About this site

You're thirtyish and you want to know who's telling you this.

Who am I and why have I built this

My name is David Jones. (Yes – that is my name!) I've been a teacher, an IT trainer and for most part an office warrior working in high tech businesses. I've stepped away from the office grind to do things I want to do rather things I thought I should do. And one of those things is thirtyish and it's targeted towards young adults in the 25-35 year old age range.

Why I've created it

I was inspired to do this as my kids have just reached this stage in life. They are self-aware enough to realise that they don't know how to manage their finances expertly and are now earning enough to know that this is both a problem and an opportunity. They don't want to ask Mum or Dad, who will jump at a chance to go back into parent mode. However, they don't have a simple, plain-speaking set of tools and insight targeted at their age group with their unique challenges.

I am also very conscious that financial worries can have a negative impact on young adults' mental health. Therefore, I was keen to provide information that makes it clear that they are not on their own and where to get help from if they feel they need it. Money worries

The numbers here come from legislation, not from other calculators

Every figure traces to GOV.UK, the underlying regulations, or the House of Commons Library — and the working is on the page.

I deliberately didn't source any figure from a competing calculator, however well it ranks. Copying a number inherits whatever error produced it, and it means I could never honestly claim to have checked anything.

Where I've had to assume something the law doesn't specify — future inflation, salary growth — the assumption is stated, adjustable, and listed on the assumptions page behind each calculator — student loans and take-home pay. Where I don't know something, the site says so rather than guessing.

How to get hold of me

Nothing on here is financial advice. I'm just trying to educate and inform because everyone needs help sometimes.

This site is just my thing – no team of people. So, if you spot a problem, an inaccuracy or have ideas of how I could make it better, please drop me a line at hello@thirtyish.co.uk