Thank you for your response. It appears to live comfortably in London in at least a 2bedroom in East London or Kent will require monthly income of between 4000-5000k after tax. More realistic when both husband and wife are working full time.

mimilyrics:
Getting housing in London is quite the sport now. Be ready to go for multiple viewings with as many as 10-50 people viewing the same property. If you have 6-12 months upfront payment, it helps (if you don't have an existing UK tenancy or 6 months payslips for reference checks).
Typical rent for a 3 bed is anything from £1300 - 2000 and above. Someone close to me just got a 3-bedroom house for £1,300 in the SE postcode area after a 7-month search filled with multiple viewings and rejections. 6 months' rent paid upfront. If you have a place to stay while trying to sort yourself, please take that option until you can sort yourselves out.
Groceries and utilities are dependent on your usage and eating patterns and food types. Children tend to eat a lot - my lil one is in your kids' age brackets and she is almost always hungry. For my family, we do a mix of African and Western meals - African (pap and akara, pounded yam, amala, wheat, oatmeal, semo, eba/garri with nigerian soups) on 2-3 days a week; sometimes once. For the African food staples, we buy once in 2-3 months and spend an average of £30-50, for the soups, we cook in bulk, dish in plastic food bowls and freeze - the cost is usually dependent on what goes into it - a bag of £5 tripes, 2 bags of chicken/2 frozen whole chickens, two £2.50 bags of gizzard, a £5 bag of beef, a £5 bag of fish can be used for 2-3 soups (vegetables, okro, pepper stew). These soups last 2-3 months before we run through them. We've cooked 6 months worth of soup at some point.
Other meal types - mash and pie, shepherd's pie, full english, toast and butter, pasta, yam and eggs, potatoes and eggs/sauce, bread and eggs, cereal and the like.
The average spend on groceries over a 3 month period is circa £250-300. Buying in bulk helps and also know where to get the best of an item at great prices helps eg. Aldi's juices, snacks, milk, bread and some other items are cheaper than Morrisons, Iceland, M&S, Sainsburys and almost better in some cases; you can also get some great items at the pound shops - Poundland, Sam 99 etc. Categorise your shopping and know what quality you are after and where to get them at the best prices. Some store brands are more value than some popular brands. If you have a blue light card, don't hesitate to use it where possible.

Re utilities, Depending on your usage and on if you opt for DD instead of PayG, you might be looking at anything from £140-200.
Your husband's estimated take home will be around £3,605 and how much is left is dependent on how much your monthly rent is since that will take a huge chunk of the pay.
NOTE: The £60,000 salary might not come as soon as expected so better to get accommodation that's in line with current income/savings.

Hope this won't take more than 200 pounds per month.

Zahra29:


Does the hubby already have a job offer?

In addition to the detailed advice others have provided, just wanted to add in transport costs, which are significantly higher in London. Train, tram, tubes to uni, work etc can easily add up to a few hundred a month depending on the travel zones.

DeeOneBangin:


Was this after brexit?

yeah

bankylan:
Thank you for your response. It appears to live comfortably in London in at least a 2bedroom in East London or Kent will require monthly income of between 4000-5000k after tax. More realistic when both husband and wife are working full time.

Not exactly, it depends on your lifestyle, Since you mentioned kent, you might be able to get a 2 bedroom between 800 -1,200 month, there are lots of new build apartment with great epc rating around strood, rochester, chatham areas going for between 1000 - 1300 and they are about 35 mins train ride to central london. Also there are lots of good grammar schools there. Based off the food estimation mimilyrics posted earlier, you should be able to live decently with that income (your major determinant would be where you rent).

bankylan:
Hope this won't take more than 200 pounds per month.

If they need to attend work and uni in person, then travel costs will most likely start from £200 per person per month. Exact costs will depend on how far they have to travel.

Note that travel is one of the biggest cost considerations in the south east after housing.

Travelling between Zone 6 and 2 daily costs £9.60 and between Zone 6 and Zone 1 costs around £14. Using this as a base, you'll be spending If going to the office or commuting a long distance will be a given, you can buy the travel card/season tickets which are available for weekly, monthly and annual purchase on your Oyster card.
Annual travel card from Zone 6-1 is (Annual - £2812, monthly - £270), Zone 6 -2 is (Annual - £1924, Monthly - £184.80), Zone 7-2 (Annual - £1996, Monthly - £191.70), Zone 7-1 (Annual - £3060, Monthly - £293). To estimate your travel costs, visit
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/
https://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/travelcard.htm
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/season-tickets.aspx
https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/new-fares
The further from central London, the more expensive. Getting from Dartford/Rochester/Chatham is more expensive than travelling from Woolwich/Abbeywood/West Ham to Peckham/White Chapel/Southwark/London Bridge etc.

bankylan:
Hope this won't take more than 200 pounds per month.

