Does this new graduate need a dose of reality for her budget?

[G.Costanza]

Originally Posted by Henna

You have to add about $12 worth of taxes and fees onto whichever cell phone plan you get. The bills here always include an insane amt of extras, and not ones you can get out of. Also if the $50 plan doesn't include texting, add on at least $5 a month (20 cents per text) for when your friends text you -- not everyone will know you don't have unlimited texting and they will probably text you regardless.

The good thing about a metro area is that it can be cheaper in certain instances - one of them being cell phones. Virgin, Boost and Metro PCS might not be great everywhere in the country, but they're viable options in the city. Virgin has plans starting at $25/mo for 300 mins and unlimited text, web, data, email. The more expensive plans get you more mins but all plans have the unlimited text, data, etc. Metro PCS is something like $45 for unlimited talk as well as text, data, etc. IIRC, both companies' pricing is inclusive of taxes.

But def consider a txt plan as people will text you regardless. I used to get annoyed when I'd get charged per text, but this is one of those instances where it's better to join 'em if you can't beat 'em...now I'm one of those people who texts everyone assuming the recipient has a txt plan too (they all do, seriously)

[jcoltrane]

Originally Posted by StinaTado

The easiest thing to cut will be your food budget because you can eat breakfast at home and pack lunches for a fraction of the cost of eating out. Where are you moving to? There may be a cheap grocery store near you. My BF and I live near the UWS Fairway, but we walk 10 blocks to Western Beef because they are a much cheaper grocery store. We used to spend $60 a week on the basics at fairway, but now we buy most of our non-perishables at WB when they have a sale and get our produce from local fruit stands- saves us a ton of money on food each month.

Hmmmmm...ever wonder WHY Western Beef is cheaper than Fairway....hmmmm?

[UrbanAdventurer]

No student payment? If not some people are jealous I'm sure.

[StinaTado]

Originally Posted by jcoltrane

Hmmmmm...ever wonder WHY Western Beef is cheaper than Fairway....hmmmm?

Hehe, we've heard the mafia rumors but you know what? We don't make enough to spend three times as much at Fairway. If Fairway lowers their prices, we'll happily shop there. Of course, Trader Joes will be opening up on the west side soon and we will start doing a lot of our shopping there.