Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why would you assume that? Most college students are not STEM graduates, so in many areas they're pursuing the same jobs as high school graduates. They merely have a hope for something better, not necessarily the realization of it--nothing they can "presume."
You can change that job category that I assumed to be "entry level for college" to anything you want in terms of education requirement requirements, its irrelevant to the point I'm making. I was simply stating that its entirely possible for someone to live on their own with $1600 a month even when using the other posters OWN numbers regarding "high costs of living." Feel free to read the exchange and my post will make more sense.
Wow there’s so much wrong with your post, I don’t even know where to start. I don't understand how you couldn't see that in my post I CLEARLY stated that you can manage to live on $1600 IF you have a roommate. Plus I CLEARLY stated that if someone has the option of living with roommate vs. parents, they should choose parents. But saying all that you’re still not in touch with reality even using your own numbers. Its completely possible to make it on your won if you live with a roommate using your own number and assuming my $1600 a month after taxes.
Lets do the math:
2/1 condo=$1100/2=$550
CTA pass: $135
Health insurance:$120
Car Insurance: $100
Utilities: 180/2=$90
Internet: 50/2=25
Cell: $50
Food: $150 (I live on $120 a month before anyone goes off saying that my estimate is too low)
Gas: $80
Wow would you look at that all that adds up to only $1300. So this person would still have $300 to blow if they wanted to. And that’s using your numbers. I could have personally done it for even cheaper. I never thought millennials are lazy. I just think they have some qualities that make them less likely to succeed then previous generations.
Just look at your post. You made assumptions about what I was saying, I'm guessing you just read parts of my post without reading the whole thing. Basically boils down to a short attention span, something that's prevalent in millennials.
Next you assumed that you knew that $1600 was too low to live on in your area. Even before doing the math! That's another trait found in a lot of millennials. And there's so many more negative personality traits that our generation possess that make up likely to fail; that I just shake my head in disbelief.
You only spend a $120 a month on groceries? What do you eat, a muffin for the entire day? A pound of hamburger is about $4 now, a loaf of bread in most grocery stores is about $3 now, and gas is $4 a gallon in my area. Hell a package of 6 muffins are $5 in my grocery stores, and I don't shop at places like Whole Foods who charges more. Most groceries have spike recently due to droughts form the last two years, the current CA drought, and oil prices going up due to instability in Europe. I, and I'm lucky I don't drive much, need to fill up every 2 weeks, that's $40 each time. When I had to drive to work, I had to fill up once a week, so roughly a $160 a month in gas. As I said had to pay over $200 for a basic health plan at my old place, and I know it's shocking to you that not every place has the same health plan or costs. Wow, Mr. Griffion I simplify and generalize everything is shock right now. Also internet bills are about a $100 in my area because of Comcast, with the exception of the first year when they suck you in on a great deal on a 2 year contract.
Now everyone should enjoy going out once a while or enjoy life a bit. Your mentality sounds like you should be amish and build your furniture, and your mentality is the opposite of having the strong economy. Consumer goods drives the economy, and the low consumer confidence is why stores aren't rehiring and are posting sub par profits and sales. I'm not encouraging people rack up tons of debt and so forth, but if you refuse to spend on anything outside of necessary goods you'll hurt the economy. You need to spend a little here and there on luxuries such as eating out. Or the restaurants lay off those people since all griffons refuse to eat out. Same with buying a video game or going to the movies once a while.
Do we spend our money too freely at times as a nation, of course, hence the debt issue. That said, life shouldn't only be about penny pinching and not enjoying anything out of life. Our wages are stagnant and our cost of living to salary ratio is worse then previous generations have to endure. There was a story in the Tribune today about people having problems paying their utilities bills has they spiked 4 times due to this cold winter. Also you forget other necessities like toiletries and oil changes for your car. Then parking, you think parking is free in big cities? No, and it averages $80 to $200 a month for parking. I had to pay $85, then over $200 in gas to get my old job in Evanston, IL as public transportation is limited in the suburbs, especially coming from the Northwestern burbs to Eastern burbs. Then big cities like Chicago or areas like the Northeast have tollways which varies to where you are going everyday. I almost got a job in the central suburbs, which would be $5 in tolls everyday, that's a $100 in tolls for some people.
My problem with you, and especially you on this board is you think you have everything figure out. You think that everyone who has issues or disagrees is below your intellectual level and they are lazy or entitled. You act like everywhere in the country is like where you live and shop. You act like your numbers have facts when you don't even live in my area and don't know the real costs in my area, otherwise you would mention the tollways as only 2 highways in the Chicago area aren't tollways throughout the suburbs. You don't even bring up how my state has had a 67% income tax hike in the last few years that was suppose to be temporarily, but now the state is trying to make it permanent. Or the fact the property taxes are in the top 10 in the nation. Or how the gas taxes are in the top 5 in the nation. Or the fact that the sales tax is one of the highest in the country. You didn't even include taxes in your numbers as they add up too, then the tollways, and so forth.
