[Egyptian2009]

Hi I need to know if it is doable to live on $ 2000 / month for rent + utilities + food expenses my wife will not work and I expect not to earn more than $ 2000 on a casual / service job I hope that this will be enough Thanks

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by Egyptian2009

Hi I need to know if it is doable to live on $ 2000 / month for rent + utilities + food expenses my wife will not work and I expect not to earn more than $ 2000 on a casual / service job I hope that this will be enough Thanks

$2000 net or gross?
GL2

[harshbarj]

I live off $1200 net for just me. Some months are close, but workable. At $2000 (net assumed) the most you can afford in rent is $600. Many apartments include some utilities, look for these as they will stabilize your monthly costs, even if you cross that $600 mark by a little.

Look to live in the eastern part of the city so you can lessen or eliminate your dependence on the car, which is a major expense, and with a budget of $2000 could be best spent elsewhere. Try and find a place within walking distance of most places you could want. Take a bus to work, or walk/ride a bicycle. There are many creative ways to live well and still within a budget.

Shop budget stores and avoid high priced ones (bakers, whole foods, Wholners, etc. you know the ones). I shop between Aldi, Hy-vee, No Frills, and Bag-n-save. I also shop my local oriental market in south Omaha and the avanza on levenworth. All without a car. Also keep an eye out for coupons. Don't buy something just because it is cheap. Buy it because it is cheap AND something you can use in place of a more expensive option.

Lastly, spend smart. With a child it is easy to want to spend of a ton of money on unnecessary items that only will be used for a year or two max. Shop second hand stores or yard sales, or even keep an eye on craigslist.

Living off $2000 a month will be doable, if you are creative and willing to cut some corners.

[MountainMen]

Hard question to answer, because as harshbarj pointed out, it largely depends on your values/priorities. Do you depend on a car? How small of an apartment can you tolerate? Are you addicted to cigarettes? Are you able to cook from scratch, especially bread & rice? You can live on just about ANY amount if you know how to.

[rezfreak]

If she's a stay at home mother, you should consider cloth diapering. The initial investement (couple hundred dollars) may seem like a lot, but you wont need to buy a diaper at all after that.

[rezfreak]

Also, if you do decide to do cloth diapering, Baby Junk in Omaha would be your best place to go. They have lots of gently used diapers there to start off cheaply. You could cloth diaper as cheap as 60 dollars with a newborn and add the better diapers as they grow up.

[GSL-NE]

The best time of my fiance and I's life was spent in Midtown omaha on a combined 1100/month.

[Gunluvver2]

I live in a two bedroom apartment in Lincoln with no easily accessible laundry. Since I am an older bachelor I don't have an awful lot of laundry. This little washer has paid for itself several times over in the past year. WonderWash

I am a large guy so I can only do one pair of blue jeans at a time. Two to three XXXL sport shirts make a load. I use about one fourth the amount of bleach and detergent that I would in a full size load. I hang them on clothes hangers from the shower rod in my bathtub/shower and close the door with a space heater going and they will be dry in several hours. I set my washer on a shower bench in my tub and it makes the perfect stand. It is also a good exercise machine for your arms.

IMHO this would probably be a great way to do cloth diapers but make sure you disinfect everything with plenty of bleach after using.

GL2

[sakuda]

Originally Posted by harshbarj

Shop budget stores and avoid high priced ones (bakers, whole foods, Wholners, etc. you know the ones). I shop between Aldi, Hy-vee, No Frills, and Bag-n-save.

Whaaaaat? Hy-Vee is expensive, I think Baker's could beat them out on quite a few things. But I suppose it depends on what you're shopping for.

[Christine1009]

This is a good question!! My hubby, lil man and I are hoping to have enough money to afford the occasional dinner out, or do something fun like the zoo. Don't want to go out there just to continue the "bills or food" issue (food always wins lol). (We're in NY barely making $2,200. We would both find FT work in Omaha, so daycare would go up, but with smaller bills should have more money each month)

Hope it's all working out for the OP!