More advice please

Right so as your probably aware i'm leaving the cushty life of the army for pastures new. I'm looking at renting (as im contracting at the mo so not sure where i'll settle) in Reading and am after some advice on budgeting really.

I'm going to pay myself about £2500 a month (have access to more if essential) so how much would you guys recommend i spend a month on rent and do any of you have a rough idea how much bills will be a month (i know it varies but just after a rough idea). I have a car and obv. the bike so am currently looking at £750 PCM max on properties with off road parking, here's a quick breakdown of what i've guessed for budgeting:

Salary = 2500 minus......
Rent = 750
Current outgoings (loan, car/bike insurance etc) = 600 (over estimate to allow for an increase in my insurance premiums)
Bills = 200 (total guess)
Council tax = 150 (again complete guess)
Food = 200

SPENDING MONEY = 600

pm sent 8-)

Ian mate, Reading's a complete hole! Surely there are better places to live? Maybe dictated by work... I'd be more inclined to try and find a place with a garage if you want to retain possession of your bike - far too easy to steal if it's parked in the open :'( :'(

Im based in Bracknell at the mo but will pick up a new contract in London mate. I was contemplating Slough (no chance) and Farnborough but being a young lad i kinda want to be in the thick of it. I'm looking at garage/secure parking options first and at worst off road parking

well bills for our 1 bed house rented were for water and electric total was around 2-300 but that was for 2 people a quarter. Food sounds about right for one person but id put extra by for takeaways for the days you cant be bothered to cook lol you will also need to put by for the phone line and bill, tv license, sky if u get that, internet to talk to us lot. Thats probably going to be about 100 i would guess. Then you need to put by money for petrol too.

If only life was that simple
ive never seen a month be the same as the next.
in the real world best thing to do is keep as much as you can back. for those unexpected bills.

saying you have 600 spending means you have about 300 the extra little bits will claw away at that.

good luck but your planning wont work lifes never that simple

Try and rent a place with a garage. It will keep your bike insurance down if it is kept in one. If you can get a place close to work (cut down on fuel bills/walk to work/parking charges). If you rent and have an extra room you always have the option of renting out your spare room.

Cheers buddy, i'm looking at a few places on Sat. I could probably get a place a lot cheaper outside Reading but being a young social-lite i want to be in the thick of it. I'd definately prefer a garage but they're very few and far between it would seem so offstreet parking is my next best option (preferably somewhere i can put a ground anchor)

Or have you thought about one of those metal lockups you can buy??
Some have a Thatcham rating as well, so this will help with insurance and such, others than that a ground anchour and chain with thatcham rating as well will help.