Single people living alone - how do you do it?

Tete_en_l'Air

Hello, I know there are loads of those 'how much do you have to live on per month?' threads but I can't for the life of me find a recent one so I'm asking...

Before Christmas I found myself unexpectedly single again and lving back at home with my Dad. Six months on and I'm really feeling the need to have my own space, and also to not be back to square one where I was before I met the ex, if that makes sense - ie, I don't want to have regressed completely by four years - I'm 29 after all, I don't want to be in this position!

So I've been looking at flats for rent in the area, and even though I'm shocked at the price of one bedroomed places in dodgy areas, I've been doing a few sums. I do piggybank some money each month for car expenses, Christmas, holidays etc, and after that's gone out plus estimated rent and bills amounts (£100 pm for gas and elec??), petrol money etc etc I'd be left with about £235 per month for food and everything else.

Seems like a really small amount to me, I'd be just surviving whereas at least here at Dad's I can afford to live a little! Feeling a bit hopeless about it all - it's so hard on your own! How do you do it?

Humphrey10

Oh no, I'd typed a reply then lost it all can't be bothered to retype it all, but basically I said:
Living alone is wonderful, no irritating people around to be irritating/move my stuff/leave their stuff in the way/interfere with my stuff, personally I am willing to sacrifice disposable income to enable me to live alone.
You could post a SOA, maybe people could suggest where you could save to enable you to afford to live alone?
Also, don't forget council tax, that's more expensive than I realised.

Tete_en_l'Air

Thanks Humphrey - yeah those are the advantages I'm thinking of!! I get on really well with Dad but sometimes I just want to be left alone and I'm turning back into an angry teen!

The place I'm looking at is £465 pm inc C.tax and water, I piggybank:

£50 pm for car expenses
£30 pm towards Christmas
£30 pm towards dental and haircuts
£20 pm contact lenses
£20 pm mobile phone
£50 pm towards potential holidays

Estimate I'll need £100 pm for gas and elec, and £100 pm for petrol ... and that leaves me £235 for food and household stuff and basically ANY spends!

I do have money saved for initial moving costs such as rent upfront, fees and TV license etc.

jackieglasgow

£100 is a lot for gas and electric, I don't even spend that for a three bedroomed house with two adults and two children in chilly Glasgow. You will be able to keep that under control easily living on your own, and make sure you shop around for the cheapest deal, with online billing etc.

Sublime_2

I got an evening job, plus did promotions at weekends to cover my expenses when I was single, and childless. It wasn't hard work, just flogging newspaper sales, and smiling at people, but was worth it, as didn't do badly.

lilac_lady

Tete - You seem very sensible with your budgeting so it's down to weighing up freedom and independence versus money. If you've no debt, it's doable for you to move. Good luck!

RacyRed

The £100 for gas and electricity will probably cover those plus phone/broadband, TV licence and household contents insurance if you are careful and shop around.

You will probably find that you compromise by choosing carefully what you spend your money on. Well worth it for the pleasure of your own place, in my view

ETA - LOVE your user name

Brighton_belle

Living on your own you have total control over how much gas and elec you use. £100 is way too much to expect - we pay £70pm for two of us + a lodger.
I'd go for it tete, I think you will find the benefits out weigh everything. I had to live with my parents for anumber of years as an adult, and I was very appreicative of their help. But it came to the point where once I had recovered enough, it was stunting my development of a new life.

Perhaps start logging every penny you spend for a month to see where your money goes so you can decide what to cut down on and what really matters to you.
I personally wouldn't alocate so much £ to xmas but Xmas may be something you love to splash out on.
I only buy presents for immediate family, and then max spend is under £100.
Friends all come to mutual agreement not to buy and ery small spends for birthdays.
Friends birthday I make biscuits and wrap in pretty cellophane bags, or just meet them for coffee and cake or go for a walk with a picnic. It's very freeing not being under obligation to spend alot - much better to make memories.

Good luck - and well done for reaching a place emotionally when you are ready to live alone again

sparrer

I'm a single in a 3-bed semi with the following outgoings
water £16
gas £38
elec £19
mobile £10
TV/b'band/landline £44
household £100 - inc food/cleaning/pet food/toiletries etc
car - £70 fuel/servicing/ins/tax
Clothing - home made or charity shop, look for classics which will last well (except shoes, I buy 2 new pairs a year on average)
Gifts - home made/charity shop/vouchers from surveys etc
Hair - works out to about £6 a month for cut and blow-dry or colour at local college

I do live very frugally, admittedly, and follow every MSE and OS tips to the letter, even find the occasional way to shortcut those . However what it gives me in return is being able to run a car and take holidays which are my small luxuries. Yours, as I understand, would be your own space which is invaluable. If you want to do it you can and will so go for it, and good luck to you

memelalou

Thats a point - could you get a lodger. Some people only want somewhere to stay during the week so you would barley see them as your at work yourself and you have the weeken to yourself.

I also did evening bar work on a friday and saturday. It was only min wage, but i met lots of new friends and i got some money for spends as my main wage went on bills. It really didn't feel much like work either.

BitterAndTwisted

29 isn't too old to flat or house-share. Round here, in one of the least desirable post-codes in London, rents for one-bed flats are £800 a month where 3-bedded houses are £1000. The sole responsibility for all utilities can make the luxury of living alone prohibitively expensive and probably out of the reach of most ordinary folk.