How do you survive on £35k living in Greater London?

Posted by PinkTequilaaa@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 290 comments

I'm 25F and I'm looking to move out of the family home. My salary is around £35k and I currently have a car on finance paying around £260 a month which I would want to keep because I need it for work. I'm currently looking at single bedroom flats/studios but they all range between £1.2k-1.8k excluding bills. How much do you guys spend on your essential bills (gas and electricity, water), council tax, wifi, car (if you have one) etc. How do you survive? How can you afford to pay bills, socialise, pay a gym membership, have a car, travel, any of it? And if you have kid (s), how do survive with them too?! I know this may be a silly question but I just need a realistic understanding.

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290 Comments

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rosetintedmusings@reddit

My mortgage is 1250 in london zone 3 for a 2 bed flat and i have a baby. Partner is on 75k. I bought in 2019 with 15% deposit and overpaid 30k.

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RealRelative9835@reddit

Isn't this obvious? Vast majority will rent a room and not have a car, those are your major additional expenses.

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DenM0ther@reddit

Yeah this. I’d be looking at shared accommodation to spread the costs. Not like a boarding house but a shared house with flatmates

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

this sounds like insanity. i always assumed that i would have to get rid of the car but it’s on a 4 year PCP contract and i have only had it for 10 months (stupid choice i made). I don’t mind flat sharing and cutting costs where i can though

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Sir-Craven@reddit

So its not really that you need it for work, more that youre under contract lol

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I use it for work because I have to travel between different venues within my role. I am also under a 4 year PCP contract so I cannot get rid of it at the moment

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Boring-Abroad-2067@reddit

In my opinion the company should pay your ubers between venues or give you a car allowance if its needed

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

Tell me about it

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Boring-Abroad-2067@reddit

But in my opinion if it's business essential it's something to negotiate as some companies do offer it. If you are on £35k, maybe time to aspire towards a £75k-50k role now as you need the money to rent a super expensive 1 bed flat now

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

The goal will always be more money but I am not im a role where I am able to get that at this period of time

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Boring-Abroad-2067@reddit

Yeah I understand

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Sir-Craven@reddit

But you dont need THAT specific car. Any car can get you from A-B. The reason you can't get rid of it, is because its under PCP.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I don’t need that car specifically but correct, I cannot get rid of it because of the PCP

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BenjaminUK92@reddit

I mean, that's just a life lesson in adulting right there. You can't ask people how they can afford stuff whilst you have a £260 car on finance that you can't shift because you didn't properly read the T&C's. People cut their outgoings to match their income. That involves making sacrifices like not having a car, not living where they want to live, and not having kids etc. No hate intended, just like, y'know 🤷

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CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

I'm 100% with you. Reddit has made me realise how many people have no idea that everyone else is calculating their finances before making decisions. And that where you live, whether you have a car or not (or what type of car), where you shop, what subscriptions you have, etc... are all part of sacrifices and decisions the rest of us make. We're not judt buying what we want and then suddenly caught off guard by the cost. I will soften that with, some people later get into a shit situation and therefore they are caught out, and for them, I feel truly sorry because it's not something they could have predicted. But for the rest of us, we all calculate which luxuries we can afford and which ones are out of our own financial range.

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Ok-Bag3000@reddit

Yeah this is very true. I’ve noticed as well that the Reddit hive mind thinks the entire country is destitute and trying to survive on £20k a year. If you earn anything over £40k then you MUST be living like a king!

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CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

I just think some of these people need to go speak to someone who is actually struggling with keeping food on the table to realise how many magnitudes richer they actually are and notice that what they consider a necessity is actually a luxury. I'm not saying people should be happy on a low income. Hell, I wish we were all comfortably living our best lives (and I hope we one day can be). But reality is we all make cuts.

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BenjaminUK92@reddit

Absolutely. If you're doing your calculations, spending cautiously, making the "smart decisions" but eventually get caught out by inflation and fiscal drag, then yeah you have my total sympathy and that really sucks. If you're not doing that, then you haven't even started living like an adult yet.

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CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

I always get downvoted for this but I'll die on that hill: **People need to learn the difference between "comfort" and "necessity".** (I need to preface this with a disclaimer: I am not ever referring to anyone who is literally on the poverty line (or below) who barely make it month to month having cut everything, and anyone with a disability or impairment that makes this impossible. They deserve our support in so many ways. I'm referring to people paid enough to live but who can't seem to make ends meet when others around them can.) A necessity is a roof, nutrition, safety and the things that lead to this (e.g. income). But that roof can be a HMO. The flat or the house is a comfort. (wait before getting angry... I'm not saying you can't have them!) This is the one that gets most people's backs up: A car in most people's cases (not all) is a comfort. "*But without a car I have to get up at 5am to catch the twice daily bus from my village and then walk for 45 mins*". That means it's possible. Uncomfortable but it's physically doable. Your car is a comfort. **HAVING SAID THAT**... comforts are absolutely normal and you should try to have some. But when you're calculating your finances you should never have them as non-negotiables. Because then you get in OP's position of thinking life is impossible if you don't have a car sucking over £3k out of your account every year and you thinking it's impossible to avoid. You should have comforts, but anyone who can't understand how people live has never lived on a budget and it tells.

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moneydramas@reddit

My household income is above 100k and we just got rid of the second car because it's a comfort we decided wasn't worth the upkeep. It was an 19 year old passat lol

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BenjaminUK92@reddit

Take my upvote 👍 Totally agree. There are necessities, there are comforts, and there are necessary comforts to make life less stressful than it needs to be. We *could* get by with one car, if we were able to suck up the stress of carting you g kids around, and find other jobs that are more local. Our compromise is we don't replace our cars until they *need* it. That's meant we're both driving cars approaching their 15th year, but both work fine and suit our needs. When they do need replacing they're getting replaced by relatively modest functional cars. Same logic with everything else. We're not materialistic, but we divert our money into having a decent home life in a decent neighborhood. Friends earning considerably more than us don't understand how we afford what we can, but it's because we cut out all the crap years ago. It's not a frugal life, if we need new clothes we buy them, if we want a takeaway or a day out then we do that, but the day to day spend isn't frittering away on needless stuff.

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CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

>cars approaching their 15th year haha, I feel that! Mine is 16 turning 17! But I love it and it's solid as anything, but will need replacing soon, I suspect... but I've been saving for that! And I agree with you. I think people assume I'm telling them to live in a cardboard box and walk 100 miles in the snow... But all I'm saying is we need to understand what can be cut, not just assume every comfort off limit!

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I have edited the post to clarify but in case you haven’t seen it, I was able to afford my car. I have had a change in circumstances within my life which is why I am looking to move out. I read the T&Cs properly. This is not the first car I have financed and I am aware of how to handle my finances. I was asking individuals that are able to finance a car how they afford to live and had curiosity for this that had children too. I do not have a child.

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AntagonisticAxolotl@reddit

With respect it's like you say, stupid decision in hindsight with the car. Always try to plan for the worst when taking on long financial commitments. Sure, you can *pay* for it right now, but what if you lost your job/had to suddenly live alone? Or how long could you last between jobs? If the answer is that you'd be in trouble pretty quickly, then you can't really *afford* it. The simple answer is that you don't get to live alone in London, own a car, have a gym membership and socialise, all on a wage £12k below the median and half of the mean. Children aren't even a consideration. People who are doing all of these things will have much higher incomes than you. Or speaking from experience they quickly move to Reading and get the train for work.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I agree. It was a stupid decision that I have definitely learned from. Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it☺️

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AntagonisticAxolotl@reddit

You're welcome! Yeah unfortunately you'll probably be slumming it for a bit, but it's better to make the bad calls now when you're still young enough to recover. In all seriousness though for the medium term you should see if Reading works with your budget and commute! It's been nearly 4 years since I left and I only ever worked locally, but on a max of 27k I had a studio to myself, a (old and crap) car, lots of long weekends away and was never really stressed for money. It's not the most glamorous place but it's fun enough for your mid-20's and only 20ish minutes to Paddington on the train.

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GingerSnapBiscuit@reddit

> I was asking individuals that are able to finance a car how they afford to live and had curiosity for this that had children too. I do not have a child. Nobody is affording all that on £35k. £35k is atrociously low for Central London.

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VarangianWRLD@reddit

I actually don't disagree with anything you've said, but you certainly have a way with words

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BenjaminUK92@reddit

I think a heavy dose of blunt realism is a very healthy tonic sometimes.

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VarangianWRLD@reddit

But you enjoy being blunt just as much as the realism don't you?

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BenjaminUK92@reddit

I don't enjoy it. I've always thought it's just more valuable to the other person to read a (hopefully) helpful response that cuts right to the heart of their issue without covering it in 3 paragraphs of fluff

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VarangianWRLD@reddit

I rate it tbf. Blunt communicators are rare in the UK. They rise to the top of their workplace quicker

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dontbelieveawordof1t@reddit

You could sell the car and pay back the PCP loan, but you may be on negative equity on it, still that might cost less than the monthly payments to deal with it.

