To think my friend's daughter should be able to live on £16k (before tax)?

[dilemma456]

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Ok this is what I figure for single person in a one bed flat per month

Rent - 500
Council tax - 50
Water - 5
Gas - 5
Electricity - 5
Gas - 10
TV - 12
Phone/ Internet/Mobile - 35

=622
She earns £16000. After tax, NI and pension that would be approx £1066 a month.

So 1066-622= £444

So approx £444 a month for food, clothes and entertainment.

Meh, depends on the person. YABU to judge what other people can live on. She may want to save for a mortgage.

When I was younger and much much poorer in the late 1980s, we did loads of sitting round each other's bedsits listening to music, only going to the pub for last orders so as not to be tempted to have more than one drink. We hardly ever went out to eat and we did loads of tape to taping to save money on music. When we went clubbing we would get pissed before and drink only water while we were there. My budget was about £25 a week after rent + books etc. This I think is about £60 in todays money.

so yes its possible but I think how much of a sacrifice it is depends on what her friends have and are doing. It was v.easy for me because all my friends were in the same boat

where I live rent would be closer to £600, council tax about £80
There's no way Gas and Electricity costs only £5 a month - try closer to £20 or more!
Oh and Water where I live is almost £40 a month!

beanieb - I'm thinking of a one bed flat so was trying to be conservative!

Trouble is - my water-rates are fixed. Don't know how other people in other areas have theirs worked out but mine is based on teh ratable value rather than the occupants or the number of rooms. It's about £36 whatever amount of water I use

Trouble is - my water-rates are fixed. Don't know how other people in other areas have theirs worked out but mine is based on teh ratable value rather than the occupants or the number of rooms. It's about £36 whatever amount of water I use

WTF has it got to do with you? You don't know how much she has to spend on (for instance) work clothes or work-related expenses, for one thing.

Oh, thanks sgb I missed out travel!

Take off another £50 a month and that's under £400.

beanieb - we pay £25 a month DD in east London and we're on a meter.

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lol - when I was in my twenties and early 30's (more than 18 years ago) I lived off around £11,000 a year but I usually shared big houses with other people, the rent was NEVER paid on time, council tax was left unpaid and we all drank cheap Vodka.

The worrying thing is that I now only earn about twice that amount but my tastes have become more expensive. Time to ask for a pay rise perhaps?

Well we live on 13000 a year and we're a family of 5. YANBU, my sister is a student living in London and she manages on 12k a year!

Prices, particularly of housing, have gone up a lot in the last couple of years. And I repeat, WTF has it got to do with you anyway? You're not paying her, lending her money, or even being asked for your advice, by the sound of it.