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Old 02-07-2007, 07:43 AM
 
4 posts, read 25,177 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello,

I am strongly considering a position in Palo Alto. I plan to walk/bike most of the time, but use public transport or rent a car for a day when needed. I live a simple life and much of my free time is spent hiking, biking, jogging. I'm rarely out at bars or restaurants. Please review my anticipated budget listed below and provide any tips. Many thanks in advance.



Rent (share) 800
Utilities 100
Food 700
Transportation 200
Entertainment 300
Misc. 900
__________________

Total 3,000
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Old 02-07-2007, 01:28 PM
 
1,566 posts, read 4,422,660 times
Reputation: 2657
Have you considered renting a room?

Given your budget and the cost of living in Palo Alto, you might want to check out the room listings on Craig's List.
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Old 02-07-2007, 05:25 PM
 
4 posts, read 25,177 times
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Yes. I was planning to rent a room, and around 800 a month seemed normal.

One of my main concerns is groceries. Is $700 per month enough for a single person?

Many Thanks.
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Old 02-08-2007, 06:13 AM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,311 posts, read 51,912,730 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwstone View Post
Yes. I was planning to rent a room, and around 800 a month seemed normal.

One of my main concerns is groceries. Is $700 per month enough for a single person?

Many Thanks.
Let's see... typically my shopping trips are around $100-120, about 3 times a month. I go to 7-11 for in-between supplies, at maybe $10-20, 2x/week, and spend $10-20/week eating out. Sooooo, that makes a grand total of approx. $500-600. I am single without roommates, therefore it feeds only one person... but you should factor in that I'm on a permanent diet, LOL. And sadly, I'd guess that more money goes toward feeding & entertaining my three pets (dog and 2 cats). But anyway, I suppose $700 would be a reasonable budget, since it allows a little extra from what I estimated. Food isn't that much more expensive around here, especially if you shop at Safeway & use their "club card" - it saves you quite a bit! Coupons obviously help too, but I'm too lazy for all of that... plus the club card takes off all store discounts, which cancels out most coupons.
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Old 02-08-2007, 06:17 AM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,311 posts, read 51,912,730 times
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P.S. I should also add that my mother lives in the area, and does feed me (homemade or restaurant) about once a week...
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Old 02-09-2007, 06:14 PM
 
33 posts, read 298,890 times
Reputation: 49
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwstone View Post
One of my main concerns is groceries. Is $700 per month enough for a single person?

Many Thanks.
Do you eat out a lot? And if so, is this part of the "groceries" budget? If it's strictly groceries you are talking, $700/month is VERY generous in my opinion.
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Old 02-09-2007, 07:46 PM
 
4 posts, read 25,177 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Lu View Post
Do you eat out a lot? And if so, is this part of the "groceries" budget? If it's strictly groceries you are talking, $700/month is VERY generous in my opinion.
I rarely eat out, and the $700 is only for groceries. I now spend about $500 per month on groceries but live in a rural, economically-depressed area, so I feared that the grocery bill would be inflated just as the rent bill will be.

Many Thanks.
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Old 02-11-2007, 09:45 PM
 
179 posts, read 296,522 times
Reputation: 129
I would also think that $700 is high for a single person here. My husband and I rarely go out to eat because we enjoy home prepared food much better and I shop at 6-7 grocery markets including Costco. I think we spend $600 for two of us on high months and much less on others. My bills are higher than normal because I also shop at Japanese markets extensively and food prices are higher.

You may also want to look into sharing a house. We have a rental property in Sunnyvale and we typically rent for $1550 to $1800 for 3 bedroom 2 bath 1100 sq home.
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