'People might say don't buy avocados in Waitrose but why the hell shouldn't I - I work really hard'
28.02.2024 - 11:03
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A mum has shared how she's finding it tough to make ends meet on a £60,000 yearly income, saying she has had to give up foreign holidays, their second car, and shopping at Waitrose.
Victoria Lindsay works long hours each week and her partner is a civil servant, but says they still have to 'count every penny.' They've taken to using candles instead of electricity to save money, and say they can't go to the theatre anymore and can only holiday in the UK.
Victoria and her family are now eagerly waiting for the day they can move up north from their current home in the south to save money.
Try MEN Premium now for FREE...just click here to give it a go.
They have sold one of their cars and haven't been on a holiday abroad since 2017. She feels that if she'd learned a trade instead of going to university, she might be better off financially.
Victoria, a mum of three who runs her own childcare business, feels stuck in the middle - not rich, but also not eligible for benefits. She earns £22,000 and her partner makes £40,000, giving them a combined income of over £60,000.
She's spoken out after a new report called "Caught in the Middle" showed this week that even families earning £60,000 a year are struggling to live well. The report by Financial Fairness Trust says it's because of uncertain jobs and high costs for homes.
"We are having to count every single penny of our weekly shop," Victoria said. "We turn the heating off and the lights off for an hour on a Tuesday between five and six because Octopus Energy will give us the money back.
"We are sitting in the dark with candles on. There is no luxury. We don't take our kids to the cinema. We go on lots of bike rides, we go for lots of walks.
"I don't have a National