The cost of being single

Marvel1

spirit wrote: »

But you'll lose Your council tax discount.

However still cheaper, random figure (why I beleive council tax should be 50% discount).

£100 for 2 adults = £50 each
£75 for 1 adult

£25 more.

PasturesNew

trailingspouse wrote: »

But - why are things more expensive for one person than they are for two??

Let's take Council Tax. Yes, as a single person, I'll get a 25% reduction - but the household income will reduce by 50%, so I'm paying a larger % of the household income now.

Car insurance - I have my own policy, on my own car, with Mr Spouse as a named driver. Rang the insurers yesterday to have his name taken off the policy - they want an additional £130!!!

If and when I want to go on holiday, the room rate will be much the same for me on my own as it was when we travelled as a couple.

I'm sure there are more - this is just what I've come across so far, and he hasn't even gone yet!!!

It's always been thus - thing is, when you're single, nobody cares. Not one hoot.

There's also 1/4 of the disposable income coming in.

e.g. random figures:
Single income: £1500/month, £1000 on housing/council tax, £100 cost of getting to work, £400/month left for everything else.
Couples income: £3000/month, £1100 on housing/council tax, £200 cost of getting to work, £1700/month left for everything else... (that's like £400 each - and £900 on frivolity/fun/savings ... EVERY month).

Cost of joining the NT/Ramblers and most clubs is more per person. Look at local clubs, gyms, anything and a single membership is dearer per head than a couple/family....

Cost to go anywhere in a vehicle - you pay the same single rate to park if there's just you or two. One rate to go on a car ferry. Couples can also win with parking as one can drop off the other and "drive round the block" and not pay for parking... singles have to park.

Two for one meals - you can't buy one half price. £8-10 for a single pie/chips, or £6 each on the "two for one" pub meals.

TV License. Same rate no matter how many people contribute.

Cost of everything - even the sofa you sit on is borne entirely with one seriously reduced income.

You're single.... nobody cares.

I've spent my life being single/alone.... it's just a life of being skint

jackieblack

PasturesNew wrote: »

even the sofa you sit on is borne entirely with one seriously reduced income

Although only half the wear and tear on the sofa, so lasts twice as long and only need to replace half as often

iammumtoone

You sound like you are ok about the split, even with this prepared to feel sad at first (i wanted my ex to go for years before he finally did so couldn't believe how sad I feel when he actually did it!) however it didn't last long and I promise the extra expense will be worth it.


Bills- Yes they are more expensive as you are paying the same to heat a house however many live in it, however this can be mitigated by the fact you are in control. You have the heating on when you like, you can put as little water in the bath as needed etc.



Car insurance - My ex still has me on his car insurance just because by adding my name (even at a different address) it makes it cheaper for him. Icouldn't do the same with him as I claimed benefits for a bit, and didn't want any association with him.



Holidays - I have child so slightly different for me at the moment but this in the only thing that annoys me being single.



Food - I found this isn't much different as I no longer have to cook a proper meal every night. I can just have a sandwich or beans on toast if I fancy. Plus I can now by value ranges (ex wouldn't eat value stuff grrr)


My biggest worry which I don't think anyone else has touched on is I am solely responsible for the household income, if I lose my job or a big expensive comes up there is nobody to share the cost burden. Being single for me is still worth it though.

onomatopoeia99

iammumtoone wrote: »

My biggest worry which I don't think anyone else has touched on is I am solely responsible for the household income, if I lose my job or a big expensive comes up there is nobody to share the cost burden. Being single for me is still worth it though.

Most of us will have this worry, I know I do. It looked like my employer was going to sell up a couple of years back and I got really, really stressed about it because the potential buyers were only interested in the side of the business that I don't work on, so I could see my area being closed down and me being made redundant when TUPE ran out.



It didn't happen in the end but I ended up at the GP needing sleeping tablets as it was keeping me up at night, all night.

jackieblack

I agree about the sole responsibility thing. I’ve made certain ‘just in case’ arrangements that were not necessary when I was married.

