Making a household budget.

[Barinthus]

Oerdin - a friend who happens to be from San Diego as well highly recommended to me Quicken as a software to help you keep track of your spending and it also can pay your bills for you.

Oh which reminds me, do you still need a renter? If so, where approximately are you? It is possible I will be moving to SD to attend UCSD for two years beginning this summer.

[Dinner]

My house is in Mira Mesa which is about 15 miles from UCSD. It looks like I'll be needing renter if MS Money is to be believed.

[Dinner]

You can see Mira Mesa on tis map while UCSD is in the University City/La Jolla area.



The ideal place for a UCSD student to stay is La Jolla or University city but you'll pay $1600-$2000 per month for one bedroom apartment. It's a very posh area though you might be able to rent a room for around $1000 per month in La Jolla. Most of the students end up staying in Pacific Beach (college student party central on the beach) or they move inland to Clairmont Mesa or Linda Vista though some live in Mira Mesa (the average rent for one room on Craig's list for Mira Mesa is about $500 per month).

BTW I just mapquested it and it says 10.6 miles from my house to the main library on campus (it's about the center of campus).

[Barinthus]

yep I'm familiar with Mira Mesa - I have some friends in that area.

There's a possible place in Pacific Beach or just get an apt on campus reserved for grad students.

[Dinner]

A friend of mine is living in the grad student housing for married students. It's actually not that bad though I hear the single grad students don't get nearly as much space.

[Dinner]

So what is a good part time job? If I got one it would only be for weekends or maybe the odd Friday night shift. I'd like to work something more then just retail or a restaurant. Any idea of a decent paying job you can do in your spare time?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by reds4ever
Flubber,

How would recording it help? It is what it is.

Reds

Nope

By recording the outgoings you actually know what you spend on things. It might reveal that it "is what it is" or you might have a "holy crap" moment when you realize you spend $300 a month at nightclubs. If thats acceptable, well fine . . . . but many people , if they actually go to the trouble of writing down where there money goes, can find all sorts of areas for savings.

As a married man, the habit helps since Mrs Flubber and I can use whats written down as a common frame of reference

[Barinthus]

Oerdin - my former housemate turned to stripping to get money for his drug habit. Pays quite well and you get to exercise. Of course you may will want to invest in a pump. Or not.

[Sprayber]

I'm in the process of moving closer to my girlfriend and her kids and I've noticed a huge difference in the way my money is going out. Befor e I could pretty much do all my stuff in my head but im getting into a whole new ballgame now. going to the movies alone costs nearly 50 bucks between the 4 of us and this Christmas was a killer with all the presents and running around. I have to get way more organized myself Grocery shopping is killing me to now since I'm helping out more and don't get me started about school. Every other day it's something new coming home with them that they just have to have

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Sprayber
I'm in the process of moving closer to my girlfriend and her kids and I've noticed a huge difference in the way my money is going out. Befor e I could pretty much do all my stuff in my head but im getting into a whole new ballgame now. going to the movies alone costs nearly 50 bucks between the 4 of us and this Christmas was a killer with all the presents and running around. I have to get way more organized myself Grocery shopping is killing me to now since I'm helping out more and don't get me started about school. Every other day it's something new coming home with them that they just have to have

THats why I budget. A multi-person unit is a lot harder to manage. It sounds as if you don't even have commingled funds with the gf yet . . . you are just buying stuff. Imagine having a joint account where both of you have access to it-- You have to know whats happening.

We do the 3 account system with his, hers and ours. We know what our expenses are so we each put in a sum toward that ( non-equal since I make more and Mrs Flubber stays home with our child part-time)

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Flubber



THats why I budget. A multi-person unit is a lot harder to manage. It sounds as if you don't even have commingled funds with the gf yet . . . you are just buying stuff. Imagine having a joint account where both of you have access to it-- You have to know whats happening.

We do the 3 account system with his, hers and ours. We know what our expenses are so we each put in a sum toward that ( non-equal since I make more and Mrs Flubber stays home with our child part-time)

We were just talking about this last night and wondering how we were going to intergrate our funds when we actually do get married. I make slightly more but she gets paid every week. I have three accounts and she has only one since she is only recently getting back on her feet from a divorce. Right now it's just a day to day thing with no real planning and I'm in the middle of getting another place so that only adds to the confusion. I told her that we are going to have to start planning or something will come back to bite us.

[Flubber]

I like the "3 pools system"-- As long as you leave each person enough in their separate pool, the mingled funds should cover all the day to day. The benefit is that no one has to account to anyone for their separate money. I can buy a gift for Mrs Flubber out of "my" money and she never sees the withdrawal

[Provost Harrison]

My solution to the problem is get paid so much that you don't need to budget. Still a work in progress

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
My solution to the problem is get paid so much that you don't need to budget. Still a work in progress

I can guarantee that your outgoings will quickly rise to match new salary levels-- The only thing that changes is that instead of paying down debt, you start putting into retirement funds . . . instead of a 10 year beater, you are driving a new car etc etc

[Dinner]

In addition to cutting back spending I am now seriously looking at getting a second part time job in order to make additional principle payments to my mortgage but also to make up for the hit rising interest rates have done to my bottom line. In the last year and a half my variable rate mortgage has increased in cost to the tune of $250 per month. That's a lot of money for a single guy so I'd like to work hard and see if I can't get ahead a bit.

The question becomes what is the best part time job to moonlight with. I've always fancied myself a writer (of course I'd need a good editor since I make frequent typos) but I doubt inexperienced free lance writers make that much. I could also practice more with my guitar and try to freelance as a muscian but I know my skills aren't up to that level yet. Thus I am left looking for a position as a part time wage slave if I want the extra money.

My sister suggested working at a unionized grocery store but there aren't to many of those left (Costco? Seriously that's about it) though maybe a waiter or the Home Depot might pay just as well. If I do work a second job though I would like it to be in a field which would improve my employment prospects in the future instead of just being a dead end job to pay a bit extra on my mortgage. Ideas?