AIBU?
To think that life as a single person is generally more expensive?
teaandcakeat8 · 01/08/2017 19:24
Had this debate at work today and thought it was interesting to hear others opinions.
I'm single and most of my colleagues are married/cohabiting. They argued that life in a couple is just twice as expensive but I disagreed.
Some examples:
Housing - mortgage/rent costs are generally halved in a couple
Council tax - a single person receives a 25% discount; this isn't 50%
Utilities - not necessarily halved for a single person - you still have to cook, have lights on etc
Holidays - usually a single person supplement which isn't half price
I've lived as a single person and part of a couple and generally I was financially much better off when cohabitating.
I don't argue that couples may have higher outgoings however aibu to argue that if you are single life costs 50% less?
DumbledoresApprentice · 01/08/2017 19:30
I've cohabited ever since I left home. It's definitely cheaper than living alone. The cost of the 1 bedroom flat that we rented at first when divided by two was less than some single friends paid for a room in shared houses and was obviously half as expensive as a single person renting a one bedroom flat. We were able to pool our savings and buy a house in our mid twenties. Arithmetic is clearly not your friends' strong suit. 
Birdsgottaf1y · 01/08/2017 19:35
Of course it isn't twice as expensive. As you say, if you are both in of an evening/weekend then you are sharing the cost of electricity etc.
If it wasn't cheaper then people wouldn't house/flat share.
I'm single my eldest DD is in a relationship, she used to say stuff like your collegues, then they split up for a while and it was a shock.
I can't stand Women, in particular, who have Partners that buy/pay for stuff, trying to tell other, totally independent Women how affordable life is.
Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 01/08/2017 19:36
I agree it is generally more expensive living on your own but it does have the advantage of you being in full control of where you spend any disposable income which can be difficult for couples if one spends thoughtlessly. Also obviously living with children is very expensive especially for single income households.
DonaldStott · 01/08/2017 19:51
I totally agree with you. My colleague is single and I am married. We earn the same wages and we have one dc. She doesn't have any dc.
She has a mortgage in the area we live, as do we.
BUT we have my husbands income too, which is a few £k more than mine.
She doesn't have a lot of spare cash and needs to plan and save for nights out, whereas we are in a really good position financially.
QueenMortificado · 01/08/2017 20:03
I actually disagree. I find when I'm single, my food bill is barely anything and entertaining etc is all the cost of just one person (ie eating out etc).
When I'm in a relationship I seem to spend half my week out doing activities / eating dinner in restaurants / away for weekends etc. Which costs far more!!
(I am comparing being single to being in a relationship though rather than living alone vs cohabiting)
AvoidingCallenetics · 01/08/2017 20:03
Depends on circumstances. A family with a sahp and one wage or a couple where one person was sick and couldn't work woild find life expensive.
People with lots of free childcare in the form of family support may find life less exprnsive than those who have to pay for full time childcare, even if the person wiyh free childcare is a single parent and yhe ones who pay are a couple.
All down to circumstances.
Monny · 01/08/2017 20:16
Depends who you married.
My ex-(d)H was obsessed with taking more holidays/weekend's away than I could cope with, purchasing 'naice' cars, 'naice' food and every health supplement under the sun whilst feeling agrieved about the cost of running a home (read 'financially controlling').
Now single, 2 kids, and ticking along more cheaply 'not' going away and buying 'awful' better value food (ignoring seaweed sprinkles, manuka honey, and pots of protein supplements). Naturally I am appalling for not buying organic.
HipsterHunter · 01/08/2017 20:16
But if you purchase alone you don't have to share the capital appreciation and can rent a room for additional income
But the whole point is you need a much higher income as a single person to buy a 2 bed flat than if two of you are buying a two bed flat!
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