Living alone is tough financially

A SAHP can't get a job if they are responsible for providing childcare (that often costs more than a wage to buy in).

The best thing a single, relatively healthy adult with a mortgage can do is look into critical illness cover. It can be expensive but you don't have to cover the whole mortgage. I have a policy for a lump sum of £50k. You can add a child for a couple of quid a month.

I lived alone for years. I found saving money so difficult and would be really hard on myself thinking I was failing despite earning an ok salary. Now I cohabit, I see how difficult it actually used to be living alone money wise.

Why do people keep saying living alone is a choice. For a lot of people it isn't.

I think the people we need to listen to are the people who have lived both. Multiple posters have written how much worse of they are now their children are grown and they are living alone. Posters have also written how much better of they are now they have a family after living alone. Having a partner doubles income and gives a safety net for job loss or illness. Single parents although harder then couples still often get a lot financial help from benefits and also a safety net for job loss, illness. A single adult household with a mortgage don't lose your job or get ill as you will be screwed as there is no safety net so get used to working 80hrs a week and your ziplock fruit.

Living alone is equally a choice - and as others have pointed out, it comes with a cost.
After a year of house shares & renting before I bought my first home, and a brief period of living with a partner, a choice that I would make every time.

This is true plus they are taxed more. If two people earn 25 grand each they'll pay less tax than one person earning 50,000. I think tax should be equal and per household income not per person.

Absolutely. DH and I live together in a 1-bed flat so per person our rent is very cheap. My neighbour is a single guy and has to pay the same amount of rent all by himself.

I do find it interesting that in my part of the world (Scandinavia) house sharing is quite uncommon except for students. Instead there are lots of 30-50m2 studios and 1-bed flats so even most people in their 20s live alone or with a partner. Even in more popular cities (except Stockholm maybe) there are studios at £4-500, and my 1-bed flat is around £800 including all bills (and no council tax to pay). Of course it's still more beneficial to be a dual income household, but it's not prohibitively expensive to live alone, unlike in much of the UK.

💯 this. A SAHP can get a job and they also do all the household stuff. Single people have to do and pay for everything - and single women are often expected to do other caring duties for elderly family. IME, this can sometimes also include financial support to others.

Nobody called you a bitch. I thought you said you "knew what they meant" when corrected?

I wouldn't like to live alone and I know people at work who are single and struggling, so I would agree with OP.
Having a partner isn't just financially more secure, it's also having someone else to help with all the house maintenance decisions, someone who's car I can borrow if mine breaks down.
My husband and I share chores, look after each other when we're ill, spend time together reading, walking, just hanging out.
Must be tough having no one to rely on.

Yes, to live by yourself you must be comfortable financially to begin with. However, if you have family to support it is so much more stressful if you do not have the means anyway. May be a couple can share a place but once you start having kids is another story. Which is why there are less kids born in big cities these days.

Council tax round here is the same banding for a 6 bed as 3 bed.
water rates same too.

When I was out of work I got nothing - £0. Absolutely fuck all. I have always worked and when I needed that safety net I was told nope. They actually said at the time to qualify I needed to be over 35 or have kids.

I got no basic needs met.

I think that way of looking at it is fair. Although, it does show that all the posters on here saying that it's cheaper for a single person as they have lower rent costs don't really have a clue. Assume a single person rent a 1 bed (because studios kill a lot of social life) at £1.1k then a couple rents a 2 bed for £1.3k. They couple are paying £650 each for a nicer and larger property than the single person. I think it just shows that there are limits to downsizing in terms of the financial savings.

As a single parent who's youngest has just flown the nest I'm terrified!! It's not so much the finances, although they are a perennial worry, it's the buck stopping with me and only me. If I need a new roof or boiler there's no one to share the worry. I hate being married so no option but to suck it up.

But the difference between a 1- and 2-bed flat might only be 8m2. It's not like a 2-bed is twice as big, so surely it's not that strange that the difference in price is also small, frustrating as it is for a single person.

Not necessarily, at least for council tax. There are 1 bed flats around here that are in a higher band than 3 bed houses. The others possibly, depends on usage though.

I disagree with you. My water and gas electric is the same now as it was when my ex was living here. Literally no change whatsoever. Council tax is dependent on area too so not necessarily someone with a child is paying more CT than me, in fact, I doubt it very very much.

and those many single parents get a housing benefit top up courtesy of the kid(s) I actually said this too.

absolutely and I have no issue with that when parents find themselves out of work through no fault of their own but to set a career on how much benefits you can get by having children, that I take issue to. But also as per first point, having the child often only affects food bill in regards to difference between living with kids and living alone

But water rates, council tax, gas, electricity are all going to be more expensive for a 2 bed that a family of mum & son need than a 1 bed that a single person needs.

Disagree re social housing. Many many single parents in private rental.

There's extra support for children, because there's extra costs for children.

I thought it was automatic, honestly don’t know the thresholds. Perhaps is more automatic if you work part time.

@EG94 You'd have to be earning very little to qualify for working tax credit and it's what? £2500/year if you have kids?

you said about means tested and all that for your needs. I was saying because of my dogs that means garden just as mum with children, As an example. But just so you know if you’re unemployed you do also get help towards the cost of your vet bills 🙄

as others have pointed out, having the kid doesn’t increase the cost of gas electric, council tax etc compared to a single person and the person with the kid is probably already in social housing and therefore cost of rent is significantly less than those with mortgage or private renting.

id argue my dogs are my family and are my equivalent of children but I won’t go off on that tangent.

the system is broken, kids do unlock a lot of additional support. Those facts can’t be argued

Water rates would stay the same regardless of number of people (unless water metered of course)
council tax is only 25pc more if part of a 2 wasn’t household.

I live alone (well, with my dog who is great company). It is tough. I work 30 hours a week-I do a bit of freelance work. It's become my normal. It wasn't ever planned. I loved living with my ex partner (unfortunately that was just about the only plus point to the relationship, we're friends now and when I stay over to see them although it'd never be a 'thing' to get back together I feel some grief of that time, I really do miss that) but then I met a new partner, moved out (unrelated) and assumed we'd eventually move in together. Never happened and we split.

I honestly have got so used to it just being me and my dog, that I am not sure I'd suit a partnership now. I feel odd typing that as I am such a close relationship type of person who always wanted a loving home and family. But life's like that. And alll responsibility falls to me. Everything.

I earn enough. Just enough.
I have a nice enough life and supportive friends.
It's just a bit 'meh', isn't it?