Huge dilemma, second opinions please.

Person_one

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

Surely that depends on tastes? I could manage quite easily, about £100 for bills/month, OP said £35/month for travel? And £120 ish for food. Still leaves some left over, and gives you the option to have friends over which is good for socialising. Certainly doable if you have cheap tastes and are economic. Wouldn't work for a lot of folks, but if the OP is unhappy enough to consider leaving his job, I'd certainly consider whether my own space would make the difference - I'm sure the OP can work out what he would and wouldn't be able to afford having paid for that little luxury, and whether he'd cope with it. (Whether letting agents would let him rent would be another matter - they tend to pluck some fairly arbitrary salary you must earn to 'afford' it).

£100 for bills? Really? What are you including in that?

Gas, electricity, water, council tax, phone, internet, mobile, insurance, TV licence?

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Keep a look out for something you like better for a similar price.

If you find something you think you will like better, move to it.

If you find you don't like that, then keep a look out for something you will like better.

Until you find something you do like.

TBagpuss

I agree with the general consensus to look for a different house share.
In relation to the possibility of a studio, what I would suggest is that if you are seriously considering it, work out a budget for a studio, work out how much more that would be than your current outgoings, and put the difference into savings each month for a few months. That way, you can get a feel for ho much it would cost and how it would leave you in terms of income each month. I suspect that you would find it very restrictive, and very limiting as to your social life and standard of living, but it would be a way of testing the water without trying yourself into a 6 month contract.

Also - give yourself a bit of time. It always takes a while to settle in and start to make friends in a new place.

Rosemary7391

Person_one wrote: »

£100 for bills? Really? What are you including in that?

Gas, electricity, water, council tax, phone, internet, mobile, insurance, TV licence?

I don't have a TV licence so don't pay that. Forgot about council tax (I'm a student), my bad there and that includes the water rates where I am. Gas and electricity is about £50, phone+internet £15, contents insurance maybe £10/month depending on value/extras, mobile £15. So I'm off by the council tax/water bills - no idea how much they'd cost down south, but at least they're fixed so easier to budget. I'd imagine it is still doable, and preferable to giving up the job, especially for the cheaper end of studio flats. £900 rent would be tight, but £600 may well be fine.

zagubov

I'd also suggest moving a bit closer to London if that's feasible. London attracts more outsiders to work there than Surrey does and there's more people to meet that you might get on with. Hucthch0920 suggested Epsom. - that's just a short bus ride from Kingston which has a lot of nightlife.

marksoton

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

phone+internet £15,

Really?

Most line rental is £16 alone.