Check the grocery stores for PT work. I know ours are always advertising that they will work around other schedules and currently several are only hiring PT so they don't have to pay benefits.
What about moving to another town? From what little I know, it seems that we are in similar towns, if I move to a neighboring town, rent goes down quite a bit. Even better if it would be closer to your job, or more job opportunities. It would make more of a drive for your BF, but there has to be some give and take.
Given your long commute and the length of your car loan, it doesn't seem wise to me to sell your car. It doesn't make sense for the long run.
Be very diligent with the $503. Meal plan, determine what is important to you, realize that you really can't have it all. Our budget's are similar, so while I get that it's tight, it's also doable.
What dog food do you use? I know you said you have two large dogs. Do you belong to Costco? They have grain free, organic, large breed dog specific foods. We pay $30 a bag - which is maybe 40 pounds? You might be able to cut $5 - $10 a month.
Groceries, as everyone said, is the way to go. You don't have to buy a lot of starches to lower your budget. Meal plan, utilize beans, lentils, etc - they fill you up and low on carbs. Use coupons for all household products - if your BF can't work, does he have free time during the day to make trips to multiple stores? I see on facebook all the time how CVS has toilet paper after stacking coupons for $1 a pack and then Walgreens has shampoo for 30 cents after, etc. It can be a time buster, but if he has the time, shop the circulars and plan accordingly. I plan my menu loosely but then buy what is on sale. The crockpot is also your friend.
I highly suggest reading The Tightwad Gazette. Some kooky ideas thrown in there, but some of them are so obvious and can help. The best suggestion which helps with my kids, is don't waste. If you have a serving of soup left, either eat it for leftovers or freeze. Half of a chicken breast? Freeze it. All these can be used to make soup, pot pie, leftover lunches, etc. You will be amazed how much you can save if you follow through with this.
Could you walk dogs or babysit on the weekends/evenings?
I would caution against making trips to lots of stores unless you're going by bicycle or on foot, since each mile you drive costs 30-50 cents (depending on your fuel efficiency and other factors). But in general I agree that there are plenty of ways to lower "household" spending by reducing waste (don't buy paper towels), etc.
Can your BF get food stamp assistance? I know some programs allow students access to them if they have work study. I'm not sure if that's technically what your BF has. Can he get a second job to help supplement things?
Hmm - possibly? That's worth checking into I guess. It's not work study, but it's an assistantship through the university so I think it's a similar concept, but for PhD students vs undergrads.
He can't get a 2nd job, he's already busy with class, practicum, studying, and research for nearly all of his waking hours. If anyone has time to pick up extra, it should be me since I spend most of my non-working hours doing nothing of importance
Is there an option to do HR consulting on the side? One of my friends did this and served as a virtual HR person for a few small companies. It's also entirely possible I'm confused about what she did.
Post by iheartbanjos on Jan 27, 2015 16:40:04 GMT -5
Is there a Starbucks or UPS in the area. I would start there for part time jobs. Both do weekend only positions and both offer full benefits.
2 birds with one stone
I'm not sure what kind of car you have or how much it's worth, but there are plenty or reliable $4-5k cars out there. The best part about that price range range of cars is that they don't depreciate much, so you can often times sell them for around what you paid for them when your situation improves.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 27, 2015 16:52:44 GMT -5
How big is your freezer? If you have enough room to store stuff in it you might want to consider stocking up on meat when it goes on sale. If you shop at Costco $100 can typically get you a months worth of meat (giant pack of chicken breasts $20-$25, 4 packages of ground turkey $13-$15, 9-10 pack of pork chops $15-$20, Ground Beef- cant remember what we paid last time we picked some up but its decent priced and its usually 4-5lbs of meat.
Thats about $80 or so for 19-40 meals based on consumption and leftover possibilities. That leaves $20 or so for breakfast meats (bacon, sausage) that can add a few more lbs of meat and a few breakfast meals if you toss in some eggs.
Chicken breasts- 6 packages with 2 giant breasts in each pack. You can easily get 2 meals (dinner and lunch the next day) out of each package.
Turkey- each package is typically 1lb. Endless possibilities- chili, burgers (3-4 per pack), taco meat (mix with veggies and beans to get 2+ meals from each batch), stuffed peppers
Pork Chops- 4-5 meals based on the amount in the pack.
