Anyone live on £900 a month?

I commented on this thread too so I’m curious as well how it ended? Mind you maybe MaggieTulliver has a new name now as I’ve not noticed any posts from her of late.
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MaggieTulliver ,i have just seen your thread and having just retired early ourselves on a much reduced income was wondering how you are and what decision you had made ? . We definitely feel our choice to retire early( 6/ 7 years until state pension age ) was right for us but appreciate everyone has different circumstances.

Yes, it's do-able. Can manage on this amount myself for bills + food stuffs. Not yet eligible for my state pension at 63.

I am a galanthophile - snowdrops to you - and over the years have slowly built up a collection of over 50 different kinds

Madeleine I was astonished to learn that some rarer snowdrops are worth a lot of money, so went out to examine mine but alas, they are the common or garden ordinary ones. However, they never seem to spread very much, have stayed in the same little clump for many years.

Sorry, rather a red herring but getting back to the topic, yes, swapping garden plants is good or you can find inexpensive plants at sales by groups such as U3A gardening groups, local Wildlife charities etc. although not at the moment, unfortunately

Madeleine,what a gorgeous post full of colour and happiness! this is the spirit in which the Cooperative movement was founded.

If you own your house and it is not some money guzzling property, then £900 a month is more than adequate and you can still save for emergencies such as a new washing machine or replacement wheel chair etc.
You will not have enough for costly holidays , car, or presents, or for financial support of another unless you are both able to be frugal and eat a lot of porridge, potatoes,and beans. You will still have enough for small charitable donations and other small regular expenses .

The pull, obviously, is my grandson. The job I have is excellent and I am already kicking myself for giving it up, but I can't put a price on being there, seeing him grow up and spending time with him. He won't be interested in Gaga when I retire, because he'll be a teenager, so I need to make the most of now.

Did yer flounce Gaga or is the pull of your grandson irresistible?

Well, looks as if the OP won't be the only one living on £900 a month. I'm giving up my overseas teaching and going back to the UK. I'm not going back into schools though. Covid pits. So I will be working online, which will, IF I'm lucky, pay me around £900 a month.

12 years until MY pension. ???

Mental health is everything! I retired early just for that very reason as well. You will definitely find you live on less after you retire. I live on a whole lot less but am a whole lot happier! Blessings to you in your new retirement!

I have to manage on far less, receive disability benefits, have limited mobility, zero ‘security’, rent house with partner on low income, we have no pension or savings - I’m almost 50, rely on public transport, have been very isolated for several years, no longer any real family support or even connection, have gradually accepted my circumstances, but looking ahead to my future is quite scary as I’m unable to plan for anything, it feels awful writing this but heyho, c’est la vie !

I'm 'kind of' retired, I was made redundant 10yrs ago and haven't worked since due to disability and there's very little prospect of me ever working again and I'm only in my early 50s.
I live on ESA (Employment Support Allowance) and get PIP. I use the mobility element of the PIP for a car, so I'm left with about £900 a month but have the mortgage to pay (£500) before I can consider anything else.
£400 a month is really tight, I don't have any savings to dip into either but it's doable, just.
I don't have any luxuries other than the Sky basic tv package and my dog, although personally, I'd say that these are essential for my mental wellbeing. If something breaks, I either have to manage without it or resort to the credit card, which thankfully (for now) is 0%, then try to cut back a little on other things like switching brands (which I hate doing) and go to the supermarket every fortnight rather than once a week to cut back on petrol usage, all to pay off the credit card.
I'm looking forward to when I finish paying the mortgage (although I'm not sure whether that will affect my benefits because there's something called 'money you need to live' in them).
It's not easy but with practice can be done.

