The cost of being single

martinbuckley

Economies of Scale:

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. Because it still takes the same amount of time for your bins to be emptied. If your house caught fire, it would still take the same amount of fire engines and the same amount of water to put it out. If you were burgled, it would still take the same amount of police time to investigate the crime.

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!!! Leave him on the policy then. A named driver doesn't actually have to drive it


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. Unless you are sleeping in a half-sized room with a single bed, then you are still occupying the same amount of space as a couple. The only difference would be in terms of the food costs

trailingspouse

Do you know, martinbuckley, I'd never thought about it like that before. Thank you for explaining it.


Now we're on a roll, can you explain to me how to make half the money stretch twice the distance?

mgdavid

trailingspouse wrote: »

Do you know, martinbuckley, I'd never thought about it like that before. Thank you for explaining it.


Now we're on a roll, can you explain to me how to make half the money stretch twice the distance?

Give it time; you are likely to find someone else to share your life with.

74jax

trailingspouse wrote: »

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Now we're on a roll, can you explain to me how to make half the money stretch twice the distance?

Having half the money is never going to stretch the same as double the money. When I became single, it wasn't the fact I was divorcing ot had been left as a single mother, etc that worried me. It was the financial side. I actually enjoyed my space, doing what I wanted (probably too much so).

If you list your bills and incoming some can probably help with reducing, but I had to move, rent not buy as rent was cheaper etc. I had to totally change my outlook on what I could spend. All because I was now single with more than half the income.

You adapt, things change. I saved a deposit, looking back I don't know how, and bought again. Slowly my salary went up, but I became much more money savvy. More than I even thought I was.