Monthly Expenses

[sky73]

I'm constantly pondering my monthly expenses and trying to figure out ways to cut corners & save a little money. This is a list of what I currently spend a month on average:

Rent: 700.00
Utilities: Included in rent :)
Cell Phone: 40.00
Gas: 80.00
Food: 90.00
Credit Card: 100.00
Misc. 50.00
________

Total: 1,060.00


Here are some ways I've been able to save money: no regular phone service (cell phone only), no cable (which means no TV at all), no internet and no monthly car payments - yet.

What does everyone else have to spend a month and how do you cut back?


:nigel:

[SeaSiren]

Do you have med insurance or med/dental expenses, car insurance, cable tv or satallite, car payment, car mainanence, savings, etc?

Your food bill is really low, how are you able to do it? :surprised

[MollyCat]

I've had to cut back considerably this past year. I switched to really slow dial up internet service, got rid of my cell phone (land line is $26.00 a month and cell was $30.00 a month), got rid of caller ID and call answer and bought a $20.00 answering machine, sold my house back in Ontario to save on paying property taxes and house insurance and I send more emails instead of making long distance phone calls. I moved to a place where the utilities and cable tv are included and I plan my grocery list ahead of time so I don't impulse buy. Overall, I've saved between $240.00 and $260.00 a month which I'm putting toward my line of credit. It's not easy to cut back on all the extras that you're used to having but it feels good to know that I'm making some progress in paying down my debt. Hopefully, in the spring, I can get a new 'previously owned' car. :)

[sky73]

Do you have med insurance or med/dental expenses, car insurance, cable tv or satallite, car payment, car mainanence, savings, etc?

Your food bill is really low, how are you able to do it? :surprised

I have health insurance, thank God. So, that money is automatically taken out of my paycheck. I don't have cable tv, satalitte or car payments. I have a little bit of savings and I do add to that when I can. Unforunately, I do have car "issues" that pop up from time to time. I wouldn't say that I have to put money into my car on a monthly basis, but it may come down to that since it's an old car with high mileage.

As far as food is concerned, I'm very frugual and I have an added advantage. My job pays for my lunch everyday. Unfortunately, the trade-off is that I don't have a lunch break AND I am repsonsible for getting everyone's lunch orders and picking them up. :evil: Granted, if I ate better, I would probably have a higher food bill. :p Typically, I have toast & coffee for breakfast (coffee & toast is free at work too), free lunch and something simple like soup for dinner.

[remilard]

Rent: 295
Utilities (cable, internet, phone, electric): approx 75
Food: 150
entertainment: 100

the rest of my expenses are quarterly (I'm a student, financial aid is pretty much flush with tuition and fees)
books: 300
health insurance: 227
bus pass: 100

[qetta]

Your food bill is really low, how are you able to do it? :surprised

I was wondering the same thing!

[sky73]

I've had to cut back considerably this past year. I switched to really slow dial up internet service, got rid of my cell phone (land line is $26.00 a month and cell was $30.00 a month), got rid of caller ID and call answer and bought a $20.00 answering machine, sold my house back in Ontario to save on paying property taxes and house insurance and I send more emails instead of making long distance phone calls. I moved to a place where the utilities and cable tv are included and I plan my grocery list ahead of time so I don't impulse buy. Overall, I've saved between $240.00 and $260.00 a month which I'm putting toward my line of credit. It's not easy to cut back on all the extras that you're used to having but it feels good to know that I'm making some progress in paying down my debt. Hopefully, in the spring, I can get a new 'previously owned' car. :)

Sounds like you've made some excellent changes in your budget. :rockon:

[MollyCat]

Sounds like you've made some excellent changes in your budget. :rockon:

Thanks! My next goal is to give up cigarettes in the new year and save even more. :smoke: <<< Thank goodness for the smoking emoticon. It may be the only cigarette I get to have. :(

[bluegrrrl79]

I just got an apartment at the begining of the month :) I've been keeping a short list of expenses, not gas and stuff but for the month so far(mind you this is my half that I share with a roommate):

Rent: 487.75
Electric: 5.93
Grocery: I spent a LOT on the origional shopping trip to stock up on things, but after that the weekly grocery trips have been 26.03-37.00. This may change as time goes on since it seems to be getting less each time I go.
Landline Phone: 9.68
Cell phone: 20.00

[VeggieFaery]

Wow are you all single.I feel very un-frugal

rent:675
utlities:155
Cable and internet:100
cell:100
car payment:270
insurance on 2 cars:180
food:450
gas:400-500
phone:60

[qetta]

Wow are you all single.I feel very un-frugal

I am especially feeling un-frugal, because I'm not even sure what all my expenses are. But I bet I could definitely use some help in cutting them back!!

