When we were younger and more innocent, Roy and I moved into our first place together. Our bills were as follows:
- Rent – £300
- Council Tax – £58
- Water £20 a month over 8 months
- Electric – £30-£40 a month (key meter)
- Mobiles – £10 a month (for both of us – we only ever text each other, on our huge phones lol!)
- Food – £40 a week did all our food /drink / toiletries and cleaning materials
We had no landline, no gas, no internet.
We both smoked, 20 Lambert & Butler were £2.55.
My hourly wage was £3.63 and I worked a minimum of 38hrs a week
Roys take-home pay was £150 a week.
And we wanted for nothing. We had no credit, went out we wanted to, could eat takeaways – whatever. We even managed to put a little away each month.
Now our bills are double, and in some cases triple than what is listed above! We haven’t smoked in years which is probably just as well seeing as they look set to top £7 for 20 before too long, and we don’t drink. Obviously we have extras now such as Sky TV, broadband, and what not -but the difference in the basics is phenomenal! Scary really!
I wonder what the costs of things will be in another 15 years? Can you remember your first home and the costs? I bet they are quite different to what they are now!
Oh I love this pic and your recollections. I was a lambert and butler smoker too and red band (even cheaper) I remeber managing on 3k without working as a student to pay for a ayears rent food, books and going out and I was out all the time!!!!I also had really cool clothes ….ahh well its the price of bread gets me!
I hear you!
In my first my electric costs were also around a tenner a week, now we spend well over 200 a month. (Euro’s).
My mortgage is four times my original rent.
And the cost of feeding hubby, myself and four kids is, just plain scary!!
I’ve been living in Germany the past few years and prices have really risen. Hubby’s wage rises just do not keep up.
It is worrying how we’ll cope in the future.