Next time don't insult my intelligence as you have shown you stereotype, act like you know how things are when you generalize all the time, and then insult everyone who disagrees with you. I only insult smug people like yourself as you really think your crap doesn't smell, and you show it everyday on this board.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,936 posts, read 36,989,150 times
Reputation: 40635
Quote:
Originally Posted by griffon652
Food: $150 (I live on $120 a month before anyone goes off saying that my estimate is too low)
I live on that now and I earn multiples of $1600 a month!
Quote:
Originally Posted by panderson1988
You only spend a $120 a month on groceries? What do you eat, a muffin for the entire day?
I've live in Boston now, have lived in other big cities (SF and Chicago) as well as other places, and spend under $40 a week on groceries and eat pretty well. Steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar, oranges and baby carrot snacks, spinach salad with chicken breasts for lunch, and whole variety of stuff (turkey burgers, rice with veggies, etc) for dinner. I definitely have done $25/30 weeks pretty easily. Just don't go out.
I live on that now and I earn multiples of $1600 a month!
I've live in Boston now, have lived in other big cities, and spend under $40 a week on groceries and eat pretty well. Steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar, oranges and baby carrot snackes, spinich salad with chicken breasts for lunch, and whole variety of stuff (turkey burgers, rice with veggies, etc) for dinner. I definitely have done $25/30 weeks pretty easily. Just don't go out.
They charge near $5 a pound in chicken breasts in my area. It sucks as I remember spending about $20 a trip to the grocery store roughly twice a week two years ago, now it's like $30 for every trip. I don't go spending crazy, but sometimes I mix it up by getting some fish as it's good for you, but it's rare to get any salmon under $14 a pound. I usually get a small filet that is about $6 to $7, but these things add up. I also eat oatmeal too, but I like bacon and eggs once a while, and bacon is now $5 a pound for a package of oscar meyer. Sausage is about $4 a pound for Jimmy Dean.
People who say they only spend $20 a week, I would like to see their grocery bill, as in a picture of their weekly shopping. The fact you can spend nearly $20 for razors to shave nowadays makes me feel like they are underestimating their true costs. I spend about $40 to $50 roughly each week I say roughly as some weeks. I may need some staples that last for a good 2+ weeks like butter, eggs, milk, basically stuff that won't go bad in a few days. And those staples add up to compared to getting perishable food that will expire in a few days.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,936 posts, read 36,989,150 times
Reputation: 40635
Quote:
Originally Posted by panderson1988
They charge near $5 a pound in chicken breasts in my area. It sucks as I remember spending about $20 a trip to the grocery store roughly twice a week. I don't go spending crazy, but sometimes I mix it up by getting some fish as it's good for you, but it's rare to get any salmon under $14 a pound. I usually get a small filet that is about $6 to $7, but these things add up. People who say they only spend $20 a week, I would like to see their grocery bill, as in a picture of their weekly shopping. The fact you can spend nearly $20 for razors to shave nowadays makes me feel like they are underestimating their true costs.
White chicken breast can be found for $1.99 a pound in Boston. I stock up when on sale.
It's even cheaper this week from the butcher ($1.77/pd):
There are supermarkets with similar prices. The above (1.77) is bone in, but I often get boneless breasts there for $1.99, sometimes it is 2.49. Only need 1 pd or so for 5 work days worth of salad toppings.
I don't splurge on stuff like fish really, and beef is high now, but pork is often on sale. The best stuff is the Purdue overstock packs, 4 chicken or turkey burgers for 0.99, etc.
You don't need much really.
Razors are expensive, for sure. I do a Costco run 2x a year and get the big packs.
I don't splurge on stuff like fish really, and beef is high now, but pork is often on sale.
You don't need much really.
Razors are expensive, for sure. I do a Costco run 2x a year and get the big packs.
I'll be honest I hate stocking up on food like Chicken as frozen chicken seems to go bad on me, like freezer burn and so forth. Also I'm the kind of guy who only gets food for a few days as I hate seeing it go bad due to my indecision for dinner and so forth. Also I have seen chicken on sale for $1.99 once a while, but ironically the sell by date is that day, and sometimes when I buy it it's already spoiled.
