Expenses as an adult
A breakdown of all the things that adults have to (and choose to) pay for
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What you have to pay for and how much will depend on a few things – for example, who you live with and where you live. Generally, an independent adult can expect to have the expenses outlined below.
Housing
Rent or mortgage for a flat or house, which are usually paid every month.
(A mortgage is the loan you have from a bank to buy a house.)
Bills
Bills are usually paid every month. They include:
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water
- Council tax*
- Internet
- Phone
- Insurance – e.g. for your home and possessions.
*Council tax is a payment for local services. Students living in an all-student household do not have to pay this! People living alone get a 25% discount and households where someone is a full-time student may get a discount.
General essential living costs
- Food
- Toiletries, medicines
- Household items
- Clothing
Transport and/or car
- Public transport
- Costs of owning a car
- Petrol/electricity
- Road tax (renewed each year)
- MOT (each year)
- Insurance (renewed each year)
- Repairs and maintenance
Other regular payments
These may be essential or non-essential.
- Subscriptions – e.g. entertainment, gym membership
- TV license (only needed if watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer)
- Prescriptions (if applicable)
Other costs
These will vary from person to person. They aren’t ‘essential’ in the same way as rent or bills, but are living expenses.
- Takeaways, coffees and eating out
- Socialising
- Leisure activities and hobbies
- Trips and holidays
- Gifts
- Non-essential household items (e.g. decor)
- Books, magazines etc
- Money for family, if applicable
- Study costs, such as books or equipment
Annual or less regular payments
- Dentist
- Household items – e.g. kitchen appliances
- Tech items – e.g. new phone
- Emergencies – e.g. lost phone, a repair
Image credits
Header image: Ling App
Maria Ziegler
Jakub Zerdzicki
Gemma C
Mitchell Johnson
Alexandra Tran
Harris Vo
Andre Tassin