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View Poll Results: My annual household expenses excluding taxes is:
$24,000 or less 29 10.70%
$24,001 to $36,000 35 12.92%
$36,001 to $48,000 47 17.34%
$48,001 to $60,000 50 18.45%
$60,001 to $72,000 34 12.55%
$72,001 to $84,000 23 8.49%
$84,001 to $96,001 18 6.64%
$96,001 or more 35 12.92%
Voters: 271. You may not vote on this poll

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Annual Expense Poll
Old 11-01-2008, 08:42 AM   #1
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Annual Expense Poll

We do this periodically, and I thought it would be interesting to set a new baseline reflecting the ongoing "misery of 2008."

Choose your annual household expenses amount excluding taxes and extraordinary one time purchases, like RVs and vacation homes.
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Old 11-01-2008, 10:36 AM   #2
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Looks like I'm the lone spendthrift around here. Actually, more than 40% of our outflow is going to daycare and to pay down the mortgage. In 3 years we'll be done with daycare, and in 8 years the mortgage will be retired. At that point, we'll really be able to ramp up our ER savings.
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Old 11-01-2008, 10:40 AM   #3
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I find that if I can manage to spend between $2k-$3k each month, and can avoid many large expenditures (i.e. new car, big vacation etc), life comes at me really slow. Even with a couple of $4k-$5k expenditures this year (fence and A/C unit) I still have managed to LBYM for yet another year!!!!!...so far....
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Old 11-01-2008, 10:43 AM   #4
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Climbing fast this year - 24K-36K bracket now. HELOC Interest to do the SS Mulligan. RE Taxes headed up for a 25% increase in School Taxes (have not had a kid in schools for 25 years but "it's for the kids" (actually it is for the teachers and the NEA, since 89% of school expenses go towards salaries)).
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Old 11-01-2008, 10:44 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa View Post
Choose your annual household expenses amount excluding taxes and extraordinary one time purchases, like RVs and vacation homes.
....and motorcycles?
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Old 11-01-2008, 10:56 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ProspectiveBum View Post
Looks like I'm the lone spendthrift around here. Actually, more than 40% of our outflow is going to daycare and to pay down the mortgage. In 3 years we'll be done with daycare, and in 8 years the mortgage will be retired. At that point, we'll really be able to ramp up our ER savings.
Some of those voting are including a mortgage or rent, others are living in paid off homes.

Some of those voting are single and living alone, others have families with a spouse, many children, and/or aged parents to support.

Don't feel like too much of a spendthrift - - from what you said above, your budget appears to simply reflect your life circumstances! Likewise, I am in the <$24,000 category but if I still had my mortgage (or rent), or if I was living with Frank, I wouldn't be.

I think I will post another poll related to the above categories of circumstances. I would be interested to know!
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Old 11-01-2008, 11:01 AM   #7
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Last year we spent $69,128.

This year we have spent less than $50,000 so far, so I think that, by year end, our annual expenses could very well be below $60,000 for the year, which would be the lowest it's been since 2001.

Next year, I expect our expenses to increase quite a bit. We have 2 overseas trips planned (like this year) plus one wedding to attend in San Francisco. And my wife would like to treat herself to a nice watch, though we'll first have to see how the economy fares. Maybe I should count the watch as an extraordinary one time purchase, because it truly is a once in a lifetime purchase...

DINKs, expenses include $10K annual for mortgage, $5K annual for disability and life insurance. Some money goes to support parents, but it's still very reasonable.
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Old 11-01-2008, 11:05 AM   #8
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But I haven't reigned in expenses yet! Spending habits are pretty much the same as they have been all year and were last year.

If I do start cutting back, it will probably be later next year as my short term cash hoard starts to dwindle and I start looking ahead at withdrawals. I shouldn't need to do any portfolio withdrawals until late 2010 (knock on wood), but I expect that by late 2009 I'll be looking ahead.

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Old 11-01-2008, 11:14 AM   #9
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But I haven't reigned in expenses yet!
I am not laughing AT you, but WITH you! I feel like that a lot, too.
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Old 11-01-2008, 11:20 AM   #10
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Single, paid off house, included property tax (high in NH as there is no sales or income tax), and health insurance, $34K annual out flow, have not really made any attempt to rein in expenses since I am working P/T 20 hours a week which provides about $20K net annually.
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Old 11-01-2008, 11:21 AM   #11
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Quote:
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....and motorcycles?
That's a necessity.
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Old 11-01-2008, 11:22 AM   #12
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Not including car, taxes, and charity for 2007: just under $19,000.
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Old 11-01-2008, 11:23 AM   #13
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I am not laughing AT you, but WITH you! I feel like that a lot, too.
Oh Want2retire! I always know that you are laughing WITH me!

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Old 11-01-2008, 11:32 AM   #14
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I voted for bracket 2, but I'm just barely in there. I'm around 25-26K.
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Old 11-01-2008, 11:51 AM   #15
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Not sure how a couple live on anything less than 60K per year. I voted 84k-96K. I believe we can reduce our spending to about 65K when we retire.
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Old 11-01-2008, 12:02 PM   #16
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I voted for bracket 2, but I'm just barely in there. I'm around 25-26K.
Me too....it would be less if we didn't travel as much....but since we can't with us when we go, we're gonna enjoy it along the way.

(if it wasn't for travel, we'd easily be way less than $24K.....probably less than $20K)
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Old 11-01-2008, 01:09 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa View Post
We do this periodically, and I thought it would be interesting to set a new baseline reflecting the ongoing "misery of 2008."

Choose your annual household expenses amount excluding taxes and extraordinary one time purchases, like RVs and vacation homes.
Is this for everyone? Working, non working, single, etc?
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Old 11-01-2008, 01:40 PM   #18
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This poll could be misleading due to some people being retired and some still working. I would think retired folk would be cutting back more than someone who still has a job. Just my .02 worth.
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Old 11-01-2008, 02:41 PM   #19
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I was going to post a number, but then there were so many caveats. The way RIT asked for the number, I calculated $40,600 per year. It should be way less than half that amount after the kids are grown and gone and the mortgage is paid off. Probably closer to one third.

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Old 11-01-2008, 02:54 PM   #20
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2007 - 50k including taxes, all trips and parties, everything. My FireCalc and ORP number is up in the 60's - but my nerves given Mr Market of late won't let me go there.

Dat's a long long way from my personal all time low of 12k one year in the early 90's starting ER.

heh heh heh - . I usually spend what I think I'm 'allowed' to spend. Whatcha think maybe a hot tub for winter 2009? .
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