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Original poster

Is £1k a month enough to live on?

283 replies

EL8888 · 14/02/2020 16:10

I was debating with my mother whether it was possible for a person to live on £1,000 per month. Bearing in mind there is no rent / mortgage to pay (house is paid for), no debts and they own a newish car plus they have a Freedom card to use. They live alone with no dependents or pets. I said it was enough and she said it really wasn’t

OP posts:
Topseyt · 15/02/2020 18:04

They have no rent or mortgage to pay, but rent and mortgage are not the only living costs each month. So we haven't enough information here really.

How much is their council tax? Electricity? Gas? Water? Phone and broadband? Mobile phone if paid separately from those? Are there any insurance premiums to be paid (home contents, building insurance etc.?).

You criticise them for running a car but if they live somewhere without easy access to good public transport then the car can be necessary. It will also have to be insured, fuelled and serviced.

For one person living on their own - I'd say it is definitely vdoable (and I have had to live on far less, with 5 of us), but it is not a life of luxury. Average??

TubbyPony · 15/02/2020 18:37

@HollowTalk

Sorry, that was a typo and should have been £350! Just checked and it was actually £339 odd. Does that sound about right? I did it all on the Gov Gateway so I hopeso! Last thing I need is a request for more money!

TubbyPony · 15/02/2020 18:40

Oh and that was for both Class 1 and Class 2 NI contributions, £200+ and £100+ respectively. It's my first year doing this so have nothing to compare against and just trusted it to be correct.

AmazingGreats · 15/02/2020 19:16

I wouldn't say it's enough for much quality of life, but it's a lot more than benefits would be for a single person (and if there is a couple or family on benefits the amount per person is actually even less again)

Lovesgood · 15/02/2020 19:37

What does she think all the people on minimum wage do!? They earn about 1200 and have bloody extortionate rents to pay! Babyboomers....Hmm

everythingisginandroses · 15/02/2020 20:05

OK to live on. Won't buy you loads of socialising and holidays. OP mentions a Freedom Pass, so presumably they are in London. They don't need a car in London.

Reginabambina · 15/02/2020 20:08

That’s loads. I can’t imagine that being not enough. If they have no debts, housing costs of dependants what are the actually spending money on? Food and utilities for one person shouldn’t cost more than £350 a month.

yellowallpaper · 15/02/2020 20:09

It is for one person, not for 2. If there are two parents with a similar income it's do able, but not a lot.

All insurances, car running costs, food, saving for holidays, saving for emergencies like a broken boiler, household upkeep, council tax, water rates, gas and electric, internet, tv, .... lots more I'm sure.

Definitely not enough for a single person, regardless of mortgage paid off

Alsohuman · 15/02/2020 20:54

Food and utilities for one person shouldn’t cost more than £350 a month

In your dreams.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

formerbabe · 15/02/2020 20:57

Food and utilities for one person shouldn’t cost more than £350 a month

Don't be silly.

Council tax alone could be over £100

Then gas/electric/water/phone/internet/tv license/home and car insurance.

Then food...unless you live on bread and water

okletsdothis · 15/02/2020 21:02

Ahh ok @formerbabe, your situation is very different from mine then. I'm single and childfree, not even any pets to pay for, so I can understand how you find it more of a struggle as you have way more outgoings than I do.

BarbaraofSeville · 15/02/2020 22:22

Council tax alone could be over £100

Not necessarily, ours is about pm £80 and there's 2 of us, so pay it all, while a single person would get 25% off. The OP says they live in a 2 bed, so likely to be lower band.

The OP also says 'possible to live' not have loads of money for everything. A perfectly reasonable standard of living is certainly possible on that income.

My retired DM has an income of less than that and she's perfectly comfortable, buys her food in M&S and Sainsbury's, has a dog, eats out, buys things for the house, doesn't worry about the heating.

Alsohuman · 15/02/2020 22:38

The very least council tax could be where I live is £123 per month in a Band A property. You could exist on £1k a month here, you wouldn’t be doing much living though.

x2boys · 15/02/2020 22:59

My council.tax is about £115/month band A in a deprived part of the Northwest ,bills are variable as is food I expect you could do a reasonable shop for one person for about £40/50 /week but it all depends where you live and accessibility to cheap.shops ,I'm sure I could feed myself on much less as well but I'm not sure if would be healthy.

HolesinTheSoles · 15/02/2020 23:01

Council tax isn't going to be over £100 for a single person assuming they're not living in a huge 4 bed house to themselves - which would seem a bit mad if they're on a budget. So £400 bills maximum (mine are about that for a family of four in a large ish house). £200 saved a month and about £20 petrol a week £40 food (could obviously be cheaper for just one person) then £40 entertainment a week. Doable but obviously not particularly luxurious.

Alsohuman · 15/02/2020 23:06

Council tax isn't going to be over £100 for a single person

Once again, the least it could be here is £123.

Rosehip345 · 15/02/2020 23:09

I would say it’d depend on lifestyle and living costs.
We used to live on that easily, family of three.
But since having moved and changes to our budget our basics are now about 1k more

HolesinTheSoles · 15/02/2020 23:20

@Alsohuman look here even if the council tax is band D and in an area in the "very high" bracket with the single person discount she'd be paying £109 a month.

SamGab · 15/02/2020 23:35

Might be enough to survive but not really live. If no public transport then lots of extra costs which soon mount up.

Nameofchanges · 15/02/2020 23:49

Obviously very many people after housing live on £1000 a month or less!

For someone paying a reasonable £600 on housing, you would have to earn £23000 to have £1000 left to live on.

PermanentlyFrizzyHairBall · 15/02/2020 23:52

It's not at all clear what you mean. Obviously lots of people live on a lot less than that so it very obviously is possible. Whether they would have to adapt their lifestyle depends where they live in the country and what kind of lifestyle they're used to.

Alsohuman · 15/02/2020 23:55

I’ve checked the council tax where I live. The minimum for a single person for 2020/21 is £123 per month.

Satsuma2 · 16/02/2020 00:15

Yes it is more than enough.

Lilyamna · 16/02/2020 00:27

I’ve done it for years. It’s possible. Not that comfortable, no spare money for fancy treats. But definitely possible.

ClientQueen · 16/02/2020 00:33

I live alone, 2 bed apartment. Trying to think of my bills!
C tax is £110 for 10 months
Water £22
Contents insurance £12
Gas and electric £40
Netflix and internet £29
Car tax and insurance £54

So £267pm with food and fuel on top - averages £70pw
£547 excluding my mortgage