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Original poster

...to ask how much you spend each month?

50 replies

scatteredbraincells · 02/12/2011 10:27

haven't lived in the UK for years but we're moving back for 2 years in April. I have no idea about the cost of living in England after all these years, could someone please help me?

We can obviously estimate things like rent, childcare and commute, but I would appreciate help on house bills and supermarket mainly, and then things like clothes for the kids, school equipment (uniform and supplies) and anything else you can tell me.

We're a family of four

OP posts:
PomBearAtTheGatesOfDoom · 02/12/2011 10:35

It depends where you're going to live and shop and what you want to eat and so on. If you shop in Fortnum and Mason and buy bespoke clothes from designers it will cost more than Primark and Aldi states the obvious

Original poster
scatteredbraincells · 02/12/2011 10:37

ok,let's start with tesco and Asda in mind. We're not sure about the area, the job is in an expensive (to us) area, so we're have to balance it out with commuting costs.

OP posts:
NinkyNonker · 02/12/2011 10:45

Hard to say. We live on the South Coast which is pricey, only DH works. Will be moving house soon hopefully but will have bigger mortgage then, figures are for bigger house.

Mortgage approx £800
Food/housekeeping £300 (2 adults, 1 child, 2 dogs....farmshop and Sainsburys or Waitrose)
Utilities £120
Tv, broadband, phone £50
Council tax £140
Fuel £90 (1 tank, we run one car sparingly)
Savings/budgeting £250 (covers insurances: house, car)
Misc £200
Insurances £60 (life for both of us and pets)

Approx.

Original poster
scatteredbraincells · 02/12/2011 10:54

Thanks ninky. Is the 300 monthly? Wow, that sounds much less than I expected I'd absolutely need to spend.
You just cheered me up, it all looks much easier to pull off now...

OP posts:
shrinkingnora · 02/12/2011 10:54

Have a look on moneysavingexpert.com at the debt free wannabe section of the forum. People post up their statement of affairs(SOA) in order to get help saving money but it should give you a good cross section of living expenses. You could also look at the SOA calculator on makesenseofcards as it has everything on it and you may find things you had forgotten.

architien · 02/12/2011 10:57

Family of four here. In Scotland. Spend £100 on fuel per month, £165 on council tax, £20/ 3 months on mobile, £22/ month on organic veg box, £15/month fruit, £10 /month eggs, £10/week on butcher meat, £10/ week on rest of things from Tesco.

I do have to plan meals like a military operator though

architien · 02/12/2011 10:58

We also have a dog, but I've kept his food costs/ vets bills separate!

architien · 02/12/2011 10:59

Ah by fuel I mean fuel for the house as in electricity and gas (3 bed semi)

Kayano · 02/12/2011 11:01

Mortgage £386 (as of this month - get in there)
Elec and gas combined £78
Council tax £100
Lottery £10 a month ish
Tv licence £11? I think
Insurances £60 (inc house, life and critical illness for 2)
Food: about £250 a month
Petrol: about £120 a month
World of Warcraft: £8.99

DH has a very good spreadsheet but I can't be bothered to look lol

Kayano · 02/12/2011 11:03

The only things I concern myself
With obv is lottery and wow
Lol

jendot · 02/12/2011 11:04

We live on the outskirts of London.

Our food/ grocery shopping for 2 adults/ 2 kids (no pets) in tesco.. or morrissons. Always buy reduced/ on offer, is rarely less than £150 a week....... (do have to do packed lunches out of that, which bulks it up a bit) this doesn't include alcohol. But does include cleaning products. It does sometimes include some ready meals..which I guess are more expensive than buying the ingredients (but usually the tesco family ones..rather than say from the finest range!)

I would struggle to do it on £75 a week unless we only ate mince and potatoes!!

If I go to Waitrose or M&S you could prob easily add another £50 to that!!

FreckledLeopard · 02/12/2011 11:07

All monthly - we're in London btw.

Rent: £2080
Council tax: £228
Food: £500
Utilities (gas, elec, TV licence, broadband, water) - £220 ish
Mobile phone: £60
TV (Sky) and landline: £50
Travel (Oyster Card and petrol) - £200
Miscellaneous: £200 ish I guess
Childcare: £400

Kayano · 02/12/2011 11:10

There are massive differences north and south even for food! I'm actually shocked

DamnBamboo · 02/12/2011 11:14

Mortgage 1350 pcm
Council tax 210 pcm
Utilities 185pcm
Food/petrol - 800pcm
Life insurance - 165 pcm
Phone Broadband - 20pcm
Mobile phones - 20pcm

There are still many other expenses (insurance, mot, tax, repairs, clothes, prescriptions, birthdays/xmas) but in all honesty, it depends where you live and what kind of lifestyle you lead.

BTW we are 5 in a house

northernwreck · 02/12/2011 11:14

I can't believe how little all you families of four spend on food! Are you living on value beans and turnips? I would be depressed!
Trying to cut down on food spend, but cant seem to get it below 60 quid a week!

£250 month food (only 2 people)
£75 winter gas/lecce
£80 Council Tax
£50 Broadband/phone/mobile
£22 Water
£12 TV licence
£10 NI (self employed)
£100 Debts
£60-80 travel (trains/buses)
£40 school dinners
£0 clothes, holidays, socialising, anything else!

northernwreck · 02/12/2011 11:15

Oh £550 rent too

Original poster
scatteredbraincells · 02/12/2011 11:15

we'd have to live in or around surrey, which I understand is expensive in rent/council tax but I didn't think there would be differences in Super Market prices...

OP posts:
DamnBamboo · 02/12/2011 11:17

I know northern I see some people's food bills and am Shock

WE aren't particularly wasteful and I make everything from scratch although we do buy wine/beer most weeks and some treats for the kids but some people's food bills are so low.

Original poster
scatteredbraincells · 02/12/2011 11:17

northernwreck, is this 1 adult and 1 child?

OP posts:
northernwreck · 02/12/2011 11:17

Oh x posted with the big spenders on food!
I am North, and have been South, and I dont think there is a price difference in the Supermarkets actually.

northernwreck · 02/12/2011 11:18

Yes, 1 adult, one child. Food bills includes 1 bottle of cheapo wine a week.

StaceymAloneForver · 02/12/2011 11:21

our food is around 250-300 per month for 2 adults 2 kids not including my wine

StaceymAloneForver · 02/12/2011 11:22

northern i spend less on food as i don;t shop every week, i do it once every 2/3 weeks, but i have a huge freezer for meat, buy potatoes in bags and veg can last 2 weeks in huge fridge easily, occasionally i send dp out for milk and bread!

TheLaminator · 02/12/2011 11:24

up north here...

rent- 500
c.tax - 111
utilities, gas,leccy,h20 - 170
tv, phone, mobile, internet - 70
food & household - 200
No car - Public transport, taxis, bike maintenence - 50

we menu plan like mad too & have simple payg mobiles. Freezer full of reduced meat etc. Would imagine shopping could be a lot more if we were not so military :)

NinkyNonker · 02/12/2011 11:24

We eat really well for that, both big meat eaters, roast every week etc...we just cook from scratch (cause we want to and enjoy it) and meal plan, again cause I hate wastage. Always cook enough for a lunch for DH to take to work as well. Despite their reputation I find our farm shop cheaper for quality meat (we only eat organic, free range etc) than the supermarkets.