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Boring-Abroad-2067@reddit

Not really insanity, just gotta get rid of the car or get a less expensive one, and get a HMO room as it's cheaper

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HarryPopperSC@reddit

Rent prices are crazy. Stay at home save up a big deposit. Then move north and get a Mortgage. I have a £490 mortgage up north. That's how we do it.

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RealRelative9835@reddit

Yeah, I'm over a decade older and still flatshare. Benefit I've had is almost always being lead tenant & now renting a room in my own home, so that gives you some confidence you can get on with the person.

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GingerPrince72@reddit

Can’t you usually sell them If it can be repaid immediately?

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

> this sounds like insanity You are far from alone thinking so, and, that's is exactly what it is in many ways. You won't be able to hand the car back on a PCP until you've repayed 50%. I suggest postponing for a year and seeing what you can save up by practicing "cutting costs".

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undercovergloss@reddit

This is what I think a lot of it is. I know multiple people who live with their parents well into adulthood and have the ‘luxuries’ due to their disposable income- to the point they don’t have to even think about money. Yet when it comes to moving out, they act as if they cannot afford it because their money will be spent on bills and they won’t have a lot left over. Like that is life for the average person.

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Responsible-Age8664@reddit

Literally said the same thing yesterday or loosely... [https://www.reddit.com/r/FIREUK/comments/1tv8cm2/comment/opil59w/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/FIREUK/comments/1tv8cm2/comment/opil59w/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)

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Jack_In_Black89@reddit

Or dont have kids?

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RealRelative9835@reddit

Life happens. You can afford kids and then start to struggle financially due to relationship breakdown, losing job, business struggling, health issues, caring responsibilities, cost of living rises, etc. Not to mention we already have an ageing population, so aren't in a position to reduce birth rate even further even before we get into the morality

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curseddotjpeg@reddit

But the point still stands if you're already struggling prior

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RealRelative9835@reddit

I addressed this briefly in second half of the comment you replied to. It's a problem that people are unable or unwilling to consider these issues holistically. We need some balance between measures to increase birth rate and immigration given our ageing population. Otherwise our economy will tank and we will have to cut drastically on public services. However, we have chancers telling people they will decrease immigration (or even remigration), want to reduce benefits for working people & parents, reduce minimum wage & still claim we will be better off. It doesn't even come close to adding up

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Oceanica777@reddit

We don't need to increase birth rates or immigration "due to our ageing population". This is bullshit. Any large population growth in the past, as all countries had, will lead to an ageing population. This cannot be avoided. Adding more people just creates more future old age people while further straining a staurated job market and worsening our already ruinous environmental footprint. Trying to feed the population monster is a ponzi scheme with no winners.

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RealRelative9835@reddit

I'm not in favour of perpetual increase in population, but the rate of the decline in birth rate is extreme. So given you're not in favour of increasing birth rate or immigration you are by default accepting a large decline in living standards. My issue is those who believe in fairy tales where we can keep low immigration, do nothing for birth rates and somehow maintain our economy

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Oceanica777@reddit

Your fantasy of population growth as improving or maintaining, rather than eroding, living standards shows just how thoroughly brainwashed the public is to see population growth as good. The job market isn't getting better. Living costs aren't coming down. The ability of our planet to feed us is disappearing. But oh no the population may go back to the smaller size it had a couple of decades ago - whatever will we do.

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RealRelative9835@reddit

It's just basic maths. Much fewer workers Vs non workers mean living standards will erode. We've no hope if people can't get their heads around that

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curseddotjpeg@reddit

I agree with you about the ageing population. It's tricky especially since people don't like immigration AT ALL.

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RealRelative9835@reddit

Yeah, I'm generally pro immigration even though I think the Tories let it get out of control. I think society is broken if some working people can't afford to have kids. Part of my plan would be to massively increase inheritance tax and close the loopholes, above say a million. It's completely unearned wealth and if they can't make it with that plus their private education I've little sympathy. People argue they will move abroad, but a large proportion of it is in land/property here. It's baffling to me how unpopular that is given only 3% of estates pay anything

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No_Ring_3348@reddit

People here absolutely can afford to have kids, in fact I'd be comfortable saying that the only people on the planet who genuinely cannot afford to have kids are the bottom ~10% who live in abject poverty, including food insecurity and a total lack of access to basic services like electricity and plumbing. The problem here is that a decent life sort of requires two decent salaries or one really good one, and the cost of childcare is disturbingly similar to a single decent salary, so if you have kids you're essentially operating on about half the typical income for years.

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Boring-Abroad-2067@reddit

Yeah I think just living rent free with parents could be a handy move

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Icy-Use3314@reddit

I had flatmates from when I was earning £25k(3 flatmates)until I earned £70k (one flatmate). Only when I was earning above £70k I rented my own place.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

where’s the best place to look for flatmates? i’ve had a look on spare room but idk if there’s anywhere else i can see a decent place

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Icy-Use3314@reddit

Yes I found all the flats with existing flatmates in spare room. It’s worth noting you should be picky with flatmates and talk to them as much as possible when flat viewing otherwise your life will be miserable if you pick weird/selfish/messy flatmates. I got lucky a few times and made good friends with some people that im still friends with 10 years later. But I also had a fair share of horrible flatmates just because I wanted to save and have a good location. I found my last flatmate through a mutual friend.

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Pretty-Wear-8915@reddit

Congratulations, really happy for you! Just curious, (if you’re happy to answer) what sector/position do you work in and was the progression in pay relatively fast/smooth?

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Icy-Use3314@reddit

I stared in finance(back office) with zero experience and a third class degree. And worked my way up. Progression on pay was only fast when I took on more responsibilities and changed companies every 2 years because sadly the employer was only raising the salary by 2-4k each year. I would always ask for a raise at every annual review, worst they can say is no. If that doesn’t work I would quit. Only in my last company I stayed 5 years because the boss was amazing and he would increase my salary by like 10-20% each year.

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Icy-Use3314@reddit

I started in finance(back office) with zero experience and a third class degree. And worked my way up. Progression in pay was only fast when I took on more responsibilities and changed companies every 2 years because sadly the employer was only raising the salary by 2-4k each year. I would always ask for a raise at every annual review, worst they can say is no. If that doesn’t work I would quit. Only in my last company I stayed 5 years because the boss was amazing and he would increase my salary by like 10-20% each year.

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SavingsFlashy974@reddit

I had flat mates the entire 25 years I lived there! Only when I moved 200 miles north could I afford to live just with my husband. It was great fun though and character building!😂❤️

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New_Plan_7929@reddit

Firstly get rid of the car and buy a car for about £2000. Something reliable like a Golf or a Focus. Then look for a flat mate or mates to live with. You’d do best to get together with a few friends and approach a landlord together to rent a 2 or 3 bed house/flat together. It will be cheaper than renting by the room. Look at cheaper areas SW London has some cheap areas. If you go further out or towards SE it can be cheaper.

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New_Plan_7929@reddit

Even if you’re in negative with the car, getting rid and paying off the negative will still save load of money in the long run.

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SushiRollFried@reddit

You have to make some sacrifices

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Novel-Case6821@reddit

Is there any flexibility in where or how you work, could you change jobs? It might make your options broader/easier if you can live and work somewhere cheaper.

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ownedtoydesire@reddit

tough but doable with budgeting

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uberdavis@reddit

1) get rid of the car. You don’t need it. Driving is slow and expensive in London. 2) flat share 3) strategize your hobbies/social life, lots of things to do in London that are cheap or free

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Remote-Pool7787@reddit

They don’t pay £250 a month to have a car on finance

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Extreme-Banana-9@reddit

Whats the issue with that? I'm on similar wage with a similar car payment in mcr. No issues...

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Remote-Pool7787@reddit

I mean, it’s insane anywhere. But other costs in London are much higher

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Mysterious_Glove_922@reddit

Look into the housing schemes like the london living rent scheme etc. A quick google should give you results. It’s hard for your generation. £35k should afford you the basics of a home and transportation of your choosing. I’m sorry it’s such a crapshow at the moment. Good luck!

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FlatsInDagenham@reddit

It's the car finance killing your budget.

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acmhkhiawect@reddit

1) Write a list (on excel) of all of your spendings in categories - do an average of the last couple months. 2) in the next column, put a 1 for NEEDS and a 2 for wants (just to make sorting easier). Really, you 'need' your car at the moment (if you can't get out of the contract), you need somewhere to sleep and you need food. The rest, realistically, are wants but this also depends on you, you might have a couple more. 3) Also put on your take home income. After your needs, what's left over? 4) reduce any 'wants' or 'needs' spending that you can. Have you been spending too much money on food because you go to Waitrose not Aldi? Are you paying an extortionate amount for your phone contract? (They can be so cheap nowadays!) When was the last time you actually watched netflix shows (or whatever). 5) then you'll actually be able to work out your budget properly, and see where people make cuts in their life in order to afford it.