For some people they are really simple and don't mind eating the same cheap thing every day. I like mixing it up a bit, not go crazy like oysters everyday or anything like that, but I like a hamburger once a week, a steak every 4 to 5 weeks, fish once or twice a week, and so forth. It has helped my health a bit too as I've mixed things up, but in a good healthy way with a mix of protein that isn't all beef like my college days. Thankfully vegetables are still reasonable, but man some of the quality is so bad now. I swear some lettuce at the store is spongy, but then the tag says product of Mexico or Brazil. ugh.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,936 posts, read 36,989,150 times
Reputation: 40635
Fair enough. I eat pretty much the same thing every day (work days) and have for years, couldn't care less. Don't want to spend the money and I eat for sustenance and to keep my weight down! I don't have stuff go bad as I just get what I need for the week on weekends.
I'm not on a budget now so I'll go out to eat on the weekends. Don't eat much beef anymore, high cholesterol in the family. Not much pork either, miss bacon.
Fair enough. I eat pretty much the same thing every day (work days) and have for years, couldn't care less. Don't want to spend the money and I eat for sustenance and to keep my weight down! I don't have stuff go bad as I just get what I need for the week on weekends.
I'm not on a budget now so I'll go out to eat on the weekends. Don't eat much beef anymore, high cholesterol in the family. Not much pork either, miss bacon.
That's fair. I know some people like the same thing everyday. I kinda struggle with that, but on a weekly basis I have similar food. Like I eat chicken breasts a couple times a week, get a decent $4 grocery store pizza, that kind of thing. With lunch I usually bring a sandwich or leftovers. Sometimes I go out, maybe twice a week. Oddly enough most of my office goes out everyday! I can't afford that, or want it.
You can change that job category that I assumed to be "entry level for college" to anything you want in terms of education requirement requirements, its irrelevant to the point I'm making. I was simply stating that its entirely possible for someone to live on their own with $1600 a month even when using the other posters OWN numbers regarding "high costs of living." Feel free to read the exchange and my post will make more sense.
I've read the exchange and there is a bit of a fallacy. A person would need $1600 a month or $400 a week. At 30 hours/week, you would need to be at a pay-scale of $13.333 to get that. I don't see may obs at that pay scale looking for candidates who have a degree. The only way I can see that is sales, intern turned employee, cronyism or family connections and being STEM. Most jobs look for experience that most grads cannot get. Because of that, it was projected that of college graduates with jobs in 2013, 36.7% were in jobs that actually didn't require degrees (source: CNN: Recent college grads face 36.7% 'mal-employment rate'.) Yes that would include the stereotypical bad majors as well as those in great but over-saturated majors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742
White chicken breast can be found for $1.99 a pound in Boston. I stock up when on sale.
It's even cheaper this week from the butcher ($1.77/pd):
There are supermarkets with similar prices. The above (1.77) is bone in, but I often get boneless breasts there for $1.99, sometimes it is 2.49. Only need 1 pd or so for 5 work days worth of salad toppings.
I don't splurge on stuff like fish really, and beef is high now, but pork is often on sale. The best stuff is the Purdue overstock packs, 4 chicken or turkey burgers for 0.99, etc.
You don't need much really.
Razors are expensive, for sure. I do a Costco run 2x a year and get the big packs.
Here's the fallacy, not every place has the cheap prices or places where they can get cheaper. For instance, if Panderson doesn't live near a Walmart Super Center, he cannot benefit from their low priced supermarket section. If there is no dollar store near, Panderson can't stock up dollar store supplies. If the Panderson cannot find the cheaper deals or cannot benefit from say buy one get two free deals on various cuts of meat (due to freezing needs), it is not something he can consider. Mileage varies when it comes to groceries based on where the get trucked in from. Gas prices at the loan gas station out by me are a bit higher because we are nearly 10 miles out of town and they (the gas station) get convenience taxed. Go into town and it is about $0.10 a gallon cheaper.
As for shaving, have you looked into Dollar Shave Club, single blades are $1, and depending on which multi-blade you get it can run $6 or $9.
Quote:
Originally Posted by panderson1988
I'll be honest I hate stocking up on food like Chicken as frozen chicken seems to go bad on me, like freezer burn and so forth. Also I'm the kind of guy who only gets food for a few days as I hate seeing it go bad due to my indecision for dinner and so forth. Also I have seen chicken on sale for $1.99 once a while, but ironically the sell by date is that day, and sometimes when I buy it it's already spoiled.
For some people they are really simple and don't mind eating the same cheap thing every day. I like mixing it up a bit, not go crazy like oysters everyday or anything like that, but I like a hamburger once a week, a steak every 4 to 5 weeks, fish once or twice a week, and so forth. It has helped my health a bit too as I've mixed things up, but in a good healthy way with veggies added to it. Thankfully vegetables are still reasonable, but man some of the quality is so bad now. I swear some lettuce at the store is spongy, but then the tag says product of Mexico or Brazil. ugh.
Be lucky you don't live where I do, just about all the fruits and veggies are Mexican grown. Though I don't seem to having problems with quality. Might be the transit. As I mentioned earlier, mileage will vary.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
