My husband and I have 2 children and 1 on the way. He works in a full time job and I stay at home with the kids, so we are living off 1 income. He earns roughly $1000 a week. Seems great but some how we are struggling big time! Always broke! By the time we pay rent, car payment, fuel for 2 cars, groceries, insurances, money towards electricity, phone bills, and other things that may come up, we are left with nothing. We are at the point where we are having to borrow money from family just to survive. We don't buy luxury items, I haven't been to the movies in years, sometime last year was the last time we went out for dinner and neither of us have credit cards. we dont smoke and only have the rare drink. The kids do come first though, always clothed and fed and have everything they need for schooling. I just want to know how other families do it?? Living off 1 income but paying mortgages, buying brand name clothes, going out places etc? How do they do it??
4 Replies
look at there credit card debt! also you don't know there income, if they got a leg up on the property ladder (given deposit) or how long they have been on the property ladder. You also don't know if those clothes were presents from friends or family. I would expect to be struggling or tight on 52000 a year.
First of all for $1000 a week you are doing awesome to be able to stay on top of everything. In this day and age things are only getting more expensive and I can imagine it would be tight living on that. Do you qualify for anything at all from Centrelink or does your partner earn too much? Even if it's a little bit it still helps
firstly know you are not alone there are so many out there that struggle and don't know where to start. would going to a financial counsellor help ? some of the welfare organisations help with that even if you are on an income that isn't centrelink. they might be able to help keep track of where your money is going.
my family only being the 3 of us survives on less than $500 a week.
you are doing great making sure the kids are sorted with food/clothes and schooling some people struggle with that at times
Our family of 3 would not be able to survive on $1000 a week. My hubby earns $1300 a week and I earn $600 a week and we barely have any savings. Perhaps after bub is born you can consider getting a job..