Help create a budget for me

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by Ace Rock

Don't forget to budget for "six-figure syndrome":

1. Long hours and lack of free time leads to taking cabs instead of the subway, takeout dinners instead of home cooked, laundry service instead of doing it yourself.

2. Long hours and lack of free time also leads to "reward buying". You'll justify your hard work by spending lots of cash on yourself to reward yourself.

3. Peer pressure. The people you work with will have as much or more money than you. They'll have flashy toys, fancy clothes, nice vacations. You'll succumb.

4. Lifestyle upgrades. All of the sudden, that 1 bedroom in the wasteland of LIC doesn't seem nice and the little miss will want a 2 bedroom in the Village. Taco Bell doesn't taste as nice as Le Bernardin. And so on.

I would disagree with this. People in that income bracket DO know how to budget and while there is more disposable income, there is a sense of limits. Unless someone's had NOTHING and all of a sudden not only has more money but has lost all common sense, this doesn't happen. And if one is earning in that bracket, the likelihood is that common sense is something that's intrinsic.

[texags02]

Originally Posted by ontheGtrain

This is what I'm talking about. Those of us on here who do not make that kind of money could live like kings on what he says he will be pulling in but from my experience people who come here making that kind of money end up broke at the end of the month like the rest of us because they think they make a lot of money and can have what they want when they want it.
In nyc it is not a lot of money. But the city will teach the newcomer far better than I ever could. It always does.

You know, maybe you shouldn't attribute generalizations onto others when you don't know them. It seems that some on here "look down" on others who are transplants to the City because they move in making a decent salary, and think that we're all just people who spend lavishly and have no concept of money. You don't know anything about me, so maybe you shouldn't just assume that I'm going to come in trying to live it up like a Hedge Fund Manager. You do know that some people who become lawyers (which is what I am) or doctors, or investment bankers didn't grow up with a silver spoon in their mouths with no concept of the hard-earned dollar, don't you? If you don't know any, you do now. Nice to meet you.

[cjma79]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

This IS a company plan at $600/month - but it's a Rolls Royce plan: you can choose your doctor, you can choose your specialist, you don't need referrals and you pay nothing for medications.

Sorry Viral, but I have the same (No HMO here.) And I dont pay a dime.
I dont need referral for specialist and free medication (Some are 3 dollars.)
1 million for major medical. (1 million from mine, and 500k from my wifes insurance). And includes transplant.
I have never heard of a insurance of 1200 a month, taking into consideration a 50/50 deal...

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by cjma79

Sorry Viral, but I have the same (No HMO here.) And I dont pay a dime.
I dont need referral for specialist and free medication (Some are 3 dollars.)
1 million for major medical. (1 million from mine, and 500k from my wifes insurance). And includes transplant.
I have never heard of a insurance of 1200 a month, taking into consideration a 50/50 deal...

You're very fortunate, then. You're probably also a good 30 years younger than I am. That's also taken into account by employers' plans.

[cjma79]

Yes, it does... but I think when is a group plan it doesnt matter, I dont know...
But yes I am younger, since you said you went to med school in the 70's or 80's.
My age is pretty easy cjma79 hmmm what would this number be???? I wounder :-)

[Henna]

Originally Posted by texags02

You know, maybe you shouldn't attribute generalizations onto others when you don't know them. It seems that some on here "look down" on others who are transplants to the City because they move in making a decent salary, and think that we're all just people who spend lavishly and have no concept of money. You don't know anything about me, so maybe you shouldn't just assume that I'm going to come in trying to live it up like a Hedge Fund Manager. You do know that some people who become lawyers (which is what I am) or doctors, or investment bankers didn't grow up with a silver spoon in their mouths with no concept of the hard-earned dollar, don't you? If you don't know any, you do now. Nice to meet you.

Don't take everything on here so personally. It's an anonymous online message board and of course there are going to be some snarky comments, some outright untruths, some crazy people etc. Although in this case, I'm not even sure this comment you are reacting to was directed towards YOU. Again, don't take things so personally especially the comments that aren't even personal, and don't be defensive. Just take what you think you can use and ignore the rest.

[Irish Eyes]

Our insurance is free now too as my husband works in a hospital. Union members should sometimes be thankful for what they have. Even people covered by group plans are paying hundreds of dollars a month in addition to having copays and deductibles.

I'm sure lots of people come here looking to spend like a drunk but those types of people don't usually waste their time thinking about budgets. That's for the little people!