Cost of living · Fictional household · England · 2026/27

Saving to buy: what is left each month?

Amir & Sana (29 & 27 · two earners · renting before buying). In this example £4,312 comes in each month and £2,778 goes on housing, bills and debts, leaving £1,534. A fictional household, built from 2026/27 rules and stated assumptions.

Evidence last reviewed 29 October 2026

Illustration of a fictional household, not a photograph of real people.

29 & 27 · two earners · renting before buying

Meet Amir & Sana

Two salaries help them save. Getting the keys is another test.

Amir earns £35,000 and Sana £30,000 a year. They share the same £1,406 rent used for Alex. They start with £10,000 saved. A second income helps, but a deposit, legal costs and a sustainable mortgage all need paying for.

A month in pounds

Amir & Sana: a month, in pounds

England · 2026/27 rules · fictional household · every line is listed below

Left each month

£1,534

Still to cover leisure, holidays, emergencies and any saving.

Money coming in

Amir · take-home pay£35,000/year gross; modelled tax, NI and workplace pension deducted: £2,297
Sana · take-home pay£30,000/year gross; modelled tax, NI and workplace pension deducted: £2,014
Total: £4,312

Housing and bills

Private rentONS UK average, Sep 2026; same illustrative rent as Alex: −£1,406
Food & household shoppingScenario assumption: −£430
Energy & waterScenario assumption: −£180
Council taxScenario assumption: −£155
TransportScenario assumption: −£300
Phones & broadbandScenario assumption: −£80
Clothes, insurance & other essentialsScenario assumption: −£180
Total: −£2,731

Debt repayments

Amir · student loan (Plan 2)9% of pay above £29,385 (2026/27 threshold): −£42
Sana · student loan (Plan 2)9% of pay above £29,385 (2026/27 threshold): −£5
Total: −£47

Each line is rounded to the nearest pound, but totals are worked out from the exact amounts, so adding the rounded lines can give a pound more or less than the total shown. The exact amounts are in the workings.

What would change it

A 10% deposit on the £273,037 UK average home (Aug 2026) is £27,304. With £10,000 saved, the remaining deposit is £17,304, before fees. The national average is not a first-buyer quote.

Compare with Olivia & Ben: a young family who have just bought →

What Budget 2026 could mean for them

These are announcements with dates and conditions, not money already in the budget above. None of them is added to Amir & Sana’s month.

Your First Home
A new equity loan for about 70,000 first-time buyers from April 2027 could shrink the deposit they need.
As announced: Your First Home: Introduce a new equity loan scheme to support around 70,000 first-time buyers from April 2027 (net income from developer fees). Who it covers: England; new-build homes within local price caps; household income up to £110,000 (£140,000 in London).
The measure Is it happening?
First Time Buyer ISA
A First Time Buyer ISA replaces the Lifetime ISA for new savers, but not until April 2029.
As announced: First Time Buyer ISA: Introduce a new ISA for first-time buyers, replacing the Lifetime ISA for new savers from 6 April 2029.
The measure
Student Loans
Interest on both Plan 2 loans is capped at 6% for a year; repayments do not change.
As announced: Student Loans: Cap interest rates for Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans at 6% from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.
The measure

The Treasury’s average, shown separately

The Treasury estimates households in income group 7 of 10 (1 is the lowest) gain about £26 a year on average from Budget decisions (2027-28), counting tax, benefits and public services. That is an average for households with a similar income and make-up, not Amir & Sana’s own gain, so it is not added to their month.

Budget 2026 explained · Budget tracker

Assumptions, workings and sources

Assumptions. No children. They start with £10,000 saved, an assumption. They pay the same benchmark rent as Alex, which isolates one advantage of two earners; it does not mean every couple can rent the same home for this amount. Debts: two Plan 2 student loans, worked out from their pay. No other debts.

Benefits and support. Universal Credit and other means-tested support are not included, and whether the household could get any has not been assessed. Amounts are before any such support.

What is official and what is assumed. Pay after tax, National Insurance, workplace pension, student loans and benefit rates follow the 2026/27 rules for England (official statistic, checked 2026-10-29). Every line marked “Scenario assumption” is an amount chosen for this example. Amir & Sana are not typical of any group, and one example cannot show how a whole group is doing.

The workings, to the penny

A month, 2026/27. Yearly amounts ÷ 12; weekly rates × 52 ÷ 12. Money going out is shown with a minus sign.
Line	Exact amount
Amir · take-home pay	£2,297.43
Sana · take-home pay	£2,014.10
Total coming in	£4,311.53
Private rent	−£1,406.00
Food & household shopping	−£430.00
Energy & water	−£180.00
Council tax	−£155.00
Transport	−£300.00
Phones & broadband	−£80.00
Clothes, insurance & other essentials	−£180.00
Amir · student loan (Plan 2)	−£42.11
Sana · student loan (Plan 2)	−£4.61
Total going out	−£2,777.73
Left each month	£1,533.81

Sources

Who they are