Hi all.

I kind of need some ideas to cut my monthly expenses. I am kind or racking up a bill and it sucks. I would rather spend money on something else... like tires. So... here's the deal:

I spend approximately $40 in gas a week, given that I go home, Davis to Fremont, and Fremont to Davis, every week. Not always a case, but better overestimate than under estimate.

My cell phone runs me $44 a month. I don't really call people that much. Max, 100 peak minutes every month. Contract ends in 3 months. Going to ask parents if they can let me back onto the family plan. Didn't know why my mom kicked me off in the first place. Thinking the cost will go down to $15.

DarkOnion.com has monthly cost of $20 a month. Domain and domain hosting.

Utilities run me about $32 a month.

Food, about $40 a week. $200 a month. Maybe eat out once or twice a week at places like In n' Out.

This month has been really crazy. Ended up spending about $300 in textbooks. May not seem like a lot, but it hurts, when that is as much as you make in a month.

And $20 set aside every week into Kevin's Money Hording Fund.

I wonder if you guys can help me toss around a few ideas to make this financial situation a little better.

Investment, mortgage to a investment home in another state, out of pocket - $230/mo.

Currently:

Gas = $40 x 5w = $200/mo
Food = $40 x 5w = $200/mo
Utilities = $32/mo
DarkOnion.com = $20/mo
Cell Phone = $44/mo
Investments = $230/mo

Total/month = $726/mo

Income: Job - $100/week = $500/mo.

Still a -$226 gap.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

TIA.

 

Forgot other expenses. Maybe $100 in other expenses. So... $326 debt every month or something.


I don't know if this works, but maybe I can "sublease" my domain and webspace to people to host pics or something. I wont' be able to use all the bandwidth, and I have a ton of webspace. Maybe $2/mo. Sounds reasonable. I can get 5 people to do that and I'd be set for at least half the domain. I can also run ads on my site, but I think that takes away from it. Referral programs are no fun either.

 

230/mo on investments is a little steep. Unless your really planted in it i think you should turn your attention else where. Your in school, so focus on school work and major related internships etc. That's my 2 cents.

 

$240 / yr on domain hosting?



That's seem like a lot of money.

But looking at your expenses the only other thing you can really cut out is the investment. I'm all for getting involved in investing early, but your school work has to come first.

My only other advice would be to find a better/higher paying job and/or work more hours. Again, you don't want it to interfere with school, but since there isn't a lot of frivalous spending in your expenses to cut out, you don't really have a choice. I worked 32-40 hours every week while in college. I only took 11-12 units each quarter at UCD, but I stayed year round and attended summer school.

Good luck. A little suffering now will pay off after graduation.

 

Maybe stop driving home so much? Sell those books back...with the extra time in Davis, you can spend more time in the library. You can even try to get friendly with a nice girl in your classes, and borrow their books. You know, "study time"

 

get back into dorms, shutdown your site, get back on family plan on your cell, get work study, apply for more financial aids (there are sht load out there that people don't apply, and every penny counts in your case), borrow books from lib instead of buying, sell them after the the quarter is over, GET A HIGHER PAYING JOB!

good luck!

 

Lose darkonion.com....whats the point in paying $20 a month for it - theres easier ways to waste your money.

 

^^ what stupid dent said....but do not drop the investments. You will be glad when you are 50+

 

my grandfather asked me once...

do you need <insert thing here> to live?

i'll go with the most common thing mentioned: lose the domain.

 

Cut down on the investing. Your rate of return is generally going to be less than a credit card interest rate. Assuming you are putting it on Credit. The domain name is a tax write off if you have a legal business.

** oops desregard i didn't see the investment was a mortgage.

 

Wheres the property and when did you buy it?

You might want to ditch it while you still can.

 

couple more...

stop eating out COMPLETELY, as a single guy, you can cut down a bit more on grocery shopping (shop smart, use coupons, only on sale products, etc), stop going home so often (only on holidays and occasions), use that time driving between Davis and Fremont and get another job.

 

keep your investment going. its important to always pay yourself first... before bills or anything else.

your can always go to the library for some textbooks or take classes with people you know too

as for darkonion.com... i wouldn't cut it because it's important to you and only $20. if it wasn't important i'd say get rid of it. but it's cost is little compared to the others. i'd just realize you only got screwed because its the start of the semester and you had to get books. so try saving $20 a month throughout the summer to help out with book cost next semester so you don't have to cut anything.

and get back on that family plan shop for food a little more cost effective, and don't go home as much... or make mom and dad throw down gas money

 

Hmmm. Not paying anything for rent right now, so... yeah... I'll definitely get back onto the family plan. I can easily save $30 a month right there. The only books I keep are my stats books. Everything else, I try to sell.

 

I kind of want to keep my domain. Maybe I can move it somewhere else and pay for less.