No, really. I am in the middle of finding myself (unexpectedly) independent within the next year, and I am scrambling to figure out exactly what I should expect to find myself paying for. I am lucky to be working in the dorms at my school as an RA, and to have some of my tuition paid for. My mom currently lets me use her minivan from month to month, and is kind enough to pay insurance on it (about $70 a month or so with me as the primary). I spend about $120 a month in food, not a heavy drinker, not a clubber.
I am graduating this next year with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, and probably going to law school directly afterwards (all the premonitions of horrible stress be damned,
). I would like to work as a graduate assistant in the dorms at whichever school I attend, but it is my understanding that most schools don't let people work their first year. So I'm looking at the full cost for the first year (*shrug* Maybe $20,000 total, if I get into an affordable school.), plus tuition for every year thereafter.
My total list of new costs to eventually be paying for:
car (payments?, maintenance, gas)
insurance
cell phone (this is a luxury, although depending on the cost of land-line service in the apt. I get next, this may be a better choice)
apartment
food
tuition
some miscellaneous spending money
If I really wanted to cut costs, I could just take a diet of eggs in the morning and ramen for lunch and dinner, that would literally leave me with a food bill of less than $25 a month - this, of course, would be a last resort.
I would like to pay for as much of my tuition as possible; I hate having debt, and the thought of taking out $70,000 creeps me out.
I should also throw in there - I always shop store brands; the thought of paying for brand names really does not occur to me. I buy in bulk whenever I can, but there are times where that is detrimental for a single guy - I can't eat enough of the stuff before it goes stale or spoils. I do need to start shopping at dollar stores - not enough of them in my area (University District of Seattle).
Another big difficulty is that I don't have a regular monthly income right now. I go to school full time and I get my board paid for each month. I get some money from my dad and the rest I have in savings from high school. I also do some research from time to time with one of my professors, I am getting about $1000 for the next month from that, but that's not a regular amt. of income.
I want to get a job, but having the RA position makes it difficult - I am on call one week a month (evenings only during the week, 24 hours during the weekend), and most jobs are not that flexible with their scheduling.
Does anyone have any ideas for a young man starting out completely on his own for the first time?
I am graduating this next year with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, and probably going to law school directly afterwards (all the premonitions of horrible stress be damned,
). I would like to work as a graduate assistant in the dorms at whichever school I attend, but it is my understanding that most schools don't let people work their first year. So I'm looking at the full cost for the first year (*shrug* Maybe $20,000 total, if I get into an affordable school.), plus tuition for every year thereafter. My total list of new costs to eventually be paying for:
car (payments?, maintenance, gas)
insurance
cell phone (this is a luxury, although depending on the cost of land-line service in the apt. I get next, this may be a better choice)
apartment
food
tuition
some miscellaneous spending money
If I really wanted to cut costs, I could just take a diet of eggs in the morning and ramen for lunch and dinner, that would literally leave me with a food bill of less than $25 a month - this, of course, would be a last resort.
I would like to pay for as much of my tuition as possible; I hate having debt, and the thought of taking out $70,000 creeps me out.
I should also throw in there - I always shop store brands; the thought of paying for brand names really does not occur to me. I buy in bulk whenever I can, but there are times where that is detrimental for a single guy - I can't eat enough of the stuff before it goes stale or spoils. I do need to start shopping at dollar stores - not enough of them in my area (University District of Seattle).
Another big difficulty is that I don't have a regular monthly income right now. I go to school full time and I get my board paid for each month. I get some money from my dad and the rest I have in savings from high school. I also do some research from time to time with one of my professors, I am getting about $1000 for the next month from that, but that's not a regular amt. of income.
I want to get a job, but having the RA position makes it difficult - I am on call one week a month (evenings only during the week, 24 hours during the weekend), and most jobs are not that flexible with their scheduling.
Does anyone have any ideas for a young man starting out completely on his own for the first time?
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