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Big_Wrongdoer1042@reddit

Single person living in London on £35k? Absolutely not. You'd probably need to move into shared accommodation/HMO. Many people I know in London still live with their parents, or move out of London and commute in.

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peneleopemoon@reddit

I live alone in London on £27k. Not shared/HMO.

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Daveddozey@reddit

How much rent do you pay?

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peneleopemoon@reddit

£1250. Started at £950 in 2022

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Daveddozey@reddit

And your net wage is £1900? Leaving £650 a week for food, bills, transport, let alone savings and pension. Surprised a landlord would take you on with that high a ratio.

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NotAnotherAllNighter@reddit

Mate this is the reality for a lot of young people in London. This is generation rent. Most people are barely getting by.

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Daveddozey@reddit

Paying more than needed while on a tad above minimum wage int he most expensive city on earth. There are other options

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peneleopemoon@reddit

About £1850 pcm take home. Tbf I was earning a bit more at the time I first started my lease (it was £900 at the time, take home £2400), but I pay my rent and get by so its no longer their concern. When you’re in a place, as long as you can pay them, then they dgaf what else happens tbh

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InsectOk5816@reddit

I earn just about that and am fine. It's called budgeting

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Apprehensive_Oil_808@reddit

You don't. This is why so many full time working people why UC.

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Historical_Site508@reddit

Single person with no kids is not getting anywhere near that on UC.

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LauraHday@reddit

Yep I got about £800 a month

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Daveddozey@reddit

In London? How much went on rent?

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LauraHday@reddit

£800...

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LauraHday@reddit

My UC did not cover my rent, as the cost of my room was deemed too high for the area (which was bullshit as it was one of the cheapest rooms I could find in North London.)

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Daveddozey@reddit

So you spent all your income on rent and then spent something else on rent?

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SnooMuffins5490@reddit

Is your family home in London? If so what area? You say you need your car for work - what area do you work in that requires you commuting by car from the London area? I’m on just under 40k a year and I rent a 1 bed at the end of the Lizzie line for £1150 (not in London I know!). I was scraping by affording it by myself but it’s a lot easier now my partner is living with me & we are splitting everything. I don’t commute to London for work mind - my place of work is 5 minutes away from my flat on foot. The housing prices round here are very high as it’s a commuter hub for the city due to the transport links - I live here as I’m from here and I want to live near family (and my job!).

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

My family home is in London, near Croydon. I work in Kingston. I want to be near my family and close to my job too.

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Neither_Sir_5576@reddit

I’m in the exact same position as you, and in the same area too (Purley). Prices around here are crazy. I’ve lost hope tbh. People are saying your finance is the problem, but even without it, it’s just not doable anywhere near here 🙃

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

It’s actually depressing tbh. I was looking at 1 bed flats and even without my car, it’s an arm and a leg. I know people talk about it but to really work and have no end goal in terms of life progression because of finances really sucks

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Neither_Sir_5576@reddit

Agreed!! You could literally be me lol. There are tons of new build flats going up around Croydon but they’re like £2k a month minimum, it’s insane. I’ve had a job for 8 years but I still can’t afford to move out because of my monthly salary (which isn’t even terrible either!). It’s so depressing. My entire life is around here - I don’t fancy moving all the way up North and having to start again like some people suggest. I never thought I’d still be at home at nearly 27 🙃

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

We’re basically in the same position now right now. I don’t wanna move up north because my entire life is here. I was born and raised here. Hopefully buying a house will be in both of our near futures

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I-Spot-Dalmatians@reddit

Nobody lives alone on 35k and pays £300 a month for a car. You either live with someone else or get rid of the car and make some serious sacrifices

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Extreme-Banana-9@reddit

Well I do all and its possible!

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deppyjon@reddit

Anyone on that money will be living with someone else, me and my partner had a flat that was 1400 rent excluding bills and car payments and made it work just about both being on low 30s. It’s difficult, biggest change I probably made after perviously being on double that was the food I ate, virtually no meals out, drank less alcohol which was a fairly chunky expense for me, and sometimes you have toast for dinner haha

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Responsible-Age8664@reddit

I keep seeings jobs advertised for 35K in London. Its such a pisstake.

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polkadotska@reddit

You don't rent a 1bed flat in London on £35k. You flatshare, probably around £1k inc bills (or less, if you're happy living further out). And no car, public transport only (mostly buses). The default for people in their 20s (even those earning more) is to flat share in London. It's perfectly normal for people in their 30s (and 40s, and...) is to flat share in London. Accommodation is incredible expensive in London, so unfortunately flatsharing is your only option (unless you share a 1bed flat with a partner).

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Tesco_Meal_Deals@reddit

Kinda depressing to think of flatsharing in your 40s. London is a great city but is it really worth it if you haven’t at least got on the ladder by your 40s?

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LauraHday@reddit

Yes and no. I moved out of London after 10 yrs to live with my partner last year and while I appreciate having stability for the first time in my life I deeply miss how much there was to do and how much 'fuller' my life felt in a cultural sense.

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Unusual-Profit4997@reddit

This.

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SavingsFlashy974@reddit

I lived and worked in London for 25 years without a car, the transport system is good and driving is a nightmare. Or buy a secondhand car. London is expensive but never boring.

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up_the_addicks@reddit

You don’t earn anywhere enough money to live alone in London.

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MightyDevOps@reddit

You don't , london is survivable for 6 figure jobs mostly

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Daveddozey@reddit

I know a couple with a kid that can afford london. They’re both on 6 figure incomes. Their house cost over £1m and it’s smaller than my neighbouring £320k house and isn’t even detached.

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MightyDevOps@reddit

Yes , thats normal

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This-Draft797@reddit

260 quid lease is a huge expense for your age and what your trying to achieve. You stop the lease and buy an old car outright

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

It’s not a lease. It’s PCP. i can’t just end it. It’s also 71 plate Nissan Micra. Nothing fancy. At the moment the interest is a killer as the car was with 10k but interest had it on 16k which is why I’m paying so much

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Daveddozey@reddit

My Nissan micra cost me £1100 4 years ago. You have a ridiculously fancy car. You’ve made some terrible financial choices, you need to get on top of your spending, you have to void with the consequences See how much to clear the pcp, and how much you can sell the car for.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

Better to make them now than 10 years from now. I was only 24 and financing a car is the most expensive thing I own. My finance has approx 15k (due to interest). WeBuyAnyCar was coming up at around 8k to sell. Obviously I could go a bit higher but no one will buy a 71 plate car for close to 15k. Sucks but it is what it is

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Daveddozey@reddit

£35k is £2350 net with a student loan. My first year in London was £1100 net and a £520 a month rent, just under 50%, so £1100 a month https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/172929071 comes with a private bathroom and washing machine, more than I had. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89215815 is under £1k a month. I walked to work as the bus was too expensive. Wage increased after a couple of years. If you want to live in one of the most expensive cities on the planet while earning a below average wage then you’ll have to make compromises Or you could get a minimum wage job in Stoke or Telford and buy a house.

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FornyHucker22@reddit

London rent is insane, is staying at home and saving over 2k a month towards a mortgage a possibility? that’s over 48k in 2 years…

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EffDubya@reddit

Do you genuinely *need* the car for work? Is public transport out of the question? Because that will massively impact what you can afford to do accommodation wise

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I need to check if it’s a requirement in my role but I use it for travelling to different locations for my job

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Scofield442@reddit

Yes but you don't need a £260 per month car. You can get something far cheaper and will do exactly the same job.

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EffDubya@reddit

What you say is true but she may be locked into a lease/hire purchase deal, so not easy or cheap to get out of

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Scofield442@reddit

Again true. People paying over their means for a car is a tale old as time.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I wasn’t going above my means initially. There’s been a change in circumstances in my life which has led to me looking towards moving out of my family home.

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mountain_life86@reddit

You can hand the car back and its cancelled as long as you aren't above the mileage agreed

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Scofield442@reddit

Yeah that's fair. Difficult to predict things like that.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

that’s exactly the situation i’m in at the moment. If I could get rid of it easily I would. I’m happy to go without the car and work with commuting with public transport etc. I just have to make do with what i have

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EffDubya@reddit

Might be worth asking your employer if there is any chance of a fuel allowance or similar?

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Kindly_Difference_99@reddit

If it’s a requirement in your role you can reasonably expect for work to provide you with a car

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Dangerous_Bed2566@reddit

Surely then the car should be provided by your work?

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HellPigeon1912@reddit

That would be lovely. I need a car and smartphone for my work and neither are provided by the company. It's becoming vanishingly rare for employees not to have to provide these things themselves. If you don't have your own car what is easier for your work? Providing one for you, or hiring someone else who does

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Dangerous_Bed2566@reddit

Well that is shocking and says a great deal about the company. I hope you are expensing the usage to your company in that case

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HellPigeon1912@reddit

I have worked for multiple different companies where this is the case. I have never worked for a single one that provide cars or phones

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Dangerous_Bed2566@reddit

Again, shocking. I do not drive but every position i have had ( professional, full time - not when i was a student) has provided phones, laptops, transport where required.

