What are your monthly living expenses?

[rebelcowboysnb]

lol Na, just really broke. If ya ain't got it ya cant spend it so your bills are lower because of a matter of "have to."


That's the way money works. the more ya make them more you spend.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

Here's a breakdown of mine

House $600 (we were paying $450 to rent it, but just bought it and will only have the mortgage for 10 years)
My car $271
Ins $72
Sewer $50
Electric $120
Gas $100
Cell $200
Internet $35
Napster $15
Netflix $23

Got rid of the cable years ago and it was one of the best things I've done.
Electric is high because we have electric hot water, 2 chest freezers, and 2 refrigerators.
Gas is only that high in the winter, becuase it is our only heat source.
Cell is high because hubby and I both have smart phones. We do use them a lot and it is worth the extra expense.
My car is our only car payment. We have 3 vehicles, but the other two are paid for. We also own a 4-wheeler and a camper.
I didn't include groceries or feed expenses because they vary greatly month to month.

We are lucky that my husbands pay pays most of our bills and the money from my job is pretty much play money.

 

[chicksbestfriend]

Our monthly expenses just for the mortgage, taxes, insurances, electic, water, trash pick up, and phones runs us just a little under $5000 a month; add in the vehicle maint., food, entertainment and other incidentials, I have been able to keep it around $1000, so we are boarding on expenses of $6,000 a month. I did not include the animals that we raise and breed, as they are all self sufficient and pay their own way. (Our little farm expenses averages around $1,000 a month and am thankfully blessed with the additional $1000 of mad money they provide me with every month). My husband is always complaining that we are scratching our way through life, but every year when I reflect back on the changes/improvements we have gone through, I feel blessed, I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food on the table, and all the toys to play with, cannot get any better than that! Our monthly expenses run over what we bring in, and by the grace of God, we are still on top of the game. I have never once balanced our bank account, (afraid to see what we dont have) and again, it always seems to be there when the bills come up or when a charitable organization has a need. All of our bills are automatically taken out of the account. I put alot of trust in God to provide for us, and surely he does. For the past couple of years, one or the other of us has been unemployed and somehow the means to sustain at the level we are accostumed to has not changed, and we have never been late on any payments. Alot of our friends and family are in awe, ask how we do it. I really never give it a thought until the subject comes up. I just tell them that I am clown and have been practicing my juggling act all my life!

Our electic bill was running $500 a month for just the two of us; just couldnt figure it out, we dont use alot of electric, no fans, air conditioners, or heaters................. had our son who just became an electrician go through the entire house, had a few faulty plugs which he replaced, installed a hot water heater timer, and now its down to $175 month!

Just filled up one of the vehicles yesterday, we pay $3.89 a gallon at the pump, cost me $35, and I already had 1/4 tank in it!

Just to give an example: we pay $5-$10 for a gallon of milk, $5 when its on sale! We do alot of bartering, work trade to cut on some of the expenses, which averages a savings of $500 a month. Anyone up to trading places/lifestyles for awhile?

 

[annaraven]

We recently moved to a house that was a bit smaller than our townhouse, but has a real yard. We're putting up solar panels this winter - just signed the contract. Right now, with no A/C, our power bill was already $400 a month all summer.

We do have a california hottub and pool - that was already installed. The cost of heating the hottub and the pool pump are offset by the lack of gym fees - DS and I can workout in the garage and I can hottub in the pool after. DH swims for exercise (which is GREAT cuz he HATES exercising) and he also walks the dog that we can have now that we have a yard. Since March, he's lost 30 pounds which is awesome given he's got high blood pressure and diabetes 2. Sooo yeah we could go without the extras that were already here, but those extras really are helping.

Luckily, DH is making a good income still. We're paying off a 15-year mortgage, so our monthly mortgage is a bit higher, but more goes to principle sooner.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Quote:
That is CRAZY! How much of that was due to the water heater and how much was due to the faulty plugs?

 

[mom'sfolly]

Like everyone in Alaska has to heat, everyone in Texas has to air condition. We keep our house at 78 degrees during the summer months; our roof is shaded and we try to keep shades pulled. Unfortunately, you cannot use wood to air condition, and the cost of solar panels is still cost prohibitive. My sister, in Juneau, pays half as much per kwh as I do, because Juneau has a hydro plant. Of course, when the avalanche took out the transmission lines, they kinda had a problem.

So if I take out my electric....

property taxes are still $350/month
car insurance $120
prepaid cell phone $20

Yep, still up to $500 without anything else added in.

Taxes and insurance vary so much with where you live, and what you drive. My taxes on this house (2200 sq feet) were the same as my old house in NY that was 1200 sq feet and much cheaper. They have gone up and down with what other stuff the city has done with taxation.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Thats probably one of the reasons our power is low. Im 7 miles from the Nicajack dam, 10 miles from the racoon Mtn water reserve an 20 miles from Watsbar nuclear power plant.



These land taxes shock me. Mine is $80 a year for a 3 bedroom on about 3 acres.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

My mortgage, taxes, insurance are about $1800/mo. My truck is paid for. All my utilities together are about 200/mo. I heat with pellets, so they average to about $35/mo, even though I only use them in winter. My biggest expense besides my mortgage is what I send to my son for his college expenses. That's $650/mo. I spend about $300 on gas and oil for the truck. I spend about $150 on food, because I make everything from scratch, and eat very little, and only have to feed one. NO fast food or fancy coffees at all! The cats and chickens don't cost much, and I rarely buy clothes (one good pair of shoes a year, no cheapo shoes, and many of my clothes come from yard sales and thrift stores.) A little goes to renovate and maintain the house. Everything else goes into savings for those rainy day expenses.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Hay, bedding, livestock feed. That's it.

 

[Boyd]

For me the breakdown is...

Taxes n Insurance 425$
Electric n Gas 80$
Internet n cable 80$
Cell phone $50
Vonage ph $29

Total Monthly Expense of 664$

Now food...

I spend about $40 for gas every other week