New research from Aviva reveals that people who live alone are typically spending almost £1,250 a month on fixed costs alone, before they think about any discretionary or ‘fun’ spend. The study of 2,100 UK adults reveals that people who are single or living alone are more exposed to rising costs because they shoulder household bills alone. According to the research, people who live alone spend on average a little over £630 a month on essential costs, such as food/ groceries, transport, council tax and utility bills. These fixed costs account for most of the spending before any housing costs are considered.
When rent or mortgage payments are added, monthly spending for single adults rises sharply to an average of £1,100 per person. And once other fixed (but often overlooked) costs, such as broadband and mobile phone bills, insurance and subscriptions are included, the total monthly spend rises to almost £1250 a month on average - that’s before any spend on socialising, holidays or hobbies.
The data helps explain why many people living alone feel financially exposed. More than half (58%) of single adults say they are not confident they could cope with an unexpected but necessary bill of £850, such as a car repair or boiler breakdown, compared to about a quarter (23%) of the UK adult population as a whole .
Their savings behaviour helps explain that vulnerability. More than a third (37%) of adults who live alone say they do not save anything at all on a regular basis.
Of those adults who are saving and live alone, just over four in ten (42%) contribute to a Cash ISA and just over one in five (21%) use a Stocks and Shares ISA. Over a half (53%) of people who live alone say they have never used their full annual ISA allowance.
When asked what they would do with an extra £100 a month, the highest proportion (20%) say they would put it into a regular savings account, while 15% would boost their emergency fund and a further 14% would use it to pay down debt, suggesting caution rather than confidence.
Alistair McQueen, Head of Savings and Retirement at Aviva, said: “When you live alone, you shoulder the responsibility for every bill that hits the doormat. Our research shows that more than £1,250 a month is already committed for many single people, and nearly six in ten don’t feel confident they could cope with an £850 emergency bill. That helps explain why saving can feel so hard. However, even small, regular amounts set aside can still make a meaningful difference to people’s confidence and financial resilience over time. Our data shows that people living alone don’t necessarily spend much more on essentials than others do – but they also don’t benefit from sharing costs either. That gap is what makes saving more difficult and it’s harder to bear the cost of any financial shocks.”
Some practical steps people who live alone could take to strengthen their finances, even when budgets are tight:
Build an emergency buffer: Aim for a realistic and accessible safety net to help cover unexpected costs, before focusing on longer term savings goals.
Automate savings: Treat saving like a bill. By setting up regular, automated transfers straight from your monthly salary, you can save before money is spent elsewhere.
Cut costs, not quality of life: Review broadband, mobile phone subscription and streaming services regularly to help save money without affecting day to day enjoyment.
Use tax-efficient savings where possible: ISAs can help savings grow without extra tax, even if contributions are small and irregular at first.
Lean on advice and support: Free, impartial guidance and budgeting tools like MoneyHelper, Budget Planner and Citizens Advice can help people living alone stay on track and feel more in control of their money.
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