Does anyone support a family on an average ($~60K) income, just dad or mum working?

How the **** do you do it? Serious question.

In honour of MP, at first I thought it said Single Fin Families !

3 Bells to MP.

My friend with a degree in engineering is going for a interview at A-MART furniture shop,doing admin work.The salary is $32k,8.30am till 4pm daily.

Guess that works out at around $500 net for a full-time job.

I heard sheep heads can make marvelous soup. Better still eat guinnea pig - those things breed like rabbits and are legal to eat.

This all crazy talk get out there and sacrifice your life, kids and health for an over inflated house in the burbs and a new RAV4 every two years.

What the red fella said...

Me, my lovely wife quit work while pregos and went back (casual) when he finished school, one child. During that time we paid the house off. I've been married 36 years and bought our 4th car a year or so ago, still have the 3rd. First time two cars, we used to drop each other off and same pick up. Same house 27 years and we are only now catching up on maintenance. I don't give a crap about missing out on stuff because we didn't, always someone home when son finished school and we love our camping & bbq's with friends etc. Now days everyone needs 2 cars, 3 TV's, 2 bathrooms, family and games rooms, swimming pools, mobs of air cons, regular take away, meals out, holidays away and if you don't get it you're so bloody hard done by.

Just my thoughts, yes we only had one child and later in life, but seriously it's about choices I know some people are seriously on struggle street and need two wages coming in, I feel for them but some others do need to have a good look at the big picture. And going by Panda's figure I'm on an average wage.

Housing in Manduarkastan down into the $300k

Close to the beach

Its a difficult one but there is not only single families caught out there is also a few couples aswel.
I guess it promotes couples to stick thru thick or thin (which i have been brought up with) In many cases domestic violence drugs and other factors cause a partner to have single kids.

As much as i pay my taxes and talk it up about i hate welfare I think many struggling Aussie mothers especially need assistance (if you give up on a single mother you effectively give up on her kid)Our Aussie youngsters need all the education and support the can get !

I dislike the government supporting illegal immigration and think that money could be spend on our own shore as CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

There is still good housing around Western Australia for 250k Mabe not for a single person with children but certainly there is housing affordable for couples on a low budget that they can get the finance for. If you do a bit of landscaping a coat of paint (put in some hard work) you could build on your asset and slowly crawl your way to a better housing.
The government over here really needs to abolish stamp duty not dangle a carrot via percentages of a home owners grant.

This is my family home in the 60's (WA), 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom no family room or a carport. I remember things like our old crappy multi coloured and rusty Austin A7, dad having to make a sprinkler out of a penny, the debt collectors banging on the door and reducing my parents to tears bla bla bla. I think their repayments would have been high, my dad didn't drink or gamble but both smoked, we never went away for a holiday, a big day out was a Sundry drive, he worked as an airframe mechanic. Lots of happy memories and my parents were together till he died so not all bad and things did pick up after he started to work for himself. Food for thought.

... and factor in the usual 2-in-5 marriages ending in divorce...

Often means the same income, but paying for an extra house that don't belong to you.
I wonder how that 40-50% of the population can even make it... at least the side that ends up forking out all the $$.

Know a couple of blokes that went from comfy lifestyle with nice homes, to living as renters in **holes. Quite a fall...

(Glad mine was clean long time ago...)

smicko said...
Cloth nappies is a big one too.

better for the environment and cheaper using disposables . The fact cloth nappies are better and cheaper than disposables is a myth

Here are a few tips on how to get by on a limited income even if you have a massive mortgage of pay high rent.

Car .People rarely look at what a car actually costs them in fuel ,repayments insurance rego repairs fines etc .A good old car can save you bucks on repayments but everthing else costs the same or more .I ride an electric bike it gets me around very nicely and cheaply and relatively quickly without getting exhasted and sweaty ,I also get more excercise as it is pedal assist than driving a car .I still have a car and rarely use it (With a family its hard to get by without it) . Have a look at your circumstances you might be able to ditch the carb or a car (if you have 2) altogether use a bike or electric bike .If you live in a congested city you will be surprised at how much easier and quicker and cheaper it is to get around .hire a car for bigger trips and holidays . Unfortunately this advice usually falls on deaf ears and people seem happy to spend a third of their working hours income on a car and ridicule and vilify me for riding a "lazy' bike .to which I reply ."Oh I didn't realise you had a pedal car to drive around in"

House .We are fortunate we don't have a big mortgage .However we do have a limited income .My wife chooses to work 2 days and we have teenage daughters that she likes to buy things for regularly plus driving them around everywhere and the added expense of extra insurance on the car for p platers .the solution .Encourage them to leave or pay one third of their income on board .this is the going rate that shows them what the real world that they have been shielded from thus far is like .So why encourage them to leave ?If you live near a uni their room could be bringing in $210 per week with a foreign student .We turned our lounge room into a room and have a nice Japanese student .Our daughters like her and the house is more civil and we now have evening meals together again.Eldest daughter is moving out soon to work os and we will be geeting a boarder into her room .
Also house lighting .Get rid of 12 volt halogens .We did plus we spent the rudd money on a solar hot water system ,Even wit 3 teen daughter and a boarder with 2 hrs of combined showers per day our electricity bill is only $300 per quarter.We still have a tube TV with a set top box .These cost a fraction of the price of flat screen or plasma to run.There are always plenty around at council chuck out time and vinnies

Food, growing your own is generally a bit of a pipe dream .Food is still cheap at supermarkets Only buy wholefood .Nothing in plastic or boxes ,Neighbours guinea pigs are even cheaper

dusta said...

smicko said...
Cloth nappies is a big one too.

better for the environment and cheaper using disposables . The fact cloth nappies are better and cheaper than disposables is a myth

What you been putting up your nose Dusta??
What do you base that info on?

Hello everybody, it's Dr Jones again.

I took the slow boat out for a spin this morning... just to ensure the crew don't get lazy.

Mark _australia said...

I think one of the main issues facing Australia now is housing, as we have allowed it to become an investment for the rich.

So I smoke, drink like a fish and spend it all on windsurfing gear. As soon as the oldies and in-laws cark it then I'll get a house.

I hope thats sarcasim,Im guessing it is,, otherwise is not a very healthy out look on life.

lotofwind said...

Mark _australia said...

I think one of the main issues facing Australia now is housing, as we have allowed it to become an investment for the rich.

So I smoke, drink like a fish and spend it all on windsurfing gear. As soon as the oldies and in-laws cark it then I'll get a house.

I hope thats sarcasim,Im guessing it is,, otherwise is not a very healthy out look on life.

Which part?