The cost of living alone

nealw

nealw

nealw

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Joined
18 Jun 2005
Posts
944
Location
Birmingham
Just about to move into my 1 bed apartment in birmingham center and was just wondering what people spend approximately on bills each month so that I can work out some kind of budget.

Essentially just electricity and water.

Don't want to be stung with a huge bill which I didn't see coming.


Cheers :)
 
seek said:
Was gonna say... you must be living in a shed if your total budget is £300! :D
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Aah if only.
Ends up, half my money goes on living, a third goes on my car and the rest goes on wild parties... or at least that's what I'd like it to go on :(
 
ive worked out that on a 28.5k salary, after rent, bills, gym, council tax, food etc i should be very lucky to have 400 a month left over.

crazy


i need to hook up with some hot rich lawyer bird quick-sharp.
 
manveruppd said:
Ouch, no gas central heating? Electricity's gonna sting... :( I should know, I got stung last year! :rolleyes: Some of my electricity bills came up to £75pm!
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And don't forget cooking. No self-respecting (wannabe) chef will use an electric oven. ;)
 
seek said:
And don't forget cooking. No self-respecting (wannabe) chef will use an electric oven. ;)
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Didn't have a choice in the matter in last year's flat - it didn't have an oven at all! :( Truth be told that had more to do with my moving out than the excessive electricity bills! :p
 
bah, i laugh in the face of central heating.

i've always been one of those guys who would rather put a jumper on than turn on the heating lol. thus i imagine the central heating will be permanently off.

plus being in an apartment block, a bit of heat should rise through the building shouldn't it?

yeah electric cooker though, not cool.
 
i'm single and i have my own house (south birmingham area not central..) my bills work out as:

Mortgage: £350
Council Tax: £68
House Ins: £20

Electricity: £29
Gas: £57
Water: £30 (based on rates @ £180 for 6 months?)

TV Licence: £10
Cable TV & phone: £31
Mobile: £30
Credit Card: £35
Food Shopping: £200
Car Fuel: £250

Total: ~£1100 / month
 
nealw said:
bah, i laugh in the face of central heating.

i've always been one of those guys who would rather put a jumper on than turn on the heating lol. thus i imagine the central heating will be permanently off.
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When I lived on my own, in a complete shed for a 1st and 2nd floor flat, it would have to be absoloutely freezing for me to stick the heating on.

It easily be at about 10c in the room, and I'd sit with the quilt wrapped around me. :)

At christmas I decided to put my super low wattage heater on (something like 250w) for one room, and it barely took the edge off the cold.
 
Well the usual things that I spend most of my money on (as a person living alone in a one-bedroom flat) are:

Mortgage - £214
Council Tax - £91
Utilities (gas/electric) - £50 ish
NTL for Phone/TV/Cable - £40
Housing Association - Varies between £30 - £150 depending on time of year.
Home Insurance - £20/mth
British Gas Home Care - £25/mth
Food/Travel - £80/mth
TV License - £10 on average

That's just the basics and as I'm living in Scotland you probably don't pay housing association fees but instead have to pay for water? I live on mostly Tesco-brand food and travel is pretty cheap for me (£2 per day) so I must save a lot compared to someone with a car. Probably the next major spend is on entertainment depending on DVD rental services, eating out, drinking, etc.

One thing to watch for is things like central heating servicing as I got stung for £3000 to get my old boiler replaced as it was condemned. Learnt my lesson about proper insurance quite quickly. :rolleyes: :o
 
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I have a related question, how much does running a car cost per month (total cost per year/12 to average it)? Assuming you would only really use it for going to and from work?

I know theres insurance, MOT, services, petrol, road tax and other things that need to be paid? :confused:
 
1.4 Clio

Fuel: £1300 (10,000 miles)
Depreciation: 0 (I got the car cheap and will probably sell for a small profit )
Tax: £130
Insurance: 900
Service (just parts): £200
Mot: £45
Parking fines and bits: £200

Total around £2,800 (£233 per month)

28p per mile
 
triggerthat said:
1.4 Clio

Fuel: £1300 (10,000 miles)

28p per mile
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You do that many miles in a month???? where the hell do you drive to and from?

Or is this your yearly budget?!
 
This is what we pay out weekly ( 2 adults and 3 kids )

Gas - £10
Elec - £10
Water - £7
TV Licence - £6
Rent - £52
Council Tax - £12

And when the kids are at school

£8.95 per child for dinner money
 
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