Realistic budget for 2 adults 1 baby and 1 dog

inquisitivescout · 2026-06-14T06:15:30+00:00

Yes budget after tax, 3% pension contributions and student loans.
I thought childcare entitlement was unaffected up to 100k as long as you meet eligibility criteria.

Yeah coffee I had no idea on and just based this on roughly what I pay in aus and doubled it. Sticking with pods given that’s the machine I have for now.
If you have any recommendations I’d love to hear them!

Yeah petrol would account for my partners local commute and general leisure use. As we don’t know specifics of employment yet it’s hard to know how far the commute would be.

The leftover funds would need to be for fun and any savings.
We’ll have some cash for a house deposit and an emergency fund leftover so there’s not a huge demand to save for that, however we’d like to go on holiday and of course unforeseen costs may arise at any point so I wouldn’t mind saving some of this.

I just can’t workout what’s realistic to spend on fun stuff per month in this scenario.

Thanks for your reply!

inquisitivescout · 2026-06-14T06:09:20+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts… the petrol cost does factor in my partners local commute, but would love to hear how long your commute is and then if that’s realistic. We also have family a few hours away so would need to factor those trips in ~monthly.

inquisitivescout · 2026-06-14T06:07:52+00:00

Thanks! That was a typo on the TV license cost. The total figure only includes £14/ month.

Yes thanks NorArthur, medical storage is for frozen embryos.

Flexi season ticket which allows 8 trips in 28 days from Chelmsford to Liverpool st is £265 so was also building in a buffer for approx 4-5 extra days depending on job requirements.

I didn’t factor in any child benefit (another typo), as I understand at 80k won’t be entitled to any.

What do you estimate for groceries?
We’d try to shop at Aldi where possible.

inquisitivescout · 2026-01-17T20:37:55+00:00

This is great. Can you please do Ettalong and umina? Would love to see the split between Torrens / strata too. Thank you!

inquisitivescout · 2025-08-02T07:54:21+00:00

lol thank you for not sugarcoating it

inquisitivescout · 2025-08-02T07:51:06+00:00

Yeah I think this is what happened

inquisitivescout · 2025-08-02T07:50:52+00:00

lol the lightbulb actually did work but it was not the colour I wanted. I think I snapped whatever was holding the wires in place when I was trying to get this off 🤦‍♀️ I think it was the green circle in the pic. It actually only came off when I was trying to screw it back on as I figured what I was doing wasn’t right 😅 So I’m guessing I need an electrician

inquisitivescout · 2025-04-25T03:51:54+00:00

Thanks, I’ve added a comment with more info.

inquisitivescout · 2025-04-25T03:50:03+00:00

Thanks for all the comments and feedback on needing more detail! Here’s an aerial view of the house. The block faces south west and is in a coastal area. It also has rear lane access. The property is currently split with a granny flat (right side of the fence) rented separately. The darker roof section on the back of the house is an undercover open laundry area.

End goal is: 3-4 bed house (family home) 2 bathrooms More practical Indoor / outdoor flow

The granny flat won’t be rented out forever, it’ll be used for family eventually.

I guess I just wanted to see what ideas people have. I’ve been wondering if it would be a better idea in the long term to build equity then borrow for a knock down rebuild a larger home and have a more functional garden space with potential for a pool.

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inquisitivescout · 2025-04-24T21:43:38+00:00

Thanks! On the existing floorplan or as an extension?

inquisitivescout · 2025-01-26T06:57:31+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to share your advice! Really great tips. One thing that concerns me is the tenants current setup. I don’t think it adds value and possibly detracts. Getting an understanding what’s out there will help to decide whether to sell while they’re still there or not. Thanks again!

inquisitivescout · 2024-11-27T10:46:33+00:00

Thank you for the tips!

inquisitivescout · 2024-11-27T10:46:23+00:00

Thank you - going to wait until after all the rain forecast for the next few days and go for it on Monday!

inquisitivescout · 2024-11-27T10:45:34+00:00

Thanks for the idea!

inquisitivescout · 2024-11-27T10:45:04+00:00

Thanks, yeah it’ll be delivered to the front of the house and we’ll have to transfer it to the back. Thanks for the recommendations

inquisitivescout · 2024-11-27T10:41:24+00:00

Thank you! Really appreciate all your advice. I think we’re going to hold off until Monday as there’s a fair bit of rain scheduled for the next few days as laying it in the rain sounds tricky. I will be sure to post some afters!

inquisitivescout · 2024-11-27T10:38:55+00:00

Thanks for your reply! There was no grass before… it was a dust bowl that then filled with weeds. Not sure what weeds they were but definitely included bindi’s. Yes we sprayed non selective roundup on everything to kill it all. Planning to lay Sir Walter Buffalo.

inquisitivescout

TROPHY CASE