Split up with Girlfriend..... Now What? :(

jayss

GBNI wrote: »

Of course it is doable! You just need to budget. I lived alone (rented) for a good 18 months before moving in with my OH and we've now bought a house.

Every penny had to be accounted for, and you do have to go with some luxuries but it is entirely possinle.

Surely it's entirely dependent of wage and average rent for a studio in your area, for some rent plus council tax and bills will exceed their wage and no amount of budgeting will make it doable.

A lot less people would live in shared houses if one beds were affordable for all.

Building_Surveyor

I have lived alone for the past 7 years (with my 6yr old) and bought a house a few months ago, on my own. In my first rental I was paying £600 for rent alone on a £1000 monthly wage. But then again I wasn't spending money on takeaways, lavish holidays or satellite tv packages. Now I actually have a career I'm able to do things I'd never thought I'd reach. Live within your means and you'll be amazed at what little money you can survive on.

jj_5

Thank you very much for all your replies I love this site.

I would love to save but thinking I could put up with belt-tightening for the privelege of having my own place. Ive looked at a few places in Edinburgh (and further afield) but cant find anywhere near enough within my budget.

Also wondered whether buying would result in lower monthly payments (I do have enough saved to look into this, plus I think I read if you can raise a 5% deposit the government would raise another 15% to make it 20-correct me if I'm wrong that may be nonsense)

I work full time and earn slightly over £20k

paddedjohn

OP, was it a joint tenancy with your girlfriend? why do you have to leave and not her? If you stayed could you get a friend to flat share with you?

Caz3121

jj_5 wrote: »

Also wondered whether buying would result in lower monthly payments (I do have enough saved to look into this, plus I think I read if you can raise a 5% deposit the government would raise another 15% to make it 20-correct me if I'm wrong that may be nonsense)

If you are looking in Scotland I believe the help-to-buy type scheme is on new-build properties only. (In England it has/is about to included second hand properties too)

BelleBot

It's perfectly manageable to live on your own on a low income. I did it as a student in a basic studio flat. Bursary of just under £400 a month covered rent and bills, student loan of just over £2k a year covered food and other costs. You just have to be very frugal. I essentially had no disposable income, though I did manage to keep a cat so I wasn't that hard up. Bear in mind I don't smoke or drink.

Now I have a decent ish income I'll be living on my own again after a split and have budgeted accordingly. Shouldn't have any problems.

classy69

Apologies if already suggested, but claim the single persons allowance discount on your council tax. This will save you 25%.

jj_5

paddedjohn wrote: »

OP, was it a joint tenancy with your girlfriend? why do you have to leave and not her? If you stayed could you get a friend to flat share with you?

It was and we're both leaving as neither of us feel we can afford the rent.

It's £575 a month plus bills and it's a 1 bedroom so if I did ask someone to share they would have to share a bed with me!:D

asoe209

Im going through through the same thing. Ex left 3 Months ago. and im now paying for a 2 bed on my own. I dont really have the option to move back to mothers, and with every thing bought over the time we lived together i could not flat share.

If i never had other debts it would be doable. but as i do its very hard this was the 1st months I paid every thing out my self. as the other months she still paid half rent.

whats happened since the last post as that was a couple weeks back now.

split_second

I have lived on my own, basically I had a lodger on the rent a room scheme, then one day she decided she was moving out, waited until she moved all her stuff out while I was at work to tell me.

I was lucky that my works were crying out for overtime, I worked out what she used to cost me, worked out what was profit and did the overtime that was to the amount of what I made from her. ended up having to do about 18 hours a month. Preferred living on my own so didnt mind the extra work