no mortgage, kid in good public school, I have over 5k expenses a month

[GGZOLA]

I am not a big spender by force, wifey is ok in that aspect too.
She'll splurge on the occasional TJMaxx, Pier one, but thats it.
Groceries are high with costco, specialty markets and Vons.
yet month after month 5+k out the door and nothing to show for it.
Even tracked a month from disbelief; was almost 6k in december.
Mind you, I dont have a house payment (paid-off) kid in a good yet free school.
What the deal
Not including gambling at all, either.

[mrmarket]

inflation my food/toiletries costs are up about 40% in last 2 years
you also might live in high cost of living area
but you can still cut expenses by a lot
the family will most likely not dig it

[teaserpleaser]

How is that possible? Im single no kids $300 at costco will last me a while. About a month and a half.

[No coincidences]

You go out to eat a lot?

Drink a lot?

[teaserpleaser]

Cell phone bills' cable/dish and gas I bet play a part.. Eating out as said above will do it as well

[wantitall4moi]

Without a house payment no way you should have that much in expenses.

Even if youre spending 200 a month on TV, 400 on electricity, 400 on phones, 200 on interent. All those would be very high end even here in California. Thats only 1200 in untilities. Two high end cars would be another 12-1400. So call that 2500. Then what? Even at Costco for a family of 4, if kid is in school you dont have to feed him, at most 600 there. If youre spending that much there you shouldnt be eating out that much. But even if you are that shouldnt be extreme. Gas for cars 50-100 a week tops. So spending huge youre at 3500 plus whatever 'entertainment' is. 1500 there? Thats 50 bux a day.

Want some real advice. Put your wife on a weekly allowance. Take all the cards away from here, the checkbook, even if it is her money. Then give her 200 or 250 a week for everything she personally needs. Do the same for yourself, or some figure you thikn you can work with. Gas, groceries, insurances, bills come out of a joint account.

You will be amazed at how fast spending drops. My wife used the card for everything, including vending machines. I put her on an allowance and the spending went down over 65%.

But no way you should have that much unless you have a business or something.

[pattymayo]

You said you tracked the month of December and it was $6K+ ... well... ?? What did you track?

[No coincidences]

Want some real advice. Put your wife on a weekly allowance. Take all the cards away from here, the checkbook, even if it is her money. Then give her 200 or 250 a week for everything she personally needs. Do the same for yourself, or some figure you thikn you can work with. Gas, groceries, insurances, bills come out of a joint account.

I tend to agree with this -- for both of you.

If you have it, you'll spend it. If you're limited, you won't. Kind of like carrying cash. If you show a little discipline, you'd be surprised by how much it adds up.

[vyomguy]

5k is a lot if you have no mortage...what are your expenses?

[Sam Odom]

4yr old Home note
mountain Cabin note
3yr old Car note
6months old Car note
one kid in college this Sept
$1000.00 food/drink per month for household
$500.00 month restaurants and outside entertainment

I'll stop

[William Walters]

I am not a big spender by force, wifey is ok in that aspect too.
She'll splurge on the occasional TJMaxx, Pier one, but thats it.
Groceries are high with costco, specialty markets and Vons.
yet month after month 5+k out the door and nothing to show for it.
Even tracked a month from disbelief; was almost 6k in december.
Mind you, I dont have a house payment (paid-off) kid in a good yet free school.
What the deal
Not including gambling at all, either.

Where do you live........not state, but city/county?

[jjgold]

Looks like the kid a fukkin bull shitter

We nailed him

[smoke a bowl]

Those massage parlor visits that you take for granted add up pal.

[GGZOLA]

calm down jj, I dont live on the forums like you cant post right away.
Wish I kept december's day-by day. But here is a typical month for me:
DWP/gas bill =about 300/month average.
Cell phone, home phone, long distance cards for wifey: $120
gardener/pool: 70+70=$140.00
cable/internet: $150
Car insurance+payment+gas: $600
Groceries: $900 estimated.
Eating out (6-8 times a month sushi, cpk, baja fresh, it varies) $50x7=$350 average
Prop tax around $400/month average
Eating out at work ($150 average, every other day)
Misc. expenses (walmart, clothing, kid outgrows stuff, etc, personal items replacement) $200
MASSAGE (for bad back smoke dont get any ideas!!!) $50/month, 1x a month.
Health insurance $300.00 for a family of 3 in los angeles.
Life insurance for wifey, kid/fund etc. $200/month total.
Fire insurance $75 a month
Monthly gifts average to $100/ month for family friends, events, etc.
Ive crossed 4k already and I know I left out a few things...
As you can see not a lavish lifestlye by any means. Barely drink.
Thanks for the advice; would welcome any more.

[GGZOLA]

mind you, these are all set expenses on average.
Throw in anything above this....forget it.