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Broad-Raspberry1805@reddit

It’s not that unusual, my partner works for a local authority and loses money by using her own car as the mileage rate is so low. It is what it is (shit).

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

i don’t even see employers providing cars for certain jobs. They offer a fuel allowance but only receive the money at the end of the month on top of my pay check which isn’t feasible if all my money goes to rent and living. Not sure what to do going forward

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Dangerous_Bed2566@reddit

Do you have a breakdown of your expenses? Uk personal finance sub are great at assisting with budgeting. When I was your age and younger (grand old age of late 30s now) I had to budget to a brutal extent to survive as I had very little support. Best thing is to cut out anything unnecessary for the first 6 months (gym, subscriptions, eating out) and then reassess.

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omgu8mynewt@reddit

No lol, lots of jobs require driving but dont give you a free company car. E.g. delivery driver in countryside.

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mountain_life86@reddit

You commute further away and flat share. Or look away from London as a place to live. North England is cheaper. Save up as much as you can and move back when you can buy.

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Ok-Phase5290@reddit

I survive on less that £35k 1. I mostly cook my meals. This is a big one. Buy my Groceries from Lidl because it’s the cheapest and close to my house 2. I found out being a lodger is much cheaper and in my opinion more peaceful than a flat share. But a flat share is cheaper than getting a place yourself. Be a lodger in a “rich area”. Areas like SW, NW, W. The bills are usually included. I also found out it keeps me grounded l. I don’t have unnecessary company over and less class of interest. Doesn’t make financial sense to spend all your money on rent! 3. Don’t get tricked into getting an expensive gym membership. Been there done that. You would always wave conscious of how you are perceived and that would influence your spending. You don’t need a new gym wear from lululemon. Go to The Gym. You do your workout, get sweaty and go home. 4. The only subscription that’s important to me is Gym and Spotify. 5. Do get fooled into “Can’t wait for the weekend”. “Fun weekends” in London is marketed to get you to spend money. Do your actual hobbies where you don’t have to drink or eat out. London is a huge hospitality hub. Go to the parks, go on runs, go to the pubs if you wanna enjoy a nice time. It’s less obnoxious. It’s normal to not go out every weekend too. It’s easy to get carried away. 6. Do not let labels fool you. This place is highly classist. For example Waitrose > M&S > Sainsbury’s >Tesco > Lidl. Buy from where is friendly from your pocket 7. Charity shops have gems!!! I have gotten a 100% wool coat for about £12. Brands like Sense, Cancer research. BHF is too pricey. Do not let the high street fool you. 8. Get perfume oils instead of actual perfumes and thank me later 9. Buy only skincare you need 10. Make your coffee at home if you can 11. Shop classic fashion pieces and you don’t get lured into fast fashion. Vinted is also your friend if that’s your thing 12. There is this app called Trash nothing. People give out things for free. It’s crazy but you could furnish an entire house from there. I have gotten A TV, A printer, 2 monitors, some fine china, boxing gloves (new). You could give out stuff too and declutter your space when needed 13. Your coworkers would definitely ask you to go for after drinks. Use your driving as an excuse. Except you work for Rich companies, you’d have to foot your own bills yourself! Absolutely unnecessary to do it too often. 14. You don’t need to travel every few months or even every year. Don’t let these influencers deceive you. They get to travel for free. Go easy on yourself and make every vacation truly a moment.

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Good_Albatross@reddit

I live on 25k a year in Zone 3, not living with parents. You’ll manage.

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PossessionComplex945@reddit

Make more money

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reditcyclist@reddit

We'll I didn't have a car for a fair few years. You don't really need one in London.

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Shangos_Wolf@reddit

I'm sure you'll end up doing OnlyFans or off to Dubai doing some Porta Potty madness to finance your IG lifestyle.

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PuzzleheadedPotato59@reddit

It's doable with a house share in the right part of london. If you want SW, Sutton is the only place that springs to mind but I haven't researched it. Assuming take home is around 2200? You could get a room for 600 p/m I reckon. I moved to London in '22 to start on 32k, until a month ago I was in a house share. It isn't nice tbh, but if salary increases and you save, you can eventually get a nice place to yourself. You have costs on the car but assuming you use that for transport, it wont make much difference on the thousands non drivers fork out for public transport P/A. A flat to yourself? Simply not on the cards right now. However, it's not as far off as some might suggest here. You should have a look at Rent to Buy schemes as they offer rents significantly below market value. I think even with that discount you'd struggle now but if you start earning a bit more it'll be worth looking at.

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Smart-Resist4059@reddit

To rent a 1-bed at £1400 which is the middle of the range you mentioned and pretty accurate, you need to have an income >43k. So as everyone said, you would have to house share which at 25 is a great way to make friends and socialise. When I moved to London 20 years ago, I didn't understand why people chose where to live according to their place of work. "I found a great place. It's on the Victoria line and it's just 1 train to work. yay!" haha. Now I do understand. Give your car to a family member who can continue to pay ithe instalments and use it till you are in a better place. But once you taste the freedom of London public transport you won't want to go back 😄 You can even stay for a drink or 10 after work.

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peneleopemoon@reddit

I survive on £27k but Im happy to be a hermit, don’t drive and have zero interest in using public gym equipment. The biggest issue you’ll face is Landlords generally require your annual income to 3x the annual rent, so your budget of £1200-1800 rent is not going to be approved with a salary of £35k. That puts your max rent budget at £972, which for the area is a HMO… (I don’t recommend HMOs)

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Mjukplister@reddit

HMO. In a house with other adults

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Secret-Classic-8838@reddit

I’m also a 25F earning 40K, and I was recently on 35K. Bills are about £500-600 each shared with roommate. Get clothes from Vinted/second hand. Cheap food shop from Lidl/Aldi/to good to go. Run outside for free and gym is only about £30-50 a month. MoreYoga about £45 ish. Go for a one bed in a more griefy area! I grew up in London so the new builds in the high crime areas are cheaper than in the nice low crime areas. Croydon new build £1.2-1.4k compared to Battersea for instance. Also can rent the older flats as they’ll be cheaper. It’s doable… Can people stop telling her to get a bicycle? Not everyone wants to ride a bicycle and deal with weirdos on the bus / train.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

Thank you for giving a clear answer about your spending. I am looking for friends that want to rent together but it’s so difficult when we’re all in different spaces financially n And also thank you for saying that I shouldn’t get a bike. I really don’t want one LOL. Tbh I’d rather get the bus/train than a bike xx

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Ok-Anteater6640@reddit

I'm on 35K now downsized to 32K and I'm moving out of London. 6 years ago HMOs/flatshares used to be 500-600 now I'm paying 1k. Fuck paying half of my paycheck to share with others.

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GlassLopsided@reddit

My sister is 26 and rents in east London studio 1.1 managed to get on key worker scheme however no car and manages to work from home most times all bills included apart from gas/electric and council tax, try London living rent scheme I’m also in the same boat as you 25 and looking to move out by next year good luck!

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sexy_feetxxx@reddit

I’m on a similar salary and also have a car. And I’m 23F. My take is - ignore the people saying to ditch your car, those are typically people who don’t even drive or understand the value of your own autonomy moving around without having to use public transport on the weekends for example or even during the week, but I do have to agree with everyone that the only answer is house shares im afraid. I was so sure I would be able to get my own flat but no, with bills on top it’s genuinely impossible in this city, even in outer zones so flatshare it is lovely!

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

thank you! i’ve actually been driving since i was 18 so the change will be a lot. I am really open on flat sharing especially because bills are inclusive too. I hope i get lovely flatmates xx

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sexy_feetxxx@reddit

Yeah same here since 18! And also I’m in zone 4/5 that’s a lot different than zone 2 or 1, way more motorways and main roads, and actually wait convenient by car than bus in those areas. And yeah flatmates is a gamble! I’m currently moving to a new place and hoping it’ll be ok as my last set was genuinely lovely, but on contrast landlord was a prick so you win some you lose some I guess 😂x

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INTJinx@reddit

One thing I never see people mentioning is having a second job. I don’t think it should be necessary, but that’s how we all used to manage our minimum wage jobs when I moved to London. A house share and a couple of shifts in a bar to supplement an entry level office job. Is this not normal anymore?

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owzleee@reddit

Weird and unnecessary to have a car if you live in London.

