Does anyone live alone on 25k or less?

[Imsotiredandcantsleep]

Assuming outside of London and not rent or mortgage free.
If you don't, have you done previously? How did you find it?

I did and honestly I was fine. Enough for bills and fun. My rent was £500 with bills it came to about £800. £900 left for food, savings and fun each month.
Now I have a child that £25k doesn’t go far!

I did, but in 2016. It was fine, I could afford my mortgage, bills, food, gym membership, and a car on PCP (and petrol, insurance etc). I'm not sure I could do it now though, given the rise in costs.

How easy it would be would depend on your housing costs, other essential costs and lifestyle expectations.

It's a take home of £1700 pm so if you WFH or lived near to work so you could walk or cycle and your rent was cheap and decent insulation and boiler so your utilities were low, it would probably be fine.

However if you had a big commute, possibly also a car loan and expected to be able to spend without thinking on multiple non essentials (endless coffees, lunches and takeaways, beauty treatments, latest tech, eating and drinking out, holidays, hobbies, gym etc), obviously you'd struggle.

What is your AIBU?
Personally, have never earned more than £25k pa, have survived fine but am pretty frugal with my spending (eat vegan, bulk-buy wholefoods, don't spend on makeup, new clothes or consumerist tat). Mostly travel by bike.

You mean without UC or maintenance?

If they live alone, how would UC or maintenance come into it?

Without UC yes.

That's what I earn currently, I have a job offer for something paying 30.5k but I just need to be brave enough to take the leap.

I'm not expecting a life of luxury, but now at this age I just want to enjoy life a bit more. It's tiring to have to always buy the cheapest of everything, live in not nice areas and have to count every penny.

Yes. It is fine.

25k for someone is a decent amount for someone on their own.

I do and have done all my life, it helps that I have very few major expenses.
Also I bought my house at the very start of the property boom 25 yrs ago (it was so close if I had waited just 6mths I wouldnt of been able to afford a mortgage!).

Not sure I could do it now if I had housing costs. Even a dodgy studio flat round here be pushing it for that wage!

I have a friend who does. His mortgage is £300. He got a low interest rate just after the pandemic and a 30k deposit for his 110k flat. He also manages to save money.

I did, about six years ago. I was leaving an abusive relationship so if that's your reason, do it, nothing is worth staying in a bad situation. I was extremely frugal - the water provider actually sent someone out to check the meter was working as I was using so little water - but a couple of unexpected PPI pay outs meant I was a bit more comfortable and was able to go on holiday. I had an old car too which cost peanuts to run. I was scared and worried to start with but it ended up being a really positive experience. I like my own company and had lived alone before which helped.

I did until pretty recently, it was fine. I had a very low mortgage (tiny house to match though!) and could afford to run a car, go abroad every year and go out most weekends.

Yes with a mortgage and it's tight

I live alone on a monthly income of £725. Plus a credit card which I only use in emergencies. I have a cat, rent my accommodation, and own an old car. Cat gets the best of everything, including premium insurance, ditto food and all necessary veterinary treatments. He's my best mate and keeps my mental health on a reasonably even keel. I get by, very occasionally using food banks for me.

My gross is about that. But less after tax and business expenses. I'm self employed. Live pretty much hand to mouth at the moment. Currently have about £12 in the bank till I next get paid.

No holiday in a decade. Want to start a new business but no way of raising the funds when I have no money to invest.

I lived on £12k. Had very cheap rent but needed to run a car, which almost bankrupted me on many occasions. Was all right for food, had no heating (why the rent was cheap) apart from a coal fire which cost ££££ in the winter, so I was just generally cold. But I survived and even managed to bung the kids at Uni a few quid now and then.

I used to on a lot less than that.

My mortgage was about. £400 though so probably about 8 years ago.

It really comes down to rent/mortgage amount. We spend (combined) around £1600 a month and live very well because we have paid off the mortgage, but that feeds 3 adults (mostly, dsd is out a fair bit and buys own lunch), bills on a larger house where one resident doesn't turn off lights and leaves things on , running costs of 2 cars both owned outright and obviously 2, possibly 3 when we eat out etc (her wallet stays at home )

As proven above, people do but it will depend on your circumstances for outgoings because round here you couldn't rent a room in a shared house for £725 a month, let alone live on that much, or buy even a studio flat for a £300 a month mortgage!

Impossible to comment without knowing housing costs.

A one bed flat where I live (over 50 miles from London) is about £1000 a month. Which leaves about £700 for council tax, energy, water, insurance, groceries and everything else.

Very tough indeed.

15 years ago I lived quite happily on less than 15k a year.
If I left my partner my wage would be £22,000 after tax and I reckon if I could make it work if I made some changes (1 child, north west).

As others have said, very dependant on your individual circumstances. I'm on around that, mortgage around £700 per month, heating & lighting etc £150 a month, have to run a car with around £200 a month in petrol plus insurance tax etc, council tax £150 a month (single occupancy). Then add in house insurance, water rates, cat food litter and insurance, and it's tight!

Jesus that's impressive!!!

Yes, when I career changed that was my salary (not many years ago either!). Nice little 3 bed up north and a good lifestyle.
About £1700 a month;
£500 mortgage
£200 petrol/ car insurance
£300 council tax / gas/ electric / water / internet
£200 food
£50 gym
£200 other bits
£100 savings
Very doable. Not sure how much CoL will have changed.
I earn a bit more now but not a lot more.