Update from Ratty

charlie007

my second job is working with kids in care, really rewarding and fits in well with my full time work. Don't really need the extra money now like i previously did but it is something i hope to keep doing

furrychimp

i do phone surveys....please be nice if someone rings you to do a survey, it might just be another MSE person trying to get their debts paid!

this way i can use my salary to help pay debts & have my 2nd income (ok, it's not much but it all helps!!) to live on!

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

furrychimp wrote:

i do phone surveys....please be nice if someone rings you to do a survey, it might just be another MSE person trying to get their debts paid!

this way i can use my salary to help pay debts & have my 2nd income (ok, it's not much but it all helps!!) to live on!

I’m always nice to them, they are polite and say thank you. I don’t like the telephone sales people, who when I tell them I'm busy keep talking!:mad:

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

Hi all –

Thanks for all your great stories, tips & tricks!

As I said earlier I will be moving to London soon and really not sure how much bills etc will be, can anyone help me? I haven’t been living in the real world, still living with parents!

I have made the following budget:

Rent and bills £740 all pcm
Travel, Bus & trains £50
Food £200 (any saving here should go to pay off debts)
Entertainment £140 (£35 pw)
Clothes and sundries £50 (£150 after pay rise)

Sub Total £1180 (£1280 after pay rise)
Savings and debt £416.94 (£446.94 after pay rise)

Total £1596.94 (£1726.94 after pay rise)

I’d like to pay more towards my debt? Anyone out there living in London know the real cost of things?

Ratty

saverram

hi,

if u can go for shared accomdation, we can cut down the Rent and bills to 500-600 per month, ofcourse depends on the area u want to stay. if u live far from u r work area u end up in bit long journeys(bus is always cheaper tahn tube) u can take monthly bus pass.


all the best
saverram

all_hours

As said above it will depend where you live and work which zones you would need to buy a card for. This page has details on travel card costs.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2006/season/travelcard.shtml

You can use at weekends and on the night buses too, so that would be all your travel taken care of.

Also council tax can vary a lot between boroughs.

Take a look at the property section on loot.com for flats, rooms and bedsits. Places can go quickly - when you get to london, buy a copy of loot from the newsagent and phone up the same day.

It depends what you are planning on doing for entertainment. The pubs, clubs and cinemas are more expensive. There are tons of cheap or free things to do such as the museums, galleries and parks. The evening standard sometimes runs offers for 2 for 1 meals, or 3 courses for £10 at a decent restaurant.

timeout is useful to find out whats on

http://www.timeout.com/london/
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

saverram wrote:

hi,

if u can go for shared accomdation, we can cut down the Rent and bills to 500-600 per month, ofcourse depends on the area u want to stay. if u live far from u r work area u end up in bit long journeys(bus is always cheaper tahn tube) u can take monthly bus pass.


all the best
saverram

The flat is shared accommodation with three girls. It is £606 plus £100 bills (going up soon to £636) so budget seams pretty much spot on there, unless I try for somewhere else?

ms_london

red_ratty_rat wrote:

Rent and bills £740 all pcm
Travel, Bus & trains £50
Food £200 (any saving here should go to pay off debts)
Entertainment £140 (£35 pw)
Clothes and sundries £50 (£150 after pay rise)

Sub Total £1180 (£1280 after pay rise)
Savings and debt £416.94 (£446.94 after pay rise)

Total £1596.94 (£1726.94 after pay rise)

• Rent & bills - thats very high!! I pay £280 + bills (around £50 a month) - so half of what you'll be paying!! And for shared accommodation too? Is it Zone 1?
• Depending on where you are living & working, £50 may not be enough for travel (but I guess youve already looked into this?).
• Food - £200!! For one person? Is this for meals out/lunches too? You should be able to halve this at least...
• I live on £50 a week, thats for food/clothes/entertainment - granted, I am saving hard, but you could def cut your budget back...
• What are your debts? You say you want to throw more at your debts, could you live in cheaper accommodation for a while? £700+ is EXTORTIONATE!!! :eek:

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

all_hours wrote:

As said above it will depend where you live and work which zones you would need to buy a card for. This page has details on travel card costs.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2006/season/travelcard.shtml

You can use at weekends and on the night buses too, so that would be all your travel taken care of.

Also council tax can vary a lot between boroughs.

Take a look at the property section on loot.com for flats, rooms and bedsits. Places can go quickly - when you get to london, buy a copy of loot from the newsagent and phone up the same day.

It depends what you are planning on doing for entertainment. The pubs, clubs and cinemas are more expensive. There are tons of cheap or free things to do such as the museums, galleries and parks. The evening standard sometimes runs offers for 2 for 1 meals, or 3 courses for £10 at a decent restaurant.

timeout is useful to find out whats on

http://www.timeout.com/london/
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php

Thanks I will look on loot.com NOW.

I have an oyster card, shouldn’t need to use it though unless I want to go into city for shopping (oops!) or home to parents, as work just down the road.

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

ms_london wrote:

• Rent & bills - thats very high!! I pay £280 + bills (around £50 a month) - so half of what you'll be paying!! And for shared accommodation too? Is it Zone 1?
• Depending on where you are living & working, £50 may not be enough for travel (but I guess youve already looked into this?).
• Food - £200!! For one person? Is this for meals out/lunches too? You should be able to halve this at least...
• I live on £50 a week, thats for food/clothes/entertainment - granted, I am saving hard, but you could def cut your budget back...
• What are your debts? You say you want to throw more at your debts, could you live in cheaper accommodation for a while? £700+ is EXTORTIONATE!!! :eek:

mmm… Ms_London think your right I could probably cut my food bill to £35 pw (£140 pcm). £50 will be fine for travel, as I said before this is only for the occasional train ticket.