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sexy_feetxxx@reddit

Not weird at all, I’ve always had a car living in London, so do everysingle one of my friends and I’m a female in my 20s

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Kind-Doughnut1648@reddit

You’re asking how people “survive” on £35k in London while simultaneously carrying a brand new depreciating asset on a 4-year PCP and wondering why everything feels impossible. That’s your answer. £260/month for a car you *don’t own* in a city with some of the best public transport on the planet is basically a subscription to financial stress. It’s not “I need it for work” most of the time, it’s “I’m used to having it and I’ve built my lifestyle around it.” Then you look at £1.2k–£1.8k rent and think the system is broken, when in reality you’ve already handed a significant chunk of your monthly flexibility to a finance company for a vehicle that is actively losing value every single day you own it. People “survive” because they do boring, unsexy things: * They don’t lock themselves into 4-year PCPs on brand new cars at 25 * They share flats instead of insisting on a solo studio in SW London straight away * They use public transport instead of paying for convenience on finance Right now your budget isn’t tight because London is uniquely impossible; it’s tight because you’ve pre-allocated a slice of your income to lifestyle inflation before you’ve even secured independent housing. You’re not stuck. You’re just prioritising a car payment over breathing room, and then wondering why breathing room is expensive.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

Mind you, my car isn’t brand new. It’s 5 years old. I live and work in Zone 5 so public transport isn’t the greatest. I work within an organisation with multiple different sites across London and have to transport to people’s homes to support them in their lives with multiple on my caseload. And yes, I use it for my dad to day life. I agree that I have gotten used to it and have built my lifestyle around it. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a car to begin with. I disagree with your point about the rent. £1.2k-1.8k rent for a 1 bedroom flat/studio is broken. On a £35k salary, that’s nearly half or more than my salary gone on rent alone which is ludicrous. People should not have to do “boring or unsexy things”. We should be able to be happy and comfortable, not to be flat sharing at 40 years old and scraping by(as i’ve read from some people) This is not the life I grew up to know. I shouldn’t have to struggle to live. No one should. Whilst you are correct that I stupidly got myself in a 4 year contract with a car I do not own, I don’t believe that all these sacrifices should be made for someone that wants to live comfortably. I am also aware that I am privileged because I’m 25 and I live at home and I am currently able to afford a car because of that. Now my circumstances have changed whilst has left me with a car that I probably will no longer be able to afford if I move out. I am also not trying to prioritise the car. I am stuck with it until I am able to give it back or sell it to cover the finances.

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Irritant40@reddit

On ramen noodles and too good to go bags

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VizoH@reddit

Blowjobs

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Awkward-Loquat2228@reddit

Maybe you don't earn enough for the privilege of living in London and you need to live somewhere else.

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raspy2016@reddit

You’ll need a lot more than £35,000 to live in London

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Friendly_Sea4696@reddit

Search for places, sort by places from low to high. You might find a family or even an old lady that will take you in for free if you look after her sometimes. There's sometimes older ppl living alone or in social housing that just need company more than money - and they often only take women so yea lucky you

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Medium-Muscle4424@reddit

I am surviving on 23k in London, Canada Water.

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National_Gazelle_652@reddit

Unless your willing to house share or can get a [much] better paying job i think the only other options you have is: get rid of the car or move out of london...the car has gotta be costing you best part of 500, or more, a month all in if the tick is 260 on its own..is it really worth that much a month to have a car..in london..?

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Leachy06@reddit

You’ll have to move up north to be able to afford to move out on that salary, isn’t viable in London or down south

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Dangerous_Bed2566@reddit

Slightly ott. You could survive on that and live well in quite a few southwest places

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jurassicslug@reddit

Houseshare. People act like its some terrible hardship but I did it for nearly 20 years - there were a couple of people who were briefly annoying but the rest are all great friends and it was a very positive experience and happy time in my life. It also helped me not be self-absorbed as I always had to be considerate of others and I developed social skills to be able to enjoy spending time with different kinds of people. It’s way cheaper as you split bills (I was always in a house of 4-5 people) and living with good friends is fun. I know not everyone has consistently happy experiences in houseshares but learning to accommodate others and compromise is a valuable skill and the people whinging on Reddit about how intolerable it is living in houseshares are probably the worst kind of people - it’s on them if they can’t cohabit successfully with other humans.

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NeitherDance6795@reddit

I don’t know anyone who can afford a flat on their own in London! My partner and I have a lovely little flat but no way could I afford it on my own. Even mates on 45+ live in flat shares. You could try living a bit further out? South east may be cheaper than west. Good luck!

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LgPotatoSmPotato@reddit

Shared housing. A roommate or two is the only way, unless you start looking well out of the way in Zone 5. And a car is completely unhelpful. It’s pricey to own, you have to pay parking, congestion fees, ULEZ. It’s not worth having, honestly. Look for low level council bands as well, look around Barnes to start.

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

When I was on 36k about 5 years ago, I was either renting a room in a shared house or living with a partner. I did not own a car, I took public transport (which is excellent in London) or cycled (which is IMO the best way to get around). You can't have a place to yourself and a car and all the memberships you want in London on 35k and expect to have anything spare. Get a room in a shared house, or ditch the car.

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Low_Stress_9180@reddit

Car in London is a waste of time.

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Admirable-Boss1221@reddit

35k in London is absolutely terrible if this is full time hours. That's the equivalent of working 20 hours at minimum wage in my town in England.

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farraigemeansthesea@reddit

Why would you ever need a car in Greater London? It is more of a hindrance than a convenience. Source: I am from the Home Counties and spent 15 years commuting to Central London. By train.

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EvilCitrusFruit@reddit

I’m only on 30k and I’m 30F. I live with my partner and our join income is around 90k and she outright bought her property and I contribute to the bills… I could defo not do it all on my own.

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IcyBaby7170@reddit

By leaving london

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Unhappy_Potential_27@reddit

Lots moving to Wixams (Universal Studios) and commute from Flitwick.

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Internal_Second3643@reddit

Get yourself into a relationship... That might help with house share situation

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Embarrassed_Deer4161@reddit

Stay at home, dont have kids, dont buy a car on finance

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RemarkableMedia5925@reddit

It's doable. I could certainly see how to shift my budget to incorporate the car (and I reckon a lot of people scratching their heads over why you have one live in North London and do not understand the east west struggle of south Londoners!) I earn 30k p/a at the moment, which, post tax and student loan, is a smidge under 2k per month. I live with 3 other people in a house share. My monthly budget is something like this: Rent £630 Bills £150 (it's never quite been this much but I save whatever isn't spent) Therapy £240 (again, usually it's about half this as I go fortnightly, and I save what I don't spend) "Subscriptions" £50 (this is anything that takes a random chunk out of my current account, like my phone bill and charitable direct debits) Entertainment £150 (I have a couple things I do every week that I want confidence in being able to afford.) That leaves me with a bit under £800 to live on and collect extra savings out of. Currently it's a bit tight because of the time of year and the fact I'm saving for a couple of big trips later this year, so I usually take another £90 out immediately to put towards that. I am quite lucky in that I have a good cushion of savings I built in my previous job, so for months like May where it's just expense after expense, I can "borrow" from myself and then plan to pay it back when things are quieter. I don't really budget my food, and as I WFH I have been mercifully able to avoid buying too many new clothes over the past few months as I save for these holidays I recklessly agreed to. My rent is LOW. By the way. However, you can definitely find house shares in places like Lewisham and Croydon for similar money. Downside is you have to live in Lewisham or Croydon, but if you really need to move out, beggars can't be choosers. I think you could definitely swing it. It wouldn't be comfortable, but you can do it.

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PhoenixBlaze123@reddit

Renting in London on 35k is a waste of effort. Stay home with your parents. Spend 5 years stacking as much as you can. Job hop, get that salary up. Lastly buy somewhere cheap and commute. You might be able to find a cheap room for around 800-1200 but living with parents for a couple of more years will let you turn that into a deposit instead. Most people in London are fortunate to stay with parents in order to build up wealth. So yeah, if you’re going through with it then find a room. If your costs will be around 1400 youve still got 1000 left over for the month which is enough.

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AdhesivenessNo6684@reddit

36K in South London looking to do the same thing! Honestly I already live on outskirts and I’m. Hoping to find a flat with a roommate, but I think it’s very doable. Just need to make certain sacrifices but i promise it’s possible

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OutlandishnessOver59@reddit

PCP??? U are finished

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trailofcheese@reddit

Have just moved out of a house share and into a one bed flat solo, to pass the references I needed to be earning 30x the monthly salary. So to rent for £1,200 per month you need to be earning £36,000 minimum. You might find sharing helps reduce your costs, then take some time working out what you actually spend each month before committing to a place by yourself.

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trailofcheese@reddit

And look SE, I wanted to stay SW but it’s impossible to find anything for a decent price.

