Dr Kiran Morjaria is a junior doctor training to be a GP. We asked him what the most surprising changes were when he started training, and his response was the additional outgoings he hadn’t planned for.
Becoming an F1 doctor is a very exciting time. For most people, including myself, you suddenly have more money than you’ve ever had before. But what I didn’t realise is that my expenses would increase too.
Out of nowhere, it felt like I was paying for things I didn’t even knew existed. So, here is a list of the things that caught me by surprise, including my biggest outlays.
What to expect
My biggest expense was my rent, followed by my car, which included petrol, insurance and maintenance. This was closely followed by my bills.
My biggest bill was council tax. I didn’t realise this would be such a big bill until the council wanted hundreds of pounds from me each month because I was no longer a student. On top of that, I had to pay for water, internet and electricity.
Then I had my GMC fees, indemnity fees, Spotify subscription, YouTube Premium subscription, socialising, food costs and my addiction to takeaway delivery apps.
To sum up, here is a list of my expenses:
- Rent
- Car payments
- Car fuel
- Car insurance
- Car maintenance bills
- Household bills (including water, internet and electricity)
- Food costs
- Socialising with friends
- Takeaways
- GMC fees
- Indemnity fees
- Subscription services (such as Spotify and YouTube)
You can see how easily the costs add up. It really does highlight the importance of budgeting to ensure your salary can meet your lifestyle.
If you would like to find out more about financially preparing for the working world, download The Next Step’s FY1 Survival Guide now.