<p>$250 a month is pretty tight for gas, parking, food, random expenses, any liabilities you have with your landlord when inevitably something happens to your apartment and you didn’t check your exculpatory/hold harmless clauses, occasionally going out, household items, toiletries, occasional shopping money. </p>
<p>Have you talked to your parents about potentially getting a loan from them if you find out you didn’t account for everything? The interest on personal loans will hurt, even nowadays.</p>
<p>I don’t believe I will have to pay for parking at the campus as I will either walk there or take the bus (students ride free). I don’t see myself using my car that often. I think $50 a month would do it (could be wrong). For food I plan on spending $25-$35 a week. I have plenty in savings if anything was to happen out of nowhere. I don’t even think I will be shopping for anything besides the essentials. </p>
<p>How much would you say an average person on a budget would spend on toiletries a month? Either way I am sure I can get all the toiletries I need from my parents when I occasionally go up and visit.</p>
<p>I appreciate all your help and input everyone!!</p>
<p>I hope your budget works out, really! But I’ve lived at home and lived on my own during college…You missed the two big ticket items that living on your own will add if you’re not careful:</p>
<p>Lease liabilities when damages are incurred
Money for going out (beer, dates, restaurants)</p>
<p>They’re avoidable, but they’ll get you if you’re not careful. Especially with roommates.</p>
<p>Don’t take it the wrong way at all! I am not saying you’re wrong! I have never lived on my own and I’m sure everyone here has more experience in this situation that I do. I am just trying to reassure myself when you said that. I am just stating what I think I would spend with what you came up with. Do you think it IS possible to survive with the $250 a month or no?</p>
<p>I do agree money for going out can bite me in the ass. I will definitely have to watch it in that regard.</p>
<p>Adam - go on one of those online grocery sites to do a pretend shopping, see how much i would cost. I give my daughter $400/mon for food(equal to her school’s food cost). I think she could get away with $250. My opinion is 25-35/week for food is too little. Think about how much coffee, fruit, veggie, and occasional steak/hamburger costs. Do you think you could manage $7/day for food?</p>
<p>“To negotiate contract is also part of education.”</p>
<p>I just wanted to say that this sounds ironic since you did the negotiating for your daughter…</p>
<p>But you do make a good point, oldfort, study that contract like it’s a textbook!</p>
<p>Oh, and food isn’t really that big of a deal because when you’re not eating out all of the time you’re buying your food in “bulk”- one box of cereal for the week, sandwich bread, juice, etc. is not going to be something you have to buy every day but every week (or maybe even every two weeks) so it’s very possible to survive on $7 a day for food.</p>
<p>The apartments I am moving to are individual lease apartments. They are fully-furnished 4 bedroom/bath apartments. Each resident has their own separate lease. Every person living in the apartment is responsible for their own rent. If they cannot afford to live there anymore, they have to go. If one of your roommates can’t make rent then that is his problem and you don’t have to worry about it whatsoever.</p>
<p>I definitely think I can live on $30 a week for food. Like October said, a lot of the things I buy for the week aren’t going to last just one day. Cereal and bread can last up to two weeks. I love spaghetti and that is cheap as well. It can also last for a week as well.</p>
<p>Just so we’re all on the same page, $7/day for food is $200 a month. Leaving $50 for gas and $0 for everything else.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that he can’t live on less than $7/day, but I think that got equated with $25-35 a wk…Not really, you gotta eat even when you don’t work. And that’s not as easy as it sounds–$2.33/(meal + snacks) is pretty skimpy. Going to a restaurant once and paying $15 eats up 30% of your budget FOR THE WEEK</p>
<p>If you want to live on $35 a week, that’s $5/day…You really only do that if you have to. I’d rather eat into savings than eat the kind of food that’ll provide. </p>
<p>Personally, I’d want to overestimate my costs not underestimate. </p>
<p>I just want to add: Find out who’s responsible for damage done to the apartment by you or other roommates. Also who’s responsible for damage done to the apartment by third parties when invited (it’s typically not the 3rd party!)? I’ve found (luckily not personally) that this matters–it should be under exculpatory/hold harmless agreements in your contract. Key note is what the landlord takes responsibility for, and what you guys take responsibility for. What circumstances (perils) affect who pays?</p>
<p>I need to work out the food budget. What about stretching it to $35-$40 a week ($150-$160/mo)? I actually think $40 would be enough for gas (full tank costs me $40 not $50). That would equate to me having $50-$60 left over for entertainment/misc. I also don’t like the concept of equating my meals to cost per day. Cereal/Bread/Pasta are things that I will buy and wont last me one day. They will last me 1-2 weeks.</p>
<p>I can always dip into savings if I need some extra. I plan to have about $4,000 in savings by the time I move in this semester.</p>
<p>I will definitely find out about damages. That can definitely lead to a huge bill. I am pretty sure whoever does the damage is the one responsible since they are individual leases. Of course, getting to the bottom of who actually did the damage and if they will tell the truth is another story.</p>
<p>Do not underestimate grocery budget. Spending $200 on food a month requires cooking every single meal on the very, very cheap. Maybe you just eat less than 95% of boys your age, but I can’t possibly imagine the limits I would have to go to spend $200 on food a month. $400 is more reasonable, $300 is probably the limit.</p>
<p>
You don’t think I went over it with my daughter? She wasn’t even aware that you could negotiate a rental contract. Next time, she will read through it more carefully and understand what she is signing.</p>
<p>Adam, I totally lived on spaghetti and canned pasta when I moved out, lol! When I came back home my mom just rolled her eyes and was like “She thinks this is cooking” haha! </p>
<p>You can be a careful grocery shopper and not buy the first brand you see on the shelf. There’s usually always a cheaper version somewhere. Now rather that version will taste just as good…it just depends!</p>
I honestly think you should stay at home with your parents, maybe keep your distance a little from your step mom? If I were you, I wouldn’t live with your friends, cause problems can occur such as they or you getting mad cause someone drank all of the orange juice, or leaving the bathroom floor wet… Idk something like that lol. I say, since your 22, focus on getting that degree, not worry about moving out. I’m going on 22 in May, I’m a college student, I plan on living here for some time, like another 6-10 years, so I can have a substantial amount of money or pay off my student loans and save a good amount… not be broke.