Affordit guides
Affordability guides for real life decisions
Affordit helps you work out whether a purchase, bill, life event or monthly payment is realistic before you commit. These guides explain what to include, what to watch out for, and how to sense-check the numbers using your income, savings, regular costs and timeline.
Popular affordability checks
Buying and life decisions, organised around the costs people most often want to sense-check.
Can I afford a car?Work out whether the car itself, insurance, fuel, servicing, MOT, tax and finance payments fit around your monthly budget.Read guide Can I afford rent?Check whether rent, bills, council tax, deposits and upfront moving costs leave enough room for food, transport, savings and normal life.Read guide Can I afford to move out?Plan the real cost of leaving home, including deposit, first month's rent, furniture, bills, food, transport and an emergency buffer.Read guide Can I afford a house deposit?See whether your savings target, monthly contribution and timeline make a house deposit realistic without using every spare penny.Read guide Can I afford a house?Understand home affordability beyond the deposit, including mortgage payments, bills, insurance, maintenance, repairs and moving costs.Read guide Can I afford a wedding?Plan wedding costs around supplier deposits, final balances, guest count, contingency and monthly saving pressure.Read guide Can I afford a holiday?Check whether flights, accommodation, luggage, transfers, spending money, insurance and upfront payments are realistic before booking.Read guide Can I afford childcare?Understand how nursery fees, wraparound care, work patterns, household income and monthly costs affect affordability.Read guide Can I afford a loan?Estimate whether repayments fit your budget without leaving you stretched every month.Read guide Can I afford a renovation?Plan the real cost of home improvements, including materials, labour, contingency, staged payments and unexpected overruns.Read guide
Salary-based guides
Planning around income, regular costs and the trade-offs that shape what feels manageable.
Can I afford rent on £25,000?Check whether rent may be realistic on a £25,000 salary once bills, transport, upfront costs and emergency savings are included.Read guide Can I afford a car on £30,000?Understand how car payments, insurance, fuel, servicing and repairs may fit around a £30,000 salary.Read guide Can I afford to move out on £24,000?Plan whether moving out could work on £24,000, including rent, deposit, bills, furniture and setup costs.Read guide How much rent can I afford in the UK?Learn how to estimate affordable rent using take-home pay, bills, council tax, food, transport and savings buffer.Read guide How much car can I afford in the UK?Work out a realistic car budget beyond the monthly payment by including insurance, fuel, MOT, repairs and tax.Read guide
Understand your affordability score
Affordit does not just ask whether you have enough saved today. It looks at your target cost, current savings, monthly contribution, income, regular costs and timeline to estimate how realistic the plan feels.
How Affordit makes decisionsUnderstand how Affordit uses target cost, savings, income, regular costs, contribution and timeline to estimate pressure.Read guide Affordability questionsGet direct answers to common affordability questions about rent, cars, deposits, loans, childcare and monthly payments.Read guide
Ready to check your own numbers?
Use Affordit to create a simple plan based on your goal, income, savings, monthly contribution and timeline.
Start a planAffordability score
Understand what an Affordit score means, how it differs from a credit score and how to improve a route before committing.
Hidden costs
Extra costs people often forget when planning cars, rent, moving out, weddings, holidays, houses and renovations.
Hidden costs people forget before they commitThe advertised price is rarely the full cost. Rent, cars, holidays, weddings, renovations and moving home often come with extra costs that can change whether something is genuinely affordable.Read guide Hidden costs of buying a carA car can cost far more than the monthly payment or purchase price once insurance, fuel or charging, MOT, servicing, tyres, repairs, tax, parking and finance terms are included.Read guide Hidden costs of rentingRent is not just the monthly rent figure. Deposit, first month upfront, bills, council tax, broadband, contents insurance, furniture and moving costs can all change affordability.Read guide Hidden costs of moving outMoving out often costs more upfront than expected because deposit, first month rent, furniture, kitchen basics, bedding, moving costs and setup costs arrive close together.Read guide Hidden costs of a weddingWedding budgets can stretch when venue extras, service charges, alterations, supplier overtime, accommodation, decor and final balances are not planned early.Read guide Hidden costs of a holidayA holiday can cost more than flights and accommodation once luggage, transfers, travel insurance, spending money, activities, roaming, parking and post-holiday pressure are included.Read guide Hidden costs of buying a houseBuying a house involves more than the deposit. Solicitor fees, surveys, mortgage fees, removals, furniture, insurance, repairs, maintenance and emergency savings can all affect affordability.Read guide Hidden costs of renovationRenovation costs can rise quickly when materials, labour, waste removal, permits, temporary accommodation, delays, unexpected repairs and finishing costs are not included.Read guide
Before you commit
Practical checklists before renting, buying a car, taking car finance, booking a holiday, planning a wedding, borrowing or renovating.
Before you commitBefore committing to a major cost, check the full upfront cost, monthly pressure, hidden costs, timing and emergency buffer. A decision can look affordable at the start but become difficult once real-life costs are included.Read guide Before you rent your first flatBefore renting your first flat, check the deposit, first month rent, bills, council tax, transport, furniture, emergency buffer and questions to ask before signing.Read guide Before you buy a carBefore buying a car, check the purchase price, insurance quote, fuel or charging, MOT, servicing, repairs, finance terms if relevant and emergency buffer.Read guide Before you take out car financeBefore taking out car finance, check the deposit, monthly payment, agreement term, APR if visible, mileage limits, final balloon payment, early exit terms and monthly pressure.Read guide Before you book a holidayBefore booking a holiday, check flights, hotel, luggage, transfers, insurance, spending money, activities, payment deadlines and post-holiday budget pressure.Read guide Before you plan a wedding budgetBefore planning a wedding budget, check the total budget, deposits, supplier payment dates, guest count, venue extras, food, outfits, photography and contingency.Read guide Before you take out a loanBefore taking out a loan, check the repayment amount, repayment term, total commitment, current debts, monthly pressure, emergency buffer and what happens if income changes.Read guide Before you start a renovationBefore starting a renovation, check the budget, quotes, labour, materials, contingency, timescale, living disruption, staged payments and emergency buffer.Read guide
How much should I spend?
Budget guides for setting realistic spending limits without relying on rigid rules of thumb.
How much should I spend?How much you should spend depends on your income, regular costs, savings, timeline and how much pressure the commitment creates. A useful budget is one that still leaves room for bills, essentials, savings and unexpected costs.Read guide How much should I spend on rent?A useful rent budget leaves room for council tax, bills, food, transport, savings and an emergency buffer after rent is paid.Read guide How much should I spend on a car?A useful car budget includes the purchase price or payment plus insurance, fuel or charging, servicing, repairs, MOT, tyres and an emergency buffer.Read guide How much should I spend on a wedding?A useful wedding budget is one that matches your savings timeline, supplier payment dates and contingency without crowding out essentials.Read guide How much should I spend on a holiday?A useful holiday budget includes booking costs, travel extras, insurance, spending money and enough buffer so you are not short afterwards.Read guide How much should I spend on childcare?A useful childcare budget fits around household income, work patterns, rent or mortgage, bills, food, transport and savings without constant pressure.Read guide How much should I spend on renovation?A useful renovation budget includes materials, labour, waste removal, delays, finishing costs and a contingency so the project can absorb surprises.Read guide