Ground Beef- usually comes in a 4-5lb package. Divide into 1lb portions. Same possibilities as the turkey.
My last place had a tiny ass freezer and I could fit all of the above into it by parceling it out into servings for 2 people.
Have you tried to lower your internet & cell phone? Both seem high. We pay $36/mo for internet & $65/mo for our non-smart phones.
Have you considered picking up a PT job 1-2 nights a week until you get a better FT job? I would check with Starbucks, don't they offer health insurance to all employees?
Do you have Mediacom? Does your internet allow you to stream effectively?
I think we're already on the minimum plan that has enough speed to stream, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to call and see if there is anything they can do. To my knowledge, there is really only one option for internet around here (unless you have a phone line, I think) and we stream every day (our main source of entertainment) so I really need that to work.
If you get married, could you get cheaper health insurance through the university?
I would just focus on the job hunt and broadening your search to include related areas that aren't exactly what you were originally looking for. For instance, is the company you're at now hiring any FT positions that look interesting? Don't wait for them to make you an offer--apply! And use the time you are there to find mentors and meet with some good contacts if that is allowed. I would use your extra time to build relationships at this point. If it gets dire, get a PT Starbucks job for extra money and insurance.
Post by Ashley&Scott on Jan 27, 2015 17:31:07 GMT -5
We don't have Mediacom. I can tell you that we have no issues streaming at 7mbps. Before that we had 1.5mbps & no issues. It's worth a call, ask for the loyalty dept.
Another good weekend part time job is catering server. Anything related to weddings as well, there are always florists, planners, caterers, looking for Sat/Sun only help.
If you get married, could you get cheaper health insurance through the university?
I would just focus on the job hunt and broadening your search to include related areas that aren't exactly what you were originally looking for. For instance, is the company you're at now hiring any FT positions that look interesting? Don't wait for them to make you an offer--apply! And use the time you are there to find mentors and meet with some good contacts if that is allowed. I would use your extra time to build relationships at this point. If it gets dire, get a PT Starbucks job for extra money and insurance.
Ha! The thought has crossed my mind Yes, if we were married I could be on his (awesome, low cost) insurance. But I'm not sure we're there yet.
How big is your freezer? If you have enough room to store stuff in it you might want to consider stocking up on meat when it goes on sale. If you shop at Costco $100 can typically get you a months worth of meat (giant pack of chicken breasts $20-$25, 4 packages of ground turkey $13-$15, 9-10 pack of pork chops $15-$20, Ground Beef- cant remember what we paid last time we picked some up but its decent priced and its usually 4-5lbs of meat.
Thats about $80 or so for 19-40 meals based on consumption and leftover possibilities. That leaves $20 or so for breakfast meats (bacon, sausage) that can add a few more lbs of meat and a few breakfast meals if you toss in some eggs.
Chicken breasts- 6 packages with 2 giant breasts in each pack. You can easily get 2 meals (dinner and lunch the next day) out of each package.
Turkey- each package is typically 1lb. Endless possibilities- chili, burgers (3-4 per pack), taco meat (mix with veggies and beans to get 2+ meals from each batch), stuffed peppers
Pork Chops- 4-5 meals based on the amount in the pack.
Ground Beef- usually comes in a 4-5lb package. Divide into 1lb portions. Same possibilities as the turkey.
My last place had a tiny ass freezer and I could fit all of the above into it by parceling it out into servings for 2 people.
Um, that's a LOT of meat to eat in a month (at least for us it is). Eating less meat is even cheaper. But stocking up on sales is definitely a good idea.
How big is your freezer? If you have enough room to store stuff in it you might want to consider stocking up on meat when it goes on sale. If you shop at Costco $100 can typically get you a months worth of meat (giant pack of chicken breasts $20-$25, 4 packages of ground turkey $13-$15, 9-10 pack of pork chops $15-$20, Ground Beef- cant remember what we paid last time we picked some up but its decent priced and its usually 4-5lbs of meat.
Thats about $80 or so for 19-40 meals based on consumption and leftover possibilities. That leaves $20 or so for breakfast meats (bacon, sausage) that can add a few more lbs of meat and a few breakfast meals if you toss in some eggs.
