Anyone live on £900 a month?

I currently have £1000 a month in state pension and two very small private pensions. The one private pension is paid into a savings account and is used only for emergencies/unexpected bills so that leaves £800. This in the SE, is absolutely not enough to live on so I work 1.5 days a week still in a job I really enjoy and intend to continue that as long as I am healthy. I run a car as well. To be honest I’m not sure how I will manage when I eventually give up work completely . My bills are high and without my salary I would not have enough to manage everything. However I too retired from full time work a year early as my previous job was so stressful it was affecting my mental health

If you are unwell you can claim Employment Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment for Care & Mobility. Do NOT struggle

We are a married couple living on just a very little more than that in Denmark, where prices are slightly higher in the UK.

It can be done, but you have to be careful with money and resist impulsive expenditure of any sort and be prepared to eat cheaply one or two days a week.

Home made soup, porridge for breakfast rather than yoghurt, make your own breadcrumbs by drying the heels of loaves cut into cubes then putting them through an old-fashioned hand-turned mincer (electric one break down if you put dried bread through them") bake your bread yourself and shop for new clothes in charity shops as a general rule.

Hi Good Morning I am nearly 65 live on my own have done for the past 11 years have lived on that amount, you can do anything when you change your mindset change how you do things swap expense for basic enjoyment, I also pay for a spa out of that money look at it this way you can go as much as you want (per covid) and have a small mortgage and run a car
Appreciate the free things in life, nature. look after your Health ?

Yes, you can live happily on that amount. Your mental health is so important so go for it. When I was living on very little, I regarded it as a challenge and as a way to simplify my life. I became very creative at living well on less and felt extremely virtuous at times! I was younger then, but also had a daughter who would derail my savings plan by outgrowing her shoes, uniform, etc! I am still a member of the library and now enjoy audio books free too. I retired three years ago and regret nothing! Time to take care of yourself.

The state pension is sadly considerable lower than the 900 a month you have at the moment and many pensioners in this day and age still have to choose heating or food especially when they feel the cold so I am guessing your other pension is the 900 total then state pension when you receive it will be on top of that which will make a comfortable income to manage,
Wishing you a healthy peaceful retirement ?

I agree with Gwyneth, this has been a surprisingly interesting and helpful thread.
Casdon and Charley didn't say anything wrong; how silly to think so.

I could manage on that amount monthly, but I have savings just in case anything happens to house, car, etc. I don't have foreign holidays anymore, I Airbnb here in N.Ireland, which I love anyway. I find meters great, I put gas money on it through the summer too, so I've some gathered up for the winter, same with electricity. I pay my insurances in full and then I know I've only my rates( council tax), my mobile & TV licence direct debits going out each month.

I live on the State Pension and get less than £900 to live on. Life is a struggle and if I want/need anything, I have to save up because I won't get into debt. Be very cautious about giving up work just yet unless you really have to.

It's a big decision, so very sensible to ask others what their experience has been.
With 8k savings for emergencies, repairs and maybe wee treats, you should be fine. Many people have no savings to speak of, so it gives you a buffer till you get your state pension.
I retired early (62) with a work pension of around £900 but my husband also has his pension, so it's much easier with two incomes.
Most people don't seem to regret retiring early and your mental health is very important. Maybe check out whether there would be any benefits available, especially if you officially retire on health grounds.
We had severe flooding at our house and it took a horrendous year and a half to get a payment which allowed us to move elsewhere, my DH's health isn't great and GC number 8 was on the way, so I decided retiring early was a better option than working long hours in a stressful job to earn a bigger pension. It will also get easier once I get my state pension this July - the time has passed very quickly!

If you're going to get State Pension in a couple of years, then go for it. Life is too short, and 2 years of mental suffering is too long. There's a lot of great advice here. Just record every penny you spend (it can actually be quite satisfying), and budget for everything. Lidl and Aldi are brilliant for eating well and keeping costs down. Look out for free local activities. If it's possible to downsize, you can always have that as a last resort back up plan. Good luck!

I have been reading all the really excellent posts on here. Posters have given very good advice and none of it has been negative just practical based on their own experiences and knowledge . This is where gransnet really comes into its own. Whatever you decide maggie I wish you the best of luck.

I would consider claiming Employment Support Allowance if you have mental health issues that are making it difficult to work. Do you have to pay rent/mortgage out of the £900? If not then it’s easily doable.

Maggie Tulliver
If you have a disability(mental health does count) and you are 65 or over you may be eligible for Attendance Allowance. PIP is a disability benefit for under 65s. This is assuming that you live in England, other countries may differ. Go to GOV.UK and search for attendance allowance. This benefit is not means tested. If you think you may qualify, your local Citizens Advice or Age UK will give you advice on completing the form. Hope this helps.

Nannan2 you have absolutely no idea about my life, my commitments and my outgoing costs. Wind your neck in.

