Do couples pay the price for being in a relationship?

oystercatcher

If husband wasn't here I would be claiming some sort of benefits as I am now unable to work due to health issues , although goodness knows what and how much with the way the health assesments work.

Husband before I 'found' him was happily living a single life in a bedsit in shared house. Now he supports me and pays all bills etc for a larger house.

So, in theory if we weren't together he would have his full income and less bills and I would have an increased income due to benefits.

I don't think we'd be very happy though.

a1fan

marleyboy wrote: »

In my single Years, I found it virtually impossible to cook for one, even a tin of beans is too much for one, yet if I bought a half size tin, it would cost more in the long run. Thats just beans, where can I buy a leg of lamb for one, or a shephards pie, a cheesecake? They are just for starters.

Cook for 2/3/4 and freeze the rest in single portions?

SandC

I'm single and have always lived alone. I eat perfectly well, fresh food, from scratch (mostly). I just often eat the same meal two or three days runnning, no big deal. If I didn't like doing that I could freeze meals.

marleyboy

a1fan wrote: »

Cook for 2/3/4 and freeze the rest in single portions?

I do that anyway, as a family. Having experienced both ends of the scale, I can safely say for me that it is far more cost effective to cook for two or more than for myself.

*max*

marvin wrote: »

But what if one of the partners is not working are things share equally then? There are big presumptions here that both are bringing in an income.

I was definitely better off, financially, single but then that is not why I got married.

But then the person not working, if single, would be vastly worse off and the other would be vastly better off. Once the two are a couple, it balances out. Person not working is much better off than if they were single, person working is worse off than if they were single.

Say person 1 gets £100 a week. Person 2 gets £500 a week.
Person 1 would have trouble making end meet, while person 2 would be fine.
If they become a couple, the shared income is £600 a week, or £300 each, which is ok. So person 1 has more, while person 2 has less, but overall they are better off as a couple.

This is all very simplistic of course, but you get my drift.

a1fan

When I was in a relationship I found it difficult cooking for just 2 people but that's partly because the ex was such a picky eater.

I agree that half size of things is generally more expensive than full size in terms of price per ml/kg/lb etc. but if you're single that just has to be coped with.

I use my slow cooker all weekend, I make about 2/3 meals over the weekend then freeze in single portions which means I should have enough to eat most evenings without having to cook after work.

missbiggles1

Nada666 wrote: »

I don't agree with that part - it is more variety that is the problem. No need to use a whole tin. No reason to think a leg of lamb is more difficult to distribute amongst two than one. And if you are buying legs why would you be buying a ready made shepherd's pie? Half a cheesecake per person is no less gross than a whole one. And who eats cheesecakes or shepherd's pie as a starter?

Groceries like fruit and vegetables are far more a problem for single people especially w.r.t. grabbing a wide variety.

Sorry, why are they a problem?

Gloomendoom

marleyboy wrote: »

In my single Years, I found it virtually impossible to cook for one, even a tin of beans is too much for one, yet if I bought a half size tin, it would cost more in the long run. Thats just beans, where can I buy a leg of lamb for one, or a shephards pie, a cheesecake? They are just for starters..

Err... it didn't occur to you to cook for more than one and refrigerate or freeze the rest?

I lived on my own for years and never had a problem. It doesn't take any longer to knock up a shepherds pie big enough for four meals than for just one and it saves loads of preparation time in following weeks.

Even leftover beans will keep for ages in a plastic container in the fridge.

a1fan

Not all fresh stuff freezes well, like salad leaves for example.

And it is a problem with stuff that is already frozen like peas which I sometimes use when cooking into a shepherds pie so wouldn't want to freeze it again.

I mostly cook from fresh and freeze (to save time more than money) but admittedly, it does take a lot of time to plan and prepare at weekends.

SandC

I visit the supermarket 2/3 times per week as if you do want to eat fresh (especially salad and veg) that's just what you have to do. Frozen veg is really handy also.