It doesnt matter how much money I make... I always live Month 2 Month (Pittsburgh: rent, credit card)

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I guess I'm part of a dying breed... I've only ever used Rabbit Ears

Also don't drink coffer... so no Starbucks to eliminate. No cell phone either...

Work does provide me with a pager... kids are always asking me what it is

All that, but you do have a computer.

[fleetiebelle]

Also don't drink coffer... so no Starbucks to eliminate.

In the same vein, if you don't already, try not to eat out or order in as much. For the same price as take-out Chinese or a restaurant meal, you can buy a week's worth of groceries. Ditto for drinking--an entire case of beer or a couple of bottles of decent wine can be bought for what you'd pay to drink a few glasses in a bar.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

In the same vein, if you don't already, try not to eat out or order in as much. For the same price as take-out Chinese or a restaurant meal, you can buy a week's worth of groceries. Ditto for drinking--an entire case of beer or a couple of bottles of decent wine can be bought for what you'd pay to drink a few glasses in a bar.

This is a good suggestion, but not an airtight generalization. It all depends on what you eat and how much of it you eat. For example, my wife and I love to eat out, but when we do nearly always split entrees...since most "American Size" food is just completely insane these days. If we don't split something, we nearly always have a large snack to small meal sized leftover to take home. Additionally, we are very choosy about what put in our cooking, and our grocery bills might be higher than some. Similarly, those who don't purposefully shop for groceries, seeking out bargains or planning meals around deals at various stores, they see higher bills than some folks too.

We definitely try to keep our eating out to a minimum, within our "fun" budget. However, honestly, with no kids, cooking on a scale of two or less people with high quality ingredients, there are some meals out which come pretty close in price to what it costs to prepare and clean up after them at home (to say nothing of placing value on convenience or time). There are even some meals which you can't possible prepare at home as inexpensively as you can order them out. So in each individual's budgetary planning, it's worth the time to sit down and take a good look at this.

One might be surprised by some of what one finds. A good example is that I often flabbergast people by telling them that by splitting up my grocery shopping between several stores plus some ethnic markets, some of which people think of as "expensive" or "fancy", I spend less money on my groceries than one does going to just one Giant Eagle or Walmart. In fact I spend so much less that I can dump more money into indulgences, which include eating out.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

All that, but you do have a computer.

Yes... I do

I needed one for work... so back in 1998 I bit the bullet and bought this one from Dell... it was to ship with windows 95 and a 98 upgrade certificate... it had 98 when it arrived

Had Dial-up the first 8 years and switched when DSL came to the neighborhood and was less than what I paid for Dial-Up

I'm guilty of picking up lunch a couple of times during the work week... what used to cost $3 and change is pushing $7... within walking distance, any direction from work is food... at least 40 different establishments within 2 blocks if I count the Mall one block away...

[stan4]

If you wanted to have more money in the bank, you should have tripled your income but kept living the 30k lifestyle. That's the secret.

[TheReason]

Originally Posted by stan4

If you wanted to have more money in the bank, you should have tripled your income but kept living the 30k lifestyle. That's the secret.

Thats the most truthful things I've read...


Money is a funny thing.

When I was making 25k, I was alive and well... making it month to month.

Now that I'm making X amount of money, I look back and I cant figure out how I lived off that, and I feel bad for people who have to struggle with that. And at the same time, I cant picture myself ever living off less than what I make now.

BUT the truth is, its all in my head.


I could live that way again, but I'd have to make some sacrafices. Aftering driving an escalade, I dont wanna go back to a ford focus (even though I loved that car), and after living in a gorgeous house, I dont wanna go back to a small 1 bedroom apt with thin walls.

What is the point in dieing and having a bunch of money in the back account.... rather than living happy and well with little inthe bank account. <_--- that at least how I try to justify it to myself....

[johnnytang24]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I guess I'm part of a dying breed... I've only ever used Rabbit Ears

Also don't drink coffer... so no Starbucks to eliminate. No cell phone either...

Work does provide me with a pager... kids are always asking me what it is

Have you looked at pre-paid phones? I have one, and my bill averages about $8.00/month. I don't have a home phone, so that's my total phone bill.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by TheReason

I could live that way again, but I'd have to make some sacrafices. Aftering driving an escalade, I dont wanna go back to a ford focus (even though I loved that car), and after living in a gorgeous house, I dont wanna go back to a small 1 bedroom apt with thin walls.

IF you are serious and want to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck, you will heve to recognize that there is a lot of gray area inbetween those two extremes.

And that those 'gray' options can free up money for other things....

[ak_47_00]

While going to school I am living month to month. When I'm finished I will save up the majority of my money that I make from there. I'm not into buying things. I guess I'm easily amused.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by TheReason

Thats the most truthful things I've read...


Money is a funny thing.

When I was making 25k, I was alive and well... making it month to month.

Now that I'm making X amount of money, I look back and I cant figure out how I lived off that, and I feel bad for people who have to struggle with that. And at the same time, I cant picture myself ever living off less than what I make now.

BUT the truth is, its all in my head.


I could live that way again, but I'd have to make some sacrafices. Aftering driving an escalade, I dont wanna go back to a ford focus (even though I loved that car), and after living in a gorgeous house, I dont wanna go back to a small 1 bedroom apt with thin walls.

What is the point in dieing and having a bunch of money in the back account.... rather than living happy and well with little inthe bank account. <_--- that at least how I try to justify it to myself....

See -- now you're just being silly. Honey, a Ford Focus costs (edmunds.com base price) 14395. An Escalade costs 55990. There's WHOLE ton of middle ground there.

And you don't have to give up your gorgeous house to go back to a 1 bedroom with thin walls. Insulate your gorgeous house to save heating costs. Eat out less. Check your insurance to see if you can get something cheaper....

It's not all or nothing at all.