Estimated of cost of living?

ledzepploid

Apologies if this is posted in the wrong section, I'm not sure of which section this thread belongs.

I shall be moving away from home into rented accommodation.

I have been trying to work out roughly how much It would cost me each month, having never done so in the past. I have had student lettings but those included bills and a seemingly bottomless pit of money known as the student loan...which I would rather not think about right now.

A very quick summary of my scenario:
Terrace house
Band A council tax
Share with one other
Yorkshire

I've estimated the following costs, for each person.

Utilities
Electricity: £15
Gas: £10
Water: £5

£30

The Rest
Rent: £250
Food: £80
Council tax: £40
TV: £6
Internet: £6

£382

So around £412 per month. However that doesn't included consumables such as toilet roll, toothpaste, shampoo, cleaning supplies etc. I've no idea what they would amount to, though it would depend on how clean you like to keep your home and how high up on the tramp scale you are willing to smell.

I also run a car which does about 35mpg, which I would also have to account for. Fortunately I have my insurance paid off till next year so that's something less to think about for now, however I probably should set a little aside each month in preparation for my next year of insurance.

So, how far off the mark am I?

Thanks!

clutterydrawer

I can't comment on bills cos mine are included in my rent....but be aware that rent will vary massively throughout yorkshire....you should be able to find a shared place for 250pcm but it depends on your criteria, could be a lot more or a bit less.

food sounds about right although if you are cunning you can cut it a lot further.

I find i spend barely anything on cleaning products haha, i don't know if that makes me filthy...washing up liquid is cheap and lasts forever....toothpaste ditto (about 35p own brand)...cream cleaner for bathroom is 50p and lasts for ages also....i tend not to buy soap and bubble bath cos i get more than i can use every christmas!

You've probably already done this but do you have any friends who live away from home, whose accounts you could ask to see? that's what i did when i moved out good luck anyway!

slowandsteady_2

Hi, dont know if i can help, i can just tell you what i pay, and perhaps you will get an idea? Im in Lancashire, i live in a council house and its roughly £300 per mth, private rented are usually £300 to £450 pcm for a basic 2 bed terrace., depending on the area! I only just moved here and gas and electricity are going out via direct debit and will be £78.50 per mth, however this is reviewed regularly by British Gas and is bound to increase with colder weather, i had pre payment meters before so can only go off what British gas tell me for now. TV licence a little less than £12 so your probably ok there, im in a Band A and my council Tax is £94 per month for 11 mths of the year, may differ in different parts of the country. My water rates are paid with my rent and are a little above £6 per week.. Internet costs can vary widely and you should shop around, personally i am with O2 Home broadband, i pay £9.34 a mth as i am a PAYG customer, so long as i top up £10 every 3 mths, otherwise about £12 a month with them. Virgin media and Sky have some good offers sometimes. Dont forget to factor in things like your study books, supplies etc. that you may need to buy. Also may need to think about finding a little to put away each mth to pay for tax, MOT, repairs etc, if your car is vital. Also get home insurance so at least your valuables will be covered, sometimes students are covered on their parents policy. When i was a student i got an NHS bursary of £450 a mth and had to work part time so a p/t job will help a lot and look good on your CV but not at the expense of your studies. Can you guarantee you will always have a 'lodger' with you? As for food thats a personal thing, if you dont normally do any of the food shopping at home perhaps go along and weigh up the prices and have an idea of what you might buy. It is hard managing as a student, but also ENJOY your time at uni! Dont forget to budget for the odd night out!

ceridwen

I think fuel will cost more than you say. Personally as a single person - at work all day - I think my fuel debit monthly is about £70 (for both gas and electric). It would be less for you - as your household fuel use wont be double what mine is - economies of scale of living with someone else will knock in for you. So - I'd guesstimate £40-£50 per month each for fuel.

Thinks: I am bearing in mind too that my cooker is A rated and fridge-freezer A+ rated and I dont use the tumbledryer.

