Disposable income?

A question about : Disposable income?

I was wondering while feverishly number crunching, what is the minimum 'comfortable' amount of disposable income a family of three...me and two children, aged 11 and 8 can live on per month?
I am on about when everything else is budgeted for..including utilities, food, childcare, fuel, loans, credit cards etc are paid.

Best answers:

• Hmmm, did not want to read and run but am not sure I have a specific answer. Could depend on your definition of a "comfortable" cushion would be, as everyone is different...do you mean what is left over once everything is paid for that's left for emergencies/luxuries etc?
• Do you mean 'spending money' or money for saving for things like christmas or holidays? What is your definition of 'disposable'?
• I mean what is left to part save or use for treats. Once bills are paid what feels a suitable amount to be left with to do what you want to do with..realistically
• Spending money I suppose
• I'm not sure anyone can answer that as we all have s different idea about what ix essential if not and different priorities and expenses. At a rough guess I would say a couple of hundred pounds perhaps
• Hi Happy
  I think its difficult when you have children this age. Mine are similar age to yours, its difficult because they don't have an income but do have ideas on what they want to do/buy. DS has a hobby and an Xbox both of which cost money but are important to him. DD likes clothes and likes socialising/going out and about so we spend money on those things for her. Plus Dh and I have our own priorities (and wider family obligations) so although I find it easy to budget carefully for just me, I find it quite hard to make to budget cover everyones wishes fairly. The simple solution is to cut out all non essential spending, but this isn't realistic long term (or desirable). I end up constantly juggling.
  Sorry, haven't been much help.
• I see now this isn't as straightforward as I thought. There are a number of factors to consider when making a calculation and I get that it's personal too.
  I have money left over after bills but I just wanted to throw it out there for comments and opinions
• I suppose it depends on whag income you have to start with, might be worth looking at what percentage of income you have
• It depends what you count within your bills or within your disposible income. For example, do you count children activities, school trips, clothing, presents for friends/family, repairs to property, glasses/contact lenses, hair appointment etc... within your bills or your disposable income.
• I include mortgage, food, fuel, childcare, pocket money for kids, water, council tax, insurance (home, car, life), gas, electric, phones, sky in my outgoings.
  I have Ј2950 coming in and Ј2155 going out from the above.
  Does that help?
  I don't save..I just go from month to month
• Then I think you need to start from how much should you save each month? If you have nothing put away in savings, I think you should put away Ј300 per month.
• I'm really struggling at the moment so trying to prioritise paying debt but I still put Ј 50 away a month on saving not great but it does add up soon enough and is better than nothing ..
• When I had 'surplus' money each month, I saved about a third, used another third toward my mortgage and spent the rest on whatever. For me, paying my mortgage off early was the most important thing as it meant I could retire early.
• I save around Ј700 a month - some into various piggy banks for things I spend throughout the year, car, holidays, christmas, birthday's & some in to a isa. It depends how much I have coming in & out as to how much exactly - and I spend between Ј200-350 pm, again depends on what I have coming in and expenses for the month
• I'm putting away Ј200pm, into an ISA.
  It is intended for Car and House Insurance, Road Tax, MOT, Servicing and, depending on what is left each year, a holiday.
  I also have Ј700 of available overdraft, in case things become desperate.
• Ј200pm and a Ј700 overdraft?
  What an amazing coincidence.
• DH and I have around Ј100 each for spending money and we use that for treats, take-aways, days out, dentists, haircuts, gifts, clothes, shoes and anything that our 3 year old twins may need!
  We get most of our clothes from eBay and also sell a lot of old stuff on there to supplement our spending money. Most activities/gifts need to be planned in advance and saved for where possible. It is tight sometimes but it can be done and it does make us question the value of everything we might want to buy.