I'll keep it simple. I want to become OE. J1 requires me to be SC cleared.

I earn 49.5k in J1, is it still worth being OE will tax be too high to actually realise the benefit.

Secondly, will my J2 need to be outside IR35?

Thanks

Hi all,

We have had an offer accepted on a new house and I'm trying to work out whether my finances are genuinely comfortable or whether I'm underestimating the true cost of home ownership.

I'm not looking for validation, I'd appreciate honest opinions from people who have been through this before and can tell me if I'm likely to get a rude awakening.

About me

• 31 years old
• Scotland
• Married
• One 2-year-old child, one 3 month old
• Working as a Project Manager
• My wife is currently not working while focusing on family commitments
• My wife is a qualified solicitor and expects to return to work within the next 1-2 years

Monthly Income

Salary (take-home): £2,931.39

Additional income:

• Rental income: £1,410

Total monthly income: £4,341.39

Monthly Expenses

Housing

• Mortgage: £1,959.55
• Council tax: £315.72
• Broadband: £26.99

Transport

• Car payment: £460
• Diesel: £200
• Car tax: £53.99
• Car insurance: £42
• Car servicing/maintenance fund: £25

Living Expenses

• Food: £500
• Gas & electricity: Est. £200+- (4 bed detached home - 4th room is a box room/home office)
• Phone: £20
• Gym: £23.99

Totals

Monthly income: £4,341.39

Monthly expenses: £3,817.24

Remaining after all listed expenses: £514.15 per month

Things not currently included

I haven't budgeted separately for:

• Home maintenance/repairs
• Emergency fund contributions
• Holidays
• Gifts/Christmas
• Family days out
• Clothing
• Unexpected childcare costs
• Furniture/appliances needing replacement
• Additional costs associated with a second child

My concern

On paper I still have around £524 per month remaining, but I'm conscious homeowners often underestimate costs when moving into a property.

Also, after completing the purchase I will have little to no savings remaining. My financial cushion will essentially be my monthly salary and rental income coming in each month. I won't have a significant emergency fund available initially.

I'm trying to understand:

1. Does this budget look comfortable, tight, or risky?
2. Is a surplus of ~£500/month enough once realistic homeowner expenses are factored in?
3. What costs do first-time homeowners most commonly forget?
4. Am I one major bill away from trouble, or does this seem manageable?
5. If you were in my position, what size emergency fund would you want before moving in?

I appreciate any honest feedback, even if it's critical.

TL;DR: 31M in Scotland, married with a 2-year-old child. Moving into a new house with a £1,959/month mortgage. Household income is currently £4,341/month (salary + rental income + side income), with fixed expenses of around £3,817/month, leaving roughly £524/month spare on paper. My wife is a qualified solicitor but is currently not working and is expected to return to work within the next 1-2 years.

The concern is that after completion I'll have little to no savings/emergency fund, so while the monthly budget appears workable, I'm worried about the reality of homeownership costs, unexpected repairs, family expenses, and whether a £500/month buffer is enough. Am I being realistic about affordability, or am I setting myself up for financial stress? What obvious costs or risks am I missing?

Took my 2-year-old out on a front-mounted Shotgun seat today and he complained tonight about pain in his legs. I noticed red marks on the underside of his upper thighs afterwards.

I’m trying to work out whether this is just a setup issue or something others have experienced with younger kids on these seats.

For context:

- We did go down one fairly steep hill right at the start

- After that it was mostly very slow pavement riding

- Flat road for most of the ride

- Gradual incline on the way back which I took slowly

- No rough trails or jumps

I’m wondering if:

- The seat angle could be wrong

- Foot pegs are too high/low

- He was sliding forward slightly

- Or if this is fairly common when they’re small

The seat currently feels pretty much flat.

Anyone else had thigh rubbing/pressure marks with the Shotgun seat? Any setup tips or padding recommendations?

TL;DR:

Took my 2-year-old on a front-mounted Shotgun seat. Mostly slow pavement riding apart from one steep hill at the start. Later complained of leg pain and had red marks under upper thighs. Wondering if seat angle, foot peg position, or sliding forward could be causing pressure/rubbing. Looking for setup advice from other parents/mtb riders.