You two combined make 18k a year? I hope you are posting from the public library.

katx said:"10% is the max my employer lets us put in" might be technically true bit is kinda misleading. You can supplement that in other types of retirement accounts. I know this, katz, and I do. The additional $300 a month I'm saving is almost entirely going into an account I'm going to turn into a Roth IRA before the end of this tax year. Getting educated about IRAs is one of the ways this fantastic forum has helped me.

fasttimes said:You two combined make 18k a year? I hope you are posting from the public library. fasstimes, no, perhaps I did not make that clear enough in my post. Only my own income, my own expenditures and my own plan of savings are reflected above. I am typing this from home, in the comfort of my own pajamas.

My partner puts an separate but equal amount into the pot for rent, for utilities and for groceries. His discretionary spending is probably higher than mine, now that he earns much more than I do, but he's obviously able to save more money each month too. We're fundamentally conservative with our money.

Three years ago, though, when he earned half as much as I did (and I earned even less than I do now), you would've been absolutely right about the public library part!

No, we don't drive. We live close to the urban center in a very "green" city with extensive bikeways, so it's practical to use bikes as our sole transportation -- and it saves us a TON of money. And eliminates the need for pricey gym memberships ... joking, but not entirely. We don't have TV or cell phones, either. Occasionally we'll talk about getting a small cheap car and just using it for road trips (right now we take camping vacations by bike) ... but we haven't turned to The Dark Side yet.

Doesn't anyone else want to post their budget?

goodgoth said:mahlax said:

Notes: My (hetero!) partner and I

What does that mean?Not gay?

goodgoth said:mahlax said:

Notes: My (hetero!) partner and I

What does that mean?

Which part: the "my", the "partner", the "and", or that "I" part?

Gross HHI: $72K
Pretax: Putting 5% of gross pay into a 401(k); 5% is the max my employer matches

Groceries: $300 /mo
Car payment: 200/mon (One of the my stupid decisions before learning from FW finance. Now on 0% thanks FW)
Gas: 200/mon
Car Insurance : 60/mon
Shelter: $1050 /mo (mortgage+taxes)((One of the my somewhat stupid decisions before learning from FW finance))
Electricity+gas: $60 /mo
Cell Phone / Internet: $80 /mo (thanks FW)
Discretionary (any spending not itemized above): $200 /mo
Debt reduction : 600/mon (hopefully done with this by end of year)((thanks FW))
Roth: 400/mon (thanks FW)
Savings : 600/mon

We're getting personal here - but none of you know me, right?

Monthly Budget
Rent - 772.50
Gas and Electric - 70
Public Transportation - 81 (No car needed in the big apple)
Netflix - 5.41 (1 movie at a time / 2 Max per month / several hours of streaming movies included)
Rental Insurance - 25.66
Subscriptions and membership fees - 10 (magazines, clubs, etc...)
House items - 10 (Light bulbs, garbage bags, cleaning supplies...)
Landline Phone and DSL - 40 (cell provided by employer - great benefit)
Clothes - 40 (doesn't seem like a lot, but I haven't bought clothes in years)
Laundry and cleaners - 50 (coin machines and shirts for work)
Savings - 2,000 or more (plus 2 percent of my gross going into 401K)
Groceries and cash - 900 (includes eating out and minor splurges - money usually left over)
Running Sneakers - 32
Misc itmes - 20 (Hardley ever needed)
Medical CoPayments - 50
HEPA Air filters / humidifier filters - 20
Stamps 5

When I was a grad student (for 6 years, until 3 months ago)

Location: Socal
Income: ~ $24,000/yr gross (~ $1,800/month net after taxes)
Rent: $360 (shared a crappy 1br with a roommate)
Groceries: $100 (cooked all meals from scratch, rarely ate out)
Cellphone: $50
Phone / Internet: $22 (split with roomie)
Utilities (electric/gas): $15 (split)

Recently got married, moved to the New England area, started a real job. Wife is still in grad school, we've been doing the long distance thing for a while, thankfully that is due to end soon.

Income: ~ 120,000/yr gross (~ $6,000/month net after taxes and max. 401(k) contribution of $1,300)
Rent: $1,370 (this has jumped significantly, but I was sick of living in squalid conditions and fighting with my landlord)
Groceries: $130
Cellphone: $80 (covers the wife and my sister as well)
Internet: $35
Electric: $35
Travel: $200

Total debt: $0

Occasionally I have some discretionary expenses (my wife and I meet once in 3 weeks to a month, and we usually end up eating out at decent restaurants once or twice when we meet). Otherwise I put everything else into a HYS account. Still figuring out the IRA thingy. No car, no cable ever (though I will get a used car soon, paid in cash, the FW way!). It may seem like I have no life, but by saving the way I did, I was able to go on a 2-week backpacking trip to Europe when I was still in grad school and barely had to touch my savings, and a 12-day trip to Hawaii as well. My parents never had to fund any of my education beyond high school.

mahlax said:No, we don't drive. We live close to the urban center in a very "green" city with extensive bikeways, so it's practical to use bikes as our sole transportation -- and it saves us a TON of money. And eliminates the need for pricey gym memberships ... joking, but not entirely. We don't have TV or cell phones, either. Occasionally we'll talk about getting a small cheap car and just using it for road trips (right now we take camping vacations by bike) ... but we haven't turned to The Dark Side yet.

Doesn't anyone else want to post their budget?

gave you green for being green.

I'm in nyc and don't drive either.

the rest of america will soon follow in our footsteps; driving (unless disabled, sick and contagious, dirty smelly and unclean, or traveling with a huge amount of luggage) is simply a stupid and inefficient form of transport IMHO.

Anakin