Single life, financially better off?

D'Agger

drumswan wrote: »

Not much point in being rich if you are decrepit or dead. Life is for living when you are young.

Being retired isn't the same as being decrepit or dead though.

I agree that life is for living when you're young, but when you have a wife and kids or even just other people in your life that you love and who depend on you, then you tend ti put their happiness, dreams, hopes etc. ahead of yours. Now, that's not to say you don't stop living and enjoying yourself, but your universe isn't centred around yourself as much. By the time you retire, you should realistically have children who're grown up and self sufficient, leaving you with time to pursue the things that bring you joy.

With my own father retiring 12months ago I can testify to the freedom of being retired bringing out about a new lease of life. My father lives as much if not more than I do and I'm 25

Gael23

Of course your going to be better off but there's more to life than that.
As a single guy once you pay your rent/ mortgage, utility bills , car costs and food,mother rest is your own.
I know single guys that that would have well paid jobs but don't have nice cars and some live in small apartments that won't be costing a fortune so it's whatever you make of it really.

Balaclava1991

Dickie10 wrote: »

hi im a 30 yr old man, and recently I have begun to believe that being single is a serious advantage. every day I turn on the news or current affairs and listen to reports of the squeezed middle classes.Now I consider myself in the middle classes im a secondary school teacher and part time farmer,although im only temp teaching at the minute.Every time I hear these horror stories I just think , thank God im single and never bought a house, it seems a lot of my friends escaped from buying a house as well, the crash happened when we were about 24- 25 so luckily we were still living it up.Thing is most of my friends have become very wary of getting into relationships the last few years as they don't want to get the missus up the spout or something like that which they all agree would be a disaster! it seems that once you start into the family unit thing then that's the end of the disposable cash. just wondering is this accurate, to me any guy in a family set up seems to be a lot worse off than me ,muddling along on my own. what do people think??

If you have a son call him Sue and then do a runner.
He'll have to get tough or die with a name like that.

Dickie10

wha?

Sauve

Dickie10 wrote: »

wha?

Mod

That post has been actioned Dickie, no need to reply.
For some reason it's not showing up properly though.

ted1

riveratom wrote: »

Unlikely to be better off, much more likely the opposite is the case I reckon!!

I had only been thinking about this lately. Basically, when you're single, you pay for everything. In a couple, you split the cost. That sums it up pretty much.

I was on a holiday recently where the cost of the accommodation was €650 for the week. I would have paid €325 if sharing with someone else, so there's €325 extra I'm paying right there.

Mortgage if I had one would be split both ways, I don't know how you'd even get one on one income to begin with. Deposit for a house - a bit easier if you have double the amount you'd have on your own, or thereabouts.

Then everything else - household bills, etc.

Holidays - these are made for couples (as per the above). Single supplements, paying for all meals yourself, etc, etc.

Another point of note which came to be when I was home alone lately is that not only are there more costs, there is more work to be done in general around the house! It takes as much of a mess in the kitchen cooking for one as it does for two, but at least you can split the clean-up 50-50 when one half of a couple!!

Not to mention other household work, paying for a car, etc...

On the flip-side then of course, if you get married and have kids then it's expense-central then isn't it. Childcare, college, food, clothes... So when it comes down to it, probably one way to have some cash in your pocket is to not marry or have kids and maybe have a good job / income and live in a reasonably priced area

Your a dreamer mate.
Dinner for 1 costs me 50 quid
Dinner for two costs me 100 quid.

Pint for me 5 euro
Pint and vodka and coke 12 euro.

Just cause your a couple doesn't mean your pay 50/50.

Then you have kids, wife stops working to mind kids.
Salary is now divided by 4.