Hey i'm joanne im 18 and have an 11 month old called Jessica Louise i'm currently living with my mum but want to move out! i am going back to college in september to do a two year course in business studies i live in southport and the average rent for a 2 bedroom house here is about £600 i know that the housing benefit pay up to £500 a month i just wanted to know if i was to move out and rent a house would i be able to afford it? and then when i have finished college and return to work would i still be able to afford it? iam on £140 a week at the moment from child benefit/ tax and income support!
i just want to be nosy and see what everyone else is doing weather they are living with parents or on their own?
thanks in advance girlies!
xxx

Hey Jojo.

I live on my own with Harry n its really hard work but it'd be worse if i didn't work part time too.

I get most of my rent paid for and a bit of my council tax, but obviously none of the bills.

I have to be really really anal about not having any lights on if i don't need to and things like sharing harry's bath or only washing up once a day. And the heating won't be on at all if i can help it. we also don't buy a lot of branded foods other than things like sausages etc. when i want good food for harry.

What with all of that and food bills it does mount up to quite a lot so i don't have internet or phone line or anything like sky yet until i settle in more and can work out truely what i've got and not got.

Also i have a big board in my kitchen with a calendar and a list of monthly bills and the days they go out on. They get ticked off as they are paid.

If i were you - so long as you've got a roof over your head and your daughter is happy, i'd do your best to stick where you are for as long as possible. Likelihood is that you're going to have to have full credit checks and guarentors on the property which all cost a shed load. And thats even before you start! Then you got furniture and food and starter bills, and all that bloody paperwork! Then nurseries or childminders which are a pain in the **** to sort out (though you will get it paid for by the government - did you know?).

Its brilliant to be able to get out and be independant etc but you lose a lot of things aswell. Freedom (you won't believe how much you have now compaired to when you move out!) the support network right next to you all the time (theres one thing to phone, but another to have your mammy right there when you need her), ability to have a wee on your own without worrying what LO is up to!

Lots and lots of good luck though! It is worth it really. Its nice to sit down at the end of the day and hear nothing at all. Xxxxx

heya whalemummy!
that is real great advice everyone else i ask they always seem to glam it up and talk about how they love having their own space and being independant but i'd really like to have my own space and be independant but enjoy it to and have the money to treat me and my daughter to a few luxuries now and again!
i think i would definately be better holding out for a council property in a nice area with a view to buy in the future!
xx

Hey hun,

I would say its worth moving out if you really want to. Im sorry to contradict the other advice but there are options out there for you. There is a government scheme that will pay your childcare if you are in education - so you wouldnt have to worry about those costs!! This is the website... It says you can get £160 per week childcare.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/14To19/MoneyToLearn/Caretolearn/DG_066971

You could approach the local housing associations in your area - they are often much quicker than council houses!!

I think that you would be ok if you moved into a house! You could realistically in your area find a house for around £550! I live with my partner now but before I lived on my own and my bills only came to around an extra £40 a month - and then food shopping around another £30 a week! So I you would still have about £100 for yourself and your LO a week - which I think is more than enough!!
xx

It is great living away from home. I did it with my fiance, without a kid, we were both working full time jobs, we never had money to treat ourselves, a was always borrowing money off my mum to pay bills or just to buy food! The stress eventually lead to me breaking down and moving out!
We have sorted things out now but am going to live with my mum for the foreseeable future as its really expensive for any type of housing in my area.

If you really want to then i suggest working out what money you would be getting coming in, then work out all your bills and also any bills that may come out of nowhere and see realistically how much you have left. Make sure you know all the costs of what you will be paying out! Think really hard though because you might be safer to save money while with your mum and then in a few months or so move and know you will be better off with your LO.

Just my opinion hunny xx

Don't get me wrong, babe, its brilliant having my own space, the independance, my house my rules etc, but it doesn't half get lonely sometimes.

It does take a lot of working out. Going to college is a fantastic idea though. Brilliant. The Care to learn scheme is fantastic - i used it last year so i could go back one day a week and Harry loves nursery now. ( though its costing me 155 a month to keep him there for the one day!).

If you're mum is happy for you to stay, baby is happy and healthy and you have no worries about having to move out, then why do it?

It'd only make life a lot harder in the long run, and also, you won't see jessica while you're at college so why lose anymore cuddle time by spending the rest of it working your ass off to pay the bills?

I say cuddles are FAR more exciting and better than overexerting yourself with life all at once! xxx

hey girls thanks for the advice!
i do enjoy living at home but the seems to be more cons than pros these days, me and my mum are just arguing all the time over silly little things! i already pay her £80 a week keep, and out of the £60 i have left i have to buy all my toileteries and jessica's nappies, milk etc and im also supposed to be trying to save so that when i do eventually move out i will be able to decorate! so i dont think i would be much worse off if i was to move out money wise?! apart from the emotional side of things, like being lonely. i just dont have a clue what to do, but i supposed i can just apply to my council and housing asociations and go and have a look at some properties there's no harm in that!
x

hey girls thanks for the advice!
i do enjoy living at home but the seems to be more cons than pros these days, me and my mum are just arguing all the time over silly little things! i already pay her £80 a week keep, and out of the £60 i have left i have to buy all my toileteries and jessica's nappies, milk etc and im also supposed to be trying to save so that when i do eventually move out i will be able to decorate! so i dont think i would be much worse off if i was to move out money wise?! apart from the emotional side of things, like being lonely. i just dont have a clue what to do, but i supposed i can just apply to my council and housing asociations and go and have a look at some properties there's no harm in that!
x

Hi just to let you know that its not always as easy as applying and getting somewhere. If your mum says she is happy to have you and there is room its unlikely they will pay for you to have your own place. I had to move out a live on my own 2 weeks before my daughter was due becasue there was no room at my parents. i had to pay £50 a week out of my money towards the rent and then all bilss aswell (like water,electric,gas,tv) so tbh i think for £80 a week isnt bad. If you really want to move out you could do the free childcare for training and then work 16 hours a week, so you still get some benefits but a bit of extra money?