Well, I mentioned all this it you last Friday, didn't I? Perhaps cutting down on the amount of money you spend at meets might help. And you might have to get used to using an overdraft.

But, you're right, what you've been offered is about the cheapest you'll get, I'm afraid. It's quite a shock when you start to have to fend for yourself financially.

Anyway, all the best for finding a place and a job that will help pay for it

(Edited by Whistler 13/06/2002 12:20)

Is that £50 a week for the whole flat to yourself or is it sharing? Bloomin' hell i hope i can find something that cheap when i move 'daawn saarf'

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by Sydney
Is that £50 a week for the whole flat to yourself or is it sharing? Bloomin' hell i hope i can find something that cheap when i move 'daawn saarf'

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All to myself, anyway i'll tell them no as i can't afford it, the pub is way more important, plus i wouldn't have a comp[uter or anything in there so i can't give that up either.

Maybe you should get a job in the pub, then you'd be paid for going there, and you'd drink less

Sadly it's a harsh fact of life that if you want your own place you have to make sacrifices elsewhere Good luck with finding a job that means you're in a better position to find your own place though

Another thought - have you considered a house-share? The rent might be a bit less and you'd be sharing the bills as well.

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by SPIKE
(quotes)
All to myself, anyway i'll tell them no as i can't afford it, the pub is way more important

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Sorry mate, but your having a larf aren't you? Granted you would have to cut down on the pub maybe and prolly lose out on a few creature comforts, but can you put a price on your own independance? If you knuckle down and get a proper job, you are bound to earn a bit more so that would offset the costs...

I'm with Ethan on this one - when I left home it was such a shock to the system financially but I still managed to have a social life and independance and I actually had a mortgage at the time too

I'm not saying its easy because its not - but you have to start somewhere and staying at home just because its cheap and convenient and allows you to "go to the pub" is taking a wrong attitude.

I had to work full time and have a part time job (in a pub) just to live every month but you learn so much more about life when you're independent.

Here's hoping something works out for you Spike

When I was at Uni i paid about that for accomodation and I mangaged on part time work income (I didn't get grants - they were abolished the year before i started) and the loan was a pittance. I was always at the Pub

So if you get yourself a decent job you'll be fine!

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by SPIKE
(quotes)
All to myself, anyway i'll tell them no as i can't afford it, the pub is way more important, plus i wouldn't have a comp[uter or anything in there so i can't give that up either.

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I also agree with Ethan. If you base you living on the contents of this statement, I think that you need to have a long hard think about things...

I dearly wish that I could do all of the things that I would like to do. But I understand that the responsibility having bills to pay means that I have to live a restricted social life (hence why I only appear at the annual T21 party ).

Personally, I wouldn't advocate the use of overdrafts, but that has everything to do with the way my parents chose to live their lives. My dad had a very strict "When it comes to the nice things in life; If you can't afford it, don't buy it" mentality which has imprinted itself on me.

Trouble is, and in my experience, overdrafts aren't paying for the luxuries, but the necessities in life

I think it all depends on how much you want to live on your own. I've just moved back in with my parents, after 7 years away, because I had no money and it's working out really well. I have my independence because my parents recognise that I'm grown up now and we all get on fine. Living on my own was great, but having no money all the time was just making me constantly stressed, so I'm actually much happier now.

(Anyway, they have a dishwasher )

I agree with what most people have said, and remember, you don't have to give up the pub completely, you just need to get your priorities in order mate!

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by Whistler
Trouble is, and in my experience, overdrafts aren't paying for the luxuries, but the necessities in life

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Depends what the version of necessities is....

Spike, is this studio flat through the Council? Because be very careful if it is, I'm fairly sure most Councils have a policy that if you refuse too many places, they'll bump you to the bottom of the housing list.

And you need to sort your priorities out. If you're serious about having your own place, you'll give up stuff for it. If you're not serious, don't waste people's time and get them to look for places for you if you'd rather be down the pub.

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by Vix
(quotes)
I'm fairly sure most Councils have a policy that if you refuse too many places, they'll bump you to the bottom of the housing list.

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When I worked for the Council I think it was 3 strikes - no home!!

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by Jola
(quotes)

When I worked for the Council I think it was 3 strikes - no home!!

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Correctamundo

Without trying to scaremonger, does that mean if SPIKE turns down 3 homes, the council will never house him?

When we were offered our council home 8 years ago you had 2 refusals or then you went to the bottom of the list. It doesn't mean you'll *never* get housed by the council - but each year I assume that the list gets new applicants as well as people with changing circumstances - all of which can increase their "points" count.

We got offered a fairly reasonable sized flat in a slightly dodgy area, but we were afraid that if we refused that the next choice might be even worse. So I guess it depends how fuzzy you are.

If it is a council place normally they try and base the rent on your income (have you looked at housing benefit just in case you qualify for a discount) remember also that you will have to take care of the council tax but living alone I think you get a 25% discount.

Good luck.

I'm not sure if *all* Housing Associations now operate this policy but Eastleigh HA (who I am registered with) have recently change how they allocate property. They still organise people into priorities (low, needy and urgent) but rather than wait to be offered a place, the prospective tennant is made to be proactive and has to *apply* for property that is advertised and is designed to try and shorten the waiting lists. And if you turn any property down, you aren't penalised for it. It's a much better system and gives you hope that you may find somewhere sooner rather than later. And, as I have access to the internet, I can look at the property on offer on the HA website.

Sounds like Spike's Council still operate the old system but I think more and more ares will soon be changing to the new way of doing things.

Vik - my necessities? Food, bills, a loan I'm trying to pay off, running a car. Not like spike's trips down to the pub

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by coolkat
I agree with what most people have said, and remember, you don't have to give up the pub completely, you just need to get your priorities in order mate!

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Hear Hear! Priorities are a biggy, and something I didn't manage to sort out when I bought my house. I loved my independence (had to since I got kicked out of home!), and liked the idea that I could come and go as I pleased.

Ultimately, however that lead to me thinking, right I'm going out tonight, whether I could afford it or not. I used to leave my bills til the month after and borrow money off my credit card if I couldn't afford to go out on my wage.

Priorities seriously not in order then, and it came back to haunt me.

So, if you do go ahead with moving out, don't go down that road, realise that sometimes you have to stay in at a weekend or whatever. It's not all that bad, get your mates round, get some cans in and party without too much expense

I rarely go out to the pub these days and to be honest I don't really miss it.

ok our council you get offered 2 places, and if you don't have a good enough reason to refuse them you are put back on the list for 1 year only. but if i really can't afford the place i assume thats a good enough reason. i could probably jsut scrape by with the money i get but it'd be hard. also i'm not reay to move out i don't think, i eman i'd not be able to cope with the luxuries i get now.