Contracting is a lifestyle that suits the independent and adventurous very well, and others not at all.As a contractor you get the chance to make the most of travel and holiday specials, like the Euro star to Paris or Brussels at half price mid week.Most contractors plan a little break after each contract to have a bit of fun and explore the UK and Europe, going away anything up to 6-7 times a year - because they can!
Families intending on coming over need to do a lot of planning first to avoid added pressures.It is highly advisable for you to come out alone at first, and live cheaply in a hostel until you get your first contract. Then you can look for suitable accommodation for the family once you are more settled and have some money coming in.
FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
Food can be very cheap in the UK depending on how you shop.Major supermarkets like Tesco and Asda are the cheapest and there will almost always be one just around the corner from where ever you are living. A Tesco loaf of bread is 26p, 2 pints milk 64p, 1kg potatoes £1.04, and Granny Smith apples are just £1.26 per kg.Meat is expensive at £5 a kg or more so most people eat chicken or turkey at around £2 kg.
There is a growing movement towards Freeganism, people who seek to live off what others throw away, that in doing this they are having at least some impact on minimising waste.And boy, is the UK a throw away society.Okay, so not everyone is fond of the idea of rifling though a dumpster outside a major supermarket at night for your dinner or clothes, but it sure keeps the budget in check!Food products on their sell by date or simply over stock is dumped daily, and Freegans are not adverse to grabbing a couple of burger buns - still perfect in their wrapper, bottles of fresh milk, pre-pack dinners and jars of sauces.Clothes that have been shop soiled, board games and various other goodies are all there for the taking.Fareshare is a charity that works with retailers in an effort to redistribute unused food to needy people, and they estimate that a good quarter of food dumped is still useable.Not quite my idea of a free dinner, but for some...
Eating out is great fun, and if you keep your eyes open you will find plenty of curry dens, Chinese take-away and pizza spots where you can get a meal for around £3.50.A foray into London can produce the most tantalising places like Soho, China Town and some amazing little side alleyway eateries.Not all restaurants are expensive, so shop around.Burgers and Kentucky fried are not the only things to be sampled on a night out.
TRANSPORT
One of your biggest expenses, besides accommodation is going to be travel costs.Although getting from A to B is a doddle in the UK with the tube and trains and buses, it does eat into your stash of funds fast.Avoid travelling through zone 1 London City if you can and it will ease the burden, but it is not always possible.The compromise on travel costs to location is one everyone looks at when living in London.An Oyster card will make each journey cheaper when in London.But if you take numerous buses to get to your destination it may be better to get a day pass covering the zones you will travel though, allowing you unlimited travels on bus, train and tube on the one ticket. Weekly, season and annual tickets are also available at discounted rates.Bus services are really good, and if you miss the last train or tube home at midnight, there is always a pretty good night bus service that runs right up till around 5am in the mornings.
Avoid travelling on the tube before 9.30am if you can to get a cheaper fair, and if making a journey outside of London booking the ticket in advance by just a few days can provide some good savings as well.
Walking in the UK is one of the biggest forms of exercise and transport! Everyone here walks, to bus stops or stations, the corner shop or to work if it is close enough.It's very safe to walk about in the UK even at night and crime levels are minimal.Of course, you need to be aware and still take normal precautions, but on average there are no problems.Get used to the idea of taking a quick walk instead of jumping in your car as you do now. Cars in and around London are, in most cases, more of a problem than not.There is almost never a place to park the car, if there is the parking fee would cover your mortgage, let alone the fact the law here is very very strict about drink driving.Two pints in your local and everyone walks home, catches a bus or a cab.
An Idea of Average costs
Average Accommodation in London
Flat-Share Rental per monthBedsit and One Bedroom Flat Rental per month
Various forms of transport in and around London from cabs, riverboat, trams, cycle, tube and rail.
NB..DO NOT USE UNLICENCED MINI CABS OR TAXIS. ASSAULT CASES LINKED TO UNLICENSED CABS ARE ON THE INCREASE.
Illegal minicab drivers commit 10 sexual assaults each month. Don't become a statistic, know what you're getting into by always booking through a licensed private hire operator.
