absolute minimum money to get you through a month

[Bed Wetter]

I had new pickups and new boats and new everything , then I bought a farm and realized you don't need brand new so I sold everything except the farm , started over with a 10 yr old pickup (paid for) , 8 yr old boat (paid for) , used lawn mower (paid for) and a used 4 wheeler . And built my own fish house . Bought a newish car for wife but paid it off fast cuz I have no other bills except a very reasonable mortgage . We put half our monthly income every month in savings and still have a good time . Point is you can still have fun if stuff isn't brand new

Hey buddy, friends don’t tell friends not to buy that truck/gun/boat/ice house/ATV!!!

This pretty much nails it. It’s only stuff. Eventually you reach a point where you look back at all the stuff you’ve wasted money on realize you’re much worse off and didn’t really need any of it. I’ve been telling myself for about 2 or 3 years, “yup, it’s time to finally buy a newish pickup... but maybe I can get by with this one for just another month or two....” Last week I checked the blue book value of the vehicle I’m currently driving and it’s $300 to $700... ;:;rofl

...I bet I can keep driving it for just another month or two...

 

[JayKay]

We are VERY fortunate to have our health insurance premiums covered through my wife's employer. We are a family of 4, but soon to be 5 in a few days, and the cost for basic health insurance is formidable. Just for the premiums. If you get a "cheap" plan, you have a high deductible, high coinsurance rate, high out-of-pocket maxes, and low lifetime limits.

Other than that, we could get by on probably $2000 per month, but that would require some changes.

One of the things we've done "recently" (a year ago) to help save some bucks, is get rid of cable. I really thought that would bother me, but I don't miss it.

 

[LBrandt]

Hey buddy, friends don’t tell friends not to buy that truck/gun/boat/ice house/ATV!!!

This pretty much nails it. It’s only stuff. Eventually you reach a point where you look back at all the stuff you’ve wasted money on realize you’re much worse off and didn’t really need any of it. I’ve been telling myself for about 2 or 3 years, “yup, it’s time to finally buy a newish pickup... but maybe I can get by with this one for just another month or two....” Last week I checked the blue book value of the vehicle I’m currently driving and it’s $300 to $700... ;:;rofl

...I bet I can keep driving it for just another month or two...

Every month more it keeps jingle in your pocket. When they blue book out that low they are worth more as junk. I need to put tires on my wifes car and I will double the value when I do.

 

[Account Deleted]

We are VERY fortunate to have our health insurance premiums covered through my wife's employer. We are a family of 4, but soon to be 5 in a few days, and the cost for basic health insurance is formidable. Just for the premiums. If you get a "cheap" plan, you have a high deductible, high coinsurance rate, high out-of-pocket maxes, and low lifetime limits.

Other than that, we could get by on probably $2000 per month, but that would require some changes.

One of the things we've done "recently" (a year ago) to help save some bucks, is get rid of cable. I really thought that would bother me, but I don't miss it.

Congrats on the recent sex.

 

[shorthairsrus]

I don't know our min now. I only have wife's truck pmt. Kids r in college we only pay a fraction. Of tuition. They work and worked hard for scholarships. I went ice fishing sat and had to pull out due to ice being thin. I took two sleds and. Still had stuff roll off the sled. To much gear just weighs down a person. My bro came back hunting and told me the same thing. If you think about it the funnest times were when u didn't have a bunch of sht. You never had to worry about did I lose my " ,". Granted my stuff isn't the best.

Same with hobbies I am learning to take on less. I can't do it all. When I reload I reload for a five year or more stint .

Getting rid of stuff. I am trying to get rid of stuff I don't use. Tough to do on some things.

Small goods. I wonder how much one spends on small goods. How many hats I have and only wear favorites. Yes I was that guy at Scheels that was buying red billed shad raps. I hate em but I bought em as they were a good deal a whole basket full. Why? Good q now I need to know if I can paint the bills.

Life we go through it want want want more. The millennials have it figured out. Friendships and outings with friends. R more important than personal possession s. Gday

 

[sweeney]

Does that count a mortgage or rent? If so I need you doing my budgeting!

yup it's called having a bunch of shit that is 2008-2010 and doesn't cost a bunch of money, it cost me more when everything was new

- - - Updated - - -

and my hosue was bought before everyones 140k homes were selling for 220K

 

[Bfishn]

As a bachelor I could probably get by on very little, but what fun would that be. My only real bills are a 15 year mortgage and the taxes, insurance, utilities, cable that go along with it. Although i live pretty frugally, I am a sucker for a good deal and sometimes wonder if i really need to be buying some of the stuff i do (damn you Cabela's bargain cave).

