Single people living alone - how do you do it?

Tete_en_l'Air

Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment. I'm pleased to see that the general concensus is that I've way overestimated utility costs, and it's nice to know that I might be able to pay for TV/Phone/Internet out of that £100 too.

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

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.

Yes I have thought about house shares, but I have two cats and will struggle enough finding a rental place that will let me have them, let alone adding other people into the equation.

The prices you mention are exactly like that here, only about half that haha - but I know what you mean - a one-bedroom place is not half the price of a house even though there's half as much money going into a household of one

pigpen wrote: »

£30 for dental and haircuts??
£50 for a holiday you've not even planned??

Do you REALLY need those on there?

£30 for christmas seems excessive.. I save £50 and I will have 10 children, 1 neice, 1 grandson, 2 sisters and 2 OH's, 2 parents and my OH to buy for... sometimes people you love have to get what they are given and appreciate it not look at price tags.. I'd cut this by half and focus on very close family and maybe 1 or 2 friends.

£30 per month = £360 per year - is to cover two dental checkups per year and the possiility of needing fillngs both times then enough for a haircut and colour every couple of months - this is probably an overestimate but I'd rather that than come up short.

Ditto Christmas - and spare money around then is always handy for all the extra socialising anyway.

As for the holiday, well again, although it's not actually planned, I would like to go away at some point, or to visit friends in London/Ireland, and when the time comes I'd rather have the money saved in a pot than have to use the overdraft. (I'm not in debt and don't plan to be again, hence my overzealous budgeting)

(And - 10 kids?! Yikes!! Have a medal!)

Yes I've thought about studios but really there isn't much difference in price between them and a 1-bed flat, and like someone said you'd have to be REALLY disciplined and I don't know if I've got that in me!

Thanks again everyone, I feel really motivated by your positive responses and I think it's been the kick up the bum I need to get out looking at places

pigpen

only half.. my son just got a 1 bed flat £260 a month.. fancy moving town? lol

Padstow

Daysoft lenses £10 pm. I use them and can recommend.
http://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/GB/CountryHomepage.aspx?gclid=CNyP-PLEs6gCFchO4QoduEO-CA

GlasweJen

You don't know what lenses the OP is wearing, maybe she needs specialist lenses for something like kerratoconus? Or perhaps has dry eyes, needs a different base curve or a different diameter to daysoft? Perhaps her contact lens fees also cover aftercares, discounts on glasses etc?

Without having examined the OPs eyes I wouldn't go recommending different contacts to the ones she's been prescribed.

Padstow

GlasweJen wrote: »

You don't know what lenses the OP is wearing, maybe she needs specialist lenses for something like kerratoconus? Or perhaps has dry eyes, needs a different base curve or a different diameter to daysoft? Perhaps her contact lens fees also cover aftercares, discounts on glasses etc?

Without having examined the OPs eyes I wouldn't go recommending different contacts to the ones she's been prescribed.

And maybe she doesn't. It was a suggestion ok?
Ah, I see. Don't like having your exorbitant prices challenged do you.:rotfl:

Souk08

I live alone and love it.

It costs:

£540 rent
£100 CT and water
£45 electricity

I also choose to only spend £60 a month on groceries so that I have more for spends on fun things and then have about £70 a week for that.

For me, I'd rather scrimp a bit and have some freedom. Go for it X

Rebekah24

I have just moved in with my OH , and I have to say I had it pretty good before, although I rented a pricey 2 bed with awful storage heating. I spent hardly anything on food & travel.

Check out some little things that make a difference like central heating NOT E7 (I rented with E7 on my own it was £130 a month during the snow!!! eeek)

Also for water you can go to the low useage rates pay £11 a month
Council tax - single person decution £70-£90 depending 1-2 bed

Check out the OS board to keep your shopping down, easily can be done and have money to spare. Food on £40-£60 a month for one is plenty!!

Enjoy it!! know where you can save some and scrimp a bit..and where you can splash out

flutterbyuk25

I live on my own in a 2 bed flat, per month I pay:

£400 rent (inc water)
£40 electric (all electric flat)
£85 council tax
£15 broadband
£13 tv licence

I spend £60-£80 on food a month and £50 on petrol a month. And I save £100 a month for my hols at end of year.

I'm left with around £200 a month for spends then. This is spent on socialising, magazines, clothes etc - the non essentials.

It is pricey not having someone to share the bills, but you manage. I love living on my own. I'm 29 so a bit past the clubbing every weekend stage, so me and my friends take turns to cook dinner for each other, or have quiet drinks in local pub so socialising is cheaper.

HTH

x

RazWaz

The hardest part I've found, is buying the right amount of shopping. Most packets are set up to provide 2 servings of things minimum, so unless you are ok eating the same thing several times a week, it takes a lot of meal planning and an organised freezer. It took me a good year to get the hang of it, I was either buying too much and throwing it away, or too little and ended up eating out.

If you get it right you can bring your food costs right down, easily under £15 a week.

Brighton_belle

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

I live on my own in a 2 bed flat, per month I pay:

£400 rent (inc water)

Can't even get a 1 bed for that round here:eek:.

OP - sounds positive and good:T. And I think budgeting is about planning for things that are important to you (as well as the essentials); feeling good with a regular haircut and planning (and therefore saving for) holidays clearly matters to you, so you'll find other things to cut back on.
(Two dentists appointments for me a year cost £90 when I have nothing done so you are right to budget for that.)

It is important if you are single to budget for socialising too.