can i survive in dublin on these wages - €25000?

speedy2007

hey guys

been offered a job with a wage of €25,000 per year...would i be struggling to survive in dublin on that do you think? its a junior desktop support position, i think i could get more in a call centre but i was trying to move away from that area and get some more hands on stuff and more experience.
That said i want to be able to live good,not just barely scraping by and even go on the odd weekend abroad.
and im putting aside 600-650 for rent
never lived in dublin and any advice on the matter would be much appreciated..thanks;)

FruitLover

You won't be buying any cars any time soon, but you can easily survive on 25k a year. Particularly if you rent on the North or West.

Tragedy

Should be able to get an ok'ish double for €400per month, but bills will be a decent chunk on top of that.

Really depends on where you're working and how far you're willing to travel to get there

irlirishkev

Simple maths..

Split your needs and wants. And be realistic with how much you need per month (rent, bills, food, travel, savings etc). Don't leave yourself short.

Then whatever is left is the amount you will have to spend onthe more fun things. If you're happy with that amount then you'll be fine!

I think the lowest wage I survived on was 28k, and that was living in the city centre on my own. I found it quite tough at times, but l got by.

K.

lightening

I lived on less in Dublin OP, however, it was about 9 years ago. I will lay out a few pointers that I found great.

Every day.... Mountain bike everywhere, even to work. A car was out of the question and public transport was to much. Shops like TKmax can be great for casual clothes, you just need time to look. Keep an eye out for sales, they do make a difference, particularly for underwear, socks, work shirts etc... The German Lidl's and Aldi's have branded stuff like ketchup, helmans mayo etc... Good value. Avoid buying anything in smaller supermarkets like Spar. My local butcher was literally half the price as the supermarket meat. If you smoke, give them up, this saved me a fortune.

Socialising... On nights out, get the night link or walk if you are near enough to town. Taxi's are a luxury. Having friends or visiting friends with a bottle of vino or a few cans can be a lot cheaper. Not much use if your single. Having a few cans or some wine and then heading out later is a good idea.

Sports is surprisingly cheap. Lots of clubs, plenty of sports, gets you out, amuses you and leaves you knackered. I managed to sail for two years for basically nothing.

If your meeting people in town for lunch, the smaller creperies are cheaper than cafe's try the likes of Lemon. Good value, lots of food. Coffees seem to be pretty pricey lately everywhere though.

The art galleries and museums are a great cheap way of going out in Dublin without breaking the bank or drinking lots of pints. Also the beaches, parks and Dublin mountains take days to explore.

I manages a small holiday every year and I got my bills paid... Don't forget hopefully things change quickly.

fitzyshea

I have loads of friends living in dublin who are civil servants and are on that or less and manage to survive. You wont be renting in the city centre if you want something decent try outside city centre and save your few bob by getting a bike and cycling into and out of work or walk.

speedy2007

thanks for the advice everyone. Guess i have a decision make...money vs the experience ill be getting.
from what ye've said it looks do-able, but i need to be able to save a good bit too, so i might keep looking and see what other jobs are out there

Gillo

I know you said that you have a decision made, but bare in mind that the position could be good experience, if you can afford it why not take the position for a year. Don't see it as the role it as the role it is more as a chance to get experience and use it as a stepping stone to a better paid job.

colly10

speedy2007 wrote: »

thanks for the advice everyone. Guess i have a decision make...money vs the experience ill be getting.
from what ye've said it looks do-able, but i need to be able to save a good bit too, so i might keep looking and see what other jobs are out there

Ye ye could easily live on it, your not going to be splashing the cash or anything but what experience would ye get working in a call center. Just see it as an early sacrifice to allow ye to earn more in the future. 25 aint great but it really could be worse

loyatemu

take home pay would be approx 1900 per month - put your details in here:
http://www.hookhead.com/Tools/tax2008.jsp

watch your budget and you'll be fine.

Jharrb

Just wondering what the average wage is in Dublin for office admin type work is? Or even what most people earn around. What is considered an acceptable wage nowadays?

What on EARTH do you people spend your money on that you struggle to live on 25k or 28k? I'm only on 21k at the moment and get by perfectly fine, and manage to save a good bit every month. I have a nice double room in a lovely area, get weekly bus tickets and socialise fairly regularly. I shop mostly in Tesco and I'd get a taxi quite often after a night out somewhere. I have the odd weekend away as well. Definitely not scrimping and saving. I'm actually looking for a job around 25k thinking that would be more than grand and I could save loads!! Unless you're being reckless with money, getting takeouts for dinner everyday, blowing hundreds on drink and running a car, how could you not live comfortably as a single person renting a room on 25k+??

revell

I am living on 15k in Dublin still renting a decent flat in D4 area but not much social and having to take care of speding. It all depends on one's lifestyle.

chris d

[quote=[Deleted User];55404665]What on EARTH do you people spend your money on that you struggle to live on 25k or 28k? I'm only on 21k at the moment and get by perfectly fine, and manage to save a good bit every month. I have a nice double room in a lovely area, get weekly bus tickets and socialise fairly regularly. I shop mostly in Tesco and I'd get a taxi quite often after a night out somewhere. I have the odd weekend away as well. Definitely not scrimping and saving. I'm actually looking for a job around 25k thinking that would be more than grand and I could save loads!! Unless you're being reckless with money, getting takeouts for dinner everyday, blowing hundreds on drink and running a car, how could you not live comfortably as a single person renting a room on 25k+??[/QUOTE]

