cost of living

We will be relocating in a couple of weeks to London and have just received confirmation of pay. We will be receiving approx 65,000 pounds and are confused as to how this fits in with cost of living there. Also we need some help of good places to live. We are a family and my husband will be working in Woking. Any info will be helpful.

A family of 2, 3, 5, 10?  How old are the kids?  Do you want to buy a house, rent a house, rent a flat?  Do you want to walk everywhere or use public transport or do you feel the need for a car?  Are you used to eating home-cooking or take-away foods?  Will you be working as well or a SAHM?  Do you wear designer clothes and shoes?

Everyone's lifestyle is different.  Me, I'd say £65,000 per year would suit me and my family of 4 just fine.  We survive on less than half of that.  We don't live in London, but we are just 45 minutes away by train and live in an area that is getting more and more popular with "commuters."

yeah we definately need a lot more info!

my hubs and i could survive on that....but with a family in london (at least where we live) it would be hard.

more info, then we can help you!

sorry to be so vague with details but we are still getting our head around it all. We have one child and no idea of how expensive it will be. We lead a pretty basic lifestyle but would like a nice family area to live, I doubt we would be buying. Also are concerned re cost of schooling.

Have you considered moving to Utah?   

The average wage here is about £25 000. Most families live on less than that. You'll be fine.  Better than fine.

Most of Surrey is very nice, you can't go wrong with most of the towns there for a decent family life. For property prices etc in the area you are going to have a look at www.findaproperty.com and www.upmystreet.com; for an idea of grocery prices, check out some of the supermarkets sites: www.tesco.com, www.ocado.com; on top of that you will have to pay council tax, water rates and the usual utilities.

How close to the city do you want to live (commuting time)?  Where is your hubby working?  Do you want your child (what age?) to go with a public (private) or state (public) school?  What sort of other help is your hubby's company giving to you (relocation agent, moving help, school fees, etc)?

The answers to these questions will probably help us help you!

Quote:
Have you considered moving to Utah?   




LOL

Hi, if your husband is working in Woking, I'd think it'd make more sense to live in Surrey(Guildford, Woking or surrounding towns.)  A commute from London would take 45 minutes or longer and add to the cost of living. 
Surrey is nice place to live-good schools, lots of open space, things to do, and still be able to get into London easily.  It's expensive, though probably not more than living in London. 

We just moved to Canary Wharf and two of us are currently living on 77,000.  We'll be reasonably comfortable on that, but we'll  save much less than anticipated.  The first year is full of one-time costs and (I'm hoping ) that next year will be less expensive.  Living outside of London can SIGNIFICANTLY reduce all living expenses, but it can mean a hellish commute into the city.  Before you decide on a place, make sure you try out the commute during both AM and PM rush hours.  Good Luck!

whats with Utah???

As I said my husband will be in woking. Our son is turning 6 and june. We were thinking a catholic primary but then again are very open. I think sticking to Surrey area sounds like a great idea. Thank you so much for all your help. I am starting to feel a little better about it all.

whats with Utah???

Check out this thread.... 

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=11508.0

Now I get Utah!

As I said my husband will be in woking. Our son is turning 6 and june. We were thinking a catholic primary but then again are very open. I think sticking to Surrey area sounds like a great idea. Thank you so much for all your help. I am starting to feel a little better about it all.

Catholic schools here can be state (public) schools and free of charge. My daughter goes to a Catholic High School--- she was guarenteed a place because we are Catholic and we don't have to pay anything.

Helena