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A Breakdown of Your Monthly Budget?
"The purchase price of your home, car, or any other property would be relevant if you were to include an indication to where you were geographically, and how you felt it was in relation to the rest of the region. If you were to include the type of work you do I would group those accordingly. If you are part of a two (or more) income residence, handle that however you wish but make a note of it so I can better tweak the dataset.
With a decent dataset made available I would be willing to do some statistical analysis and make the charts / compiled data available for download.
If you are not already doing a breakdown along these lines it may be an eye opener for your own use (but share it here to help make the dataset larger, more accurate.)"
didn't we cover this topic last week?
keep track of your finances with software and get the big picture.
spend less on the things you are spending too much on. stop paying for things you don't need (you need all those cable channels? all those cell phone services? do you need a cell at all? are you paying fees for a gold card you never use? do you buy stuff like coffee and snacks througout the day? that shit adds up.)
try and put away a fixed percentage of your income every month.
eat out less, or not at all. learn to cook.
don't buy CDs, download them or "burn and return". learn to play an instrument.
cut up all your credit cards except one. Put that one in a block of ice in the freezer for emergencies. don't shop online unless you have equivalent cash in your wallet.
if you go out with your friends and spend a lot of money every time, find new friends (you'll have to do it anyway, since most people don't understand and they'll take it personally when you say you want to save money instead of going out).
live below your means. you'd be surprised at home much money you can save if you cut out unneccisary crap. you might have to change your lifestyle though, can you handle it?
- Mortage = $2950/month on my $400k loan. House in Massachusetts, just refinanced late last year.
- Car #1: $400/month, 2000 Volvo XC.
- Car #2: $200/month, leased Honda Accord
- Cell Phones: $80, T-Mobile family plan
- Comcast (cable+internet): $120 (includes movie channel package)
- Regular phone: $65 (Verizon)
- Electric : $80ish
- Oil heat: about 4 fillups a year, $350/per.
- Going out to eat: $150/month
- Food shopping: no budgeted amount but I can tell you I spent $400 in two visits over the past couple of weeks
- Student loans: none. Paid off when we got ahead on cash.
- Investments: $200/month into an SP index fund. Used to be $600, I cut back.
That's about all I can think of to itemize. Of course the last big budget item would go under "misc living expenses" and includes everything like special circumstances, travel/holidays/vacations, gifts, and so on, and usuaully ends up over $1500/month.Nothing special going into the baby's college yet, save for UPromise (loyalty program), holiday/relative money, and random transfers.
No special money going to retirement outside of the company 401k for both my wife and myself.
I'm pleased to say that we manage to keep an emergency savings fund of about $40k in the bank, too.
Well, lets get the ball rolling:
Per month:
$50 cigarettes
$70 gas/car stuff
$20 eating out
$470 food/grocery store type stuff
$120 Credit Card minimum payments
$90 Girlfriend's credit card minimums
$100 electric
$750 mortgage
$13 cell phone (emergency only 5 minutes free a month plan)
$45 Telco, 2 land lines
$150 Satellite, Starband Internet + TV
$50 school loan
Car insurance is about $1100 between myself and my girlfriend paid yearly.
Household is self/girlfriend/6 year old son
So yeah, I'm barely scraping by on my $36,000 a year job as a programmer/analyst. Most extra money goes to paying off credit cards, or for lawyer's fees relating to custody of my son.
My girlfriend is looking for work, she majored in hearing and speech disorders in college. I did not finish college, but I went for 4 years in CS/CIS.
Yes, I'm considering cutting back the satellite seriously.
State: Missouri
Profession: Low rung IT (helpdesk/support)
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Monthly post taxes income = ~$1700
(All costs in half since I live with my girlfriend (have fun calling me a liar or my girlfriend fat, kids))
Rent (house, not purchasing) = $350
Bills (including car insurance, electricity, gas, water, trash, cable, etc.) = $300
Car payment = $80
Car insurance = $110
Credit card/loan payments = $240 (picking off the last $2000 in debt)
Food = $100
Gas (car) = $80
Total monthly living costs: $1260
Where the rest of the money goes is a mystery, because I sure don't have it. Some goes to drinking/going out, some to computer parts when I get the urge. Medical insurance is $10 for full coverage pretax out of my check if you're interested.
The idea is that you have a set of envelopes representing each budget category, then you allocate money to each category when you get paid. It's all pretty automated. The software is, unfortunately, somewhat rough around the edges sometimes, but it works (and is much better than Quicken/Mac). Support is great.
Also, you can find a budget categories calculator at http://www.crown.org/Tools/budgetguide.asp . While it is Christian-based, the categories are not really much different because of that. (Which, unfortunately, may say something about the kind of "Christianity" espoused.)
"He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere. " -- John Calvin, commenting on Genesis 1
Well now. Let's see here.
Currently, I work part-time in a damn BOWLOING ALLEY, because it's the only thing I could find right now. Anyway, I make about 400$/month after taxes. My wife makes about 1000$/month after taxes. Yep, we only net 1400$/month.
Anyway, the bills.
Rent: (2 bedroom apartment) 400$
Car: 275$
Car+Renter Insur.: 50$
Phone: Free (She works for the phone company)
1.5MBit SDSL: 9$ (See above)
Cable: 50$
Gas: 50$
Electricity: 75$
Food: 300$
Car2: 0$ (Repoed)
Credit Cards: 0$ (Closed due to nonpayment)
Misc: Everything that's left, about 200$.
Back in 2001, when I was last gainfully employed in my chosen field (IT) I was living it up. I made real good money, and spent it as fast as I got it. I had gotten used to an excessive lifestyle, got stupid. Digital cable + Satellite TV. Cable Modem AND DSL. A lot of money went out that I should of saved.
When the door closed on me, and I got laid off (I built an application and system monitoring system for 7500 servers, and when that was done, I was useless) it was a major shock to me. I had never thought that "it" would happen to me. That'd I'd be one of those unemployed people.
At first I turned my nose up at any job that paid less then 65k a year, now I'm in line for a possible tech support job that pays 15$/hr, and I'm willing, nay, HAPPY, if I actually get it.
Hell, I even decided to *gasp* go to college and get a degree or two and work on some certs.
I jumped on that Dot.Com wave and rode it like there was no tomorrow and no end. Chicago, Dallas, LA, Philly, I went where the money went.
Boy, do I ever regret it. I regret not going to college in the first place, and now here I am. Basically unemployed, preparing to file bankruptcy, 26, with a wealth of knowledge but no paper to prove it.
You live and learn though, I suppose.
And I'm waiting for the help desk job with bated breath. heh.
Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
...for the part where you suggested he steal stuff: Don't buy CDs, download them or "burn and return"
Yes, the RIAA is completely out-of-line in its attempts to abolish fair use, and treat all its customers as criminals. None-the-less, what you suggest is not fair use by any stretch of the imagination.
How about this suggestion instead: