Can I live alone if I only make 9k/annum? [North East]

marksoton

Living alone shouldn't be your focus. A full time job should be.

thriftylass

SurviveTomorrow wrote: »

Ok so right now I'm 23 and living with my brother and my father, I only pay £90/month for rent//electricity/internet because my father gets sickness benefits that reduce the rent a lot.

Then I probably spend about £200/month on food. £48/month on bus to work, but that could change depending on location.

I really have no idea what it costs to live alone or what to avoid when looking. All I want is 1 bedroom 1 kitchen 1 bathroom, somewhere close to my workplace (Team Valley, Gateshead)

I technically make 9k/annum from my part time job but you can probably add 3k in overtime as it's often available and I always take it. I'm also open to full time work and hopefully will get a full time job with my current employers sometime this year.

I have about £1400 saved up at the moment. Only necessary items I don't own personally are an oven, washing machine, tumble dryer and a freezer. Hopefully I can rent place with some of these already installed?

edit: I didn't go to uni and don't have any debt, forgot to mention that because it's pretty uncommon for a 23 year old!

I agree with other posters and would recommend to stay put. At least till the full time job materialises. You earn roughly 740 a month and only pay 90 quid board. Spending £200 on food for yourself seems too much. Check out the grocery boards here. You could easily cut that by £50 if not half. Set yourself a target. How much could you possibly save each month (2-3- or £400?) that could then go towards a deposit or setting up home etc.

Detroit

You can find out if you would be entitled to any help with rent by running your details through the benefit calculator at the turn 2 us website. Sorry can't post link but if you google turn 2 us you'll find it.

cashbackproblems

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Whatever you decide to do, you'll need to stop spending 50 quid a week on food for a start!

that's not a lot I spent double that and am single..:mad:

To OP: I would stay at home and save as much as possible so you can buy your own place, it might takes 2-3yrs+ but it will be worth it, if half you income goes on rent/bills what is the point in living

I would focus on increasing your skills and earning potential as on 9k a year its not much of a life

HappyMJ

cashbackproblems wrote: »

that's not a lot I spent double that and am single..:mad:

To OP: I would stay at home and save as much as possible so you can buy your own place, it might takes 2-3yrs+ but it will be worth it, if half you income goes on rent/bills what is the point in living

I would focus on increasing your skills and earning potential as on 9k a year its not much of a life

Are you either overweight, an athlete, do you eat take away food every day or do you buy your food from Marks and Spencer every day?

Are you including drinks in that amount?

£100 a week is £14.30 per day. I could eat in a sit-down cafe/casual dining restaurant 3 times a day for that much.

Gigervamp

cashbackproblems wrote: »

that's not a lot I spent double that and am single..:mad:

£400 a month on food for ONE person? :eek:

And I thought £200 was a lot.

OP, I think you should stay where you are for now. As nice as it would be to live on your own, it does cost an awful lot, and your salary is low.

Better to put off moving out for another year or two and concentrate on getting a better paid job, whilst saving as much as you can.

If the food you're paying for is just for you (rather than for the rest of the family), you can easily cut your food bill in half. Have a look on the Old Style section for recipes and other help needed in the food department.

Simple things like making a packed lunch to take to work and meal planning, so you only buy what you need, will save you a chunk of money that can go straight into a savings account.

xylophone

Stay at home. Make a start on a help to buy ISA?

Why do you need to spend so much on food?

TheGardener

cashbackproblems wrote: »

that's not a lot I spent double that and am single..:mad:

Lordy - that's a big old grocery bill for one - I feed 3 adults (including 3 x packed lunches a day) on about £60 a week...!

missbiggles1

cashbackproblems wrote: »

that's not a lot I spent double that and am single..:mad:

To OP: I would stay at home and save as much as possible so you can buy your own place, it might takes 2-3yrs+ but it will be worth it, if half you income goes on rent/bills what is the point in living

I would focus on increasing your skills and earning potential as on 9k a year its not much of a life

Then you have more money than sense!

Food costs are at their lowest for years, there's absolutely no reason for someone like the OP to spend 25% of his income on food.

Boatdweller

The referencing company we use would recommend a maximum rent of £300 pcm based on your salary in order to pass the affordability.