[RussellPG]

I'm still struggling at the moment on what I earn and I'm lucky in that my rent is £325 a month including all the bills like water rates, council tax, electric and gas.

Ok, so its a shared house with the Landlord and another Lad, but its the cheapest around my area and has off road secure parking too. Unfortunately that might all change soon as the Landlord has just married his Thai girlfriend, and she'll be living in the house too, with her 1 yr old kid (who cries every morning at 4 - 5am), So mine and this other lads sleep patterns are getting disturbed and we're falling asleep in work, So we're planning on finding somewhere else (hopefully as cheap as this place) and renting some house/flat together, It'll work out a lot cheaper that way.

Of course, everything might change by next April, when my work contract comes to an end, cos if I can't find another job in the local area, I might have to up sticks and move out of the area to find alternative work.
Cross that bridge when I come to it.

[Immerymopay]

I'm quite baffled that some of you guys actually "survive" on less than £12K a year... That's just insane. I don't want to be sounding patronising by any means but why don't you guys go for a decent education and aim for something higher? You're earning half the UK average wage!... which is already quite awful.

Money isn't growing on trees but there are actually ways to get a decent wage in the UK. Even if the UK's economy is in bad shape, it's still not Bangladesh!!

[DownloadADOBEsoftware]

I don't want to be sounding patronising by any means but why don't you guys go for a decent education and aim for something higher?

That's not patronising, it's bloody ignorant. I know loads of people (myself included) who didn't go to university and have very good jobs.

[RjkVwPcV]

Finding a good job at the moment is a struggle where ever you live, with or without a education. There is sooo many people that are qualified applying for one job so the chances of you getting it are far less.

I am in the same boat as the pickleman, and it sucks!

[otheloComRole]

I'm quite baffled that some of you guys actually "survive" on less than £12K a year... That's just insane. I don't want to be sounding patronising by any means but why don't you guys go for a decent education and aim for something higher? You're earning half the UK average wage!... which is already quite awful.

Money isn't growing on trees but there are actually ways to get a decent wage in the UK. Even if the UK's economy is in bad shape, it's still not Bangladesh!!

At least here in the states I can tell you that even with a proper education the likelyhood of finding a decent paying job is minimal at best. They simply don't exist, or the companies that are hiring are demanding applicants to have such an extended amount of experience (some 5-10+ years in the job field) that recent graduates and fresh members of the workforce simply have no choice but to take menial jobs to survive.

As I mentioned earlier, not only myself and my woman are in this predicament, but I know several people that I graduated college with that have either A) Found employment at a decent wage and been laid off due to cutbacks or not had their employment contracts renewed or B) Haven't been able to find anyone willing to hire a fresh graduate.

The average wage for a two person household isn't that high here, roughly $25k-$45k per year gross annual pay. After taxes its even less .

The global economy is in a terrible slump and we're all feeling it. For many people who previously had little to no financial worry its now a struggle just to pay the bills. The whole "Go to College / Uni and get a great job!" slogan doesn't work any longer. Maybe in 1980 when half the world still worked well-payed tradeskill jobs, but now a days everyone has a fancy piece of paper, to the point where they're a dime a dozen. College isn't special if everyone goes.

[Immerymopay]

That's not patronising, it's bloody ignorant. I know loads of people (myself included) who didn't go to university and have very good jobs.

...and that's bloody stupid.
Do you often take personal experience and make sweeping generalisations?

I am quite sure you can make quite good corelation studies between education and wages. Of course there'll be outliers, but making them a norm is just retarded.

[DownloadADOBEsoftware]

...and that's bloody stupid.
Do you often take personal experience and make sweeping generalisations?

I am quite sure you can make quite good corelation studies between education and wages. Of course there'll be outliers, but making them a norm is just retarded.

Was I not clear when I said I know loads of people or something?

[emingeRek]

At least here in the states I can tell you that even with a proper education the likelyhood of finding a decent paying job is minimal at best. They simply don't exist, or the companies that are hiring are demanding applicants to have such an extended amount of experience (some 5-10+ years in the job field) that recent graduates and fresh members of the workforce simply have no choice but to take menial jobs to survive.

As I mentioned earlier, not only myself and my woman are in this predicament, but I know several people that I graduated college with that have either A) Found employment at a decent wage and been laid off due to cutbacks or not had their employment contracts renewed or B) Haven't been able to find anyone willing to hire a fresh graduate.

The average wage for a two person household isn't that high here, roughly $25k-$45k per year gross annual pay. After taxes its even less .

The global economy is in a terrible slump and we're all feeling it. For many people who previously had little to no financial worry its now a struggle just to pay the bills. The whole "Go to College / Uni and get a great job!" slogan doesn't work any longer. Maybe in 1980 when half the world still worked well-payed tradeskill jobs, but now a days everyone has a fancy piece of paper, to the point where they're a dime a dozen. College isn't special if everyone goes.

