I'm a lurker, I live in a HCOL area and would like some advice, FI and I are moving in together in March and have put together a preliminary budget:
Nomeclature expenses Income Monthly After Expenses Savings after savings
rent 1,200.00 4601.16 $ 1,098.51 600 $ 498.51
phone 120.00
bus 45.00
car 187.15
student1 241.47
student2 366.04
wedding 400.00
gas 45.00
netflix 7.99
furniture 30.00
food 350.00
utilities 120.00
entertaintment 300.00
fios 90.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $ 3,502.65
--He carpools into work but likes to keep money aside just incase his carpool isn't available. Most days I walk to work but do drive in the case of bad weather (that's why our gas bill is so low, I fill up once a month)
-- Some of the extra money a month is going to go towards wedding and honey moon, I want to keep it available right now just in case something in our budget doesn't pan out as planned
-My student loans will remain like this for another 2 1/2 years until I get loan forgiveness for being a spec. ed. teacher, they will reduce by 17,000, I currently owe over 60,000, after that I will consolidate both of them. Both loans have a 6% interest rate
- I get paid extra (it varies per month) for working lunch duty, that takes care of my clothing budget as well as some other nominal expenses such as bday gifts.
Re: our budget
-Personal care/household supplies
-Retirement
-Health Insurance
-Car insurance
-Life insurance
-Car maintenance/repairs (including oil changes, car registration, AAA membership) (not sure if this is included under "car"
Other areas we include in our budget that you could consider:
-Gifts (mostly for Christmas so we don't have to budget it all in December, also birthdays, weddings, showers, etc.)
-Fun money (both DH and I get a certain amount each month to spend as we please on ourselves)
-Clothes
-Charitable donations
-We just put Netflix under entertainment to not have to have a separate area just for that