700 bucks to your GF every month? Get a new gf, leecher = no good.
You can have buy 2 new Honda Civics for 700/month.
You can have buy 2 new Honda Civics for 700/month.
If I don't help her, she'd literally be in the negative. She actually earns less than her living expenses when school loans are factored in.
One word: Teacher. Teachers are a rare breed. She has a masters and isn't bringing home enough to live. It doesn't make sense.
She commited to teaching for a year though, and I respected her career decision, although financially it makes much more sense for her to resign and move in with me. I'm hoping she won't resign next year and will just move in with me, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
Go to grad school full time. I did that. You will barely keep your head above water as a salaried TA/RA. The typical pay for in-state students is $20K/year.
The earlier you go to grad school in your life, the sooner you will be making a larger salary. I would recommend that you if decide to get an M.S., you should plan to finish school no later than 26 so you can can have a chance with the undergrad chicks.
Berkeley is a great school, but you should check the other UCs. UCSD and UCLA are also outstanding for engineering.
mcvickj
Diamond Member
- Dec 13, 2001
- 4,602
- 0
- 76
Well helping her out is certaintly your decision but right here is your problem. This and the fact that you live in Califorina. Helping her with just the rent maybe. Why on earth are you paying for her CC debt? Cable TV? Internet? Both things that could be disconnected to save you some money. Does she have a cell?
Well, in a way, this is repayment. She supported me for as long as she could out of college as I was looking for work.
Better budgeting? If you make $60k and you're single, no children, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to afford a car in the $20k range.
I know the cost of living is much higher in Cali, but if you're apparently concerned with breaking even, you need to stop living above your means or learn to cut the fat from the things you don't need.
And, as already stated, you have a $700/mo burden that 99% of people don't have.
As fun as it is to be free with your money, there's a perfectly logical reason to be frugal even if you can afford not to be.
I know the cost of living is much higher in Cali, but if you're apparently concerned with breaking even, you need to stop living above your means or learn to cut the fat from the things you don't need.
And, as already stated, you have a $700/mo burden that 99% of people don't have.
As fun as it is to be free with your money, there's a perfectly logical reason to be frugal even if you can afford not to be.
You're single and make $60k and can't afford nice thing for yourself? You have some serious budgeting problem. I made the same amount of money and my rent is $1,600.00 a month and I have plenty left to buy junk for myself that I never use.
Time to get some financial counseling if you can't make it on $60k as a single person!
Time to get some financial counseling if you can't make it on $60k as a single person!
Those figures sound realistic to me, as figures for Dallas, Phoenix or Atlanta as well, at least as far as the rent goes. So its not just NY or Cali that costs $1250 a month. For all the Cali people on this board, you are not the only place that costs that much (I pay 1300 in ATL for a smaller one bedroom).
Of course, before everybody jumps on top of me, this is figures for Dallas' Uptown, Atlanta's Midtown/Buckhead, or Scottsdale in AZ..where a 20s professoinal would usually want to live, as far as entertainment, activites, etc and convenient to where a lot of engineering jobs are. 60K salary for a new engineering grad in those cities would be about average as well, if not toward the upper tier.
Also, $300-400/month for food, gas, and utilities sound about right. But clearly, your problem is the $700/month towards the girlfriend. Without that, your savings would grow, and you would be able to afford a new car. Most people tend to profit when they get married, as their living expenses get cut in half. I hope you are contributing enough for the full employer 401k match, and doing the Roth IRA as well.
Of course, before everybody jumps on top of me, this is figures for Dallas' Uptown, Atlanta's Midtown/Buckhead, or Scottsdale in AZ..where a 20s professoinal would usually want to live, as far as entertainment, activites, etc and convenient to where a lot of engineering jobs are. 60K salary for a new engineering grad in those cities would be about average as well, if not toward the upper tier.
Also, $300-400/month for food, gas, and utilities sound about right. But clearly, your problem is the $700/month towards the girlfriend. Without that, your savings would grow, and you would be able to afford a new car. Most people tend to profit when they get married, as their living expenses get cut in half. I hope you are contributing enough for the full employer 401k match, and doing the Roth IRA as well.
Toastedlightly
Diamond Member
- Aug 7, 2004
- 7,214
- 6
- 81
My seven person family made it on less than 50k a year (albeit in Minnesota) for 4 years. It is all about cutting the fat, differentiating between wants and needs.
HendrixFan
Diamond Member
- Oct 18, 2001
- 4,646
- 0
- 71
My take home is around $1900 a month, after medical and 401k and taxes. Thats just a little over half of what you have for take home. Rent for me is $300 a month, I split a three bedroom house with two roommates so my share is pretty cheap. I then have $1600 a month for everything else, not much less than you have at $2000. I pay $360 a month for my Camry, and I still have plenty of money left over for bills, fun and savings. The difference, as others have mentioned, is that I don't pay $700 a month to a gf.
Now, its not quite clear from your original post, but did you live with her and then move, but still are on the lease? I can see from your post that you are paying utilities, which Im sure you aren't signed on for like you would for a lease. You need to decide if she is worth paying $700 a month, especially since she did not move with you (yet). If she is, either hold off on expenses until that situation is cleared up, or hold off on savings.
Now, its not quite clear from your original post, but did you live with her and then move, but still are on the lease? I can see from your post that you are paying utilities, which Im sure you aren't signed on for like you would for a lease. You need to decide if she is worth paying $700 a month, especially since she did not move with you (yet). If she is, either hold off on expenses until that situation is cleared up, or hold off on savings.
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