how much disposable income do you have after bills each month.

snaps

Reading this in paper, just wondering what people actually have. I'm a married man with 2 kids. I'm left some months spending more on bills, food etc. Summer months we broke even, but now, we are spending more. We have cut down on using oil heating to try and save money. We've decided if its another harsh budget on low income familys, then we will emmigrate next spring.

damoz

what?......and give up your sergeants job?

allibastor

Not much. I have no savings or anything. I eanr well enough, but not married with 2 kids, so i get all the drawbacks of having a family in the eyes of the governemnt with none of the perks, no shared tax allowance, no nothing.

Mr Benevolent

snaps wrote: »

Reading this in paper, just wondering what people actually have. I'm a married man with 2 kids. I'm left some months spending more on bills, food etc. Summer months we broke even, but now, we are spending more. We have cut down on using oil heating to try and save money. We've decided if its another harsh budget on low income familys, then we will emmigrate next spring.

List your incomings and outgoings, you'll get a few sensible answers. Personally I end the month with about €400 - €500, barring holidays and unforseen expenses (coke, hookers etc).

TheHamster

More commonly it's how much month left at the end of the money
Made redundant in April and am pretty much fcuked

ash23

About 700per month after bills - that goes to pay for petrol, food and everything that isn't rent, childcare, ESB, phone or tv, car tax and insurance, health insurance and pension for myself and one child.

Sounds like it should be enough but things can be tight.

Fishooks12

damoz wrote: »

what?......and give up your sergeants job?

This is getting less and less funny...

golden lane

Confab wrote: »

List your incomings and outgoings, you'll get a few sensible answers. Personally I end the month with about €400 - €500, barring holidays and unforseen expenses (coke, hookers etc).

does coke and hookers come as a surprise.......

mine are well organised.....regular, so to speak...

franktheplank

0 and that's not an exaggeration

the groutch

'bout tree fiddy

RoyalMarine

struggling more and more every month, but I've been saving for the last 3 months and in 9 months time, as long as nothing drastic happens I will have enough to leave Ireland.

chocolatechips

Well, so far until my student grant comes in I'm spending €70 on rent pw and €40 on food pw. I live off €100 from social welfare, anyone else see an issue here?

jimthemental

Bout a grand these days but I'll probably be unemployed before christmas so I'm gonna need what I've saved.

Shenshen

Depends, at the moment nothing, as I just paid car tax and insurance.
Usually, I manage to put 200 or more into savings, and I would spend maybe around 50-100 on not strictly necessary items: Books, cosmetics, clothes, bits for the house or garden, things like that.

Victor

Some definitions of disposable income.

Disposable income is total personal income minus personal current taxes.

Definition of disposable income: The amount of income left to an individual after taxes have been paid, available for spending and saving.

The amount of money that households have available for spending and saving after income taxes have been accounted for.

Definition of disposable income: Gross income of an individual or firm from which direct taxes (such as PAYE, income tax) have been deducted.

You can't count TV and cars as not being part of disposable income - if you can't afford them, get rid of them.

mfceiling

Victor wrote: »

Some definitions of disposable income.







You can't count TV and cars as not being part of disposable income - if you can't afford them, get rid of them.

Pretty difficult to get rid of the car if you need it to get to work every day...especially if you live in the arsehole of nowhere with no public transport...

ash23

Victor wrote: »

You can't count TV and cars as not being part of disposable income - if you can't afford them, get rid of them.

The OP asked about disposable income AFTER bills so tv and cars count as bills.

norrie rugger

Victor wrote: »

You can't count TV and cars as not being part of disposable income - if you can't afford them, get rid of them.

In Dublin a car would not be generally required but there are vast areas of the country where public transport will NOT get you to work. In that way a car is not disposable.
Same goes for my wife, in Dublin. Public transport will not get her to work, on time to start (early)

az2wp0sye65487

After everything has bee paid for - everything including:

• Mortgage
• Insurance (car, life & home)
• TV
• Phone & Broadband
• Gas
• Electricity
• Car Loan repayment
• Groceries
• Petrol
• Any other essentials that crop up
• Credit Card payment (credit card is only used for essential items)

Left with anything from €0 to €200 a month depending on the unexpected essentials.

This month for example I had a couple of visits to the dentist along with a couple of unexpected GP & hospital visits... had to pay for medical treatment on the credit card as I simply didn't have the cash to cover it. Also, the sh*t health insurance scheme I'm on didn't cover any either (have to change scheme or insurer).

Other items that have been paid for by credit card in the past are car repairs / maintenance and groceries....

Emeraldy Pebbles

~ 600 euro per month after rent, bills, savings, food, obligatory travel and household. So ~ 140 euro per week.