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Liqhthouse@reddit

House shares under 1k and sacrifice on room size. This is how. Also scouting zoopla and rightmove hourly for all rooms at 900 or less (bills inc). It's a mission. I usually search for at least 2 months before locking in and moving somewhere new. Don't think I'll be moving again tho considering my current setup is 775 all bills inc, 10m2 room, zone 1, 13min commute or 22min walk. For context I was searching hourly every day for about 1-1.5months before I saw this and took it within about 3h of it going online

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MiddleAgedDread123@reddit

I'd say the short answer is that you don't on that salary!! Single adult household here but outside of London. I have a list of all my outgoings but my mortgage is a fraction of the price of your potential rent and I don't have car repayments. Like-for-like with these two things in, I get (averaged per month): Rent - £1500 Contents insurance- £7 (mine is a flat so buildings insurance is included in my factoring charges which I've not included here as they're usually included in rent costs) Boiler cover £27 Council tax (mine includes water charges), local rates will be on your council website £213 Broadband, phone & TV (no extra packages) £46 TV license £14.54 Mobile £50 (although handset now paid off so that's gone down to £21 Gas & elec £90 (more in winter, less in summer. last month's bill was £62, you could probably reduce this in a smaller property and down south should be warmer! I also WFH 2-3 days a week so that bumps up the heating bill in winter) Car tax £17 (you'll know what this is for your car) Car insurance £21 (you'll know what this is for your car but get quotes if you're moving) Car service & MOT £17 Car repayments £260 (yours not mine!) **Total £2262.54** So I'm guessing that doesn't leave you much at the end of the month to put petrol in the car, eat, drink, socialise and gym on??

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

this was really handy thank you. I think based on what you said, i’ll be eating air for breakfast, lunch and dinner😭

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MiddleAgedDread123@reddit

it's the rent that's the killer and you car repayments aren't helping! As a rough guide for affordability, rent or mortgage repayments should be no more than a third of your income. My take home is £3400 a month, mortgage is £600 and currently overpaying £250 a month so £850 in total and adding in all other monthly outgoings (gym membership, subscriptions, regular savings, life insurance type policies), etc, my "essentials" add up to £1850 before food and petrol/commute costs. So that's as much as you're looking paying in just rent and car! At best I think you should be looking at a flatshare and then the rent will be cheaper and the bills will be shared. You only get a 25% reduction on council tax as a single occupant so that's a big difference compared to splitting the full amount 2 or 3 ways.

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InevitableImage9337@reddit

Ask personal finance UK! Also financing a car is generally not the most frugal option, you can get nicer cars of course but it’s overall often cheaper to buy an older more affordable car. Toyotas are reliable and cheap to run. Otherwise I don’t know much else as I don’t live in London

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Hcmp1980@reddit

You live in a flat share. You live in a sh*toy flatshare. And you buy a second hand car, not on finance.

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WashingTurds@reddit

Usually you wouldn’t want to just eject from the home with no plan or stability. If you really can’t be at home to save a bit before you move you might want to consider a room not a flat. Then save whilst forgetting about gym memberships and what you are used to in terms of what socialising means currently. Welcome to adulthood sorry.

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Aromatic-Lie-5680@reddit

As others have said, getting a room in a shared accommodation is the way. If youre a woman, it might be a flat share with 1 or 2 others. Often they're great. In my one i shared with two other men, and all of us had our own lives are rarely bumped into each other and gave each other space. On the other hand, you can find very social ones too.

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blanketred4@reddit

Live with family, roommates or a partner. I don't know anyone making that much in London with their own apartment.

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SomeHSomeE@reddit

Most people on 35k in London aren't renting a 1 bed and don't have a car. They're in a house share and use public transport. Honestly that's all there is to it.

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Many_Income_2212@reddit

‘’’How do you survive? How can you afford to pay bills, socialise, pay a gym membership, have a car, travel, any of it? And if you have kid (s), how do survive with them too?’’’ Most people just choose 2 of these

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mikeybhoy_1985@reddit

I survived by moving to the other end of the country and never looking back.

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Polislava@reddit

It's not just London. Even up north (where I live) you'd need to budget a bit. Move in a house share. Put a cap to your spending on socialising (no going out for brunches every week). It's not to say don't love, but be able to split the bill, not buy shots for everyone, not go to all the trendy places, not drink £15 cocktails when you can have a cheaper option. Same for holiday - no hopping over to Europe because flight was cheap but then spending ahead. Holiday is now planning months in advance, paying portions and staying away from resorts and all inclusives. Packing in a backpack to avoid suitcase charge is your new best friend. Takeaways and ready meals are a luxury, home cooking is what mostly saves money on shopping. Gym membership is ok but choose one of the cheap ones, not the fancy pilates and aerial class. You phone doesn't need to be an iPhone and it doesn't need constant upgrades. You don't need a Mac and you don't need branded items if you have style. Then ditch the car eventually for as long as you can. It's not about not living but it's about learning to love within your means. That's a harsh reality for many home leavers

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ConsciouslyIncomplet@reddit

If you live in London - you need to ditch the car. It will be a huge expense when you should be using public transport.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I live in Zone 5. Whilst it’s not a necessity, it’s made my life a lot easier in terms of commuting to places. I live close enough to the outskirts of London where there’s some parts TFL, some parts outer London buses

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Broad-Raspberry1805@reddit

A lot of people slang you on the car but the fact is it can be a sensible decision if it avoids you repair bills hundreds of pounds per year (I just spent £750 on a new exhaust and brake pads). Plus the servicing and MOT add up as well. £260pm is a reasonable hedge for a compulsory car that should never break down - I’m assuming it’s new or nearly new.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

This was part of the reason why I got a newer car. People are acting like I’m driving a Ferrari but it’s a little 5 door hatchback. I do not want repairs on top of MOT and service. My car is 71 plate. If I could afford a car outright, I would’ve. Everything about my car is practical and has basics. Only decent thing on there is apple car play and the reverse camera

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Icy-Belt-8519@reddit

I think most people would by flat share or renting a room, getting rid of the car on finance and get one outright, be smart about food, cheap as possible phone and internet and don't have things like subscriptions I don't think most people are living alone with a financed car, paying all bills, travelling etc on 35k in London tbh

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Gullible-Weather308@reddit

I have a shared ownership flat which i bought 6 years ago. Its a 2 bed which has a relatively cheap service charge, rent, and my mortgage was secured before the global matkets started going crazy. I barely socialise, i eat at home, have a low debt to income ratio, i dont drive, work from home. I have a little bit of savings to save me from time to time if i need it. Otherwise its nearly impossible to survive on a single income in London.

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Goldeneye4444@reddit

I lived in shared houses until my 40s. Did not have a car in London.

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Karazhan@reddit

If you have a car, why not live further afield and commute? It'd be cheaper than London rent prices right?

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I was looking outside of London in the Surrey area (that’s closer to where I work) but it’s roughly the same price. Fuel prices also making a huge impact too

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theprocrastatron@reddit

Don't live in South West London? If you have to keep the car for work you can live somewhere cheaper and commute further?

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fck-nzs1@reddit

London is overrated and a terrible experience if you don't have money. For that amount of rent, you pay a mortgage for a 3 bedroom house with gardens near Edinburgh (a gorgeous city) and lease a car.

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onunfil@reddit

Sell the car or move in to flat shares

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Lazy_Helicopter_2659@reddit

>Find a job that allows WFH at least 4 times a week. Why would you want to live in London if you only have to go to the office once a week and don't have any money left over for the nicer things city life has to offer...?

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onunfil@reddit

The money they'd save not going to the office can be redirected to stuff they'd actually enjoy in their free time.

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VarangianWRLD@reddit

Culture innit bruv Moving up Norf or to the midlands is such a no brainer if you can make it work with work. At that salary your quality of life would increase immensely

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ClearlyCylindrical@reddit

If you're only in 1 day a week you may as well live somewhere a decent commute away but much cheaper. Ipswich and Southampton come to mind. 35k goes a lot further in those places.

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iKaine@reddit

You don’t lmao, unless you want to live in shitty flatshares or in slumlord buildings

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tuppenycrane@reddit

I’m currently living at home on 37k as a fresh grad, I’m looking to move out soon but probably after I find a new job with higher pay or potentially get a raise here I also live in Greater London at home, zone 4, and have a car although not on finance. Honestly 260 quid a month for a car is absolutely ridiculous, just wondering what made you do finance that instead of buying outright used esp. living at home? It’s a pretty big hit if you need to pay rent too. Atm I am not even considering moving into a flat on my own unless I left London, it is far too expensive. I have a friend that is moving out soon and we are planning to share a flat. Even after that (probably 1k rent) I’d still have around 1.3-1.4k to spend on other stuff. Gym membership is only like 25 quid a month or something, my sports club membership is about 40 quid a month. If you’re going to flat share I’d say live somewhere more central because you might as well. Honestly that car wouldn’t be such a burden if it wasn’t on finance lol

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

I couldn’t afford to buy a car on outright. The car I have rn was worth £10k when I got it. I currently like in zone 5 and I am looking to stay there as my job is located here too. I defo agree on it being isn’t if it wasn’t on finance but I can’t go back and change that. Thanks for sharing your expenses though. It’s really insightful

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tuppenycrane@reddit

Fair enough. Well zone 5 should theoretically be cheaper on a flat share, you also will probably pay less for a parking permit/might not even need one depending on where you are so there’s that. If you’re having trouble finding a friend to live with I’ve heard good things about SpareRoom

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Trick-Writing-9952@reddit

Dual income households. So either find a husband or rent a room

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skehan@reddit

This is the depressing truth. You can get your own flat but you share with a partner.