Santa2:


Not exactly, it depends on your lifestyle, Since you mentioned kent, you might be able to get a 2 bedroom between 800 -1,200 month, there are lots of new build apartment with great epc rating around strood, rochester, chatham areas going for between 1000 - 1300 and they are about 35 mins train ride to central london. Also there are lots of good grammar schools there. Based off the food estimation mimilyrics posted earlier, you should be able to live decently with that income (your major determinant would be where you rent).

This depends on where their uni and work is based though. Living further out to save on rent can easily become a false economy if it causes their commuting costs to increase significantly, and they could end up with an equivalent or higher overall financial expenditure

Away from problems and worries......can we catch the brighter side of life in this UK once again??


Biko someone should share a vacation story or a recent achievement here.

Meanwhile....I enjoy watching border patrol whenever NHS donates some part of my 5 year hustle to me .... those Australian and New Zealand border guys no dey play o. USA is hard on food scrutiny.

UK appears to be quite lax on immigration checks.. I was shocked no one talked to me from Gate 5. I felt funny.


Has anyone toured the whole shengen countries here? I dey reason am

TheGuyFromHR:


If you want something reliable, but boring, try Vauxhall.
Or you can do what many Nigerians do by carrying over their groupthink here and buying Hondas and Toyotas.
Affordable is a relative term, only you know what you can afford.
Lastly, give Peugeot a chance.

You're very right. Buying a car is one of the most subjective and emotional decisions someone (especially a Nigerian) can make. There's no right answer especially in a Country like this. In Nigeria, it's easier, we all know that our Technicians have learnt to repair Toyotas so most people just play it safe and go for them. Here, the spectrum is wider!

Solumtoya:


You're very right. Buying a car is one of the most subjective and emotional decisions someone (especially a Nigerian) can make. There's no right answer especially in a Country like this. In Nigeria, it's easier, we all know that our Technicians have learnt to repair Toyotas so most people just play it safe and go for them. Here, the spectrum is wider!

Ford Focus is a smart ride to start with too. Especially if you can drive a manual transmission.

lightnlife:
Hiya!

Biko, how long does it take for one's credit card details to reflect on the credit report?

It's almost two months since I got Amex card and I've been using it but nothing has been reported on my credit file.

Meanwhile, I'm only able to see my credit report on Clearscore. Experian and CreditKarma didn't produce any data for me. Thanks

It could take a few months but hope uou have other records outside AMEX? Like Electoral Register, Utility bills direct debits, Bank Accounts, etc

Zahra29:


This depends on where their uni and work is based though. Living further out to save on rent can easily become a false economy if it causes their commuting costs to increase significantly, and they could end up with an equivalent or higher overall financial expenditure

True..lots of components go into the mix

https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/jEDIDAcKK3?XL=MNANS

The reason why people use AMEX are many: I use it for the points and the ease of application at the time, so if you're trying to start building your credit profile, you can use my link.

For the credit score, it's quite interesting. In fact, once you apply and get a Credit card, for instance, your score will most likely drop initially because of the Credit check that will be done, etc. So, DON'T APPLY MANY TIMES for Credit facilities within a short period cos your score will take a big hit!

Overall, be patient with your score, don't expect a fantastic score within months of entering the UK, for instance.

There's been a lot of buzz here about Stock and Crypto trading.

Hope we're aware of the risks sha. Because grown men cry with these. I invest in them but, like Credit Card, will give a stern warning whenever I see folks trying to dive in. You could literally lose all your money if you are not very cautious.

An easier way to do it will be to use ETFs and Index Funds. That way your risks are spread out. You won't double your funds in a month, but you might get a more stable portfolio.

Maybe some day I will write a long expose on them but in the meantime, Youtube is your friend.

One more thing, please forgive my too much talk.

Please open a Lifetime ISA, and fund it with at least £1. Do it now and I will try and explain.