Chicken breasts- 6 packages with 2 giant breasts in each pack. You can easily get 2 meals (dinner and lunch the next day) out of each package.
Turkey- each package is typically 1lb. Endless possibilities- chili, burgers (3-4 per pack), taco meat (mix with veggies and beans to get 2+ meals from each batch), stuffed peppers
Pork Chops- 4-5 meals based on the amount in the pack.
Ground Beef- usually comes in a 4-5lb package. Divide into 1lb portions. Same possibilities as the turkey.
My last place had a tiny ass freezer and I could fit all of the above into it by parceling it out into servings for 2 people.
Um, that's a LOT of meat to eat in a month (at least for us it is). Eating less meat is even cheaper. But stocking up on sales is definitely a good idea.
If you aren't a carnivore it can seem like a lot but in our house it easily feeds 3 people. Mom has issues with wheat and I have issues with breaking down veggies. A carb and veggie based diet is not always a good idea if it will create major digestion issues. A lot of people think that you have to eliminate meat to save money in your food budget but you can definitely keep it there if you know how to shop and meal plan.
Post by crashgizmo on Jan 27, 2015 18:23:48 GMT -5
I had almost the exact same take home pay after my exH and I split, and I had a $1500/month mortgage payment (but no SL's). I feel for you, and I've been where you are. It totally sucks.
I worked a second job- first at a restaurant, then with a catering company. The catering was easier because I only worked 5-6 days a month, so it wasn't too taxing. (I'm like you- I'd rather cut my bills than work more) I made about $250/month, which was enough to make me feel a little less stressed.
You could put your SL's in deferrment, right? I know that's not adviseable, but it's an option.
Groceries- I used to get by on $50/week, so you guys are doing fine if its 2 of you. I would also look at Costco dog food. My dog has about 343653 food allergies, and I feed him the Kirkland grain free food. It's $40/bag which lasts 2 months, so for 2 dogs it could be $40 a month for you.
I also recommend babysitting. Hand out fliers to people who are acquaintances. Easy $40 for one Saturday night a month. (we pay a teen $9 to 10 an hour for one kid who goes to bed easily and early)
If you're spending more on groceries then I think your BF needs to chip in more if he's eating (which it sounds like he is...)
Edit: you say he pays this amount because that's what he was spending before you but I bet his entertainment/date nights/eating out/etc has increased since meeting you. I don't think that's fair to put that on you.
Are you got with tracking? Is this truly what you are spending?
I would also rec that either (both...but prob not feasibly for BF) get a 2nd PT job.
I would also be VERY limited on entertainment. Think a free movie that's on TV with popcorn at home date nights.
Have you tried to lower your internet & cell phone? Both seem high. We pay $36/mo for internet & $65/mo for our non-smart phones.
Have you considered picking up a PT job 1-2 nights a week until you get a better FT job? I would check with Starbucks, don't they offer health insurance to all employees?
Well, not all employees. You have to average 20 hours per week and you still have to pay something, but 9 years ago that something was between $14-$35/paycheck, depending on the plan. But they are usually looking for people who can open (which is dependent on what time the regular job starts, of course).
Post by Emerald1486 on Jan 27, 2015 21:22:15 GMT -5
I would shop around for internet, or at least call and see if there are any promotions going on. I call TWC each year when my promo price ends to see what promo may be going on that I can get
If you're spending more on groceries then I think your BF needs to chip in more if he's eating (which it sounds like he is...)
Edit: you say he pays this amount because that's what he was spending before you but I bet his entertainment/date nights/eating out/etc has increased since meeting you. I don't think that's fair to put that on you.
Are you got with tracking? Is this truly what you are spending?
I would also rec that either (both...but prob not feasibly for BF) get a 2nd PT job.
I would also be VERY limited on entertainment. Think a free movie that's on TV with popcorn at home date nights.
Well, as I mentioned in my OP, we swap paying for stuff outside of groceries. So he does pay for more than just the $650, I just don't count it as part of "my" budget since it's his money. I just found I do most of the grocery shopping and the bills were already in my name (he moved into my established home), so it's easier just to have him write me one check for those things.
