What do you consider a 'decent' salary (non-London)

A question about : What do you consider a 'decent' salary (non-London)

Just wondering what you guys would class as a 'decent' salary? At the moment I'm 29, home-owner, single, and on Ј50,478 (plus Ј4,500 from lodger tax free) and to be honest I don't feel that well off at all. Seems all my money just disappears each month and don't have a lot to show for it.

So what do you lot think is a good amount to earn each year to feel well off because I always thought Ј50,000+ would be the sweet point ? I'm thinking maybe Ј75,000+ nowadays. I'm seriously considering moving back home for 2-3 years and renting my place so I can actually start saving some money...

Best answers:

• What do you mean by "decent"? You seem to be on an extremely "decent" salary to me and if you don't feel that well off then I think you need to look at where the monies going.
  Personally I would call Ј75,000.00+ rich not decent.
• No, no debt other than mortgage. I just signed up to save Ј250 per month for 3 years in company shares. Basically I get to purchase them at 20% below current market value (fixed @ 116p) then in 3 years can either take the shares or my Ј9,000 invested. Only 'risk' is losing potential interest.
  Sorry but it's just depressing that I end up at zero again every month . Looking at my account all the bills for the month have already killed off most of the balance. I mean Ј1,800-Ј2,000 as base expenses is just too much. Moving home seems like the right option for now. I think it's just not feasible for a single person to save anything near decent with the cost of living what it is today.
• Be honest, did you come on here to gloat? You know full well 50K is an excellent salary, especially outside of London. I've just accepted a job for less than 12K so if you want to swap salaries for a bit to see how the other half live, or to practice budgeting, let me know.
  Googlewhacker, I saved nearly 6k a year when I was earning 21K, and yes I was paying a mortgage and bills. On that salary the OP should be able to save far more.
• i'd call 12k a year a decent salary.
  you need to have a serious look at your finances cos you must be wasting a lot. you would be rolling in it if you're money wise.
• You're positively loaded. You need to spend a bit more effort getting ME a job where you work! Plz thx.
• Well I live in a London Borough have been with the same company for 5 years and earn Ј14,000. I clearly know this isnt a decent wage but seriously Ј75k, are you drunk or something? or do you just get a kick out of knocking people down even futher who are on really cr*p money....
• What does the expenditure of someone spending say Ј10,000 per year look like? My mortgage is pretty much equal to that for starters hence wanting to move home. If I look to rent a room somewhere that's like Ј350 just to start with or Ј4,000 p.c.m. I think this country is just too expensive .
  I want to retire by 40 and figure I need Ј750,000 - Ј1,000,000 in assets to generate Ј28,000 pre-tax accounting for inflation. Right now with current income that's just pie in the sky. Just seems to me like things work against those wanting to escape early.
• well how the hell do you think those on a "non decent wage" survive in this country that you say is too expensive....I think you need to look at your spending habbits if you are saying you cant live off of Ј50k a year....seriously you have it made I would kill to have a wage like that at any time in my life which I know wont happen.
• 50k a year and you want to move back home?! Are you having a laugh..?
  Try being an adult, looking at your income and outgoings and then cut down! It's not hard...
• Ј1k takehome per month, for somebody living alone in a random town in the UK might look like:
  - Ј400 rent on a studio
  - Ј110 basic bills (elec/Ј40; water/Ј15; TV License/Ј12; Phone/Ј13; Broadband/Ј15; Contents Ins/Ј15)
  - Ј80 Council tax
  - Ј100 travel to work
  - Ј100 food and household
  - Ј25 work clothes/shoes
  - Ј30 towards birthdays/Xmas across the year
  ====
  Ј845
  Leaving Ј155 for everything else (holidays, socialising, clubs, hobbies, the unexpected, things that pack up, PC, newspapers/magazines, works Xmas meal, clothes for everyday life, haircuts, dentist, prescriptions)
• OP's SOA (Feb): https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...37&postcount=1
• Thanks for the responses... looking through my statement this is about right before taking into account hobbies/toys etc which can easily add up:
  Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
  Monthly Income Details
  Monthly income after tax................ 2721
  Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
  Benefits................................ 0
  Other income............................ 450
  Total monthly income.................... 3171
  Monthly Expense Details
  Mortgage................................ 0
  Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
  Rent.................................... 850
  Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
  Council tax............................. 120
  Electricity............................. 40
  Gas..................................... 40
  Oil..................................... 0
  Water rates............................. 16.5
  Telephone (land line)................... 20
  Mobile phone............................ 50
  TV Licence.............................. 15
  Satellite/Cable TV...................... 30
  Internet Services....................... 30
  Groceries etc. ......................... 150
  Clothing................................ 150
  Petrol/diesel........................... 100
  Road tax................................ 15
  Car Insurance........................... 65
  Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 50
  Car parking............................. 10
  Other travel............................ 0
  Childcare/nursery....................... 0
  Other child related expenses............ 0
  Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 20
  Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
  Buildings insurance..................... 0
  Contents insurance...................... 0
  Life assurance ......................... 0
  Other insurance......................... 0
  Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 40
  Haircuts................................ 35
  Entertainment........................... 300
  Holiday................................. 500
  Emergency fund.......................... 0
  Total monthly expenses.................. 2646.5
  [b]
  
  Monthly Budget Summary
  Total monthly income.................... 3,171
  Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 2,646.5
  Available for debt repayments........... 524.5
  Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 0
  Amount left after debt repayments....... 524.5
  Created using the SOA calculator at www.makesenseofcards.com.
  Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using other browser.