This time last year

This time last year I was getting used to living completely on my own. Now 1 year on, I am still completely on my own. However, in between this time difference, I made decisions based on the last year, to make my life easier and hopefully cheaper 1 year on. Now I am here to compare if my decisions were worth it.

Nightmare place: Last Year

This was a 3-bedroom house, with a garden and central heating. Bills:

This time last year, I had not yet realised that my meter readings weren’t being taken automatically. I was always warm in my place, and I was convinced it was very well insulated, since I thought my boiler and radiators were off. However, by this time last year, I had already had several incidences with my landlord and lettings agent, that convinced me I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Problem statement

I was convinced that for someone living alone, that nearly £800 per month was a lot. This does not include fuel and food, and my extortionate furniture shopping and extracurricular activities. At this point, I had started saving to buy myself out of the housing contract as well as building a small emergency pillow.

Everyday life

By this time, I was settling in well at work. I had one very interesting assignment, and one that was… not. Nonetheless, I was beginning to understand and appreciate the cycle that is adult life.

1. You go to work
2. After work if you have any errands you do them before you get back home
3. You get comfortable and get fed
4. Wait for bed time before starting again

This time last year, the blog wasn’t even on my mind. It wasn’t even an idea yet, but for sure I wouldn’t have been able to balance this blog, and my everyday life. My 4 steps look very minimal, however, between them I was navigating my life, my relationships, all without destroying the house that was torturing me mentally.

Do you know what’s worse than going to a job that makes you question if you made the right decision? It’s coming back to a house that you know you made the wrong decision in. I hated going home, which sucked because I had made it into my own, but still hated it. I was being ignored and put on the side lines, and it was not helping me feel ok for the remainder of my adulting life.

However, I decided to create my own light at the end of the tunnel. None of the qualified people were going to help me get out of my situation, but I was. Because the thing about adulting is that you’re the one who is going to solve your own problems. No one is really going to help you, certainly not for free. And as an official adult of 2 months, with a dwindling salary, my help had to be free.

When I moved out of my nightmare house, my essential bills were £871.67. Council tax was now a full 12-month bill, my gas and electric had increased to pay off my debt, and the increase in April had happened.

New place: This time

So, I managed to save and buy myself out of my housing contract. I moved my 3-bedroom house into a 1 bed flat, without having to throw out anything. My friends say I lived a very minimalistic life in my 3-bed house. I now live on a first floor flat near the town centre, bills:

I planned this move, as I believed it would have been cheaper for me to live in a place which reflected my situation. One person makes no sense to live in a 3-bed house, alone. Things were looking up when I got this new place, I felt like things were lot cheaper, now that I lived in a 1 bed flat. Writing this blog made me do the true math, and honestly, I am shocked that the move only made me £10 better off, compared to this time last year.

Then

Just about a month in, I financed a car, and I got tenant’s insurance (which I had never done before). 2 months later, I then started a temporary job that was 200 miles away, which I get my travel reimbursed. I then upgraded to a contract on my phone. All whilst trying to treat myself to the adult life that I want, which consists of 1 weekend away every 4-8 weeks. As well as consistently receiving therapy.

It’s safe to say, I am not financially better off now, compared to this time last year. However, if the car, phone and job happened, whilst I was in the nightmare place. I’m certain that would have broken me, and I would’ve suffered severe life burn out.

Now

Well, I still am enjoying my new temporary job, and I hate the commute even though its twice a week. My old job haunts me, reminding me that I am coming back to it in a few months’ time. That haunting is convincing me to prepare to take the leap, that I am so scared to take right now. I am mentally doing really well, and enjoying adulting with its ups and downs.

Outcome

I am not as financially better off as I had hoped, however, I am significantly more mentally better off. And I couldn’t be happier in this location, and job. I feel that since I am mentally better in my housing situation that things are generally better for me. The questioning of my job choice and role, is no longer amplified by my living situation. It genuinely is an issue in my life, and I am working towards changing that, but my personal life is a lot better. (haha you thought I was going to say that I no longer doubt my career path)

Moral of my story:

• It’s unlikely your finances will change unless you leave the area– I stayed in West Cumbria and moved 20 mins down the road, that’s probably why my expenses didn’t change to much. Also, I am an immense cheapskate, so maybe this is as cheap as it will get for me.
• Do all your errands before getting back home­– you won’t want to leave your place once you get in.
• Make sure you are mentally happy in your life– Nothing else will be bearable if you aren’t mentally happy/ok. Everything else outside of your mental state is temporary, but you live with your mental state until the end. Prioritise it!
• The aim to save money isn’t to hoard it– Don’t just save, spend it too. Live your life, you don’t know how long it will be, so don’t spend it suffering and limiting yourself.