We have been living on Pension Credit for just under 5yrs, so every 4wks we have been getting £1,154.80 as I also get the lower rate of DLA. We do have some savings but we have managed absolutely fine. We have a fairly large house but it's very well insulated so our heating bills are never high. We run a 4yr old car that was fairly expensive when we bought it but the tax on it is Zero, although the service can be a bit pricey. We have a dog, only a small one, but we have to pay out for her to be groomed every 7wks. My mother has always instilled in me that it's important to always eat well and keep warm so we never skimp on food. Neither of us smoke or drink so that helps to keep bills down. We don't really take holidays as neither of us are bothered about them. As we are on Pension Credit we don't pay Council Tax either, which is good as that is one bill that tends to be quite high. I honestly can't think of anything that we are missing out on so I'd also say good luck and I hope you enjoy your freedom

I have being doing this - living on around £900 pm for several years. I occasionally supplemented it with Airbnb guests which I used to go on holiday. It also made me feel better about living alone in a 4-bedroomed house I think you will be fine with your £8k savings for a couple of years and once you have the state pension you can start keeping a bit back for emergencies. I run a car and a dog!

I would say go for it. The peace of mind will improve your quality of life so much. Stress is a killer. You won't need expensive trips out or treats when every day is a treat.

Nannan2

To all of you who 'scrape by' on 900 a mth, many have much less to live on, and no way of improving that after one or two years-Many do- AND with children or other family to feed. its starting to sound on here like a band of 'one- up manship'-with your 'home ownerships,and 'private pensions '- i dislike this attitude.I may just stick to the lighter threads in future.

Gransnetters were just trying to be helpful and honest and your comment is quite frankly very rude!

So owning your own home and having a private pension is “one-up manship”?

You talk a load of twaddle Nannan2

If you have done your calculations - which you say you have - and your mental health is at stake then you will manage, not only manage you will enjoy your life far more than you are doing atm - good luck, go forth and relish your freedom

Casdon - I think your contribution sensible, not intended as 'one upmanship', just stating your experience.
Nannan2 - I agree that it sensible to keep away from threads that might bother you (I do!). And as Maggie is asking for people's experience, we cannot give it honestly without saying some of these things. I do not intend either to be boastful or ignore the issues at stake.

And to directly answer you Maggie, yes I am lucky enough both to have savings, and another pension. That, on a day-today basis mostly goes into savings.
I keep a track of finances - that is why I know what we spend most months, on a lifestyle that is comfortable.
I said that we spend under £1k a month on basic bills and some 'everyday' treats. This is what we spend over and above that:
A TV sports package
Some holiday expenditure (our 'basic' holidays cost little)
Any car repairs that fall outside routine maintenance
Any non-routine garden / house expenses - we too had to replace a fence recently - and I got a new lap-top.
Major family gifts / occasions (such as weddings)
Some charitable or similar donations / subscriptions

What is included in the £1k
An occasional meal out, although we are more likely to buy a treat to eat in
Most Xmas / birthday gifts
Our hobbies
Local concerts, theatre & festivals.
Swimming (usually!)
Basic clothes

That is why I would say that £900 a month is do-able. It is true that over several years, your savings would get eaten away, but once your State Pension kicks in, you will be able to add to them.
2 years without many new clothes, or going away much is do-able. I also think you will find, for instance, you can make your clothes last longer without work to think of, and you will be able (soon, we hope) to enjoy local outings.

good luck

Defiantly yes. Life changed completely for me when I retired. Where I made my savings was not having to buy new clothes for work, lunches, contributing to office collections and it was a big office lol.

I replaced my working life with The u3a. Took up new hobbies.

Martin Lewis Money is a godsend and my go-to man for all my bills.
I sold my car and because my bus pass covers the trains(within a boundary) and also bought a three-year rail pass to get a third off.

When it was possible to travel I could travel to London for a twenty-pound return of less. Book a wonderful lunch at Zedels Brassiere (set lunchtime menu) for £10.00)and back on the train and home for about 9.00 and in all had a fabulous day in London for £30.00. Good luck in your retirement and enjoy a completely fabulous new way of life

G'morning Maggie, I managed very well on less than that, ate healthily, fresh produce, home cooking, kept warm... I've never bought lots of clothes and stuff and like charity shops... Managed to rent a Beach Hut, never scrimped on Moisturiser nor M&S undies, Guardian on Saturday, lots of bus travel with picnics which I love... My advice for what its worth is do it!!! I too retired early and like you worried about money 'stuff', I honestly never regretted it, I'm now 70 and sooo glad I made that decision :-)

I took early retirement at 59 and finally get my state pension later this year. I have managed all this time on my reduced teacher pension of £664 a month. I don't have to pay rent or mortgage but have the other usual living expenses. I did my calculations very carefully and have lived a fairly frugal lifestyle all my life - easy when you don't have a choice This means that my standard of living actually increased. I am not eligible for any benefits because of the pension I am receiving, which is lower than the pension credit limit. I don't regret my decision at all. However, as others have said only you will know what you feel you need. Good luck with it all.

When I lived alone (now live with daughter and her family) I managed quite well on about £750 a month. I had no mortgage but did run a car and had savings for any emergency.
If you can manage for a few years I'd say definitely go for it.