Regarding holidays, to be honest, when it comes to travelling I find it’s the practical things that are more of a disadvantage, things you don’t always think about when you travel with someone. You have to be more organised eg, make sure you go to the loo before you collect your luggage from the carousel because you won’t fit into the cubicle with your case and you’ve no-one to leave it with once you’ve collected it. Also, when travelling with my ex-husband we used to split our stuff and pack half into each case so that if one went astray we still each had half our stuff until the missing case turned up. Now I make sure I have two changes of clothes and overnight stuff in my hand luggage (along with all the other stuff we used to share between us such as guide book, maps, gps, etc). Also, with two drivers you can cover twice the distance in a day, but driving alone I have to plan in more/longer breaks so can’t cover as much ground. Also not having an extra pair of eyes looking out for turnings etc while you concentrate on the traffic... But with more/better planning all of these are manageable.

On the upside, I can take flights with connections now, widening my options - ex-h gets dreadful ear pain on descent (even with the ear plugs that are supposed to stop this) so would only ever take direct flights

Like most things in life, there are advantages as well as disadvantages. Some of these are financial, some are practical, some are emotional/worry related.

You just have to decide whether you’re going to focus on the positives or the negatives

iammumtoone

jackieblack wrote: »

Regarding holidays, to be honest, when it comes to travelling I find it’s the practical things that are more of a disadvantage,

I'd forgotten about that one. When you eat out alone you need to take your handbag to the loo as nobody to leave it with. Often when I've got back I've found either my plate taken away or someone else sitting in the seat! However this isn't limited to single people as even couples go out on their own sometimes.

trailingspouse

Yes, the split is amicable, and we're both prepared to work hard to keep it that way. Heating will be cheaper, as he was on meds that made him feel cold (whereas I'm still young enough to have the occasional hot flush...). Food-wise I know how to eat cheaply and healthily, and I'll be cutting right back on the alcohol. Also, fewer takeaways - we tended to have one a week, won't be happening now!!



As to feeling sad, yes, I probably will - it is sad. But I have a bottle of fizz left over from Christmas, and I've promised myself I'll open it the night he goes. A toast to the future.



I'm going to have to change my username on here!! Trailingspouse no longer!! I chose the name because we did a lot of work abroad at one point, and for a while lived abroad. In ex pat communities, the spouse who isn't the one doing the work is known as the trailing spouse - but for us, it was usually me that 'went on ahead', found accommodation, organised the move, and so on, while he finished whatever he was doing and then followed on. So, no longer trailing (even ironically), and soon-to-be no longer spouse!!

jackieblack

iammumtoone wrote: »

I'd forgotten about that one. When you eat out alone you need to take your handbag to the loo as nobody to leave it with. Often when I've got back I've found either my plate taken away or someone else sitting in the seat! However this isn't limited to single people as even couples go out on their own sometimes.

I make sure I pop to the loo between ordering and the food arriving. If I have to leave the table once the food arrives I just catch the eye of the waiter/waitres to let them know I’m coming back

When married, if I went out on my own it was usually with my daughter or to meet up with friends. I’d never eaten out or travelled alone before splitting with my ex-husband.

trailingspouse

I'm not worried about the 'on my own' thing - because he's worked away a lot I'm kind of used to it. I moved into this house on my own while he was working in India - he came home 2 months later and I'd already had the place re-wired and planned the new kitchen. And I learnt a long time ago that if I want to go somewhere then I need to go on my own. I draw the line at going to the pub on my own (not sure why - maybe it's just that I'm old enough to think it's not quite nice for a woman to be on her own in a pub), but I've certainly stayed in hotels (and drunk in hotel bars) on my own, eaten out on my own and flown on my own.



I have friends that are up for a night out from time to time - I'm certainly not going to be staying in and thinking 'poor me'.



jackieblack - I'm definitely focusing on the positives. He'll be taking some of the furniture, and I'm planning what to do with all the space! Onwards and upwards!

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