Re:Ask HN: What does living by yourself really cost?
by masterj on Wednesday July 07, 2010 @02:16PM
(#1494917)
I'm a relatively frugal recent college grad living in Houston.
My baseline costs per month run about $1600, though for one reason or another I only hit this about half the time (christmas gifts, expensive doctor visit for contact prescription, splurge on a laptop, etc). The rest of my salary goes straight into savings.
It breaks down like:
* ~$800 for rent + internet + electric. I have a one bedroom apartment, but fully half of it is empty an unfurnished. I keep telling myself I'll get a roommate, but it's been over a year and I still haven't. As your biggest expense, this is where you will make or break yourself.
* ~$400 for food, alcohol included. I like good food and beer :P You could do a lot better.
* $250 on student loans
* <$10 on transport. I take the light rail occasionally and occasionally get flats on my bike.
* The last $150 goes to smaller things that seem pop up once in a while.
Around here at least, you could probably live on $800/month the way you're talking about, and still be fairly comfortable. I don't know how well other sections of the country would fair.
My baseline costs per month run about $1600, though for one reason or another I only hit this about half the time (christmas gifts, expensive doctor visit for contact prescription, splurge on a laptop, etc). The rest of my salary goes straight into savings.
It breaks down like:
* ~$800 for rent + internet + electric. I have a one bedroom apartment, but fully half of it is empty an unfurnished. I keep telling myself I'll get a roommate, but it's been over a year and I still haven't. As your biggest expense, this is where you will make or break yourself.
* ~$400 for food, alcohol included. I like good food and beer :P You could do a lot better.
* $250 on student loans
* <$10 on transport. I take the light rail occasionally and occasionally get flats on my bike.
* The last $150 goes to smaller things that seem pop up once in a while.
Around here at least, you could probably live on $800/month the way you're talking about, and still be fairly comfortable. I don't know how well other sections of the country would fair.
Damn... I could be doing a lot better.