London living expenses.

What would be the annual list of expenses for a single woman living in london?

• including gas, electicity, food, rent, travel, expenses

• Answer:

  All depends on where you live in London, how far you need to travel, what utility company you use and taxes depend on other factors than just salary. Personal tax allowances also change and depend on many different things. Will you rent a whole flat to yourself in the most expensive part of London? Or happy to live in a less sort after area. Will you flat or house share? Costs depend on all of those factors and vary a great deal. How far are you willing to commute in? The further out you live, the more you will pay for public transport. Are you happy to shop at budget supermarkets or will you shop in high end supermarkets? The truth is, the expenses vary from person to person. I can give a list of basic bills in a house you will need to pay, but the actual costs depends a great deal on: Who you use, how you use it, if you are splitting bills or shouldering the cost yourself and where you live and the type of property. Basics: Rent Gas Water Elec TV Licence Council tax After that you have: Phone Internet Sky/Cable Mobile phone Food Travel Clothing Going out Contents insurance. Dental Eyecare Toiletries and make up Credit cards/personal debts. Car MOT Insurance Petrol Parking charges/fines/Resident parking bay fees. If you add more detail perhaps people can help you pin down a few things! EDIT: Rents are expensive in that part of London. You are looking at £900+ a month JUST for a tiny 1 bed or studio flat. To buy: Depends but I would say anything from £200,000 right up to 400,000K! Depending on type of property/how far from station etc. The utiliites, again as I said really does depend but I can give you mine for a couple not using much. Per month Gas £20 Water £30 Elec £30 Council tax £120 a month, BUT changes every year and varies from area to area. You can look up the Wimbledon council for the different rates for different bands. Each property is given a band. So you would need to find out what band the rental is in. Phone - Again depends on who you go with. I am with O2: Landline rental £15 a month Internet £10 a month Food £200 a month - cooking from mostly scratch, planning all meals ahead. Making own lunches for work/etc Travel from Zone 3 to Zone 1 is about £130 a month and that's a travel card which gives you tube, train and bus. Going out, well, depends on you. Cinema can cost anywhere between £7 and £20. Depending on where you go. Macdonalds meal £6 - Nice restaurant £30 meal. Can't tell you how exactly much night clubs are, but entry anwhere between £5 and £20. Drinks, depend on where you go! Large Wine glass in a bar is about £3. Cocktails from £5 upwards. London, can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, so it does come down to you. All the above is a rough guide. Many of us live on BARE minimum income and it IS doeable we just have cheaper nights out!