Budget Project Essay

As of October 18, 2023, I now have a new understanding of and appreciation for my
parents. I had never really understood the value of a dollar not how to budget. During this budget
project I am solely responsible for managing my finances and being able to live within a budget.
The responsibility of paying my bills and having enough food in my house for me, myself, and I.
I started with a salary of $43,600, with a monthly income of $2,725, and a student loan of
$16,760.
Even with my monthly budget being a little higher than few, I had to make mature
decisions when it came to wants and needs. I would have loved to find a apartment close to
downtown, with a concierge and a fully equipped gym; but that was not possible with this
budget. I had to crawl before I walked.
Cable was a very hard want that I did not need, so I decided on purchasing internet for
$55/month and 3 streaming platforms which in total was $25.97, it was Hulu, Disney +, and
Crunchyroll. Had I gone with internet and cable, I would have been paying over $250/month. By
choosing internet and 3 streaming services instead of cable, I saved almost $170. For my car I
chose, I had to be smart. I wanted my dream car, a 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which
goes for about $62,000. I had to make a smart decision and choose a 2022 Nissan Altima that’s
$20,901; I saved over $40,000. I will be paying almost $800 per month for the car note for my
dream car if I had chosen it.
By making smart decisions with my cable and vehicle, I am able to find a decent
apartment. I found an apartment for under $1000 in rent. After my water bill, which was $75;
and renters’ insurance; which was $10.42; I will be paying $1,025.42. Now when it comes to
groceries, inflation inflations. I didn’t realize that you can walk out of H.E.B with 3 bags of
groceries and the bill is over $100, that baffles me. Seeing how I am a tall guy who plays
professional sports its hard for me to skimp on food; my monthly spending on groceries is
$347.70.
All in all, this project made me open my eyes and gave me a small taste of what to expect
next year. This project will help me budget from here on out. The cost of living is rising on a
monthly basis and this budget project is preparing for what’s to come.