[No coincidences]

calm down jj, I dont live on the forums like you cant post right away.
Wish I kept december's day-by day. But here is a typical month for me:
DWP/gas bill =about 300/month average.
Cell phone, home phone, long distance cards for wifey: $120
gardener/pool: 70+70=$140.00
cable/internet: $150
Car insurance+payment+gas: $600
Groceries: $1000 estimated.
Eating out (6-8 times a month sushi, cpk, baja fresh, it varies) $50x7=$350 average
Prop tax around $400/month average
Eating out at work ($150 average, every other day)
Misc. expenses (walmart, clothing, kid outgrows stuff, etc, personal items replacement) $200
MASSAGE (for bad back smoke dont get any ideas!!!) $50/month, 1x a month.
Health insurance $300.00 for a family of 3 in los angeles.
Life insurance for wifey, kid/fund etc. $200/month total.
Monthly gifts average to $100/ month for family friends, events, etc.
Im up to 4k already and I know I left out a few things...
As you can see not a lavish lifestlye by any means. Barely drink.
Thanks for the advice; would welcome any more.

$1,000 per month for family of 3 groceries with $500 eating out expenses?

[WvGambler]

I hate it when grown men use the term "wifey". Drives me crazy.

[WvGambler]

$1,000 per month for family of 3 groceries with $500 eating out expenses?

Seriously. That should be cut by a third.

[4TH AND STUPID]

groceries should NOT cost you 1000 a month.


are you a family of whales ? is your pool your ocean?

[WvGambler]

Wouldn't that be great....if he was an actual whale and he had a family of whales.

[Chimneyfish]

You can stop paying your car insurance. That way you'll just be like the other 90% of drivers in LA.

[Br0nxer]

send dear abby a fukkin letter pal

we are here to pick winners and bury the man

we aren't life counselors

no one gives a fukk about your monthly expenses

[Rich Boy]

Start buying noname products
Take all your wife's cards away
Stop eating out soo much
Do the gardening/pool cleaning yourself

That will easily reduce your costs by 1k

[No coincidences]

Seriously. That should be cut by a third.

We're a family of four and we spend about $125 a week at the grocery store, with another $150 or so per month eating out (granted we don't live in LA, but still -- $1,500 on food?)

[No coincidences]

Wouldn't that be great....if he was an actual whale and he had a family of whales.

....

[wantitall4moi]

Wife and I spend 250/month on Groceries. She is a vegetarian too so she buys stuff that is not cheap. But that is still pretty cheap. But make a meal and dont be afraid of left overs.

By the sounds youre probably buying prepared stuff and just popping it in the microwave. Most expensive way to go, if youre going to do that go shop at the 99 cent store.

Gas and water is a bit high too, we have 5 BR and an acre lot with 29 avacado trees, 8 citrus trees and a couple apple trees, basically a lot of watering. Ours is generally 250 a month in the summer, now less than 200. Eliminate gifts, let them buy their own shit. Personal stuff shouldnt be 200 a month either. Like I said go on an allowance and use CASH only for that stuff youll see what happens especially if you actually worry about going broke and dont reload.

You can cut 1250 just with food and gifts and randomness. Also get a better lief insurance policy. That seems a bit steep to me. My ex girlfriend worked for Northwest Mutual and even they werent all that expensive. But if you have pre-exisiting conditions or smoke then it adds up.

[UntilTheNDofTimE]

My roomate and i spend about $125 a week on groceries. Then i eat out probably 5-8 nights a week.


With the economy and inflation now a days your rent/mortgage is no longer your biggest expense.

[GGZOLA]

Groceries I know killing it. I cant reduce less than a few hundred at best. Its just the way it is. We're not obese, just buy organic milk, nitrite free links etc. It adds up I guess. WIFEY buys a honey jar for the kid for $12 bucks. A freakin HONEY JAR costs $12 bucks. I eat healthy most of the time, and that I cannot compromise by buying crappy bulk items like ramen noodles and twinkies.
Bronxer, fukk off if this thread bothers you, if you havent noticed in your 5800+ posts of time here, this is a TALK forum with many topics other than betting here. You didnt see me posting this in the sports pick threads did you, dumb-arse? Who died and made you King all of a sudden?

[WvGambler]

We're a family of four and we spend about $125 a week at the grocery store, with another $150 or so per month eating out (granted we don't live in LA, but still -- $1,500 on food?)

Were a family a 4 and probably spend 150 a week and 150 monthly going out. Right on pace with you.

1500 monthly is mind boggling.

[4TH AND STUPID]

Were a family a 4 and probably spend 150 a week and 150 monthly going out. Right on pace with you.

1500 monthly is mind boggling.

yeah..... hes definitely a whale. lol

[illAdelph]

My roomate and i spend about $125 a week on groceries. Then i eat out probably 5-8 nights a week.

How many weeks have you eaten out 8 nights?

[onetrickpony]

fuk all of u bitches, i barely make 5k in 6 months and this fuker is worried abt spending it in 1 month, fuk all of u 1%

[Hoja Verdes]

I'm at $3k/mo with mortgage, wife, and 2 year old. It sucks, but it can be done. Hell, mortgage and health insurance is half of my 3k budget. You just gotta cut out all non-essentials...I could shave $2k off your budget easily. I started doing manual labor all day every day on the weekends to make ends meet. Hard ass work, but I look it like I'm getting paid to be in the best shape of my life. Although it pays cash, so if I get hurt in the job I'm essentially screwed.. And a lot of guys who do what im doing get hurt, so im watching my back every second.

[GGZOLA]

Good luck with that Hoja. I am self-employed, making just enough on average to pay this shitt off, give or take a few hundred.

[tony_come]

DWP/gas bill =about 300/month average.

turn off the lights pal

and stop eating so much

whats your weight?

your wife weight too