2 person household is 45k per year?
Jesus man thats terrible.
Here in DC people are having trouble finding jobs but one thing I do know is that its (thankfully) pretty easy to land a tech job. Sure wages are not as high as years ago but its still good and graduates have little problem landing jobs. However the Biotech mecca that is Gaithersburg/Bethesda has suffered greatly and I know many who can't land jobs. But for the tech world here you just hear people complaining about less pay.

Living costs here are very high. For example my new place is in the middle/low end of housing in my area. I will have a 1400 dollar mortgage (I put 22% down) and 800 dollar condo fee + electric bill/cable/internet/home insurance/health insurance

[Hmwmzian]

[...]
I'm a college dropout, I am going to be a homeowner soon, 809 credit score, and a good job as a contractor for Gov. You don't need a sheet of paper to prove you understand/have the capacity to achieve great things (talking about IT).

Actually you do, from my experience. Unless you have good contacts who can arrange some contracts for you (from there its easy) you are pretty much f**ked without good papers.

By now I've been introduced to some important people in my line of business, who stay in contact with me (or the other way round lol), but I wouldnt have gotten into this position without the job itself. And the job itself wasnt given to college drop outs.

I think the only field where you dont need any papers is when you start your own business. When you are your own boss, that stuff doesnt matter. But if you want to apply to regular jobs, the grades are the door opener, even though character, cleverness and charme are more important in the job interview.

Edit: Seems like you've edited your post.

[Immerymopay]

Was I not clear when I said I know loads of people or something?

[help]
I haven't slept much the past few days.
I should've spotted the wit.

[DownloadADOBEsoftware]

[help]
I haven't slept much the past few days.
I should've spotted the wit.

Hilarious.

[ddwayspd]

I earn more than 12k but i'm finding it hard to understand how i'll be able to afford living in my own home with a £500 mortgage. I kind of reckon on needing about £1.5k a month minimum excluding a social life, eating out, xmas etc.

Mortgage £500.00

Council Tax £100.00
Water £20.00
Electricity £40.00
Gas £30.00
Phone/Internet £35.00
TV Licence £12.00
Home Insurance £30.00

Car £315.00
Car Running Cost £60.00
Car Insurance £50.00
Petrol £100.00

Vision Express £14.95
Mobile £30.00
Grocaries £150.00
Love Film £3.99


£1,491.21

Using this as an example, a car payment that high would have to go obviously.

Assuming current mortgage rates, a 500pcm capital and interest repayment equates to about a 100k mortgage at 80%LTV, so you'd need a 25k deposit and roughly a 25k salary to satisfy all criteria for .

Assuming all boxes are ticked, a take home salary of about 1,550pcm should leave about 650pcm after mortgage, bills and groceries. Take £150 of that away for an emergency slush fund, and you have £500 to spend on exactly what you like, be that car, socialising or whatever.

You can't have your cake and eat it, so you get a cheaper car whilst you're paying for your first house or move a lodger in to a spare room (my Mum lives in a 90k 3-bed terrace in Manchester so don't tell me they don't exist).

[Nikitka]

I don't want to be sounding patronising by any means but why don't you guys go for a decent education and aim for something higher?

Because for the large part of job seeking in the UK : Experience > education.

Also, from my own experience College graduates are ****ing useless in a working environment, and most people cant afford the UK uni fees any more.

When we had an Uni grad in for an interview, I asked him to explain the tech drawing he had given us in this whopping great big folder he brought with him. He gave me some gobbledy goop about networking so I asked him what 1 particular item was, to which he had no idea. (looking at the diagram, it was a switch)

So I went over a few more things in the folder, to which he had no answer for and yet he passed with a distinction.

[Immerymopay]

Because for the large part of job seeking in the UK : Experience > education.

Also, from my own experience College graduates are ****ing useless in a working environment, and most people cant afford the UK uni fees any more.

When we had an Uni grad in for an interview, I asked him to explain the tech drawing he had given us in this whopping great big folder he brought with him. He gave me some gobbledy goop about networking so I asked him what 1 particular item was, to which he had no idea. (looking at the diagram, it was a switch)

So I went over a few more things in the folder, to which he had no answer for and yet he passed with a distinction.

I think you're looking at things from the wrong perspective. I've interviewed grads. Some were absolutely useless. So I agree, a university degree is no guarantee that you'll get a job. You need to be sharp too. But you see, if they hadn't been graduates in the first place, they wouldn't even have been considered for the interview.

The uni education isn't a free pass. It's just a key. You have to open the door.

[RussellPG]

I'm actually on closer to £17.5K before tax, so not quite as dire as £12k a year, but its close.