 

[LBrandt]

Two more years of house/farm payments and then can get by on 1500 per month, iffen the kids don't come back to the nest.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Have a buddy that does custom farm work and he complained every year about having to pay the banker and never having enough money left. I kept telling him you only make money when everything is paid for and not having to work for the banker. 2 years ago he quit buying newer equipment and just fixed what he had. He just said the other day i should have listened to you years ago. Sometimes one needs to borrow from the bank but more often it is just that one wants rather than needs something. It boils down to how you want to live. We worked our butts off throughout life and worked 2 or 3 jobs at a time and scrimped and saved. Now later in life we can afford some things we want but still wonder if we want to spend the coins.
There is no easier way to go broke than trying to keep up with the Joneses! Plain and simple. Saw it farming many times as someone bought a new tractor or combine so the neighbor bought a bigger one. Didn't make sense to me then and doesn't make sense now either. They would say the government should raise payments so we can get by. Just like the government they had a spending problem and couldn't control it.

 

[Yoby]

Up until August our daycare alone took 3k a month. With the recent move we got a sizeable adjustment down to 1500 a month (oldest went into kindergarten and we found much lower cost in home daycare for the other 2).

 

[deleted member]

Between health insurance and the deductible, we spend 2k/month just on healthcare.

 

[NDSportsman]

Everything I own is paid for but monthly expenses for food, medical insurance, utilities, etc would probably still be about $1500 a month last time I figured it out. Right now I could live comfortably for about 14 years with no job and no major expense. I'm sure if shit got real I could get that monthly figure down quite a bit.

 

[Duckslayer100]

We spend a bit over $20K/year just on daycare for our two kids. It's a high enough amount to make our lives a little more paycheck to paycheck than I'd like, but not enough to have one of us a stay-at-home parent. As it is, we both work full time. Mortgage is about $1,400/month. Then there's insurance, food, utility bills, etc. I'm not sure what that even all equates to, but it's plenty.

Other than that, we have no debt. Student loans are paid off. Vehicles are paid off. Rarely use credit cards and if we do, pay them immediately.

 

[deleted___account]

Trees: $1400
Taco Bell: $200
Mt Dew: $200
Bills: $1200

 

[3Roosters]

I think one thing we can all agree on is how damn lucky we are to live in the United States to be able to even dream about and own some of the toys we do. Vacationed in the Dominion Republic last winter for a week. Tipping the maids a U.S. dollar a day was like they won the lottery. I think the average daily wage for most down there is like 5-6000 pesos a month! Around $150-$200 U.S. if I recall. But..they are a happy people just the same. We are damn lucky to be able to afford some of the necessities and toys we do own!
So stand for the National Anthem dammit!

 

[Captain Ahab]

When I was single right out of college I lived on around $1,200. That's a fart in the wind now with a wife and 3 kids.

 

[guywhofishes]

this is one of those scenarios I figure to avoid testing if at all possible

but I’m not afraid of it either - I grew up poor

 

[Bed Wetter]

this is one of those scenarios I figure to avoid testing if at all possible

but I’m not afraid of it either - I grew up poor

As my sister used to say, “There’s poor, and then there’s po’. We was po’.”

 

[fj40]

I guess we were poor but we didn't know it. 7 kids and mom stayed home. Thinking back, we did collect pop bottles in the ditch, rags went to the local printer, shot jackrabbits for spending money. After I left home, and after the Army, I decided to be frugal. Bought two new vehicles in my life, first was a 1974 Toyota LandCruiser as my getting out of the Army present, which I still have, and a 2015 Ram that I figured would last me till I'm dead. Have always had a boat, but bought used and still floats. Bought motorhome well used. Started with a trailerhouse and bought and sold my way to a decent house with some acreage. Anyway, we started saving years ago and did not buy anything we couldn't afford at the time. Turns out we were right as the last thing we worry about now is lack of funds.

 

[2400]

Adding in $300 a month for fun stuff I could get by on $1800 a month. Would I like more absolutely but that would get me by with a little extra.