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Trick-Writing-9952@reddit

Or earn more money.

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Ms_raechal@reddit

Ppl don’t have car in London if they are struggling. Most I know use PT

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catbrane@reddit

When I was young and poor I rented a room in a shared house in a dodgy part of London, had a bike (gym plus car in one hehe), ate a lot of lentils, only went out once a week (and even then was very careful), no fancy holidays, etc. In my late 20s my GF and I moved out to a cheap one bed rented flat.

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enthusiasticsqu1rrel@reddit

Is there a way of getting out of your contract on the car? Because then you could live out of London and commute in

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

It’s currently in negative equity so selling it is a joke at this point. I’ll have to check the legality of things but i’m pretty sure i can’t get out of it unless i sell it

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enthusiasticsqu1rrel@reddit

Ah, ok! Maybe the best idea is to find a houseshare in London with decent parking, and work towards upgrading once you can sell it.

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necrosis_vanadiel@reddit

I survived on 25k a year during COVID and a bit after, so you can. But you will only be able to rent a room, not a whole flat, and share with others. You won’t be able to have a fancy place, one that is just functional and in an area not surrounded by mansions. You will only be able to do a few of the things you want each month, you will need to get pretty good at just cooking almost all of your meals. But I can be done, it just requires a lot of compromises at the pay I was on.

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VarangianWRLD@reddit

Do you need to be in Greater London? Answer is a mix of family money, shared digs, lifestyle sacrifice. Bye bye David Lloyds, Hello council gyms. Bye bye cocktail bars, Hello the cheapest bottle of wine from a supermarket. Bye bye car, Hello public transport (depends where you are for that tbf)

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jacobite22@reddit

You cannot live alone. I had 5 or 6 flatmates and now still have 3 flatmates and I am unemployed. Its what has to be done.

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matthewgsuk@reddit

Wouldn't of been able to move out really without my partner. It's too expensive in UK. We both saved for year for deposit then bought a house. If you're in London, you could essentially get rid of the car and get the train everywhere. You can take car to we buy any car and they will buy it off you.

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Lonely-Recipe-5253@reddit

I lived in various places in Zone 2 (north and south of the river) for 15 years from graduation until Covjd. I managed to survive and have quite a lot of fun on very low salaries for the first half of that but in a way that is probably only tolerable to someone in their early to mid 20’s - large house shares, terrible properties etc. My last rental place there was a beautiful house in Nunhead shared with two others. We were paying around 1.1k each all in and it was a pretty civilised experience compared to what had come before. I was on about 40k then and could just about get through the month but with not a lot, if anything, left over. I regularly see rooms in nice houses in South East being shared by friends for prices in the high 800s now but they’re usually 3+ housemates. I wasn’t sure I could handle that after a break so decided not to go back. However if you are at a different stage and think you can deal with house share life then it’s eminently possible and London is still an incredible place to live. Don’t need the car though!

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ch33sebby@reddit

I’m 28 and on 30k and I’m in a house share with 3 other people! That’s the only way I can afford to stay in London

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ClearlyCylindrical@reddit

Find a romantic partner

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lovemycat02@reddit

Why London?

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Cid_in_london@reddit

There's a lot of people in London with kids and fixed bills ' surviving in London ' with way less money... The majority of people do very close to the minimum wage and a few pennies above it. The average income does not reflect the majority of people's realities. They ask government support. Ask charity support. Cut down expenses. Don't have their own car. Don't sign up for the gym. Don't eat with quality. Use the food bank. I never lived in anything in London but a room on a shared house bills inclusive. I never signed up for a gym. Don't have and don't plan to buy house, car, start a family, have kids, go on dates, travelling for holidays. The best I could afford to ask a woman on a date would be to buy booze from Lidl or take her to a local Macdonald's... So obviously I don't even try. London is a grinder and I am but a clog in the machine work. 🤷

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Debenham@reddit

Simple, you don't have a car, and you don't live in your own but join a houseshare. £35k isn't a lot in London these days but hell you have to start somewhere.

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jeffmorgan1991@reddit

36k is take home of 2390. House share: 1000 Phone: 20 Food: 200 Travel (tube petrol etc): 200 Take-out / take aways: 100 Which leaves 870 for everything else in your case car being 260 leaving 610, then maybe gym is 50 so 560. Socialising maybe another 200 and then 360 left for savings / holidays.

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finance-idiot-26@reddit

You don't live on your own is the real answer here. Many of my friends are in their 30s still living with 2-3 people, paying more like £800-£1000/mo.

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ObjectiveYouth7154@reddit

I would look at somewhere which isn't near a tube, buses in London are brilliant and rent shoots up near tubes (or anywhere nice near a tube). If your car is on PCP, you'll be able to sell it and pay the loan off. Only issue is if you bought brand new, the depreciation on new is dramatic the second it's driven and you monthly payments are paying for the depreciation, not the value. Little tip in future, you can PCP pretty much any car within a certain age range, always buy second hand where the biggest depreciation has already happened. The companies selling PCP will always put your bubble at 60-70% of the car's value at the end of the term in case the market drops. Generally you will get more than your bubble so you should get a bit back. Most places in London it's actually worse having a car. I've lived here for 15 years and owned a car for about 5 of those years. Every time it's sat there collecting dust, costing money and unless you have a space, costing on permits. Driving anywhere in London is slower than public transport, you absolutely don't need it. Finally, the less people in the flat/house the more you'll pay. if you look in places with "bad" links (but good buses) you'll find somewhere in a share for 700-800 which is a far nicer place than what you'd get for 1200 alone. I was paying £750 for a 4 bed in oval which was owned and decorated by an interior designer, it was incredible.

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Illustrious_Bee5837@reddit

Forget london if you want to move out on your own, will need to go quite far out to the point your commute to work in a car will be an hour+

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Logical_fallacy10@reddit

Yeah 35k would be rough in London. Here are some estimates. Electrics - 80-100 Water - 25 Counsil - 150 WiFi - 30

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SchoolBusDriver79@reddit

Well, Yank here. Not knowing the neighborhoods of London I’d say maybe get some help with suggestions of several neighborhoods from which to choose. Also, cut down on frivolous expenses, like a gym membership. Go for a walk perhaps. Cut down on socializing. That gets expensive. Going out to dinner, dancing and drinking adds up fast. Instead, have friends over. Make it a bring-a-dish and game night. Just thoughts. Good luck.

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Gold-Persimmon-1421@reddit

Your expensises are going to be so high that you would earn more money on 20k and stay with your parents. Infact you would earn more money by taking a lower paid job in a cheaper part of the country

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Legitimate-Habit4920@reddit

Why the hell do you have a car on finance? In london of all places? There is public transport and bike lanes everywhere. And in such a modest salary?

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Wishmaster891@reddit

OP said greater London, im in Bexley, zone 6. Pretty much everyone has car here because although its a London borough its not really London.

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SkyMango00@reddit

I was on £30k. Rented a room in a shared house for £900 bills included. I prioritised spending on holidays and didn’t skimp on healthy foods. But I didn’t have a car and chose to save money on housing. Just have to adjust your lifestyle. Do you need your own flat / can you afford it? Why not shared housing (I know downsides.. been there done that!! But if your car is so important maybe you can’t afford your own place). Your car payments for example are totally unnecessary, you could absolutely get a second hand car for say 2-3k and use that for the next 10 years. Any car can get you from point A to B and think of all the money you’ll save. Gym membership, just get pure gym or something it’s cheap as chips. You’ll have to decide what’s important to you, the fancy car , or your own place. Or just one simple European holiday a year, or several luxury holidays. You will need to budget and decide what exactly you want to make cuts on. I lived in a cheaper place and didn’t have a car, spent on holidays and healthy food, and had a great time. But also suffered in shared housing..

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Affectionate-Fan-471@reddit

Probably not the answer you're looking for, but I'd be looking to live elsewhere. I lived in Willesden for 2 years and SO much of my wage was taken just to cover bills etc. In the end I realised that it was a totally shit way to live and moved back North to a village 30 mins from Manchester. I'm now married, have a daughter and managed to buy a 3 bed semi detached 140yr old stone house for a really good price and my Wife & I did it up. Could I have done that within 30 minutes of London? Not a chance. I'm sorry to say but if you're on less than £60k, it's a truly awful place to live.