I have had very little money for various times in my life, so the things that I do have helped over the times. Most of my clothes come from charity shops, or have once got a group of women I was on a course with, to do a swap shop - mostly clothes - we stayed on after the class finished and then brought our all the things that we were happy to swap. so the whole point was not to think of what they had cost new etc but to be able to take out one thing for one thing put in. So there were things that were very expensive but the person was fed up with them but felt they were too expensive to throw away. Most of us went home happy with what we had swapped. I am a keen gardener and I have given plants to charities I want to support but cant afford to give money. Then little things. Sounds stingy but I keep a vaccum flask next to the kettle. Obviously I try not to put too much water in anyway, but as soon as I have made the coffee the rest of water goes into flask. So if you want to warm a plate or rinse one coffee pot or warm it for the next coffee you are not running the tap for small amounts of hot water. Always use shower - only have a bath when my back is so painful I have to. When I was living alone, as I am now, looked amongst my friends for people who liked similar things and we would buy BOGOF things and split them and
cheap offers for large amounts , offers of good prices on large joint of pork or whatever and we would buy one and split it, but much more fun was when I lived in a bedsit in london with 5 different bedsits with those little baby bellings. If we were all going to be at home I used to organise a roast dinner. Meat in one oven , veg in another etc and then we would all gather in the one with the biggest table and we had some good meals like that. saved on cooking fuels , saved on heating as we were all in one flat, and learnt a lot of different things, as we had an italian and a french person so over time we all took turns and everyone would always know the best and cheapest shops or markets to get their particular ingredients. Due to age and underlying health problems have been isolated for most of this past year, I get a home delivery from Tesco and find it a bore but can go through the lists and see what is on special offer. Much prefer choosing my own fruit and veg but a neighbour - much younger than me - has been very kind and posted letters and got essentials for me when I have been really bad, so I ask her if she needs anything that is heavy such as washing powder etc and get it with my delivery. Costs me no more and it a small thankyou for all she has done for me. Join online local sales/ free offers group and you may hunt through for a long time but sometimes just what you need comes up. If you are a gardener and belong to a garden club we all swap plants or offer them for low prices to run the club. I am a galanthophile - snowdrops to you - and over the years have slowly built up a collection of over 50 different kinds. These have spread over years and so I am able to carefully dig up some and again either swap them , no money changes hands or sell them to raise funds for a choir I belong to but could not afford to give them cash but they were happy to pay £2 a pot for 2 or 3 bulbs . I raised £30 like that. They were pleased to get special snowdrops that they would never find in the garden centre, I felt that I had made a contribtion to the choir and more importantly by spreading these plants around, should my plants die or get dug up by a thief I knew where I could go back to so dont lose a really special plant and everyone wins.Finally, think about where your charity shops are. Years ago I was doing a degree whilst bring up a family and cash was very short. I was in the manchester area and so went on the bus to cheadle hume and stockport sort of places , quite well off areas. My two best buys from there were a lovely well made cream aran jumper for my son of 5 which cost me £1, couldnt have bought the wool for that price and then best of all a lovely supple black leather jacket which had a knitted collar and knitted cuffs. It looked as though a dog had probably ripped the sleeve cuffs . They were very badly wrecked. It had no price on and I held it up asking How much is this. The lady looked at it and said £5? I paid and couldnt leave quick enough, I spent about half an hour finding the nearest matching material for the cuffs, which cost me 25pence and a friend whose son was in school with daniel and a good sewing machine sewed them on for me. My son absolutely loved that jacket and wore it until he really couldnt get into it again and then I gave it to a friend with 3 little boys so got my moneys worth from that. Of course there are many days looking in shops and on market and getting nothing but cold but these days make up for it too. I wish you every good luck

I do but I do have savings as a cushion. I live simply and eat simply. I can't save any more of course.

Yes, very happy!
I meant to add that there were lots of other little things I did that saved money, waste or simply made me feel better. I went through all my cosmetics/toiletries etc bought or gifted. I found items started but unfinished, unopened etc. Had enough for 2 years use easily without buying anything more! I went through my wardrobe, storage boxes, loft and sorted all my clothes out. Donated tons to charity shops, started re wearing some items, repurposed others. Found I lived in jeans, leggings and tunics with some summer dresses for hot weather. Didn’t need any new things for two years although I could have afforded some.
I also sorted out all my books, donating to charities or selling on eBay. I sold over 100! Now buy books from charity shops, then resell after reading or re donate.
Good luck, whatever your decision.