[Deleted User]

Get a good second hand-cookery book and a helpful Granny and you may cut your food bill down quite a bit.
learn to shop when the supermarkets reduce their prices nevr buy chicken breasts buy a whole chicken instead (lots of recipes for 'rubber chicken) on here.Learn to cook with a SC best investment I can think of.You can buy one for about £12.00 in Tescos.Save you a fortune in time and money.Home cooked soups and stews are amazing and far better for you.never go to the shops on an empy tummy,Have a large glass of water before you go shopping so you won't be tempted by a rumbling tum. Cleaningwise a large bottle of Vinegar and a box of soda bicarb should clean almost anything for very little money.Ask relatives if they would like to treat you to shampoo,toothpaste,toilet rolls,soap ect.Almost every house I know has a few bottles left over from Christmas presents that haven't been used.Invest in some microfibre clothes from a Poundland shop,excellant for cleaning stuff and wash out well.
Good Luck

little_miss_moneysaver_3

Nearly wept at £40 a month for council tax! I'm band D, altho only 1 bedded....anyway...Mine is a cluster house so we've a house at the side of us and on the back of us. We pay...
Gas/electric is £60 a month (together), about on target over the winter months. Trying to train OH to be more efficient.
You've not mentioned TV license? Don't know if you have one. Guess it's gone up in April, but was costing me £27.50 for the first 6 months. Then it drops to about £12 a month after that. We've got a TV, phone and internet package from Sky (whole of MSE gasps in horror!)
£20 a week for food sounds good, plenty of recipes on here to make that more than possible. You might have to do a big shop the first month to get the basics in - oil, salt, pepper, herbs etc. I mean if you're combining your £80 food money together £40 a week for 2 will be plenty! Probably spent about £60ish on food this month for the 2 of us, but that is because I already have a rammed freezer and lots of tins in my cupboard! Too much whoopsie shopping!
Don't normally buy branded toiletries unless on good special offer. Can get some in £shops. We don't spend a lot on these.
I have a small car too not sure of mpg, FIL told me about 35-40. At the moment is costing around £70 for the month (600 miles for work and a few around town). I've broken my car insurance, MOT/service and car tax down monthly and put it into an everyday savings account so it's there when I need it.
Also into that bank account I put a little extra for "rainy days" Also for Xmas things or other bits and pieces I'll need.
Good luck with your move

Mags_cat

ceridwen wrote: »

I think fuel will cost more than you say. Personally as a single person - at work all day - I think my fuel debit monthly is about £70 (for both gas and electric). It would be less for you - as your household fuel use wont be double what mine is - economies of scale of living with someone else will knock in for you. So - I'd guesstimate £40-£50 per month each for fuel.

Thinks: I am bearing in mind too that my cooker is A rated and fridge-freezer A+ rated and I dont use the tumbledryer.

I'm in the same position as ceridwen - single and in f/t work so not at home most days.

Over last winter Scottish Power put my D/D for gas and electric combined up to £67/month. All that did was mean I ran up £123 credit in my account! When I put my last meter readings in they reduced the D/D to £45.50/month. I still think that's way too much as I doubt I'll use the credit in my account before the cold weather comes again.

I'm not exactly always frugal with the power either - I use the tumble drier sometimes even in the summer (no garden, and I like my towels tumbled!). I don't feel the cold that badly though - the heating's only been on once since about the end of March.

Have fun in your new house

ledzepploid

Thanks for the advice everybody. Plenty for me to be thinking about there. I've never used a slow cooker before I'll give that a try. What sort of times do supermarkets reduce their prices? Vinegar and a box of soda bicarb for cleaning, I never would have thought of that.

I've checked google and found my nearest aldi, unfortunately the nearest lidl is is 15 miles away. But there's a netto just around the corner

A university mate who stayed in sheffield after we graduated found a way to cut down on his excessive beer bill - home brew, 12p a pint . He named it Nasty Brew, and it certainly lived up to its name.