What is a liveable salary for a single person with no dependents in London?

[Orang Utan]

Now I've typed it, liveable doesn't look like a proper word, but I'm sure you get my meaning.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Do you mean being able to survive without eating out, going to the pub, going to the cinema, going to the gym etc., or do you mean being able to do all the aforementioned comfortably and still be able to pay your bills without any worry?

 

[Thora]

I think the London living wage is just over £8 an hour/£16K.

 

[Orang Utan]

Do you mean being able to survive without eating out, going to the pub, going to the cinema, going to the gym etc., or do you mean being able to do all the aforementioned comfortably and still be able to pay your bills without any worry?

somewhere in between. hand to mouth isn't what i had in mind, but neither is unalloyed luxury

 

[colacubes]

It's £8.30, so just over £17k on the basis of a 40 hour week.

Take home = about £1400 a month. So working it out I guess rent £600 (maybe less), £150 for bills and council tax, £100 for travel would leave £650 a month for food and everything else. Which would be alright with no dependents or other outstanding debts.

 

[Ted Striker]

It is never enough.

 

[colacubes]

It's £8.30, so just over £17k on the basis of a 40 hour week.

Take home = about £1400 a month. So working it out I guess rent £600 (maybe less), £150 for bills and council tax, £100 for travel would leave £650 a month for food and everything else. Which would be alright with no dependents or other outstanding debts.

ETA and of course you can take off travel costs if you cycle, which I think you do OU.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

somewhere in between. hand to mouth isn't what i had in mind, but neither is unalloyed luxury

Big factor would depend on your rent. In the last few years when I've been working (doing only around 30 hours per week due to caring for someone), I reckon I was under £15k, went to pub regularly, went on holiday once a year etc. but then I didn't really ever eat out, am not into clothes and makeup, don't drive etc. and housing association flat, so therefore cheaper rent

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

The 2011 revised wage is £8.30 per hour, a 5.7 per cent increase on 2010 and a 24 per cent increase since its introduction in 2005.

http://www.london.gov.uk/publication/fairer-london-2011-living-wage-london

 

[Badgers]

I have lived cheaply before. It really varies on the living space you want, commuting costs and such things mainly. Lifestyle is a factor but I doubt you will be on charlie and champers more than 3 nights a week.

 

[Orang Utan]

I think the London living wage is just over £8 an hour/£16K.

that's £1103 a month after tax.
so:
Rent: £600-800
Council Tax & Bills: £100ish (?)
Food: £80-100
just about doable I suppose, or am I missing something out?

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

if you live in a house of multiple occupation i.e. sharing, then you're not liable for council tax, the landlord is.

 

[Orang Utan]

It's £8.30, so just over £17k on the basis of a 40 hour week.

Take home = about £1400 a month. So working it out I guess rent £600 (maybe less), £150 for bills and council tax, £100 for travel would leave £650 a month for food and everything else. Which would be alright with no dependents or other outstanding debts.

ah, cheers, better than my quick calculation.
how did you work out the bills? mine was just a guestimate.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

that's £1103 a month after tax.
so:
Rent: £600-800
Council Tax & Bills: £100ish (?)
Food: £80-100
just about doable I suppose, or am I missing something out?

I'd think about that Council Tax and Bills figure. Council Tax, Water, Gas, Electricity, Landline Bill (if you have one), Mobile Phone Bill, Internet Connection, TV Licence etc.

 

[Orang Utan]

Big factor would depend on your rent. In the last few years when I've been working (doing only around 30 hours per week due to caring for someone), I reckon I was under £15k, went to pub regularly, went on holiday once a year etc. but then I didn't really ever eat out, am not into clothes and makeup, don't drive etc. and housing association flat, so therefore cheaper rent

i'm looking at places (sharing) that are up to £600 a month rent.

 

[colacubes]

ah, cheers, better than my quick calculation.
how did you work out the bills? mine was just a guestimate.

Same as. Mine are more (about £200) but was guessing you'd be in a smaller place/sharing so have less CT/leccy etc to pay

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

i'm looking at places (sharing) that are up to £600 a month rent.

Well that would have been a lot more than I could have afforded on my wages, so I'd have either have to give up socialising in the pub or give up my yearly holiday I reckon

eta: As mentioned by Nips though, you'd be saving on bills by sharing

 

[Ms T]

if you live in a house of multiple occupation i.e. sharing, then you're not liable for council tax, the landlord is.

Really? We always had to pay council tax ourselves in shared houses.

 

[Orang Utan]

Well that would have been a lot more than I could have afforded on my wages, so I'd have either have to give up socialising in the pub or give up my yearly holiday I reckon

well i don't go to the pub a huge amount and i'm not fussed about holidays.
£600 a month is in the lower end of what's available by the way! (for 2 people sharing)

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

well i don't go to the pub a huge amount and i'm not fussed about holidays

Then I reckon you can survive, unless you're into designer clothing

 

[Orang Utan]

if you live in a house of multiple occupation i.e. sharing, then you're not liable for council tax, the landlord is.

what about a flat in a multi-flat house where you're sharing with one other person?

 

[Kanda]

if you live in a house of multiple occupation i.e. sharing, then you're not liable for council tax, the landlord is.

Council Tax has always been in the tenants name in every shared house I've ever lived in.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

well i don't go to the pub a huge amount and i'm not fussed about holidays.
£600 a month is in the lower end of what's available by the way! (for 2 people sharing)

These London landlords need shooting for what they charge

 

[Badgers]

Council Tax has always been in the tenants name in every shared house I've ever lived in.

In a HMO an all-inclusive bills basis it is the landlords responsibility to pay the council tax.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

it's a bit of a legal minefield, see this http://www.mglewisandson.co.uk/hmo-houses-in-multiple-occupation/hmo-and-council-tax-2

 

[editor]

I think where you live can make a huge difference to how well you can get by if you like going out and socialising (which is certainly important to me). Brixton is brilliant for tons of free stuff so you can get by on a lot less cash than if you live in another area where everything costs more or where you have to get public transport to where the action is.

 

[Badgers]

it's a bit of a legal minefield, see this http://www.mglewisandson.co.uk/hmo-houses-in-multiple-occupation/hmo-and-council-tax-2

From that...

In an HMO the tenant/licensee occupies only part of the property and is only liable for rent for the part they occupy. An example would be where the tenant is liable for rent on an individual room basis and shares a bathroom and toilet with other tenants. The council makes the decision about a property’s desgination as an HMO and the landlord is liable for paying the tax. The landlord can appeal the decision to the Valuation Tribunal, which is an independent body.

It is not black and white but self contained units are much more closely regulated these days. More will be paid by the landlord than not.

 

[Orang Utan]

I think where you live can make a huge difference to how well you can get by if you like going out and socialising (which is certainly important to me). Brixton is brilliant for tons of free stuff so you can get by on a lot less cash than if you live in another area where everything costs more or where you have to get public transport to where the action is.

can't say there are many free things in Brixton that I would want to go to. Brixton is too dear for me now. I am searching the cheaper areas surrounding it.

 

[editor]

Really? I can think of all sorts of free events that are well worth checking out.
This is just the gigs:
http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/calendar/

 

[ymu]

It's £8.30, so just over £17k on the basis of a 40 hour week.

Take home = about £1400 a month. So working it out I guess rent £600 (maybe less), £150 for bills and council tax, £100 for travel would leave £650 a month for food and everything else. Which would be alright with no dependents or other outstanding debts.

You haven't deducted tax from that. Gross pay is ~£1400/month, take home is ~£1150.