I think it depends if your mortgage is paid off or not Maggie. I could easily live on it, if I had no mortgage. I don't have expensive tastes and live frugally. Given that it is a temporary situation, you could live very carefully, knowing that things will improve in a couple of years.

Yes, nannan2, I agree. Some commenters are out of touch with reality. Many in this country live on less, without enough to meet basic bills.

You sound very close content Cleo, thank you for your input.

Your health is the most important consideration!
Speaking from my experience, leaving work was the best possible choice above any monetary considerations. I was so stressed!
When I did my calculations it didn’t really look doable but I decided I couldn’t stay another year. It turned out that I could live perfectly comfortably for that year, and I’m sure you could manage for 2 years until that extra income kicks in.
I went through all my standing orders/direct debits/subscriptions etc and weeded out everything non essential.
After finishing work, my costs reduced or vanished - travel, work clothes, lunches, coffees, constant contributions to never ending workplace collections(!), numerous lunches out with work colleagues etc etc.
As others have said, I saved money on cooking/baking from scratch. Instead of buying new garden plants/planters etc, I took cuttings, repaired/recycled etc. I had more time to shop carefully which resulted in less waste.
In the end, I needn’t have worried - I sometimes felt better off!
I’ve stuck with many of the economies and have saved money to spend on things I really want to.
You can get a lot of satisfaction from managing, economising and being less wasteful.
Apart from all that, I felt so free after the pressures of a highly stressful job! Time to appreciate my garden, the birdsong, nature walks, the ever changing skies, a nicely baked cake, playing with my cat. The list was endless.
You can do this!

welbeck

Thistlelass, you shouldn't be struggling to buy presents for adults.
can't you announce that it's children only from now on.

I agree.

Or just buy a family present for the adults eg a bottle of wine or box of chocolates for a couple or single adult and presents for under 18s.

Easily if I had £900 a month plus savings

‘You are eligible for PIP if you are suffering with your Mental Health. Also PIP is not means tested eg you could be a millionaire and still receive it.’

This.

If you have a local disability advocacy service, it is worth asking for help to complete the PIP form to reflect the impact of your MH condition on your everyday functionality.

As Donna mentioned, PIP is not means tested, so your current pension income does not affect eligibility to claim.

Try getting PIPas it all helps Your doctor will have health records .Have you had any hospital appts .You can do it over the phone or they send the paperwork out .Then you have interview over the phone .You may have to have an assessment but they are not being done at present because of pandemic .If you get turned down try again I did and won

Thistlelass, you shouldn't be struggling to buy presents for adults.
can't you announce that it's children only from now on.

I think an 8k reserve is more than adequate. I am not in a position to have anywhere near that amount. It can be very stressful having your own property and having repair and replacement jobs to do. I just get by and it will be like that until I get my state pension in June 23. I have been retired for more than 7 years and will be 64 in June. I have a Local Government pension of £900 per month. I am deemed to be too unwell to work and am in the support group for ESA. That is around £250 a month, stopping at 66. I have PIP standard rate care of £260 per calendar month. My money goes on getting more things done around my home. Shopping for birthdays and Christmas is expensive since there are 5 grandchildren and 7 adults to buy for. If your mental health is quite bad you maybe should consider a PIP claim. You can get support from citizens advice to complete the form. All illnesses and conditions you have can impact on how you are able to complete self care tasks. I hope it works out well for you. I absolutely could not do a paid job now - bipolar, possible MS etc It just would not work.

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I am divorced - was married to a very successful professional. I never went out to work, because I had to answer the phones etc. Now, I don’t have a full state pension because I did not have enough NI contributions. He pays me a few hundred every month, which hasn’t changed with inflation. The only thing is - I have a house and quite a reasonable amount of savings. But my lifestyle has changed and my confidence knocked for six...but I’ll survive