Is $800 enough for 2 weeks?

[rex]

$1600 per month for random shit?

Um yes. I could easily do that.

[mrssavy42112]

As long as there isn't any emergency Dr visit, yes. I have a long commute, so I go through about >$100 in gas per week, even with a small car. We eat dinners home & bring lunch daily. That would be plenty, but I can see how it would be harder with kids.

[BNL2]

Yes. That's a lot for random expenses.

We eat out a lot but we have tried to make changes elsewhere for that luxury. If we decide to make an unsuspected purchase, like a picnic table, we just adjust the take out budget. I don't understand why your husband can't do that. It's not even long-term.

[smiley]

May 18, 2012 13:06:24 GMT -5 oldienewbie said:

Could your family (DH and 2 kids 5 and 2) live on $800 for 2 weeks. This money would be spent on gas, groceries, shopping for clothes, household items, dr. co-pays if needed, gifts if needed and eating out? Basically anything that is not a bill.

We only budget about $250 a week for all of those things so having the extra $$ you posted would be great! We don't go to the doctors often so that isn't even a weekly budget item. Gifts are the same, we don't have a lot of gift giving occasions in our family.

[blondemoment123]

MH and I do this easily. I'm sure adding 2 kids and their needs wouldn't cost that much more.

[chessie]

May 18, 2012 13:18:46 GMT -5 Kore said:

How much do you normally spend on those things in a 2 week period? I'm not being snarky; I'm just curious about the responses. When budgets are posted, people are always quick to "OMG" groceries above $300/mo & gas above $150/mo. Maybe those people stayed on TN

Two weeks
Gas 350
Groceries 150
Lunches 50
Dinner 50
Randoms 200

Gas in our budget is probably the biggest line item, some weeks its even more. at 4.50 a gallon, it has gone up quite a bit. Seldom do we buy gifts for each other or others- since we have a no gits policy except for little kids- and doctors, very few and far between, its not a line item.

[Deleted]

That doesn't include any monthly bills? Granted we don't have kids but we live on waaay less then that, I don't think we hit $800/month.

[aqua2005]

We spend: $130 on groceries, $55 gas, $70 fun money, and the rest would be for random stuff. We would definitely have enough.

[statlerwaldorf]

Yes

[Deleted]

I think that's about what we spend, so yes. We could absolutely cut back if needed on the "extras" but we spend at least $800 a month between gas and groceries and there is no way around it.