PictureFrame

I'm a first year Psychology undergrad. I can't find a job anywhere, I sent out in excess of 70 CV's over the last couple of months coupled with going to anywhere I could think of and asking if they had any work available. Right now, my Grant is 2 months behind, haven't received a penny yet. My Grant comes to a gob-smackingly huge amount of €83 p/w. My travel is €65 p/w so i'm left with a total of €18 p/w to fund food, books, clothes and any other essentials I need for college. It's ridiculous. I haven't gone out since I started college because admission into everything is 5/10e which come a Wednesday in college, I simply wouldn't have.. :rolleyes:

Professey Chin

About 900 after everything when I budget right. But after moving at the start of this month all the annoying expenses of getting everything setup have taken their toll

homerjay2005

i have to laugh when people include things like sky/broadband/phone etc etc in the "bills" category and then moan when they have no money left for everything else.

these are not bills, they are non essential items that are definitely disposable.

leonidas83

PictureFrame wrote: »

I'm a first year Psychology undergrad. I can't find a job anywhere, I sent out in excess of 70 CV's over the last couple of months coupled with going to anywhere I could think of and asking if they had any work available. Right now, my Grant is 2 months behind, haven't received a penny yet. My Grant comes to a gob-smackingly huge amount of €83 p/w. My travel is €65 p/w so i'm left with a total of €18 p/w to fund food, books, clothes and any other essentials I need for college. It's ridiculous. I haven't gone out since I started college because admission into everything is 5/10e which come a Wednesday in college, I simply wouldn't have.. It's ridiculous. :rolleyes:

Thats not a bad grant to receive tbf, what do you want, to be paid to go to college on top of the necessities aswell

PictureFrame

leonidas83 wrote: »

Thats not a bad grant to receive tbf, what do you want, to be paid to go to college on top of the necessities aswell

No not at all, I never stated that anywhere in my post. I was merely pointing out that after travelling to University I only have €18 a week which is not a lot of money. There's no need for the petty assumptions :rolleyes:

carrig2

about €200 per month, sometimes less, sometimes more. Have stopped going out for last six months to save for Christmas

chopperbyrne

€0 - €250 depending on the length of time between payments. Sometimes four weeks, sometimes five because the company I work for is too inept to just set up thirteen payments a year at four week intervals.

Anyone

homerjay2005 wrote: »

i have to laugh when people include things like sky/broadband/phone etc etc in the "bills" category and then moan when they have no money left for everything else.

these are not bills, they are non essential items that are definitely disposable.

I remember watching a TV programme a few weeks back on BBC who disagree with you, broadband and tv are basically essentials. After watching it, I kind of agree. They are now part of a basic standard of living.

krudler

Depends really, last month had 400 quid in the bank the day before payday, couldnt feckin believe it, going out one weekend in that month makes a huge difference, and I wouldnt spent a lot on a night out, average 30-40 quid, drinking at home and late bars ftw.

flutterflye

What is this "disposable income" you speak of??

Anyone

The last few months I have been trimming back expenses. Changed my mobile package,phone+broadband, and shopped in Aldi/Lidl more. Also the big one...I stopped smoking. I recon I've saved between 400 and 500 euro a month on my outgoings.

So...usually I'd have 100-200 p/m left over, this month its aorund 700.

Sica

homerjay2005 wrote: »

i have to laugh when people include things like sky/broadband/phone etc etc in the "bills" category and then moan when they have no money left for everything else.

these are not bills, they are non essential items that are definitely disposable.

Sky/broadband/phone are bills that come in every month and have to be paid. Quite a lot of people have signed up to contracts which mean they can't simply be ended at a whim, which means that the money tied up in paying them can't be diverted to something else which means it isn't disposable.

While it is reasonable for people on tight budgets to control their phone usage, it isn't reasonable to expect people to go entirely without a phone while given how important the internet has become I think it has shifted from luxury to essential (or at least to some intermediate category making it less than essential but more than a luxury) seeing as bills are now generally delivered online (eg bank statements and phone billls), public services are accessed online (eg Revenue and booking a driving test) and how schoolgoing children basically need it to supplement their learning.

Wacker The Attacker

Marriage really is a glorified business deal isnt it?

Shenshen

Anyone wrote: »

I remember watching a TV programme a few weeks back on BBC who disagree with you, broadband and tv are basically essentials. After watching it, I kind of agree. They are now part of a basic standard of living.

Is Sky essential, though?

Anyone

Shenshen wrote: »

Is Sky essential, though?

Ok, when I see someone write "Sky" I read it as being TV....for me its the same thing as UPC etc....its 25 euro a month also, so not expensive.

So, while not essential, its not a luxury. Its a basic standard of living.

Scortho

Ah the life of a working college student! through careful budgeting I'll have saved about 800 quid this month!:)

Wacker The Attacker

I'm long term unemployed.

I've cut my bills down to the absolutely bare minimum. I've had to move back home through sheer lack of income.

Emeraldy Pebbles

The Great Chinholio wrote: »

But after moving at the start of this month all the annoying expenses of getting everything setup have taken their toll

Hate moving costs. And there's always unforeseen costs in addition to the things you budget for. :mad:

joolsveer

Anyone wrote: »

Ok, when I see someone write "Sky" I read it as being TV....for me its the same thing as UPC etc....its 25 euro a month also, so not expensive.

