Burger King. Or a steak.

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BenjiTheSausage@reddit

Renting, have a cheap car, able to eat out now and then and but the odd game every month, haven't been on holiday in years though.

I'm not struggling but not thriving either, ever year I have less and less free money, knowing that I'm getting a new job soon with a significant pay rise has probably helped me deal with the situation. I don't think I'd feel as happy if I had no career progression.

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YarrlieThePirate@reddit

My goal when buying a house was to be able to afford the bills on minimum wage, done exactly that and now I’m above it, it’s a nice feeling

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

Awesome, drinks on this guy!

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YarrlieThePirate@reddit

I will say people are right - northern, out of a city. Couldn’t imagine doing it down south

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pjm101101@reddit

I’m on minimum wage by design rather than choice. I salary sacrifice everything above minimum wage into pension so I can make a universal credit claim. I have a shared ownership property (no mortgage) and a company car. I have a lodger ( this income is disregarded for Universal Credit purposes). I get by ok..

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Pattatilla@reddit

Rough, I used to spend 30 quid a month on food. When the food was gone, it was gone. I still hoard tins because I still fear food running out.

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Internal_Lion_1836@reddit

i earn 26k and live with a roommate paying 500 in rent (bills included) no council tax because it’s a hmo. i do own a car and i’m about to get another job on the weekends as a carer just to have enough

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PopperDilly@reddit

Me and husband both on minimum wage. No kids, live in a cheap area, can just about afford 2 cats. We dont smoke, drink or go on holiday but that means we can afford a car and mortgage. We would never be able to do it if we lived in a more expensive area.

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KaylsTheOptimist@reddit

I’m up north, live on my own on a council flat with 2 cats, work roughly 30 hours a week and I can manage pretty well with enough left to put away some savings. I don’t really drink maybe a bottle of wine every couple months. No smoking/vaping/drugs. I don’t drive (not that I need to as I work in the town I live) and I’m a vegetarian that’s on a calorie deficit, so imagine I save on food shopping that way. My main hobbies are reading, writing, and hiking so things that are free/cheap.

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chonk-chonk-chonk@reddit

I'm a student in a major city and with my part time job and loans, I still fall quite short financially. Part of the issue is just how companies absolutely fleece students (for example, my 1 bed studio costs more in rent than my parents' house does by £200/month). Going out anywhere is a struggle, and I dont drink so I save money on that.

I have to be quite careful with money and can only really budget around £20/month for activities. I know some friends with smaller loans that are unable to find jobs too...

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EyeAware3519@reddit

I'm 22 and live with my parents who pay for everything and I'm here to tell that you can live like a king on minimum wage and you're all just fucking moaners.

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FreeBogwoppits@reddit

Shit. I've been eeking out my savings to top up my earnings but I've run out of savings now so it's zero interest credit card tarting time.

(No kids, no family other than partner. I own my car but it's very old and will be scrapped when it next needs work done.)

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AssociationGold8745@reddit

The government renamed the national minimum wage to living wage years ago, after various councils and charities started promoting a living wage (a suggested higher minimum), with those groups now promoting an 'actual living wage' . With budgeting and not much social spending , it's not horrendous to live on ~25k a year , but I can imagine kids and nonworking partners with actual house costs rather than single flat rental would make it harder.

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ManlykN@reddit (OP)

You Don't have to answer, but you living with your partner?

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BigFloofRabbit@reddit

Not bad. I live in a cheap terraced house in a rough area and renovated the house myself, so I have saved a fortune on housing costs.

My wife also works part time on minimum wage. So together with dual (albeit low) incomes, a cheap mortgage and cheap to run household we are pretty comfortable.

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GlumAd9856@reddit

When I was doing my PhD, I lived off what was effectively less than minimum wage for most of the 4.5 years. When I started (2018) it was £14.5k a year, getting up to £17k by the end (due to covid inflation). You don't pay any income tax on that though and as a full time student I didn't have to pay council tax. I rented a studio apartment, didn't own a car, didn't have any transport costs, didn't go on holiday.

My income was about £1,200 and rent (inc. bills) was £550. That left me a bit over £150 a week for food, social life, clothes, replacing devices etc. To be honest it wasn't that bad.

Now i'm back in full time work with more than double that income. But now paying all the taxes, student loans, pension contributions. I have a mortgage on a house and a car and have to spend money maintaining both. I'm not saying that it's the same - I do have more disposable income now and can do things like go on holiday etc. But it's not a million miles away - i'm just investing directly in my future rather than indirectly with the PhD.

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