He was paying $500 a month to split rent/utilities with a roommate before. He's ok eating cans of tuna and $1 pot pies to save money on groceries - I'm not. I do most of the meal planning so I kind of feel like if I'm more particular or require spending more, he shouldn't be responsible for that (even if he does benefit from it, lol). IDK. Honestly, I think he takes home maybe $200 more a month on top of what he pays me, so he doesn't really have any extra either. We're jointly poor If I asked for more money, he'd give it to me, but I really would rather not add to his student loans, and that's where it would come from.
I need to get better with tracking. The top portion of my post is accurate, how the $503 leftover breaks out is not usually tracked very well. It's only really been recently that I needed to worry about it - I had severance money to make up the difference between what I make now and what I made in my old job.
We can't watch a free movie on TV because we don't have TV But we do have Netflix and watch it constantly. I do think we're going to have to eliminate most other expenses.
It blows my mind how people can support a family on 40-50k a year. I feel like this is pretty lean and it's not enough.
I agree that you're pretty lean already. The car payment stood out to me as slightly high but then I think it's just really a combination of the car payment with a fair chunk of student loans and the insurance costs plus rent near the upper end of the pricing in your COL. A couple of those things would be fine on the your income but it's too tight with all of them. It looks like you're working on the car. Can you take a roommate in if you're unable to find cheaper housing with your dogs? I also agree more income would help while you're still job hunting. What about something flexible like dog walking or pet setting? Can you make a profile on care.com?
Also I don't know if I'm reading this right but I don't think it's fair that you're zeroing out your budget to make things work and bf has $200 left each month. I would want to start considering all household income to be just that and budget off $3.150 instead of $2,950. To me it's kind of irrelevant what life cost him while eating tuna with a grad school roommate. He's not choosing to continue that lifestyle.
Post by tacosforlife on Jan 28, 2015 7:55:52 GMT -5
This won't help with your regular cash flow, but can you take a couple weekends to really go through all your stuff and see what you can sell? Do you have any bigger ticket items like an extra computer monitor or an old TV?
If you go through your clothes, you might find stuff you can sell on eBay. I sold a lot of pieces for under $5 so didn't really net much, but I also sold a couple of nice winter coats for $40.
Bucky, the one thing that really stood out to me was cell phones. I am a huge Republic Wireless fan, and they have a great plan that is $25 / month. You guys would save $65/month after making the switch.
We have the basic $100 phones and they are superb. You could also dig around online to buy one used, I know several Money Mustachers have gone that way.
You've gotten good advice & I hope you don't regret posting your budget - I think MM usually does a great job on budget posts.
I agree that you're pretty lean already. The car payment stood out to me as slightly high but then I think it's just really a combination of the car payment with a fair chunk of student loans and the insurance costs plus rent near the upper end of the pricing in your COL. A couple of those things would be fine on the your income but it's too tight with all of them. It looks like you're working on the car. Can you take a roommate in if you're unable to find cheaper housing with your dogs? I also agree more income would help while you're still job hunting. What about something flexible like dog walking or pet setting? Can you make a profile on care.com?
Also I don't know if I'm reading this right but I don't think it's fair that you're zeroing out your budget to make things work and bf has $200 left each month. I would want to start considering all household income to be just that and budget off $3.150 instead of $2,950. To me it's kind of irrelevant what life cost him while eating tuna with a grad school roommate. He's not choosing to continue that lifestyle.
Thanks. Our house is way too small for a roommate, we don't even have room for all of our stuff It's only about 800 square feet so I think 3 adults and 2 dogs would murder each other.
I think we both have (theoretically) $200 left. If I spend $300 on groceries, I have the same. We use that to buy our personal stuff, grabbing food together, whatever. I can bring it up to him again but I am not sure he can do much and I feel odd asking him to stress himself out when it's really my things (my job change, my car payment, my dogs, my health insurance) that are creating the problem. I think he would still be eating cheap food if I didn't force that change. He loves food and eats plenty of it, but he's so laid back about it that he'd eat anything. I am much more particular.
Honestly, I'd love to just do joint finances but I'm not sure that's the best idea either since we're not married or engaged.
This won't help with your regular cash flow, but can you take a couple weekends to really go through all your stuff and see what you can sell? Do you have any bigger ticket items like an extra computer monitor or an old TV?