[beonka]

WOW! I cannot believe you only spend $90 a month on food. Do you live alone? Does that include eating out? I have a lot more monthly expenses than you do, but we are a family of three. Does you food include cleaning supplies and personal care products or is that the misc? I'm just curious :)

We are military so we don't pay rent or utilities, but they cut back on our pay because we live in military housing.

Cable and internet together $84.29
Phone (home only - unlimited long distance) $65.00
Car payment $315.14
Insurance $99.27
lots of credit cards $400
groceries $300
vitamins/personal care/cleaning $130

We need some financial advice!! I'm embarrased at the amount of debt we have and how much we spend on food. My husband eats a lot, but he is skinny!

[sky73]

Wow are you all single.I feel very un-frugal



Yup. Money is one of the major downfalls when you're single :( At the rate I'm going, I'm not sure how I can afford car payments (when my car bites the dust) and being able to make a down payment on a house is mind boggling.
:dizzy: I am currently looking for a roommate, which would help to lower my rent. Unfortunately, I live just outside an area where $900 per month is typical for a ONE BEDROOM APT. In my town, most one bedrooms are between 550-700.

[VeggieFaery]

My husband eats a lot, but he is skinny!


HaHa.Why is it the skinny ones pack in so much food.My Bf is the same way.I swear he eats more than me and the kids combined!

[sky73]

WOW! I cannot believe you only spend $90 a month on food.


See post #4 about my food situation. :D The misc. includes personal items too. My cleaning supplies typically last a good 6 months. I only eat out a couple of times a month and that's usually for breakfast w/ friends at $10 a meal max.

[VeggieFaery]

I moved out of a town that was that expensive to live in.Our first place was a dump of one Bd,700 a month and i ended up sueing the landlord.Major major slumlord.

[beonka]

wow, veggiefaery, you spend $400-500 on gas? is that supposed to be $40-50?

I probably spend $30 a month on gas. I forgot to add that to my list.

[MollyCat]

WOW! I cannot believe you only spend $90 a month on food. Do you live alone? Does that include eating out? I have a lot more monthly expenses than you do, but we are a family of three. Does you food include cleaning supplies and personal care products or is that the misc? I'm just curious :)

We are military so we don't pay rent or utilities, but they cut back on our pay because we live in military housing.

Cable and internet together $84.29
Phone (home only - unlimited long distance) $65.00
Car payment $315.14
Insurance $99.27
lots of credit cards $400
groceries $300
vitamins/personal care/cleaning $130

We need some financial advice!! I'm embarrased at the amount of debt we have and how much we spend on food. My husband eats a lot, but he is skinny!

$300.00 a month for groceries for a family of three is pretty frugal. I spend close to $200.00 a month and it's just me. Granted, it's been the Christmas season and I've bought more Silk Nog than you can shake a stick at but my normal grocery bill is around $30.00 - $40.00 a week. The killer in every budget is the car payment and the credit cards. I have a 15 year old car so I'm payment free for now but I owe a doozy of an amount on my line of credit and credit cards. The only thing I can think of is for you to maybe shop around for a better long distance plan. I use YAK, a pay per call system that only charges 5 cents a minute. I dial 10-10-925 and then the number and it comes on my phone bill. If you have internet, you can always send emails instead of phoning if the recipient has email as well. I know it's not as fun as talking to a person but you're already paying for the service so why not use it? I've also cut up all of my credit cards save one and I pay more than the minimum payment. Even if it's only $10.00 over minimum, you are making a dent in the principal owed and not just paying the interest.
Hope this helps.

