rent (includes water...cheap neighborhood, but safe) - 549 per month electricity (in summer, it's lower in winter) - 95 per month groceries - 180 Car insurance plus service (one car) about 150 clothing and diapers - 90 entertainment and vacation savings - 80 (about 50 gets spent per month, 30 gets saved) phone - 32 medical - 25 misc and allowance (including gifts) - 100 tithe- 165 business cash - 25 savings- 50 (plus all extra) other stuff that's pretty small- about 35
This is a little more than 10 per hour, because he usually works more than forty hours a week...but no overtime.
We're not in debt now, but we have been, and in those times we did things like buy a used car. Jesse delivered pizza three nights a week back then solely to pay the debt. When the debt was gone, he quit the job.
So we have a car, and we work really hard to take care of it. Nearly every weekend is spent doing something to it.
My situation isn't the same as everyone else's and I know things are harder for some people than us...although I'd love to order pizza once in a while but I can't. I'm not saying no one should ever need welfare. All I'm saying is do your best to take care of your stuff yourself, and THEN resort to welfare. That's all.
And I should point out that Jesse's skill level should be making him $16 plus dollars an hour, but he gets less because he works for family. What I'm saying is that if we moved to a more expensive city, he could probably make more too.
But in Tucson, AZ, ten dollars (or nine) gets us by very well.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Most of my costs are similar, except for rent and food -- which are the big ones, natch.
As I said, the cost of living here is very high. Moving has been considered but is not currently a viable option. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Luckily the only roaches I get is when they bomb the apartments next to me.
The are about to start making us pay for water though. I renew my lease today...I wonder how much it will be.
Oh and rivka, I don't know if you have time/want to cook, but I can give you a whole list of cheap, easy recipes that we use every week. My food bill isn't so low because of where I live (food is expensive in the desert) it's low because I'm a kick-butt shopper.
AND we eat a lot of rice and potatoes.
But my grandma taught me this and it's true. you only need a full serving of meat once a day, no matter what the food pyramid says. You get the rest of your protein from eggs, cheese, beans, etc. And that will cut your food bill in half, I bet ya.
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PSI, I have a good friend that moved from Tuscon to fairly near where rivka lives. Her grocery bill more than doubled. I don’t think her shopping skills changed any.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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The first two years that we lived here, I made a little more than $9/hour.
We had Junebug 3 months after we moved in.
My paycheck was the only one we got. Like PSI, we gave 10% to our church-- and I was going to school part time.
We owned both our cars, which made a HUGE difference, then and now. I cannot imagine buying a new car for $20k-- we had two reliable, cheap cars, and we're proud of how we made them make do.
We did not get ANY new furniture (with the exception of a futon, which was our living room couch for the first four years of our marriage) until I got a better job. When we ate out (which was where most of our spending money went) we went to a Mexican restaurant that was cheap, quiet, and tasty.
We kept a budget.
We had virtually no television, but took advantage of AOL's free internet disks.
It's doable, rivka. I'm grateful I don't have to anymore-- but I think I could, if I had to.
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Thanks, PSI, but I do a lot of cooking, and rice is a huge staple in my house. We eat meat infrequently. I'm a big fan of legumes and soy protein. I clip coupons and go to supermarkets that double them. I buy things on sale.
There are many food items that I pay similar prices as you, I suspect (although many are likely slightly higher just by virtue of living in a larger city).
But the other reason my food bill is significantly higher than yours has to do with the cost of kosher food. That's not going to change.
Scott, I challenge you to live on the same amount in an area like Los Angeles, NYC, Chicago, or Boston.
Do I have to dig up the cost-of-living indices again?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote: We owned both our cars, which made a HUGE difference, then and now. I cannot imagine buying a new car for $20k-- we had two reliable, cheap cars, and we're proud of how we made them make do.
It makes things a lot different when you already own cars too.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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