If you go through your clothes, you might find stuff you can sell on eBay. I sold a lot of pieces for under $5 so didn't really net much, but I also sold a couple of nice winter coats for $40.
This is a good idea. I don't have any big ticket items, but I have a lot of smaller stuff that I could sell and throw toward savings or debt. My house is too full of stuff anyway.
Bucky, the other thing I have found is that is dieting and a spending freeze together make me crazy. I know you're working hard on eating better, exercising, and cutting the budget. Maybe it's all too much at once?
This won't help with your regular cash flow, but can you take a couple weekends to really go through all your stuff and see what you can sell? Do you have any bigger ticket items like an extra computer monitor or an old TV?
If you go through your clothes, you might find stuff you can sell on eBay. I sold a lot of pieces for under $5 so didn't really net much, but I also sold a couple of nice winter coats for $40.
This is a good idea. I don't have any big ticket items, but I have a lot of smaller stuff that I could sell and throw toward savings or debt. My house is too full of stuff anyway.
If you work some OJ and a cheap bottle of sparkling wine into your grocery budget, you've got an entire day of entertainment planned, too! Drinking and organizing is the BEST.
I don't know, maybe it's the fact that I've spent more of my life being broke than not, but this doesn't look that bad to me. I think that if you try to cut a few areas where possible, tighten up the groceries and misc. stuff, you will have a little more breathing room. And remember that it is temporary. DH and I definitely lived like this (or on less, actually) when one or both of us were still in school.
I think that it would help if you remember the positive stuff. You're in a good relationship, you're healthy, all of your bills ARE covered and you aren't in the red every month. And you have some savings. Those things are freaking huge, @buckybells. I understand that this isn't sustainable forever, but if you can make a few tweaks to come up with a little extra cash or save a little, I'd honestly try to continue on this path as long as possible before doing things like deferring student loans or selling your car.
I'd try calling about the internet price, shopping for cheaper car insurance, and then try and stick to a lower grocery budget. I also agree with everyone who wondered if you could find a small job or sporadic gig to earn a little extra, like a babysitting or dog-sitting/walking once or twice a month. Between all of those, even if you can come up with an extra $50/month, you'd probably feel better.
I don't know, maybe it's the fact that I've spent more of my life being broke than not, but this doesn't look that bad to me. I think that if you try to cut a few areas where possible, tighten up the groceries and misc. stuff, you will have a little more breathing room. And remember that it is temporary. DH and I definitely lived like this (or on less, actually) when one or both of us were still in school.
I think that it would help if you remember the positive stuff. You're in a good relationship, you're healthy, all of your bills ARE covered and you aren't in the red every month. And you have some savings. Those things are freaking huge, @buckybells. I understand that this isn't sustainable forever, but if you can make a few tweaks to come up with a little extra cash or save a little, I'd honestly try to continue on this path as long as possible before doing things like deferring student loans or selling your car.
I'd try calling about the internet price, shopping for cheaper car insurance, and then try and stick to a lower grocery budget. I also agree with everyone who wondered if you could find a small job or sporadic gig to earn a little extra, like a babysitting or dog-sitting/walking once or twice a month. Between all of those, even if you can come up with an extra $50/month, you'd probably feel better.
I think this is a really good point, so thank you. I do think part of things is that I need to adjust. I am used to having more flexibility, and I don't anymore. I just need to figure out how to make it work and get used to it, and I think I'll be fine. Little habits, like grabbing the occasional takeout or buying alcohol on a regular basis, aren't actually necessary and I didn't do them when I had less income before. I just have different habits now and need to find new habits with the recent changes.
At most this will last another couple of years. Ideally less. I have no idea if or when I'll make more money but BF will be done with school eventually and my car will also eventually be paid off. The lucky thing is that I'm sharing my life with someone who I have just as much fun sitting on the couch with at home as I do going out and doing something fancy (heart) So the rest doesn't really matter all that much I guess.
Post by barefootcontessa on Jan 28, 2015 10:01:15 GMT -5
re: second income.
I did not read all the replies so someone may have mentioned this: what about serving for weddings and special events? I know a number of venues do not have staff and that caterers BYO people. Since you are in college town there may be a good number of weddings.