Could we survive off this income?

After daycare, rent and all bills are paid we would have 200 pounds per week to buy food, other necessities (toiletries etc) and have fun. Family of three in nice area of Liverpool. Right now we have twice that in the US and lead a pretty middle class, no frills life.  We don't want to be penny punchers or poor. Thoughts?
 

I think a big question here would be do you intend to drive lots of places? Because petrol is £4.50 per US gallon.   And would you need to buy stuff to get you started here?  I forgot to pack my ladle and stock pot and had to go out and purchase a few more items like that.  Loads of folks live on less than £200 per week so you should be able to.  We are a three person two cat family and our groceries come to about £160 per week.  But we are organic and those are usually more expensive.  The biggest hurdle would be if you smoke!  One pack of twenty cigarettes costs almost £10.  It is amazing that so many Brits smoke with how expensive it is. 

I could make do on £200 a week for the three of us, no problem.

We spend about £80 a week on food and household items and that's without "watching" what we spend.  We could reduce that if we tried.

We only eat out about once a month.  That's been a big culture shift for me in the UK.  My husband thinks we eat out a lot.  I think we NEVER eat out!  Eating out is definitely more expensive here (we had our second date since our daughter was born Saturday.  We each had a starter and main.  He had a beer and I had a glass of wine.  The bill was £70.)  With a kid, we normally eat out at lunch so MUCH less expensive as definitely no frills restaurants with kids!

I'd recommend looking at an annual National Trust membership.  It costs about £90 but gives great days out for the family, plus events at Christmas, Easter, summertime, etc.  Softplay places are great for rainy days and the three of you can go at peak time for under £10.

Is £200 a week after setting money aside for return trips to the US and travel for holidays?  Depends on your family's desire for return trips home and travel.  For us, that's a priority.   

I think you'll find that after 6 months, you'll be fully adjusted to your new lifestyle.  You'll probably wonder what you did with all your disposable income in the US!

haha , love it!

Nope, don't smoke . We plan to only use train for now and perhaps someday get a car, but the job that I would be taking would not need a vehicle. So hopefully we can do without for a while.

We looked at monthly Merseyrail passes, used bill estimates from my cousin in Derby, estimated 800 for rent and 800 for daycare monthly. What is left for groceries, dining out, savings, (US) retirement and college savings, and fun is 200 pounds per week.

haha , love it!

Nope, don't smoke . We plan to only use train for now and perhaps someday get a car, but the job that I would be taking would not need a vehicle. So hopefully we can do without for a while.

We looked at monthly Merseyrail passes, used bill estimates from my cousin in Derby, estimated 800 for rent and 800 for daycare monthly. What is left for groceries, dining out, savings, (US) retirement and college savings, and fun is 200 pounds per week.

Did you include council tax?

You'll be fine.  And chances are, your income will only increase over time.

we used my cousin's in Derby as an estimate. I'll have to look at Righmove again....do they list what the council tax would be on the postings?

Occasionally they'll list the council tax band and then you'll have to check your local council's band amounts. But I found for most properties you need to ask. Keep in mind that the nicer/bigger your home is, the higher council tax will be. I live in a fairly roomy 1 bed flat in Cardiff bay and we pay about £100 a month in council tax.


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As Alison said, look at the local council for the info on council tax.  The band should be listed on Rightmove, but I doubt the amount will be.  I'm in the Southeast (where things are ridiculously expensive) and our 2 bed is £152 a month.

Your bills should include:
Rent
Council tax
Water
Gas
Electric
TV license
Cable/broadband/phone (optional of course but I'm guessing you'll want internet at least, which requires a phone line)
Insurance (rental coverage)
Mobile phones
Transportation costs

Then leftovers for food, clothes, household items, travel, entertainment.

A couple of other things I thought of.

UK pension contributions are mandatory now, so you might want to look into how much of your salary they'll take away for that.  Also, you can drive on your US license for a year.  If you want to get your UK license, it's best to do it in the first 12 months.  It can be an expensive process.   

Also check if your employer offers childcare vouchers.  You can have a certain amount deducted from your earnings pre-tax for childcare (depends on your earnings), saving a few hundred pounds a year in tax.

awesome, thanks! I appreciate the tips. Their website does mention being part of the childcare scheme, so I will email the HR person and see what I can find out!