+1

im on less than 25K.
420 per month on mortgage. 2 of us in city centre one bed.
50e goes straight into savings every week. with a bit more in a super secret saving drawer.
just back from a weekend in london, off to california for two weeks in july.
bathroom redecorated last month.
shop in tesco/dunnes/marks/spar/centra.
financially everything's hunky dory.

just be sensible. if you have something on the horizon that's gonna cost a bit. make plans for it. ie, make your lunch instead of buying it, little things like that make a difference. as long as you're not an alcoholic or buy new jeans every week you'll be fine.

mikemac

speedy2007 wrote: »

hey guys

been offered a job with a wage of €25,000 per year...would i be struggling to survive in dublin on that do you think? its a junior desktop support position, i think i could get more in a call centre but i was trying to move away from that area and get some more hands on stuff and more experience.
That said i want to be able to live good,not just barely scraping by and even go on the odd weekend abroad.
and im putting aside 600-650 for rent
never lived in dublin and any advice on the matter would be much appreciated..thanks;)

My first job in Dublin was on 22k and that's only 3 years ago.
Tips:
It's ok to eat out at lunch maybe 2-3 days a week but bring your sandwiches for other days.
Try not to use Centra/Spar. They have daft prices.
Read books? You can most books at €1 in a charity shop, great selections.
DO NOT BUY A CAR!. Either cycle or get a moped. In fact, definitly get a moped, they're class, I've two
No need for a gym. You can buy a bench and weights cheapish, and jogging and cycling is free.
Oh, and get a Cineworld cinema card. Unlimited use for €20 a month.

pigeonbutler

I'm on 24k, renting a nice double in castleknock for 450 a month. Train to work every day, have my own car (old and cheap but it's a grand runaround). I'm don't find myself having to be overly frugal. But then I was a student til last year so I have a lot more disposable income. And while I'm getting by ok at the moment I wouldn't like to have to live on that sort of money for a few years. Thankfully I'm a trainee accountant so the salary climbs pretty steeply every July! I'm counting down the weeks!

Basically, if you've no car you'll be able to have a grand life at level for a year or two (with you hopefully climbing up the ranks after that) unless you're really hopeless or extravagant with your money.

Jharrb

[quote=[Deleted User];55404665]What on EARTH do you people spend your money on that you struggle to live on 25k or 28k? I'm only on 21k at the moment and get by perfectly fine, and manage to save a good bit every month. I have a nice double room in a lovely area, get weekly bus tickets and socialise fairly regularly. I shop mostly in Tesco and I'd get a taxi quite often after a night out somewhere. I have the odd weekend away as well. Definitely not scrimping and saving. I'm actually looking for a job around 25k thinking that would be more than grand and I could save loads!! Unless you're being reckless with money, getting takeouts for dinner everyday, blowing hundreds on drink and running a car, how could you not live comfortably as a single person renting a room on 25k+??[/quote]

Hold on a minute..., Glad that you are happy with your lot there but I think its entirely dependent on personal circumstances.

stovelid

[quote=[Deleted User];55404665]What on EARTH do you people spend your money on that you struggle to live on 25k or 28k? I[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, I've always found that your needs (or wants) usually expand whenever your pay does.

OP - 25K should be grand if you share accommodation, don't run a car, or buy a lot of clothes.

A Dub in Glasgo

[quote=[Deleted User];55404665]What on EARTH do you people spend your money on that you struggle to live on 25k or 28k? [/QUOTE]

I was offered a job in Dublin which offered €60k and I knocked it back as I would have to take a big drop in living standards. You can scrimp and get by but is that living?

Edit that was comparing my circumstances here in Glasgow with Dublin. Married, 2 kids and my wife does not work a she raises our kids

bostonian

Dude I make 20k and manage to save, I just have to monitor my food budget. Food in this country is ridiculously overpriced and it's a constant battle to keep my food budget under control.

Mosey101

The key elements to surviving are cycling everywhere (though depending on where you live it might require investing in a good bike), living out of Lidl and Aldi, monitoring your cash flow's of course and sneaking your can's into the pub (Thats the student in me talking i think)

revell

I agree with some of you that the price of food here is too high.How many guys here would like to spend 6-7 euro on a M&S lunch? It is strange. The other thing confuses me that much is the price of fish and sea food in supermarket. Why it is so high and you need to pay 6-7 euro for a piece of fresh Salmon? When I was in a continental European country I regularrly bought fresh salmon, shrimp or mussel in major supermarket for only 2-3 euro per portion (enough for one meal) but I can only afford canned sea food here!

AlexD

1. Two biggest expenses tend to be rent and booze - I started drinking less this year, with the associated drop in smoking, and money is literally piling up in my bank account.

2. Food prices are rising everywhere in the world, plus Ireland has a high cost base because of a heavy govt share in the economy and opposition to further liberalisation. Buying fresh food and cooking yourself, start with simple stuff like chillis and stir fries, is much cheaper, more satisfying and healthier. Processed or branded food is obviousuly dearer.

3. Rent in the city is more expensive but you save on transport, especially at night, and not commuting is great.

4. There are plenty cheaper pubs, shops and restraunts out there if you look around. People tend to always gravitate to the same places