[SeaSiren]

I'm constantly pondering my monthly expenses and trying to figure out ways to cut corners & save a little money. This is a list of what I currently spend a month on average:

Rent: 700.00
Utilities: Included in rent :)
Cell Phone: 40.00
Gas: 80.00
Food: 90.00
Credit Card: 100.00
Misc. 50.00
________

Total: 1,060.00


Here are some ways I've been able to save money: no regular phone service (cell phone only), no cable (which means no TV at all), no internet and no monthly car payments - yet.

What does everyone else have to spend a month and how do you cut back?


:nigel:

Unfortunatly, I will be of little help. It sounds like you are already doing well on your own. I would actually suggest adding a small amount of savings to go toward your automobile expense account. I would be really bad if something major went up (i.e. transmission) and you did not have funds to cover it.

Also, the books The Tightwad Gazette (books 1-3) are really great if you want to be REALLY frugal. You should be able to borrow them from your local library.

Good Luck!

P.S. I really envy your food budget, I spend about $200 per week for a family of 4 :(

[VeggieFaery]

yeah it's really 400.My BF drives a cargo van for work and drives all around the state.He installs satellite dishes.Paying that much for gas sucks,but not much choice.At least we get to write it off on our taxes.

[MsRuthieB]

Hold on to your seat. This is for 3 people.

Water/Sewer 50
Electric 50
Gas (heat) 60
Food 400
Mortgage 180 (my tenants pay almost 75% of the mortgage)
Car Payment 360
Gas for 2 cars 60
Insurance for 2 cars 160
Satellite 60
DSL 55
Phone 30
Line of Credit 150
Credit Cards 7 total 720
Loan (windows for the house) 200
Loan (waterproofing for the house) 150

Total: $2,685.

I think that's it. I feel like I'm forgetting something.

Of course, having an old house something is always needing repair or replacing so that's more money. I didn't count that because it's hard to tell how much that is. Like, in the spring I get the slate roof inspected and any tiles that have come off in the winter are replaced. That's $200. I had the springs fixed on the garage door in the fall. That was $200. The lawnmower needed fixed this year. That was $50. And I replaced the hot water tank for the downstairs unit. $300. So, I'd say misc. related expenses annually for the house is approximately $1000. If it ain't one thing it's another. :P

I only have 2 credit cards now. A Visa and a Home Depot in case of emergencies. All the others are cut up. I had/have (I don't know) a glitch in my personality where when I get depressed or upset I shop.

Anyhow, I have a 5 year budget I worked out at the beginning of the year. The goal is to be as debt free as possible by the end of 2008.

[qetta]

I had/have (I don't know) a glitch in my personality where when I get depressed or upset I shop.

Anyhow, I have a 5 year budget I worked out at the beginning of the year. The goal is to be as debt free as possible by the end of 2008.

Good luck with your goal! I have the same personality glitch combined with instant-gratification issues, which is why I will never possess a credit card again!

[MollyCat]

Shopping is an aphrodisiac for me! Nothing like hitting the mall and charging up a storm to make your spirits soar. Unfortunately, it makes the bank account plummet!!

[MsRuthieB]

I have a thing for a deal. If it's 50% off, even if I don't need it I have a hard time not buying it. And if it's a 75% off clearance forget it. I go into a shopping trance. That's where my weakness is. It's like I won or something if I get the best deal. It feels really good when I'm seeking and actually make the purchase, but get all worried and depressed afterwards on my way home after realizing how much I've spent. Not a good cycle to be in. Cutting up the cards definitely helped and staying away from any shopping places, especially now with the after christmas deals, is helping too.

[vggiegirl]

Hmmm roughly...Rent utilities etc. are split with my bf..so my half is below
Rent- $450
Food- $200
Cell Phone - Free :D
Insurance - Don't have any
Car Insurance - $116
Meds - Roughly $100+/mo, and that's mail ordered from canada :surprised
Laundry - $25
Gas (Car)- $60
Gas (home) - $6
Elec - $12
Misc (Fun, kitties, etc) - $150
Car Pmt. - $265
Credit Card - $100
Cable - $60
_________
$1544

ETA: Water/Sewer, Garbage and Heat are incl. with my rent. Gas bill is cooking gas only.
I saved $80/mo by opting out of a garage space and just street parking