As for going to college or University, well that's fine if your a young student, who can either get a Grant, live with their parents or some other cheap option, but I'm 42, its unlikely I'd get a grant that would pay all my bills and still allow me to attend college or Uni and pass some computer course that would gain me a degree or some other qualification, so basically, I'm sort of drifting through life, wondering what job I'll be doing next and not worrying about a mortgage, paying for some fancy car, that'll probably depreciate by half its value as soon as I've driven it off the forecourt.

Its not the ideal life, but I'm just too Jaded and lack the motivation to do anything much about it and try and improve my quality of life.

[Emalodoulouts]

I'm actually on closer to £17.5K before tax, so not quite as dire as £12k a year, but its close.

As for going to college or University, well that's fine if your a young student, who can either get a Grant, live with their parents or some other cheap option, but I'm 42, its unlikely I'd get a grant that would pay all my bills and still allow me to attend college or Uni and pass some computer course that would gain me a degree or some other qualification, so basically, I'm sort of drifting through life, wondering what job I'll be doing next and not worrying about a mortgage, paying for some fancy car, that'll probably depreciate by half its value as soon as I've driven it off the forecourt.

Its not the ideal life, but I'm just too Jaded and lack the motivation to do anything much about it and try and improve my quality of life.

You can get started with night and/or correspondence classes - see if it's something you can do.

[otheloComRole]

2 person household is 45k per year?
Jesus man thats terrible.
Here in DC people are having trouble finding jobs but one thing I do know is that its (thankfully) pretty easy to land a tech job. Sure wages are not as high as years ago but its still good and graduates have little problem landing jobs. However the Biotech mecca that is Gaithersburg/Bethesda has suffered greatly and I know many who can't land jobs. But for the tech world here you just hear people complaining about less pay.

Living costs here are very high. For example my new place is in the middle/low end of housing in my area. I will have a 1400 dollar mortgage (I put 22% down) and 800 dollar condo fee + electric bill/cable/internet/home insurance/health insurance

$45k is the high end of the average. I know plenty of people who between themselves and their significant others pull in at best $30-$35k *combined* gross pay.

Think about it, $10 an hour for 40 hours a week is only what, $20,800 gross pay a year ? Not including the fact you lost Approximately $75-$90 per week in Taxes, the actual net pay is closer to $15k per person. These are people with college degrees too.

The job market ****ing sucks dong.

[DeilMikina]

Tbh I find it quite easy and I am on around 14k a year. I pay £475 rent per month aswell as the usual Ctax, utilities, Sky HD and so on.

There are two reasons why I can live quite comfortably in my nice apartment in a nice part of town on such a low wage. One is the fact I don't drive. I live in the center of town and about 40min walk from work. If I go anywhere else I use my bike if I need to. The second one and this is the biggy, I have no debts. None. Not one.
The only debt I have ever had is when I took a small loan on out. This was for two reasons. One I had 0 creidt rating and wanted to give it a small nudge in the right direction. The second was the fact I wanted a new TV,

And no I don't really love my job but it is stress free and has zero impact on my life outside of work. I never have to be one of those people who brings their work home with them and for that I am bloody thankful.

[errolespopume]

I'm quite baffled that some of you guys actually "survive" on less than £12K a year... That's just insane. I don't want to be sounding patronising by any means but why don't you guys go for a decent education and aim for something higher? You're earning half the UK average wage!... which is already quite awful.

Money isn't growing on trees but there are actually ways to get a decent wage in the UK. Even if the UK's economy is in bad shape, it's still not Bangladesh!!

'Currently in London - UK' - must be nice in that little bubble of yours. In places like where i am currently living £12K is actually not a bad wage... farms, factories, supermarkets, hotels - not a great deal of high paid jobs.

[RussellPG]

'Currently in London - UK' - must be nice in that little bubble of yours. In places like where i am currently living £12K is actually not a bad wage... farms, factories, supermarkets, hotels - not a great deal of high paid jobs.

Pretty much the same where I live.

There are some Local Power stations, but its almost impossible to get a permanent job in one or the other.

The only problem I have is that with my present job, Security, its at the lowest end of the pay scale, even shelf stackers in supermarkets earn more than I do, an hour, and I had to pass 2 courses just to get on this job and that doesn't include paying for my Enhanced Disclosure or my SIA licence.

Its barely above minimum wage, its just the amount of hours that make up for the sh!tty hourly rate, currently doing 60 hrs a week and might be moving to nights, which is an 84 hr week, but I get 5 days off after every 9 on, instead of just weekends off whilst I'm on days.

I can't save, I'm going through a messy divorce (thankfully no children involved) and my ex-wife managed to get us into debt to the tune of £15K, some of it without my knowledge, that she's trying to offload onto me, that's why its getting messy.