CONS: You can't take your money out of it without a 25% penalty unless you're retiring or paying for your first home or leaving the Country permanently, I think

PROS: Government gives you a 25% bonus up to £4,000 contribution. So if a Husband and wife put £4k each in March, they get £2k. If they put another £4k each in May (which is a new year), they get another £2k. So, in a space of few months, they just got £4,000 that they can use for their first home or retirement. Depending on your provider, you might even get more interests outside the 25%.

Now, why I say you should open it NOW: You can't use funds from your LISA for your first home if the account has not been active for up to 1 year. So if you wait and start your LISA few months before your house purchase, you can't use the funds cos it won't be up to a year.

You don't risk so much, which is why I said put £1 or more and don't wait till you "haff balance" so the 1 year starts counting. Secondly, even if you change your mind and want your money back, the 25% penalty is almost the same 25% the Government gave you, remember? Of course it's more (Mathematics).

Folks don't think of this until they finally start earning well and want to buy a house soon, but it's already late if they want the house in less than a year

mimilyrics:
Getting housing in London is quite the sport now. Be ready to go for multiple viewings with as many as 10-50 people viewing the same property. If you have 6-12 months upfront payment, it helps (if you don't have an existing UK tenancy or 6 months payslips for reference checks).
Typical rent for a 3 bed is anything from £1300 - 2000 and above. Someone close to me just got a 3-bedroom house for £1,300 in the SE postcode area after a 7-month search filled with multiple viewings and rejections. 6 months' rent paid upfront. If you have a place to stay while trying to sort yourself, please take that option until you can sort yourselves out.
Groceries and utilities are dependent on your usage and eating patterns and food types. Children tend to eat a lot - my lil one is in your kids' age brackets and she is almost always hungry. For my family, we do a mix of African and Western meals - African (pap and akara, pounded yam, amala, wheat, oatmeal, semo, eba/garri with nigerian soups) on 2-3 days a week; sometimes once. For the African food staples, we buy once in 2-3 months and spend an average of £30-50, for the soups, we cook in bulk, dish in plastic food bowls and freeze - the cost is usually dependent on what goes into it - a bag of £5 tripes, 2 bags of chicken/2 frozen whole chickens, two £2.50 bags of gizzard, a £5 bag of beef, a £5 bag of fish can be used for 2-3 soups (vegetables, okro, pepper stew). These soups last 2-3 months before we run through them. We've cooked 6 months worth of soup at some point.
Other meal types - mash and pie, shepherd's pie, full english, toast and butter, pasta, yam and eggs, potatoes and eggs/sauce, bread and eggs, cereal and the like.
The average spend on groceries over a 3 month period is circa £250-300. Buying in bulk helps and also know where to get the best of an item at great prices helps eg. Aldi's juices, snacks, milk, bread and some other items are cheaper than Morrisons, Iceland, M&S, Sainsburys and almost better in some cases; you can also get some great items at the pound shops - Poundland, Sam 99 etc. Categorise your shopping and know what quality you are after and where to get them at the best prices. Some store brands are more value than some popular brands. If you have a blue light card, don't hesitate to use it where possible.

Re utilities, Depending on your usage and on if you opt for DD instead of PayG, you might be looking at anything from £140-200.
Your husband's estimated take home will be around £3,605 and how much is left is dependent on how much your monthly rent is since that will take a huge chunk of the pay.
NOTE: The £60,000 salary might not come as soon as expected so better to get accommodation that's in line with current income/savings.

Bless you. Lovely when people open up for the sake of others. This info will help many

Solumtoya:
Folks don't think of this until they finally start earning well and want to buy a house soon, but it's already late if they want the house in less than a year

I'd PM you sir/ma...need to understand better.

bankylan:
Thank you for your response. It appears to live comfortably in London in at least a 2bedroom in East London or Kent will require monthly income of between 4000-5000k after tax. More realistic when both husband and wife are working full time.

Not really, I have colleagues who earn about £55k as a family and live in London. Just that one has to budget about £1,500 to £2,000 optimistically on rent and another say £1500 on other bills frugally. Any family earning over £3k can survive in London but they might struggle without savings.

Again, there's no reason why you can't live in other more affordable nearby Cities and work/study in London.

rinzylee:


I'd PM you sir/ma...need to understand better.

