Poll: Living expenses

[Chaotic42]

I need to predict my living expenses for when I get my own place again in August. The last time that I lived with a roomate, I made enough money that I wasn't worried about my budget.

I rent a room from my uncle for $150/mo and pay no utilities. Come August I will be out of here one way or the other. I currently make a paltry $11.96/hr and also get a 10% differential for working nights. I net about $800 every two weeks. I will, by my estimation, need a raise.

Here's what I predict my expenses will be:

Rent-$700
Power-$150
Gasoline-$200
Food-$350
Car Insurance-$100
Cable-$75
Phone-$25
Clothes-$100
Entertainment-$200

Total=$1900

These may seem extreme, but I want to live comfortably. I'm tired of being broke.

If you don't mind, please answer the questions in the poll. Round to the nearest dollar. If you don't spend anything, you don't really need to answer anything. My dad doesn't love me enough to pay for everything.

Spacibo.

 

[Akhen]

I dont spend muhc being a college student

I pay 650 for rent
about 30 bucks for power
none on gasoline
about 150 for food a month
none on car insurance
40 for both cable internet and full cable tv
none on phone
clothes about 40 bucks
entertainment practicaly none.

 

[gigapet]

Originally posted by: Akhen
I dont spend muhc being a college student

I pay 650 for rent
about 30 bucks for power
none on gasoline
about 150 for food a month
none on car insurance
40 for both cable internet and full cable tv
none on phone
clothes about 40 bucks
entertainment practicaly none.

you must be the man on campus or an extreme loser. I know what my money is on.

 

[shortylickens]

I notice you say you pay rent but dont have a poll for rent.
???
Mine is $525. 1100 square feet, my own garage, two patios, backyard of about 1000 sq feet.

EDIT: Did you want gas, water and garbage to be part of rent costs or power costs?

 

[SaturnX]

My cost breakdown right now:

Rent: $275
Internet: $34.95
Cell: $35
Food: $60-$80
Gas: $40
Entertainment: Varies from month to month

This is also in Canadian Dollars as well.

--Mark

 

[dullard]

1) Just about everyone here lies about what they spend on food. I don't know why, but they do. I think it is not on purpose, they simply are in denial. So don't trust your poll answers at all.

2) Create a spreadsheet with those categories (as well as a couple more for things like cleaning supplies, health, gifts, or even just misc purchases). For the next 6 months, enter every cent you spend into that spreadsheet. Then you'll know EXACTLY what you spend and how to budget yourself.

3) Learn from it. I did that myself for 2 years (not back-to-back). I learned many interesting things. For example, I thought I spent too much on gifts. But the numbers denied that. I was spending ~1% of my income on gifts. Even if I doubled the amount I gave, I still wouldn't notice it in my budget. I was a scrooge. I have since changed my ways. The opposite goes for food. Even though I rarely ate out and I ate lots of ramen, I still spend lots more for food than I expected. This relates back to #1 above.

 

[Leper Messiah]

breakdown right now of my expenses, granted I have a roomate and live in the ghetto...

Rent: $250, this includes heat and water
Power: $30
Internet: $30
Food/beer and other crap: $300 or so.

Don't have a car yet, but add another $300 a month for gas/insurance/car payment.

 

[Cutterhead]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
I notice you say you pay rent but dont have a poll for rent.
???
Mine is $525. 1100 square feet, my own garage, two patios, backyard of about 1000 sq feet.

I pay $825 per month for a 600 square foot studio apartment, no yard/garage/patios to speak of. Must be nice being in a low cost-of-living area. I had to move here for my job

And yes, please include a poll for rent.

 

[GT1999]

Rent: $600. 1000 sq ft, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, fireplace, garage, washer/dryer hookup.
Power/Heat/Water (one bill): $70-$120 - cheapest rate in the state of Illinois.
Cable/Internet: $80
Food/Alcohol: $250
Out to Eat: $75
Car Insurance: ~$100
Cell Phone: $50
Gas: $80 if only in-town.
Clothes: $20-$40
Group Health Insurance: $0. Work pays.

$1395/month. Net income after taxes is about $3000/month.

 

[Aves]

I spend too much apparently. I just paid off the CC for this month and it was just way too much.

 

[LanceM]

$300+/month on food? Yikes!

The way I've figured it (living a little under 2 hours north of Houston), I need to make no more than $1100 each month to live the way I'm happy living. And I doubt it'll ever come that close.

 

[monk3y]

Let's see...

Rent - $215 (I live in a 2 bedroom and share a room with my gf, the other room has a couple too )
Power - $35
Gasoline - $50
Food - $250
Cable - $30
Phone - $38
Clothes - $20
Entertainment - $300

I total ~ $950

 

[Supermercado]

Rent: $730 (includes water)
Power: hasn't been more than $50 in any of the 8-9 months I've lived here
Gas: 12-mile roundtrip to work 5 days a week, $25-$30 every 2 1/2 weeks, so about $40 or so per month
Food: usually about $200, maybe a touch more
Car/Renter's Insurance: ~$80 together
Cable/Internet: $85
Phone: family share plan with 4 lines, I pay 1/4 of about $90, no landline
Clothes: rarely
Entertainment: less than $50/month
Student loan: $85

Which brings the total to between $1300 and $1400/month. I don't live extravagantly, but it's plenty comfortable.

