The Ins and Outs!
This is the view that I enjoy from my two bedroom purpose built flat in the centre of Dover, a port town in the south-eastern corner of England. Calais in France is only 21 miles away, whereas my place of work, Ashford, is nearer 25.
My flat isn’t especially posh. It was built in 1976 and comprises twelve flats in the block. Nearly half of those are rented out, the owners showing little interest in anything other than the cheapest possible way to run the block in order to maximise their profits from rental. Nevertheless it is a convenient block. The railway station, with four trains an hour to London is literally a stones throw away. The town with its shops is five minutes. A convenience store is two minutes. There is off-street parking for those with vehicles. The beach and sea is ten minutes walk away, the cliffs twenty. The rolling hills of the North Downs as they reach the sea are also within easy reach on foot. It is a place where it is easy to enjoy comfort without cars.
For those who wonder what the lifestyle is like for a non-professional in the UK read on. I left school at sixteen, hating it. I drifted in and out of several jobs but for the past fourteen years have worked for a railway company and thus enjoy free rail travel to and from work and, to a limited extent, free travel throughout the UK and Europe too. This saves a lot of money. It is an extremely valuable perk.
The job doesn’t pay especially well. But the perk helps to offset that.
Here is a summary of my survival in the midst of the worst recession seen for many years.
Income: £20,064 per annum gross (just over twenty thousand quid).
Paid over thirteen four-weekly periods. This means that, after tax, I clear about £1,130 each four weekly period. Paid straight into the bank which charges £6.95 for the privilege each month!
Outgoings:
Mortgage: £259.90 per month. 13 years remaining. MUCH lower than this time last year when it was about £100 more per month.
Council Tax: (This is the rate levied to each householder for stuff like rubbish removal, street maintenance and lighting, police etc. £85.00 per month (ten months are charged out of twelve).
Gas/Electricity and Water Emergency Cover: £27.59 monthly
TV Licence (for the BBC and all its distortions) £9.95 monthly
Contents Insurance: £6.95 monthly
Maintenance fund for the block of flats: £250 annually
Block insurance, including terrorism cover: £135 annually
Mains Water supply and sewage: Approx £250 annually.
Mains Gas supply: Approx £400 annually
Mains Electricity supply: Approx £200 annually.
Broadband Internet Connection: £17.95 monthly.
Telephone: About £60 quarterly.
I do not have loans to pay or mobile telephone subscriptions because I regard both as extremely expensive and unnecessary. My one credit card it, wherever possible, paid off in full every month. I do not own or run a car and therefore there is no expense there.
However, I do enjoy to drink and eat and spend at least £250 per month on food and drink consumables.
That’s yer snapshot of a single bloke’s existence in the UK in the early months of 2009.
March 22, 2009 at 10:37 pm |
Hey, I can live like that. Nothing wrong with your income or anything. Life is to enjoy, experience, live in the moment happily. We don’t need “stuff” to make us happy (well, i don’t). All I need are my computer, roof over my head and my camera…oh and food and clothing. I am low maintenance.
You have a beautiful view and a most interesting life/travels that this gal envies.
March 23, 2009 at 6:59 am |
Same here – low maintenance. I think that many people, Tam, would call my life extremely dull yet it’s true that I do like to take advantage of my free travel facilities from time to time. I’m sure that the tapestry of your life has far more threads to it!
Yes, the view is my pride and joy – I’m afraid that I’ve posted it on flickr far too often (in different seasons) – it was what sold the flat to me in the first place.
July 12, 2009 at 12:10 am |
You must be a marketer’s worst nightmare…..