Basic standard of living costs £13,400

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Has anyone recently lived as a single person with their own accommodation on this salary or below? it doesn't leave any room for saving at all so if anyone had a car and their insurance came up, they wouldn't be able to afford it, or holidays.

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Thats kinda the point of what the report is saying. its the minimum required for a reasonable standard of living. That doesn't include cars, or holidays abroad. It covers a roof over your head, food on the table, and perhaps once in a while, a small treat. If you are that far down on the breadline, you shouldnt be considering wasting money on cars, etc.

 

Takes me back.

My first 'proper' f/t job was as a graduate trainee manager in 1994 and the starting salary was £10,500.
I thought I was rich.

Mind you, they hadn't invented the Playstation back then, and I wasn't an alcoholic...

 

My first full time job was as a fishmonger. I earned £125 a week. And believe me, when I say 'earned'... I mean 'earned'

 

ouch lol

 

Yep. He monged fish all day long. He monged them in the morning, and he monged them in the night. He could mong for hours. News of his monging prowess spread far and wide, and people would travel for hours just to watch him mong those fish.

 

That salary wouldn't cover cost of accomodation in London...

 

£10 a day on various building sites during the early 90s is what I got! And then I took a sidestep LOL to the YTS for £32.50 a week! After that I got a job in a carpet factory on £220 a week...I was minted...spent all my money on drums and 'cool' clothes from Fosters ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That's the wage I'm on now. "Working" 12 hour night shifts 3 on 3 off and attending full time uni during the days. In a vain but desperate attempt to beat my way off the minimum wage.

Hard stuff but i like to think its instilling a solid work ethos into me. All i do is work and sleep.

 

Exactly. Probably a better "average" would be the "average minimum" standard i.e. average out the minimum people need for their actual circumstances to meet their basic bills (housing, heat/lighting, food, essential travel etc.)

 

I'm on £12,000 as a recruitment consultant so I am struggling just do keep my head above water with lifes monthly bills, ok it doesn't require alot of physical activity but I feel like I'm stuck in a rut. I just about have enough money to pay off debts, eat, sleep, work, read Comptia A+ books OH YEAH and go on cert forums .

I don't have enough money to go out for a drink with my mates anymore maybe the occassional 1 pint on a monthly basis its even a struggle to pay for petrol these days... I plan to get rid of my car soon as I simply can't afford the insurance, road tax and mot

My life sucks hardcore atm because of this low salary.

 

Then add commission..?

 

Commision used to be worth mentioning about 1 year ago but my commission has taken a big tumble with the recession and Manufacturing in the Precision Engineering Sector is an Industry that has been hit very bad by the economic downturn.

I used to be getting about 3-5k commission a year now its about £500... and its capped (taxed) anyway so that sucks **** TBH.

I'm not letting that get me down though as I had a call yesterday from a recruitment agency regarding a IT support Job £15,000-£18,000 per annum so that made my day, its a bit speculative at this point but my fingers are still crossed. Considering I have no IT qualifications or certifications other than an ICT (GNVQ) I'm not getting too excited

 

@ Alex -

How much do you pay for accommodation?

 

I pay roughly £360 pcm including all bills and I guess I'm fortunate that I don't have to pay electricity or gas bills so thats always a bonus I guess.

I would dive in deeper into my financial situation but its kind of personnal info, so I would leave it at that. Lets just say after all of lifes (my) essential bills and I mean "essential". The only bill I can knock off being my car insurance which is £72 pcm.
I have roughly £70 left over at the end of the month to play around with and its surprising how it goes :-(

 

I think in the old days it would correct for us to say "look for another job" but these days that is easier said then done!

My first IT job was 11.5K and then I went to 12k. I too was living on my own but in the same situation as yourself. The money left over soon gets eaten by 'cars' but then again back in those days fuel was about 60p a litre and food was cheaper then it is now!

Hang in there mate, something will come your way!

 

Holy crap I'm moving to Dorset!

Everywhere round here is minimum £575 pcm before bills and for reasons passing understanding those who are subject to the random whims of government pay scales (like my gf) don't get London Fringe levels of pay while very clearly being right in the middle of the commuter belt and having to pay London fringe prices.... bastards.

 

Your life would suck even more hardcore with no salary at all. Be thankful for what you have, my friend.

 

I pay £900 a month in mortgage alone.