 

[SilentZero]

Rent: $0
Power: $0
Gas: $80
Food: $500
Car Payments: $520
Cable/Internet: $120
Phone: $50
Clothes: $800 annually per person (wife spends more)
Entertainment: $150+
Tuition/loans (grad school) for wife and myself: $3,500 per month

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: dullard
1) Just about everyone here lies about what they spend on food. I don't know why, but they do. I think it is not on purpose, they simply are in denial. So don't trust your poll answers at all.

2) Create a spreadsheet with those categories (as well as a couple more for things like cleaning supplies, health, gifts, or even just misc purchases). For the next 6 months, enter every cent you spend into that spreadsheet. Then you'll know EXACTLY what you spend and how to budget yourself.

I've been tracking every penny for the last three years or so. Food costs about $350/person*month. About $125/month for dining out including lunch at work, snacks, plus dinners out. About $225/month for groceries including food and household supplies.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: LanceM
$300+/month on food? Yikes!

Its really quite normal for people to spend $300+ per month on food.

The cheapest you could possibly survive would be say 5 meals of Ramen noodles a day and drink only water. That'll be $0.11*5*30/month = $16.50 a month.

Or what if you upgrade to Kraft Macaroni and cheese and drink only water. Two boxes a day + cost of milk and butter that you have to add. So $0.75*2*30 = $45/month. It is interesting that 5% of voters so far fit into this category.

Or what if you have a typical American diet. Breakfast at home for $1. One fast food meal for lunch, $5. Eat out for dinner, $10. Go to a bar on occasion or have a few beers a week: $2/day average. Replace the beer money with coffee if you wish. Now you are at $540/month per person.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: ironwing
I've been tracking every penny for the last three years or so. Food costs about $350/person*month. About $125/month for dining out including lunch at work, snacks, plus dinners out. About $225/month for groceries including food and household supplies.

That is pretty close to what I did. But I shop at the cheapest grocery store and make that ~$150/month for groceries. For example, it is amazing that people pay $5+ for a 24 pack of pop at Walmart ($6+ at a high end grocery store) when I get the same exact thing at $3.50-$4.50 at an inexpensive grocery store.

 

[GT1999]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: ironwing
I've been tracking every penny for the last three years or so. Food costs about $350/person*month. About $125/month for dining out including lunch at work, snacks, plus dinners out. About $225/month for groceries including food and household supplies.

That is pretty close to what I did. But I shop at the cheapest grocery store and make that ~$150/month for groceries. For example, it is amazing that people pay $5+ for a 24 pack of pop at Walmart ($6+ at a high end grocery store) when I get the same exact thing at $3.50-$4.50 at an inexpensive grocery store.

Is it generic, though? I'm not a fan of ALDI, and I can honestly taste the difference.

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: ironwing
I've been tracking every penny for the last three years or so. Food costs about $350/person*month. About $125/month for dining out including lunch at work, snacks, plus dinners out. About $225/month for groceries including food and household supplies.

That is pretty close to what I did. But I shop at the cheapest grocery store and make that ~$150/month for groceries. For example, it is amazing that people pay $5+ for a 24 pack of pop at Walmart ($6+ at a high end grocery store) when I get the same exact thing at $3.50-$4.50 at an inexpensive grocery store.

We cook almost everything from scratch and don't buy much in the way of prepared foods. We do buy lots of juices, meat, nuts, and veggies which cost a bit. Neither of us drinks alcohol and that really reduces the price of eating out.

 

[tfinch2]

I can tell you right now, if you spend 100 a month on clothes you must be metrosexual

 

[NiteWulf]

Is it just me or is $100/month on clothes WAY too much? I haven't bought clothing in probably 3 months, and that was socks.

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: NiteWulf
Is it just me or is $100/month on clothes WAY too much? I haven't bought clothing in probably 3 months, and that was socks.

That does seem high. $42/person*month here. Shoes are the killer.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Geekish Thoughts
Is it generic, though? I'm not a fan of ALDI, and I can honestly taste the difference.

No, I'm talking of Coke/Pepsi 24 packs. Super Saver grocery chain is where I shop. I detest generic pop (except Best Choice Wild Cherry, but that is really off topic).

 

[EngenZerO]

rent - 1275 (1 bedroom apartment)
electric - 35
gas - 100
water - 20
food - 200
car insurance - 150
cable and tv - 125
clothes - 150+ (i shop for two new shirts a month)
entertainment - 300+ (includes bar tabs, gamefly, easynews, dvd and video game purchases)

 

[GT1999]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: Geekish Thoughts
Is it generic, though? I'm not a fan of ALDI, and I can honestly taste the difference.

No, I'm talking of Coke/Pepsi 24 packs. Super Saver grocery chain.

That sounds like Shop n' Save around here. I go there for most stuff, Walmart for others, and for specialty items like steaks, cheeses, or deli things I go to a high-end store because nobody else carries it where it tastes good.