Budget Project Essay

While doing the budget project I had to make a lot of sacrifices to pay my bills and live the way I
want. Life isn’t as easy as it used to be. Sometimes it isn’t really fun because of the bills and
responsibilities. And making those decisions wasn't as easy as it seems.
Firstly, I make $3881.35 a month while paying off $188.66 a month for my student loan debt.
While finding a place to live, I had to think wisely. I wanted something affordable and nice, a good place
to call home. My apartment costs me a total of $1051.09 that's including my utilities. Secondly, for my car
I chose a 2017 Acura with 78,638 miles, I also got elephant insurance which was the most affordable
insurance and cost me $254 a month. Overall, I spend $800 a month on my car. With the gas being $252
and the monthly payment being $294.
Having a budget means that I have to really think wisely and carefully about my decisions. Food
my phone plan I try to spend as little as possible. My internet bill itself costs me $45 whilst my cell phone
plan is about $60 monthly which adds up to at least $105 monthly. I chose the $45 plan with xfinity
because not only is it convenient but it is also cheap!
Even though paying bills is a big responsibility, I still need time for fun and my friends. For my
entertainment, I spend $110 a month. Almost every 2 Sundays of a month, me and my boyfriend go to the
movies which costs me $60. I also speed at most $50 a month on eating out with my friends. With me
eating at home a lot, I have a good amount of groceries. I spend $213.17 a month on groceries. When
shopping for groceries, I try to get certain stuff that can be cooked in a couple of minutes more frequently
than stuff I'd get for a home cooked meal. I try to shop as little for home cooked meals because I cook
three times a month at most. I still have to take care of myself so I take out $50 a month and use it on my
personal products.
Lastly, With all the spending I still have a savings account for myself . I put up 1,150 a month
towards moving to california. Which would be considered my long term goal because it will take me up to
7 years to save up 100K to move to California. It costs up to $80,000 to live comfortably in California
which is why it'll take me a good minute to save up for it, considering it as a long term goal. For my short
term goal, I am simply saving up for Dubai. I save at most $213.43 a month for it. My goal is to have 1k
and it'll take me at most 5 weeks to save up for the trip.