Get off my case!

Pet Peeve

I was sharing my finance concerns with bf this morning on the way to work. I told him how I felt it was really difficult to buy and maintain mortgage payments in Los Angeles, and that I didn’t know how I could do it unless I save more & earn more.Either

• Move in with my parents
• Increase my salary by 20-30K

At first he says not to stress out so much and people find away.
And, I tell him that I want to be able to buy condo, rent it out, pay for the leftover monthly mortgage, and save money. This is impossible with my current situation since I’ve squeezed out unnecessary expenditures out of my monthly budget.

Ok, so this is what gets me annoyed:
“To tell you the truth, I think you can reduce your costs more.”
As if he knows my finances better than me…

Rather than justifying my result and getting into a lame argument, I thought I’d vent out here. And, here’s my proof.

These are my expenses

• Rent – 675
• Utilities – 40
• T-mobile – 60
• Netflix – 17
• Gas – 180
• Lunch – 80
• Groceries/Dining Out – 220
• American Express – 50

= 1322

I save the rest. Varies between 15-1800/mo

So, this is how I can adjust it:

• Rent – 675
• Utilities – 40
• T-mobile – 50 (shorter plan and use work cell phone to make calls)
• Netflix – 0 (cancel it)
• Gas – 180
• Lunch – 60 (bring lunch from home more)
• Groceries/Dining Out – 180 (Eat at cheaper restaurants still once a week)
• American Express – 50 (This is bound to remain the same)

= 1235

What do you think? I think this is as lean as a girl who lives in LA and has an everyday 2-2 1/2 hour commute at a small business that offers teeny bonuses, limited medical coverage, and no retirement options.

My curiosity and resentment overtook me, and I tried calculating how my roommate spends her income:

A couple months ago, she said that she would have $25,000 to spend on shared down for a 1-bedroom condo with me by the end of next year. She has a monthly salary of 4300 after tax.

• Rent – 675
• Utilities – 40
• Verizon – 65
• Car Insurance – 200
• Gas – 180
• Student Loans – 200
• Credit cards – 500
• Savings – 1800
• Food/Entertainment/Other – 640 (!!)

I believe that she really does spend about $500/mo on food alone. And the rest, shopping, videos, miscellaneous things.

Now, bf’s expenses totals to $1200/mo and he lives at home. He grossses 4000/mo.
He saves 2500-2800/mo.

What do you think.. really?
Maybe I should become an exec asst or a stripper. My friends seems to gross $5-10K/mo in their occupations.

Ahh, the headaches begin again!