So, while not essential, its not a luxury. Its a basic standard of living.

It is perfectly possible to have a good TV service without subscribing to Sky or UPC - I have free TV for the last three years or so, Saorview and Freesat.

ash23

joolsveer wrote: »

It is perfectly possible to have a good TV service without subscribing to Sky or UPC - I have free TV for the last three years or so, Saorview and Freesat.

Neither are free though. Both have an initial cost.

For example I am keeping sky because my tv needs a saorview box. I could buy one and install an aerial but would prefer to keep my €25 per month sky subscription.
It is more expensive long term but it's easier for me to pay that one lump sum. Also it gives me more channels and I get sky+ which is handy because I work etc.

So I'd cut back on other things before I'd get rid of it. I don't go out much so it's my entertainment.

Emeraldy Pebbles

chopperbyrne wrote: »

€0 - €250 depending on the length of time between payments. Sometimes four weeks, sometimes five because the company I work for is too inept to just set up thirteen payments a year at four week intervals.

12 payments a year is pretty standard. You'd still have the same amount of money, except divided by 13 instead of 12.

mitosis

about -€200 :mad:, but I made hay while the sun shone, without buying 50"TVs or new cars and have some savings.

chopperbyrne

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

12 payments a year is pretty standard. You'd still have the same amount of money, except divided by 13 instead of 12.

Yes, but at regular intervals which makes budgeting a lot easier.

curlzy

Honestly don't know how much, but I always have enough for what I want, holidays, night outs etc. That's probably because me and fiancee are working with no kids or mortgage yet, I'd say things will change when we go those things.

Phibsboro

ash23 wrote: »

Neither are free though. Both have an initial cost.

For example I am keeping sky because my tv needs a saorview box. I could buy one and install an aerial but would prefer to keep my €25 per month sky subscription.
It is more expensive long term but it's easier for me to pay that one lump sum. Also it gives me more channels and I get sky+ which is handy because I work etc.

So I'd cut back on other things before I'd get rid of it. I don't go out much so it's my entertainment.

http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/RTE-digital-set-top-box.html

€49 for a HD Saorview box with pvr facility. Justifying Sky on the basis of initial outlay doesn't really make sense. Stick a combo box in and you'll get all Irish channels, BBC1-4, ITV1-4, C4/More4/E4, Five, BBC/Sky News, couple of music channels etc. for free and with the HD channels you are not getting for your €25 sub. It then comes down to the marginal value of the extra channels you get with that package - are Sky 1/Atlantic/MTV/Dave worth €300 a year? They might actually be to you, but looking at it like that does focus your mind

Difference Engine

After mortgage, pension, petrol, creche fees and other bills we have about €2600 left a month. We save half of that as we have a young son and can see things getting tougher in the next few years. So about €1300 left for food, entertainment and unforeseen expenses.

After reading this thread i feel damn lucky.

ash23

Phibsboro wrote: »

http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/RTE-digital-set-top-box.html

€49 for a HD Saorview box with pvr facility. Justifying Sky on the basis of initial outlay doesn't really make sense. Stick a combo box in and you'll get all Irish channels, BBC1-4, ITV1-4, C4/More4/E4, Five, BBC/Sky News, couple of music channels etc. for free and with the HD channels you are not getting for your €25 sub. It then comes down to the marginal value of the extra channels you get with that package - are Sky 1/Atlantic/MTV/Dave worth €300 a year? They might actually be to you, but looking at it like that does focus your mind

I've no aerial so it wouldn't just be the box but the installation too. I also have all the kids channels for the little person in the house so personally, it's an expense that I will do my best to afford.

Emeraldy Pebbles

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Yes, but at regular intervals which makes budgeting a lot easier.

12 payments a year = a payment every 4.3333333 weeks on average, or every 30.3333333 days.

13 payments a year = a payment every 4 weeks, or 28 days.

Not much difference, really.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Married with two children, reasonably good state jobs and I personally have around €200 left each month, my wife a little more.

goodie2shoes

2p in old money.

but i'm happy.

ncmc

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

12 payments a year = a payment every 4.3333333 weeks on average, or every 30.3333333 days.

13 payments a year = a payment every 4 weeks, or 28 days.

Not much difference, really.

If it's anything like my place of work, we get paid on the third Wednesday of every month, so sometimes there's 5 weeks between payday's instead of 4. It can be challenging to Budget as you still have all your regular bills as well as an extra weeks food/petrol/general expenses.

My husband and I are on roughly the average industrial wage, we have a mortgage, 2 cars and both travel approx 100 kilometers per day to work. I would say we have about 700 left after the mortgage, bills etc. I realise how lucky we are reading this thread. We don't have kids, they seem to be expensive little devils, so i'd say we can kiss any disposable income goodbye if we ever have kids!