Sorry jare, I might not easily respond to PM because of the email address used, but you can post here and I and some Gurus will be sure to respond

Hate to be a carrier of bad news but Council Taxes might go up with the upcoming budget

Solumtoya:


Sorry jare, I might not easily respond to PM because of the email address used, but you can post here and I and some Gurus will be sure to respond

Alright....Reading up the stuff on UK.GOV. if I meet any confusing thing, I'd buzz you.

Can folks above 40 years open a LISA account?

Solumtoya:
One more thing, please forgive my too much talk.

Please open a Lifetime ISA, and fund it with at least £1. Do it now and I will try and explain.

CONS: You can't take your money out of it without a 25% penalty unless you're retiring or paying for your first home or leaving the Country permanently, I think

PROS: Government gives you a 25% bonus up to £4,000 contribution. So if a Husband and wife put £4k each in March, they get £2k. If they put another £4k each in May (which is a new year), they get another £2k. So, in a space of few months, they just got £4,000 that they can use for their first home or retirement. Depending on your provider, you might even get more interests outside the 25%.

Now, why I say you should open it NOW: You can't use funds from your LISA for your first home if the account has not been active for up to 1 year. So if you wait and start your LISA few months before your house purchase, you can't use the funds cos it won't be up to a year.

You don't risk so much, which is why I said put £1 or more and don't wait till you "haff balance" so the 1 year starts counting. Secondly, even if you change your mind and want your money back, the 25% penalty is almost the same 25% the Government gave you, remember? Of course it's more (Mathematics).

bigtt76:
Can folks above 40 years open a LISA account?

Unfortunately, no, which is another reason for folks below 40 to open it, cos you can still make contributions till 50, but can't open after 40.

You can open other ISAs though

Solumtoya:


Unfortunately, no, which is another reason for folks below 40 to open it, cos you can still make contributions till 50, but can't open after 40.

Which app is the easiest to open and start it?

hustla:


Which app is the easiest to open and start it?

Moneybox.

These are neither sponsored nor Financial Advice but based on experience.

Solumtoya:


Moneybox.

These are neither sponsored nor Financial Advice but based on experience.

Seconded, I use moneybox and its pretty smooth.

bigtt76:
Can folks above 40 years open a LISA account?

No. You can still open other ISAs though and earn Tax-free interest too. There are some that can even give you unguaranteed double digit returns with higher flexibility of accessibility of your funds than LISA

Solumtoya:
Folks don't think of this until they finally start earning well and want to buy a house soon, but it's already late if they want the house in less than a year

Its good you are reminding those that have not opened......weldone

Solumtoya:


Moneybox.

These are neither sponsored nor Financial Advice but based on experience.

moneybox is good

£200 every week direct debit is what I do ......

So there are Ghanaians in my workplace and the annoying thing is they all want to compare their country with Nigeria at every opportunity. Its annoying. They'll be the first one to tell me about Nigerians that lost their kids or are in the country illegally...just to gloat. It's really pissing me off. Whenever they do comparison, I just tell them Nigeria has 36 states so what part of Nigeria are you referring to?

And the most annoying thing is Nigerians at my workplace are so dominated and defeated, they don't even argue, they just accept it.

pheranmie:
Good morning my japa members, my japa journey i most confess has been full of up and down and each time I I feel so Disappointed and discouraged on why did I come here but I can say here is better even though it’s has not been easy. Getting here we had issue of accommodation even up til now me,my wife and the new born baby has stay in a room and manage with an Kenyan woman and paying £700 while we have little access to stuffs cause of too much compliant each time we wanna cook she complains of of bill here and there and so we have to cook once a day despite the fact that my wife is breastfeeding though I will be ungrateful if I did not appreciate the fact that she took us in most especially when the social worker was on us and was about to collect our baby because we were staying at travel Logde before the arrival of the child.The situation got more worse when I discovered the home office has made a mistake in the condition of my brp with the present conditions stating no work no engaging in business and I have reported since last month and notin is forthcoming.
Please anyone that can help as regarding

Accommodation (not asking for free) but sometin more better.my wife schools at University of hertfordshire so if I can get sometin within but I won’t mind if it’s far as well as my present place is far as well so I won’t mind and if I can get someone to help on that issue of getting a cash in hand job and any means getting my brp fix I will Still appreciate it .

Thanks in anticipation

I heard this story at work today
That the man has children and a new born while staying in the hotel. Heard social workers took the children, may God shine his light on you