[Left Eye]

Okay! I need to know everything I can before bringing my idea to my family, so you're the people I'm turning to! :P

An 18 year old, working on minimum wage (£4.98 Per Hour) with no uni or other commitments other than work. I've not started work yet, this is a hypothetical getting everything in order scenario, but it'd hopefully be bar work in a pub.

On average, how much can I expect to make a week or a month from that? My house is over crowded and I'd really like to move out, if I can find a small place to rent, but how much can I get away with paying per calender month? Is it a viable option or am I aiming too high?

Is it worth getting a house share with people? Where's best to look for things like that? Any help or advice would be great.

Thanks guys.

[MissLightyear]

Surely it depends on how many hours you work? If you work a 40 hour week your looking at just under £200 a week, so it depends on prices in your area really.

[Left Eye]

That's the thing. I have no idea how many hours is an expected, reasonable, ridiculous or whatever amount. :P

Complete gap in my education!

[WelshBluebird]

(Original post by Left Eye)
That's the thing. I have no idea how many hours is an expected, reasonable, ridiculous or whatever amount. :P

Complete gap in my education!

It totally depends on the job.
There is no way anyone can tell you here if it would be enough for you to get by, because we have no idea how many hours you would be working.
If it is a few hours a week (casual work in bar or something), then of course it wouldn't be enough.
But if its a full time job, then you should be able to get by (it won't be easy though - especially if you would be living somewhere with high rents and stuff).

[OU Student]

You need to take into account the fact that you may pay tax & national insurance on your earnings.

[Left Eye]

Well from my knowledge of bar work, which my brother did last summer, he worked 5 days a week at anything from 8 to 12 hours a day. Which I'd be happy to do, I think.

From my research into properties around where I want... I'm looking at £350-£490 per calender month. Being too ambitious?

[justinawe]

(Original post by Left Eye)
Well from my knowledge of bar work, which my brother did last summer, he worked 5 days a week at anything from 8 to 12 hours a day. Which I'd be happy to do, I think.

From my research into properties around where I want... I'm looking at £350-£490 per calender month. Being too ambitious?

5 days a week, 8 hours a day, means a 40 hour week.

That gives you £199.20 a week.

Your gross income would be a fair bit more £350-£490 a month. Unless your approximation is after deducting rent?

[Left Eye]

(Original post by justinawe)
5 days a week, 8 hours a day, means a 40 hour week.

That gives you £199.20 a week.

Your gross income would be a fair bit more £350-£490 a month. Unless your approximation is after deducting rent?

The £350-£490 is the rough cost of property rental. Lower end is if I can get a flat mate and the higher end is if I can't. From your saying £199.20 per week... that sounds like £796.80 per month (four weeks)? If that's right, deducting £490 for rent... that's £306.80 per month to live on/save away/whatever?

Or is there another cost I'm missing somewhere?

Thanks loads for the help!

[Vanilla*Pod]

Don't forget actual living costs- food etc.

And does the rent include utility bills? Because youd also have to make sure you could pay those every month.

Do you have any other outgoings? phone bill, car maintenance etc? Do you like socialising with friends or buying new things regularly?

Would you have to travel to work- factor that cost in!

If you really put your mind to it you can do it just be prepared to make sacrifices and not live luxuriously for a while

[Jake22]

Based on a standard 40 hour week; you would get somewhere in the range of £700-£750 a month after tax and national insurance.

In Manchester, you should be able to get a decent enough room in a houseshare for about £300-£350 inc bills leaving you with just under a ton a week for food and beer.

Say £20 food, £5 mobile and £75 for going out and other expenses like clothes and travel. Not amazing but not terrible either.

[Left Eye]

My standard outgoings are £5-£10 per month on phone. I don't buy stuff on a whim, I'll save up for big things every once in a while... I'd make sure that any property included bills paid - one I have found does, but I can't guarantee it'll still be around when I'm in a position to go somewhere. Same property, and where I've been looking, are within walking distance of my current home and the place I have a job lined up for.

No car. But there might be, if I can start learning. But I think I'll be learning in my Grandad's car... so he can sort it!

Errrrrr... don't think I'm missing anything. Food wise, I'm not big and expensive and I know how to cook cheaply. So living costs, I can survive on a few hundred a month quite easily - I think. But I know me... I might be missing something huge that I can't remember. :P

[justinawe]

(Original post by Left Eye)
The £350-£490 is the rough cost of property rental. Lower end is if I can get a flat mate and the higher end is if I can't. From your saying £199.20 per week... that sounds like £796.80 per month (four weeks)? If that's right, deducting £490 for rent... that's £306.80 per month to live on/save away/whatever?

Or is there another cost I'm missing somewhere?

Thanks loads for the help!

If I'm correct, you'll be paying about £228 a year in income tax, so about £19 a month from your earnings.

A month is a little over four weeks - so you're actually looking at around £850 a month, on average.

This is, of course, assuming you work 40 hours a week, every week, without fail.

In the end, you have about £340 a month for your living expenses, utility bills (unless that's included in your rent), entertainment, etc. Assuming you're paying the higher end of rent (£490).

[Jake22]

(Original post by Left Eye)
I'd make sure that any property included bills paid

This isn't such a big deal as long as you try to compare the cost of rent like for like. Even when properties include bills - they often don't include council tax so you would have to check into that - especially if your housemates are students and your share is therefore quite high.

I mean, if one room is £250 ex bills and one is £300 inc. bills and your share of bills would be £30 then obviously the first may be better. One good thing is that it is often less hassle when the landlord takes care of the bills.

[truthandtragedy]

(Original post by Left Eye)
The £350-£490 is the rough cost of property rental. Lower end is if I can get a flat mate and the higher end is if I can't. From your saying £199.20 per week... that sounds like £796.80 per month (four weeks)? If that's right, deducting £490 for rent... that's £306.80 per month to live on/save away/whatever?

Or is there another cost I'm missing somewhere?

Thanks loads for the help!

Council tax, utility bills, TV/phone/internet bill, food. There's actually a lot to factor in. I lived in a cheap area where my rent was £500 split between 2. Our council tax was £120ish a month, TV/internet was £40/month, gas/electric £55/month, plus food! So each, we were about £350-370 a month excluding food, which was around £50 a week, so £550-570 a month! Excluding any one off costs, social things, travel costs. It really does all add up. I was earned around £1000 a month, and I still struggled!