I Exchanged City Life for the Scottish Highlands and Cut Costs by £500 a Month

About a decade back, when I turned 45, I relocated to the West Highlands of Scotland to reside with the individual who is currently my spouse. This relocation was partially because of the overwhelming madness cost of renting a house in Manchester – after my son had left the nest long ago, and since I work from home as a freelance writer and editor, there was no need for me to reside within commuting range of a large city.

I was aware that I would cut costs, but I hadn't anticipated reducing my expenditures so drastically on meals, clothing, and miscellaneous purchases. It turns out that residing 15 miles away from the closest stores, sandwiched between a large lake and a woodland, fosters frugality—since, naturally, there aren't many chances to splurge, splurge, splurge.

Actually, as stated by Scotland.org, the cost of living here can be up to 34 percent lower compared to London, whereas most Scottish cities (excluding expensive Edinburgh) tend to be about 10 percent more affordable than elsewhere in the UK. The monthly cost of living in Scotland is thought to be approximately £342 less than in England on average.

Roughly speaking, I manage to save about NZD 900 each month compared to my previous urban lifestyle. True, I'm not paying rent now, but looking at the nearby real estate listings indicates that comparable two-bedroom homes like our separate cottage range from NZD 270k to NZD 360k. For reference, back in Chorlton—a green neighbourhood within Greater Manchester—an equivalent two-bedroom terraced house was valued at NZD 728k.

In 2024, average house prices in Scotland were £112k cheaper than in England. And we get free prescriptions, too.

Next up is shopping. During my visits to the stores in Manchester, it felt like an overwhelming feast of choices and allurements.

A few years back, there was this little shop downtown named Oyster. The proprietors had an excellent notion: hosting "shopping nights" where they'd offer guests tiny bottles of bubbly. Picture my utter mortification when I found myself nursing a hangover only to discover a floor-length fishnet skirt in shocking pink dangling from my closet door, accompanied by a receipt showing £75 spent. Even at times when I managed not to be so reckless, places like Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, TK Maxx, Waterstones were still hard to resist. Not to mention the colossal Boots—everyone knows you can't step into that store without dropping at least £40.

At the stores here, shopping feels more like a wartime effort. I might drop by the hardware store for dog treats, the produce stall for apples, and the seafood joint for prawns. Despite craving fresh outfits and books every day, everything I need is fulfilled at the Community Charity Shop, where you can find jewelry for just 50 pence and shoes for £2.

Now, I much rather enjoy sifting through treasures in the £1 section than stressing over mental arithmetic in the Selfridges fitting rooms ("if I skip meals for two weeks and avoid future vacations, perhaps I could charge the remainder on my credit card...").

Now, I can bag a new wardrobe for £20, and gather a stack of newish hardbacks for £1 each.

We do have a small local supermarket , but shopping there is fun, and I skip about like Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter , having little chats with the shopkeepers. Not only is it life-enhancing, it works out much cheaper as I’m less likely to chuck random ice cream and wine into my charmingly old-fashioned wicker basket. Sometimes, I even take a list and tick things off.

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I've also cut down on another urban expenditure: the exorbitant transportation costs. Within the city, I avoided driving and depended instead on trams, trains, Ubers, and buses, accumulating expenses totaling several hundred dollars each month. For instance, taking the tram to visit a friend might cost around an affordable £5, but getting back with a taxi could range from £18 to £26, regardless of my destination within the city limits.

In my current location, there isn't any public transportation at all. Recently, I gave a ride to a woman who hadn't realized there were no buses running and risked missing her ferry. The only nearby taxi service won't come out to our place, plus it takes about 50 minutes to reach the closest train station, where you'll find hens pecking around the platform and just two daily services available. So, for getting anywhere, walking or driving is what we do. This way, we avoid spending money on fares and ensure someone can get behind the wheel whenever needed. isn’t drinking – so we also save money meant for alcohol.

On a broader level, we seldom take vacations because the place we call home is incredibly picturesque, making it difficult to feel compelled to explore elsewhere. Staying local might mean heading over to the close-by rugged West Coast for a getaway, or spending an afternoon replanting tomatoes in our spacious garden. In times past, if I sought some respite, I would jet off to places like Majorca or Paris using my credit card. Nowadays, though, I find myself pondering whether it’s warm enough to enjoy sitting outdoors with just a cardigan on.

Meeting new folks has been quite challenging, yet enrolling in a nearby yoga session allowed me to connect with women around my age. After forming those initial bonds, making friends through their connections became straightforward as well. Engaging actively within the local scene seems key—previously, I organized a trivia evening at the village hall, and now, I’m looking forward to participating in the neighborhood book club at the library.

Certainly, residing here comes with financial challenges. According to studies conducted by the Scottish Government, folks like me in isolated rural areas of Scotland face expenses that can be up to 30 percent higher compared to other parts of the UK.

It’s accurate that there’s no one locally who can install a smart meter for us. If we didn’t own an electric vehicle, we would be spending a lot more money on gasoline. I understand that living in such a secluded place might not appeal to everybody—I feel quite fortunate as I no longer need to reside in the city with all its complexities. spending opportunities .

So then, where does all the saved money end up? Mostly, it goes towards returning to the city periodically. However, nowadays, I refrain from having champagne before heading out for clothing shopping.