On the Single Life in Manchester

Morning Ragers and Ragettes!!  Today is Good Friday so us people in Britain get 4 days off!   Fabulous!! 

So yesterday morning I struggled to get out of bed.  I managed to get up, have a hot shower and I decided (as I was made aware yesterday that the CEO, and I have a thing for men in power,  was coming in) to dress nicely.  So I opted for my red body con dress, I pulled my hair back and I dusted off the ultimate fashion weapon….nude peep toe heels.

Yes, nude peep toes.  These shoes are the best pair of shoes a woman can own. Honestly.  Especially if you are pale like I am.  You see, the tan peep toe shoe creates an illusion that you have long, statuesque legs.  As the colour blends in with your natural skin tone, this illusion creates one long block of colour and legs that look endless.  The problem with mine are that they are a bit awkward.  I usually wear stilettos but these have more of a block heel and they are my usual heel height (anything below 4 and a half inch heels I won’t consider….kitten heels?  That’s just disgusting!!) but something about them…I feel off balance.  So they haven’t been worn often.  I am determined to get them back into my life!!  If not I am going to have to buy some new ones with a stiletto heel.  And since I will be in a much better job I can afford….dare I say….Louboutins??????  We shall see!!

I have to say writing this blog has been an interesting experience for me.  I now have people reading this in the UK, USA, Holland, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Germany, Venezuela and now China!!   I guess that the people out in the world are interested in my little, crazy life. 

We see shows like Sex in the City that portray the life of a modern singleton.  And I have to say, it actually isn’t too far off, in my opinion.

I think that the fact that I live in one of the biggest cities in the UK makes the experience very unique.  You obviously have a bigger pool of young, professional people from all cultures and backgrounds which makes the whole experience very interesting.

Being from a small town, I think that my singleton experience would be profoundly different.  Everyone knows everyone’s business so I couldn’t get away with much but in the city, you have some anonymity which is pretty cool. 

I was discussing with the lovely Suzanne yesterday morning over our messaging service about the shoes I was rocking today and how when I collect my first paycheque from my new job in 6 weeks I want to purchase some rocking Ran Ban aviator sunglasses and Suzanne said you are truly living the single lifestyle!!

I sat back and thought about this.  She, like always, was totally spot on. 

Being single isn’t as bad as a lot of people think.  Yes there are some major drawbacks and believe it or not the financial drawbacks are the worst.

Hear me out on this!

The average wage in Manchester is £22,000 per year which means you’ll be bringing home about £1,400 per month, after tax.  The average rent for a flat in Manchester is £650 per month.  Add your bills on top of that, council tax (with single person’s discount you will pay roughly £80 per month), electricity/gas/water that’s a good £60 per month, that’s now half your paycheque gone!  You’ve got to eat and that’s about £160-£200 per month if you want to eat healthily.  Now if you live in the city centre and you work in the city centre, all you need are your trainers (gym shoes) and you can get most places in 20 minutes but if you need to work outside of the city centre in a surrounding area, we now tread into the dangerous world of public transport or cars. 

The average monthly ticket to take the tram is around £100 per month.  If you drive you have your insurance, your petrol and car maintenance.  Let’s put that at around £200 per month.  If you go to the gym, the average gym in Manchester costs say £40 per month. Kerching! 

That leaves you with pretty much no disposable income.  Now, if you were living in a flatmate situation or with a partner, cut your rent and bills in half.  Which according to the average, puts you £350 better off per month. 

Now after reading that you must be thinking well duh Betty, get a flatmate.  Move in with someone and have a room.  I have done this before and yes, it is cost effective but you lose your sense of independence.  I have had bad flatmate experiences.  I have shared accommodation with an alcoholic that almost burnt the place down after getting drunk and passing out with a cigarette in her hand, I shared with a kleptomaniac that would steal wine, food, sparkling water and hair products, I shared with a woman who got a puppy and then proceeded to go psycho.  She was into witchcraft and one night, I swear, I woke up with the feeling of something on top of me holding me down and I felt a stale warm breath on my cheek.  I woke up the next day with massive scratches on my chest (they weren’t from my hands because my hands were closed in fists and have drawn blood from my palms), she then attacked me by punching me in the eye.   I shared a flat with a girl that was an insomniac and used to blast music at stupid hours.  So yes, there is a sacrifice but independence is so important to me.  When I get into Rage Towers, my apartment is clean.  I can do what I want, bring home who I want, I can walk around naked if I want to. 

But the sense of you are not beheld to someone else in a way is quite liberating.  If I got a call from my job and they wanted me to relocate to Spain, New York, Italy, London or any place like that I can make the decision and go!  I have no children.  I am my own boss and that suits me fine.

And I can star fish myself on the bed and not have to worry if my partner drools, snores, farts, hogs the duvet, talks or kicks in the night.  And I don’t have to be self-conscious if I do the same!

No one to tell me off for my shoe, clothing or make-up purchases.  If I want to buy a pair of shoes, I will do it.  No hiding them in shame or giving the eternal phrase, “darling I assure you they were on sale!” or “these?  I have had them for years!!!” or “I got these at Primark, not at Selfrdiges!!” .  The only people that I have to justify this to is my bank and the credit card company.   It’s my money and I can spend it the way I want to.  I earned it.  Tough shit if you don’t like it.  So when I whine and bitch that I have no money at the end of the month it’s my fault and my fault alone.  No one elses!! (Pay day is in 7 days….have mercy!!)

So I have taken the decision that I have to leave my comfy corporate job to take a chance on Simon’s company.  I mean I will be getting a significantly bigger paycheque and that even with my commute down the M62 I will still be better off each month.  I will be so much more comfortable.  I have taken precautions and I am going to a financial advisor. So my shoe purchases may be limited but at least I will have the comfort and protection that I need for the future.  And I can enjoy single life again in this big city.  And with summer coming up I predict nights in Castlefield and Spinning Fields with a jug of Sangria, surrounded by good friends and many great memories.  

You see, the other great thing about being single is this is the opportunity to get to know yourself better.  I feel that where I have gone wrong in past relationships is that I went along with things instead of standing up for myself.  I am too nice sometimes.  I want to please people as best as I can.  The thought of letting someone down breaks my heart. But now I am standing up for myself.  I have the balls now to stand up and say, hey, fuck you.  I don’t have to put up with that!!!  It’s liberating!  Honestly!!!  Even at work when dealing with sales calls I slap them down.  It’s brilliant!

Now that I am comfortable with myself (my fashion, my style, my life) I know that I can attract the right type of man that I can be happy with and I think that I have attracted that man…

Anyway, until next time, most likely Monday as this is a bank holiday weekend, stay fabulous!!!

Lots of love

Betty Rage xxxxxxxx