How much money do you have left after bills are paid?

[CCrox24]

Each month? After you've paid rent, util, food, car payment, insurance, contributed to savings...etc. Are you paycheck to paycheck? I think I'd be scared if I were under $100 left over - but i guess that is normal for people starting out. What about you guys?

[biodork]

At the moment with my extra medical bills I have only been having around $100-200 left at the end of the month. It really sucks. I guess I pretty much am living paycheck to paycheck.

Not for much longer though! I'm starting a new job in 3 weeks.

[Kitty]

Not for much longer though! I'm starting a new job in 3 weeks.

Yay!!

I did my tracking and after all bills/necessities are paid I have $1200 left over. I don't know where that money is going - but it seems like something ALWAYS comes up - car costs, birthdays, weddings, glasses, etc.

[Deavan]

i have about $820 left over after bills etc

[wordsmith]

Very little (how it goes w/ the low-paying job), but I always make sure my savings is solid.

[HIKU]

I like to always think that I'm broke or living pay check to paycheck... even thou I am not... It keeps me from over spending...

ex.

I have 2 personal checking accounts

- one account, my money goes in by direct deposite on 1st and 15th
- I write a check out for $400 for play money each month (anything, I buy from cigs, beer, going out, shopping, and etc) are used for "play money"
- all of my invesment are looked as "bills" other wise I have a tendancy to say "hey, I can afford this" and buy it...

I do invesnt about $500 per pay check...

You'll be amazed on how much you can have saved up in couple of years, if you just set a seperate account "just for play"

[rocket333d]

Negative, actually. I have this one bill that I count as being an end-of-the-month bill, but it's not actually due until the 6th. But I make my conscience keep saying "It's the 27th!" to trick my rational mind into freaking out and paying it then. (Or, as has been happening recently, trying to see how long I can sit on that before the 6th.)

But it's a good thing I pay it as soon as I get my first paycheck of the month, because otherwise I would be negative in my bank account on the 27th or late on the payment by the 6th.

(And yeah, pretty much all of this stuff is essential. All my bills are health insurance, car insurance, and student loans, although I think I got them consolidated. I haven't heard back yet.)

[Winter Storm]

Wow. You guys have a shitload of cash left. After I pay all monthly bills I have about $500-600 left, half of that I pocket and the other half either goes into my savings or towards credit cards that I have run up shopping like I'm stupid this past summer.

And after I finish putting money towards all types commitments I get myself into, sometimes I leave myself with less than $100 for myself.

So I'm going to be brown-bagging it for a long while.

[paiger81]

Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same boat as Winter. Some months I do well, but lately I'm proud of myself if I have $100 left over by the end of the month.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I like to always think that I'm broke or living pay check to paycheck... even thou I am not... It keeps me from over spending...

I kind of think the same way. I don't want to touch my savings unless I have to.

I do have money left over most months. I know when I don't have money left over when I have to transfer some money from my savings to my checking account.

For the first couple of months after graduating from college, I was living paycheck-to-paycheck. Fortunately I haven't done that since then! (I had a savings accounts that I couldn't touch that put X amount of money every week for a year and right when I was barely getting by, the one year was up and that money was transferred into a savings account I could touch an that was what helped me stay afloat ever since. I still have that account going too).

My rent, student loans, and a couple minor bills (I think my cell phone and gym membership) are paid during the first paycheck. The rest of my bills show up during the second paycheck. That's one reason I like paying my bill through snail mail still. I pay them as I get the bills. I don't like online payments.

[HIKU]

I do have money left over most months. I know when I don't have money left over when I have to transfer some money from my savings to my checking account.
.

Remember to get the highest yielding interest rates for you "saving"... you probably know this but "CD laddering" is one strategy to get the highest yielding interest rate average.

check out the averages...
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/default.asp

[SunDevil]

After taxes, I have $3031.20 before I pay any bills. (They take out too much in taxes though, so I get a refund at the end of the year)

The only bills I have are rent, cell phone, car insurance, health insurance, renters insurance, gas & electric.

Rent = -$610
Cell = -$25
Car insurance* = -$60
Health insurance = -$49
Renters insurance* = -$13.50
Car registration* = -$4.60
Gas = ~$10
Electric = ~$25
------------------------------------
Total bills = -$797.10
*on a per month basis

I contribute $286.66 per month to a 401k, and $245.70 to a company stock plan. So, I don't really lose that money, but I don't see it in my account.

So $1701.74 is the amount left before I buy food, gasoline, and other things. I usually average $1100-$1300 left over each month now.

[yankeeyosh]

After my main bills are paid, I have roughly $900-1,000/month discretionary. But for some reason, I can't save a dime!

[littledancerus]

Mmm... after my car payment, rent, car insurance, gas, electric, phone & internet, water, cell phone, renters insurance, dentist bill & $50 to the credit card, I have about $150 a week to spend on food, gas, & whatever else. It's not going so good right now because my best friend is getting married in Sept & I'm in the wedding & it's on the other side of the state. So I keep having to buy things & I have to drive over there lots for showers & parties etc. Plus I need to get a hotel room ugh! Basicly everything on my credit card right now is from the wedding. Good thing she's only getting married once!

[SunDevil]

After my main bills are paid, I have roughly $900-1,000/month discretionary. But for some reason, I can't save a dime!

You should get a computer program like Microsoft Money to help you track your spending habits.