Question to those out of college.

[Iamanerd]

So I've been out of college for almost 2 years now, I work full time doing IT work even though it deviated from my actual degree (nuclear) but regardless. Now I've been taking on all the responsibilities that comes with being older. So I'm making about 40k per year and well I had to now swap to my own healthcare plan which comes out to about $250 a month, my boss when I started said he'd cover half when I start my own plan. Well now he's giving me the money is tight bullshit when we're up 30% from last year. So I'm going to look for another place to work...

My main question is how do you deal with all your bills like car payments/car insurance/health insurance/rent/food etc.? I mean I take home about $2500 per month but i can put away roughly $1200 per month, it doesn't feel like enough to me and well I'm thinking about looking for a new position with better benefits. I should add in that I'm almost 23 in case someone asks.

So fellow MMO-Champs what do you do in order to save more for later in life while still enjoying your youth?

[Tradewind]

idk, budgeting?

If you're able to have $1200 a month in pocket money it's clearly not that bad.

[Iamanerd]

Yeah I mean I'm happy that I'm able to save as my parents where not as fortunate, but my biggest concern is being able to save enough for retirement and for well toys now like computer parts/games mainly. I do budget but mainly I'm pissed my boss is going back on his word and I'm going to look for a different place to work at with some better benefits.

Biggest thing is I'd like to see what others do for the most part, I've seen how my parents handled it but I don't want to be like that myself.

[Gheld]

So I've been out of college for almost 2 years now, I work full time doing IT work even though it deviated from my actual degree (nuclear) but regardless. Now I've been taking on all the responsibilities that comes with being older. So I'm making about 40k per year and well I had to now swap to my own healthcare plan which comes out to about $250 a month, my boss when I started said he'd cover half when I start my own plan. Well now he's giving me the money is tight bullshit when we're up 30% from last year. So I'm going to look for another place to work...

My main question is how do you deal with all your bills like car payments/car insurance/health insurance/rent/food etc.?

I pay them. Like Tradewind said, 1,200 a month put away isn't bad. In fact that's really fucking good.

It's not like in the movies, you can't become a millionaire in a 5 minute montage. It takes most people years, even decades to save for things. (Or to pay them off if they opt to extend their credit instead of waiting). If your average joe could save for things quickly, banks would have gone out of business a long time ago.

With 1200 a month disposable income, you could easily buy an Escalade without a huge loan in a few years. You be ballin' son.

[Annoying]

Direct deposit and direct bill pay. I keep a buffer of ~10k so I never worry about bills. Basically, don't buy anything with your disposable income for a good chunk of time, and then you have extra for when things require more.

Also, find a job that provides benefits. It's completely unreasonable to be at your pay level without benefits. I pay ~$100 for my insurance, which nearly lines up with what you'd be paying if your job took its normal share out.

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With 1200 a month disposable income, you could easily buy an Escalade without a huge loan in a few years. You be ballin' son.

Can confirm, bought expensive car and I don't make too much more than OP.

[Vizardlorde]

Spend less money? your income seems fine your expenses are unknown and you claim to have difficulty with your money therefore you must be spending more than you should.

[Tradewind]

I'd be putting half of that $1200 into retirement savings now too...I'd be a goddamn millionaire by 50.

[Gheld]

I'd be putting half of that $1200 into retirement savings now too...I'd be a goddamn millionaire by 50.

Or you could put it into chaw and be a goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus

[Tradewind]

Or you could put it into chaw and be a goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus

I already am.

[Gheld]

But seriously @OP, if you really did manage to successfully budget yourself a 1200 a month surplus right out of college, you're pretty much ahead of all your like-aged peers. If you can avoid the trappings of the early 20s (easy credit, loose women and tight cars) you have a bright future ahead of you, even with your employer being a dick about health insurance.

[Iamanerd]

Spend less money? your income seems fine your expenses are unknown and you claim to have difficulty with your money therefore you must be spending more than you should.

Well I save $1200 per month after all my bills, bills includes car/health/car insurance/rent/food. I mainly save but my issue is basically I want more money and benefits from my job.

[Flame6]

It shouldn't be a problem. I'm married and have a toddler and another one due in June. We make $42k a year living in California (Anything under 40k a household would be hard). I live in a trailer park and my Rent + electric is only $450 a month. $255 car payment. $300 credit card payments and $200 for cell phone and internet and home phone. $100 on diapers and $400 on food.
My health insurance is 100% covered through my employer. Those are just the required things. We have extras everywhere like netflix and MMO subs.
Eating out just destroys my budget. Look at www.mint.com it will automatically import your bank account and make pretty graphs to show where you "waste" money. I don't really use it for anything other than the graphs to see where I spent my money, but it's full of robust tools to budget.

[Iamanerd]

Direct deposit and direct bill pay. I keep a buffer of ~10k so I never worry about bills. Basically, don't buy anything with your disposable income for a good chunk of time, and then you have extra for when things require more.

Also, find a job that provides benefits. It's completely unreasonable to be at your pay level without benefits. I pay ~$100 for my insurance, which nearly lines up with what you'd be paying if your job took its normal share out.

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Can confirm, bought expensive car and I don't make too much more than OP.

Very true I agree with you on the benefits part and that's why I'm kinda mad right now, so I'm going to start looking around again and see what bites.

[Tradewind]

Well I save $1200 per month after all my bills, bills includes car/health/car insurance/rent/food. I mainly save but my issue is basically I want more money and benefits from my job.

That's going to take time and idk what the job market is like in CT...small state so I'm guessing "ehh..." Entry level IT isn't going to make shit unless you've got some certifications or a specialization in high demand.

[Gheld]

Should move to Canada. Your health insurance automatically comes off of every pay cheque, and you get the same plan as the billionaire who owns the local hockey team.

[Vizardlorde]

Well I save $1200 per month after all my bills, bills includes car/health/car insurance/rent/food. I mainly save but my issue is basically I want more money and benefits from my job.

Oh I misunderstood that then you are worrying over nothing( I should probably finish reading before responding), if you can find a job with similar pay and more benefits switch, you might have to move to a state where your skills are more in demand to see a significant change in benefits and pay though.

[Flyingmoney]

OP is a special kind of dumb ass.

A dumb ass that sits on $1.2k a month (In the US no less, where money is tight for MOST people) and complains about it. Way to go, jackass.

Eat a bag of dicks.



[Infracted]

[Iamanerd]

That's going to take time and idk what the job market is like in CT...small state so I'm guessing "ehh..." Entry level IT isn't going to make shit unless you've got some certifications or a specialization in high demand.

Yeah starting is usually around 35K per year here, I can either go IT or junior developer so I'm looking. My nuclear degree is in demand down south mainly due to all the plants down there but up here there's only Millstone and I've done an internship there plus 2 contracts for re-fueling outages. Hard as hell to get in there as people don't leave due to making 100-150K per year plus great benefits so I check there every so often.

[Deleted]

I don't save. I pay my bills/rent then spunk the rest of my paycheck on fun. Savings for dorks.

[Melkandor]

OP is a special kind of dumb ass.

A dumb ass that sits on $1.2k a month (In the US no less, where money is tight for MOST people) and complains about it. Way to go, jackass.

Eat a bag of dicks.

Somebody's mad they're poor?