Tell me how to claw my way out of debt

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Tell me how to claw my way out of debt

Nephzinho: Jan 25, 2008

Is the $300 for you or you + the boyfriend? Is this number reflective of you still eating out regularly? From your newbie posts it looked like you were spending a lot of money eating out on top of $300 a month on groceries - that is a very expensive combination. My girlfriend and I eat pretty ridiculously for $300/month, if you're in cost saving mode you can really shave a lot of money. Even if you switch to rice and beans a few nights a week and keep the extravagant meals to chicken instead of beef/lamb/etc, you can do a lot there.

On the other hand, if you're quitting smoking and drinking, you may want to give yourself some leeway in your grocery budget. While shaving the extra $100-200 a month would help you get your credit card under control faster, the day to day quality of life decrease may not be worth that on top of all of the other changes. Maybe try going through this thread (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3442278) and see what works for you and whether there are cheaper meals that work.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2015 20:46

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 17:07

Nephzinho: Jan 25, 2008

nefarious napkin posted:

The grocery one was tricky. That's what I was spending when I lived alone for just me AND going out a lot to eat. It's expensive cooking for yourself, and I'm not a very good or creative cook. I will also admit my terrible habit of eating out after long hours at work and not finishing my food before it went bad. This is not longer an option for me.

I haven't really had a solid month living with my boyfriend to see what groceries are. When we moved, we didn't have a fridge right away so we ate out for almost a month. I think it might be reasonable to budget $300 for both of us, making my share only $150. It's tough eating with him because he has an illness that restricts his food choices.

I don't think I can quit drinking. I work long stressful hours, and it help me blow off a lot of steam and keep myself sane. However, I think I can cut back to either a) one bar night out a month or b) a couple purchases of at home beers or wine to enjoy over the month. It would be a serious cut back from before with several bar nights out a week on top of at home purchases.

My insurance covers $200 smoking cessation for over the counter drugs, and that's on top of what the government gives for quitting. Any prescriptions would be quite cheap with my insurance. Last time I quit was for 4 months using a vape. It was relatively easy, so that's another option, I would just have to drop about $25/month on juice for it. I actually just spoke with my boyfriend and he's agreed to quit with me as support

It is much easier to cook for two than to cook for one. Find things that portion out and freeze well. Make more frequent but smaller trips to the grocery store to ensure you don't let anything go to waste. Every piece of food you throw out is money you're throwing out. Take a look at the upcoming month, figure out what a reasonable budget is, but I would think that $300 for 2 people has a lot of room to come down. Don't be afraid of not being a good cook! It is really easy to do some basic stuff and you'll be surprised how quickly you get going and what you can do with just a few dollars.

"I don't think i can quit drinking" is a separate issue. For budgeting purposes, not drinking at bars will be a huge money saver. You could drink the same amount at home/friend's places as you do in bars and spend a fraction of the cost.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2015 21:51

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Tell me how to claw my way out of debt