A woman has said that she pays around £11,000 more a year in her monthly expenses than if she had a partner in the ‘single tax’.
Amy Kibblewhite paid £375,000 for her one bedroom flat in Chigwell Essex in 2025, and when she moved in she found that her living costs ended up increasing much higher than she had anticipated.
She estimates that she spends around £22,800 on her mortgage each year, as well as £4,800 on travel, food, and entertainment.
“When you move out, you kind of just think of your mortgage or your rent as the main thing you’re going to have to pay, but everything else drastically adds up,” said Amy.
“Whether it’s service charge, council tax, water, electricity, gas. I was just looking at my mortgage payment thinking, I could do that. But I didn’t work out what my bills were or anything else.”
Prior to getting her own place Amy had lived with her mum, paying a lower rent rate while she saved up to buy her own place, including setting up an automatic savings transfer on her payday which would send the money directly over.
But despite this financial responsibility and being savvy with her money, Amy found that it was a shock when she was looking after her own flat.
Amy saved up for her flat while living with her mum (SWNS)
And she has said that on top of not being able to split monthly expenses, she also finds that a lot of special offers are targeted towards couples or families as well.
“Subscriptions, things like Netflix, Spotify, Amazon, you can pay for one per household, not per person. Gym memberships can normally give you a couple’s discount, things like two-for-one deals on cocktails,” she said.
“It would make a difference if the council tax discount was 50%, but everything still swamps that. Every little helps though.”
Amy says that she has to be careful with her money, including taking packed lunches to work, cutting out some subscriptions, and hosting friends at her flat rather than going out.
“I have had to massively up-skill myself,” she said. “I didn’t even know how gas and electric bills worked before. Fixed, variable, energy price cap, all of it. Obviously you have to do that on your own if you’re living alone.”
At present, Amy said that her mortgage is £1,350 a month, and she is concerned that this could go up due to interest rates rising before her next renewal, which is in April.
She also warns that people should try to have an emergency fund as ‘you just don’t know what could happen’, such as having to fork out for expenses like plumbers and locksmiths.
“I’ve been living on my own for a year and only now do I feel like I’m on top of everything,” she said. “It was so overwhelming.
Amy says that her bills are higher as she can’t split them with a partner (SWNS)
“At the moment, even paying bills and a mortgage etc. in a couple is probably difficult. Everyone is struggling.
“Speaking to other people is so important to help you feel like you’re not alone.”
As for her precise monthly expenses, these include £1,900 on her mortgage and bills, £160 on travel, £40 on subscriptions, and £200 on her food shop.
Despite the financial difference, Amy has said that she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to get into a relationship just for financial reasons.
“I definitely wouldn’t say you should get into a relationship if it’s to do with money,” she said. “Being single for the last two years has really allowed me to focus on my career, and that’s meant I can pay these things by myself.
“This is something to be proud of. It’s made me grow in so many different ways, in terms of being more independent, better with money, and able to enjoy my own company.
“Ultimately I’m not paying to be alone. I’m paying to build a life that I love and I don’t think you can put a price on that.”
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