If we keep the currencies the same, I know you mentioned earlier that £16k is about $20k, so we’re looking at about $7k difference over a year (I understand that car and health insurance are necessities, but that doesn’t work in this comparison because OP doesn’t have either so it shouldn’t be included)
That’s less than $600 a month difference – and one thing I can immediately point to is your electricity bill. It sounds like you have a family, whereas it seems like OP lived alone for that year. Speaking from experience (currently living alone also in London) my electricity bill is $67 a month, and my natural gas is $33. That’s $100, versus about $430 in your estimation (so we’re now missing $270).
I spend a fiver for my SIM card each month and have a cheap phone I paid like $100 for three years ago, so my phone plan is $6.75 vs your $168, which may be for multiple people as you said phones plural, so we’ve found another $161, bringing us down to $109 difference.
My water bill is $50, I don’t see yours but I am going to guesstimate at a three person household being maybe $80? Either way, I think the difference here is likely to be made by groceries and toiletries, because you’ve got a family!
My groceries/toiletries budget is around $470 a month. I could absolutely lower that to around $300 but work is killing me at the moment and I just need to spend more to make my life easier in the evenings.
So, looking at a monthly groceries/toiletries budget (combined) - is yours at least $570?
If we keep the currencies the same, I know you mentioned earlier that £16k is about $20k, so we’re looking at about $7k difference over a year (I understand that car and health insurance are necessities, but that doesn’t work in this comparison because OP doesn’t have either so it shouldn’t be included)
That’s less than $600 a month difference – and one thing I can immediately point to is your electricity bill. It sounds like you have a family, whereas it seems like OP lived alone for that year. Speaking from experience (currently living alone also in London) my electricity bill is $67 a month, and my natural gas is $33. That’s $100, versus about $430 in your estimation (so we’re now missing $270).
I spend a fiver for my SIM card each month and have a cheap phone I paid like $100 for three years ago, so my phone plan is $6.75 vs your $168, which may be for multiple people as you said phones plural, so we’ve found another $161, bringing us down to $109 difference.
My water bill is $50, I don’t see yours but I am going to guesstimate at a three person household being maybe $80? Either way, I think the difference here is likely to be made by groceries and toiletries, because you’ve got a family!
My groceries/toiletries budget is around $470 a month. I could absolutely lower that to around $300 but work is killing me at the moment and I just need to spend more to make my life easier in the evenings.
So, looking at a monthly groceries/toiletries budget (combined) - is yours at least $570?