If $1000 is going to debt, then that's not really a crazy amount of money to spend. Especially living in the DC area. You're effectively spending $1500 on living expenses? Not terribly out of whack for a single person. The fact that you have 1k to drop on debt every month is awesome. Lots of people aren't able to do that.
It's all about perspective and what we are accustomed to with living expenses. Just imagine if you had other expenses like significant others, or pets.
I recently realized that I spend about $135/month on my three cats when it comes to pet insurance, cat food, and litter. I could probably cut out the insurance, but I'm on a contract for a year.
If $1000 is going to debt, then that's not really a crazy amount of money to spend. Especially living in the DC area. You're effectively spending $1500 on living expenses? Not terribly out of whack for a single person. The fact that you have 1k to drop on debt every month is awesome. Lots of people aren't able to do that.
No, $2500 is just my budget for existing, the $1000 for debt (and savings in the future) is separate.
If I had $2500 a month, I'd be living like a king.
Ah, I remember being 19 and thinking that if I could just clear $200/week I'd be set for life.
Now my take home pay is $3700 per month, and that's about doubled by my wife's income. We have a minivan and a sub-compact, a small (1600 sq ft) house in a lower middle class neighborhood, and cable TV. I can't afford to fix the broken plumbing in the house, replace the drafty windows, and when our boiler's fire box rusted to pieces we had to borrow money to replace it...
It's really easy to paint yourself into a corner if you're not innately good with money or your parents didn't instill it in you (my parents instilled the opposite and it's been a long uphill battle.)
If $1000 is going to debt, then that's not really a crazy amount of money to spend. Especially living in the DC area. You're effectively spending $1500 on living expenses? Not terribly out of whack for a single person. The fact that you have 1k to drop on debt every month is awesome. Lots of people aren't able to do that.
No, $2500 is just my budget for existing, the $1000 for debt (and savings in the future) is separate.
If $1000 is going to debt, then that's not really a crazy amount of money to spend. Especially living in the DC area. You're effectively spending $1500 on living expenses? Not terribly out of whack for a single person. The fact that you have 1k to drop on debt every month is awesome. Lots of people aren't able to do that.
No, $2500 is just my budget for existing, the $1000 for debt (and savings in the future) is separate.
...I hate you. Also, good job.
My mortgage payment is $2K every month (including escrowed taxes and insurance), and it's not that much house. It's a dump, actually. Cost of living in DC/Connecticut is massive.
What do you spend your money on in an average month?
Aside from rent and utilities, I spend my monthly money on (roughly):
~$400 - Groceries ~$350 - Nice dinners ~$200 - Lunch every workday ~$140 - Internet and phone ~$100 - Transportation ~$80 - General shopping (clothes, games, etc...)
That's basically it. I don't buy stuff that often. The "general shopping" is an average, but I only buy things I need when I need them. I do buy everything I want immediately when I want it, but that is a very small number of large transactions (flights to a con, laptop, etc...).
So that's the sum of a fairly extravagant lifestyle. The vast majority of my non-rent money goes into food.
Muppet, George is a young, single bachelor with no family to support. There is a slight difference in your circumstances. But yeah, the COL in the DC area is a bit ridiculous. One of the reasons I don't want to ever live there. The other reason is driving in DC. Because fuck that.
Muppet, George is a young, single bachelor with no family to support. There is a slight difference in your circumstances. But yeah, the COL in the DC area is a bit ridiculous. One of the reasons I don't want to ever live there. The other reason is driving in DC. Because fuck that.
Well, there is that. My teen needs orthodonture and we are SO screwed...
I was always under the impression that orthodontic work was covered under most insurances. Not so. You can usually do some sort of pay plan, I forget what it's called. I was considering it to switch over to InvisiLine instead of these stupid permanent retainers.
Those are considered high tier services and most insurances pay 50% at most and the patient is responsible for the rest.
I love my dental plan and the fact I don't need those high tier services. I have $4k/year dental plan and I haven't used any of it. I really need to go in for a cleaning, but I don't want to! WAAAAAA. I also pay $20/month for it.
Well I mean it is and it isn't. I was doing CS but I don't exactly have a knack for coding nor the patience to do so. I changed it to Sociology because I think its interesting but she just decided that its a horrible idea and basically that she's ashamed of me for it "I'm paraphrasing" and now I don't know what the fuck to do.
Comments
I recently realized that I spend about $135/month on my three cats when it comes to pet insurance, cat food, and litter. I could probably cut out the insurance, but I'm on a contract for a year.
Now my take home pay is $3700 per month, and that's about doubled by my wife's income. We have a minivan and a sub-compact, a small (1600 sq ft) house in a lower middle class neighborhood, and cable TV. I can't afford to fix the broken plumbing in the house, replace the drafty windows, and when our boiler's fire box rusted to pieces we had to borrow money to replace it...
It's really easy to paint yourself into a corner if you're not innately good with money or your parents didn't instill it in you (my parents instilled the opposite and it's been a long uphill battle.)
I love my dental plan and the fact I don't need those high tier services. I have $4k/year dental plan and I haven't used any of it. I really need to go in for a cleaning, but I don't want to! WAAAAAA. I also pay $20/month for it.
/love Govt. Employee Insurance.
My insurance here at my present employer was much better when I started than it is now, but I suspect that's the case for most in the US.
"My well-being works like this: I'm satisfied with my life, therefore I'm rich."