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KeiserSozei@reddit

Just an idea, but it can work. If you and a/some close friends are looking at moving out, house share together, better house, cheaper and you know the other tenants. But here is the thing that’s worth considering. Buying a shared house. Hear me out. 2 or 3 bedroom (with a separate lounge, and if possible a separate diner, but not essential). The mortgage and ownership will split equally between you and your 1 or 2 friends. The separate lounge can be turned into another bedroom that you can rent out, the money from that can be used for mortgage etc. reducing your overall outgoings. It’s worth talking about a living will with your parents, to help with a deposit, there are a number of options on how to access money if they own a property (ChatGPT). You can also contract an agreement that the money will E paid back within a time frame or when selling the property. It may seem out of your 3 friends £35k each, £105k income, that can work. Example: 25 years mortgage Property: £400,000 5% deposit: £20,000 5% deposit / 3 friends: £6666 each Mortgage: £380,000 Monthly: £2,220 Tennent: £800 New Monthly: £1420 £1420 / 3 friends: £473 A lot more manageable cost on £35k a year. Definitely worth looking at. BTW: Sell the car, get a runaround for a few hundred or an electric bike. But as people say, the transport for Greater London is pretty good. Hope this helps.

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LauraHday@reddit

Live in a house share or go further out

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iamcarlit0@reddit

Problem is you have a fairly modest salary in a hcol area. You either get a better job, leave london or dont have a car/ flat share. That's literally your options.

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GickyRervais@reddit

That's a crazy amount to spend on a car in your situation.

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Jwhitehouse98@reddit

Is there not an option to move out of London? I know I'd rather live somewhere cheaper and travel but might not suit you I'm guessing

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hellopo9@reddit

Flat sharing is the norm not the exception. Look at prices for a room in a shared flat. People who rent 1 bedrooms in london are either couples or much richer than the average person. Especially if you need to pay for a car too.

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NOFEETPLZXOXO@reddit

Houseshare or go bust lmao

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yahyahyehcocobungo@reddit

My basic post it note calculation is you need about 2k to cover everything. Don't go for 1 bed either. Go for two in case you need to work from home or want the option of taking a lodger if finances get tight.

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J_Thompson82@reddit

Honestly, more info is needed, but if you want to get ahead, stay at home. Do you really need the car? Is it absolutely impossible to work without it? Is public transport an option? Do you have a colleague who lives nearby who you can car share with if you offer to help out with fuel? Can you ride a bicycle to work? Anything other than having a car in finance. Also focus on your career. Look for opportunities to either get promoted or to leave the company you’re with for a better salary elsewhere. Keep doing this and try to get the maximum amount of income possible. Budget and save. Start a google doc and start keeping track of all your income and outgoings. Write it all down so you can see where your money goes and start putting money aside. Ask yourself do you want to spend your life laying off someone else’s mortgage, or paying off your own? Renting is just paying for someone else’s house for them. If you do move out, consider moving out of the Greater London area. Look for jobs that are outside of that area and find affordable accommodation close to work. Consider living in a shared occupancy house. I rented for a few years and lived with a couple of friends in a nice 3 bed house. It made it more affordable but we all didn’t stay there for too long as we all wanted to get in the property ladder.

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dead_jester@reddit

First question: Do you really “need” a car? Living with flatmates/in a hmo is your only chance. Lived/grew up in London for 38 years before I moved outside London. It can only be worse now. There was no way I could afford a car and home, and didn’t get a car until I was in my mid 30’s and well established, living with a partner, and both of us were on a good professional salary. We moved out of London not long after getting the car, as the cost of living in London was insane for what you could afford and train commute was preferable.

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SeaIntelligent4504@reddit

Flatshare in a crappy part of London. You'd be flatsharing in the centre of most cities on 35k.

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Urbanyeti0@reddit

Personally I’d leave London, the costs are insane for the misery you’d be living in, but appreciate that’s not an option depending on work Do you NEED a car, and if so does it need to be one you’re paying £3,120 per year (9% of gross pay) on? Look at house shares, rent a room, etc

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littleboo2theboo@reddit

Married to a very rich man.

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Purrtymeow04@reddit

Not on that salary you need a house share

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ImaginationSad6450@reddit

I’d advise a tent on Clapham Common and see how it goes from there 😎

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zanazanzar@reddit

Honestly it’s just not possible to live a a comfortable solo live in London on the salary. I’m sure your parents will tell you how lucky you are to be earning so much money as well which doesn’t help in the slightest.

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Madting55@reddit

In my sisters case you get your dad to give you £15,000 a year.

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Sure-Recognition-262@reddit

The way people make this work is to do one or both of: * Not be in (or particularly near) London * Share a property with others. Either a partner, or friends, or strangers who've advertising a vacant room We shouldn't have to think of living in London or living alone as being luxury features that people who're earning just above the median can't afford, but the unfortunate reality is they are.

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Treqou@reddit

Unless you’re on £60k or move out of London you’re gonna have to get comfortable with having very little or commuting very far…

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luala@reddit

Realistically you need to house share on that salary. It sucks but there’s no getting round it. You’ve not said what area of London or how often you need to be in the office. That could really make a big difference. I was on 32k about 15 years ago and didn’t feel very flush. I know the job i did is still paying the same rate but the room in the flatshare I had has more than doubled in cost since then. It sucks.

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PinkTequilaaa@reddit (OP)

South West London. Sorry, should’ve been more clear.

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Fitzwilf@reddit

You will not live comfortably in one of the more expensive parts of London, living by yourself, with a car on finance, gym membership etc while on a below average salary. That's the reality.

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LongjumpingLab8@reddit

It’s potentially doable on 35k but you’re probably looking at sharing a house/flat with at least one other person. Look at properties as far away from Central London as you can but with access to the tube then work your way back in. Sell your car.

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Most_Lingonberry_409@reddit

Try and earn more unfortunately is the only solution I have found. Of course the older generation will tell you it’s because you went for brunch once that you can’t afford anything ….

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Quick-Celebration-17@reddit

Or your subscriptions lol

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Royal_Special9466@reddit

Ride a bicycle

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Key_Cell7071@reddit

By renting a room and not having a car. It's the reality of modern London that most people house/flatshare if they aren't big earners or own their own place. I pay £830 for my room all bills included (Zone 2) so anything I make over that is mine to spend/save as I please. Once people have kids they often move out of London or go further out where space is more affordable.

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Aware_Ad_431@reddit

No one? My one leg says otherwise.

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snavej1@reddit

Gym - no - exercise somewhere free - home, park, wherever. Bills - reduce or eliminate wherever possible. Car - no - public transport, walk, cycle, skateboard, etc. Travel - no - learn to love London & the South East. Kids - no, or else live in poverty. Try to inherit money if you can!

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suckingalemon@reddit

Good luck.

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McCretin@reddit

>And if you have kid (s), how do survive with them too?! Schools in London are starting to close or merge because there aren’t enough kids there to keep them open. People just can’t afford it.

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godfreyrigg@reddit

As everybody has said: move a bit further out, find a flat share, ditch the car (you’re got public transport) and Lidl is your best friend. I’m on less than you, and live fairly centrally in a flat share. Half my money every month goes to rent, then more for bills. One big shop every week. I’ve also cut back on my memberships/subscriptions. I only pay for Apple Music & HBO Max. I bought weights for home use. Socialise by having people around at one of your houses/flats. You don’t need to go OUT out to see your friends. If you love coffee, splurge once to get a decent coffee machine and so-long cafe coffee.

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LongjumpingLab8@reddit

You don’t need a car

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Ok_Error_3167@reddit

Do you need or want the car for work? If you need it, does your company not reimburse some expenses? Are you 100% certain of both those answers?

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Historical_Site508@reddit

I've got kids around your age surviving on less than that living fairly close to inner London but they flat share with 1 or 2 friends and they travel on trains and buses.

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Wishmaster891@reddit

Live with a partner/family

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Dangerous_Bed2566@reddit

Houseshare. And get rid of the car, no one needs a car in London

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CoffeeKeyDog@reddit

Houseshare

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Fantastic-Bowler-995@reddit

You could live alone in Greater London on 35k a year in 2010 let alone 2026. You have to house share and ditch the car

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PM_ME_VAPORWAVE@reddit

I live in London and earn a lot less. I know people who earn even less than me and they still manage. You don’t need to be looking at a room rather than a full flat. It will be around £1,000 a month.

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mrayner9@reddit

Welcome to HMO life

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CurrencyIll9145@reddit

i was in a house share & didn't drive. living in london on lower than that is totally doable (i've done it before when first starting out), but you need to either budget tight or resign yourself to the fact that saving £50 a month is a pretty great achievement & keep on living your life. my best friend still lives in london. she's on £27K and will be moving in with one other girl in a two-bed. 840 a month minus bills which isn't terrible given the context of london

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Katena789@reddit

and generally no car but combination of TFL and bike.

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Embot87@reddit

Same as other suggestions here, or move further out of London and try for hybrid working.

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spanakopita555@reddit

Sharing a flat or house. When I earned 28k-48k I survived by renting small rooms so rent was less than 1k including bills. That was without a child in tow. If I had a child, I'd probably look to get a place to share with a friend or colleague who didn't mind the child being there too.

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Flat_Development6659@reddit

The answer will be roommates. Same in every major expensive city, those on below average wages usually live with others.

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