What is the most common ER budget?

[mark]

I estimate

3900 net income - 600 personal investment + 800 med insurance = 4100 month to replace

any reduced expenses from property paying off and child leaving home will be used for added travel.

 

[gayl]

I'll bite. Here is a copy of what I've spent so far this year. I anticipate the home 'upgrade' category to go down next year as I already recarpeted the halls / bedrooms / living room / dining room. New tile floors in all but 1 bath. Converted 2 bedrooms to music room and office <ugh, hate that term but you know what I mean>. Refaced kitchen cupboards. New front entryway ... panel doors throughout. Just have family room / laundry room / bath / front yard to go. .

Your system puts me in the 'frugal' category but that doesn't seem to fit my lifestyle. Here is what MSNmoney spit out:

Automobile 2327.29
Charitable Cash Donations 945
Clothing 420
Coffee Out 266.24
Dining Out 975.39
Grocers 1718.2
Gifts 511.39
Furniture 316.92
Gardener 1080
House Insurance 1400
Prop Taxes 2100
Home Maintainence 351
Home Upgrades 6524
Unknown personal 156.48
Internet access 293.38
Telephone 360
PGE 864
Water 602
Garbage 222
Travels 7144.61
Total spent 28607.98

Monthly income after taxes 1825, 21900 annual
Annual 457 dispersal 5000, well below SWR
Short fall: 1707 taken from non-retirement savings which is now down to under 10k ... never really was that high ... maybe I'll take the full SWR next year :

 

[Spanky]

Grocers 1718.2

This figure seems low (esp. in California). Our grocery bill is about $4,800 per year (in Minnesota).

 

[John Galt]

Hello Spanky..............our grocery bill is about $4800
per year also. This includes booze, paper products, household supplies, etc. Two (2) people and 4 dogs.

JG

 

[gayl]

This figure seems low (esp. in California). Our grocery bill is about $4,800 per year (in Minnesota).

Actually, given the number of farmers markets and the low cost of fresh fruit and vegetables year around in 'regular' grocers <just picked up a fresh pineapple at the local Safeway for 1.99>, it is common for this area. Cherries are under $2 a pound at the point of origin ... can get corn when I pass their stands outside their farms on my weekly trip to the Delta at unbelievable low prices ... so that's what my annual report showed on MSN. Great isn't it?

I was surprised at the "Dining Out 975.39" total ... thought it would be much higher.

 

[Spanky]

Actually, given the number of farmers markets and the low cost of fresh fruit and vegetables year around in 'regular' grocers <just picked up a fresh pineapple at the local Safeway for 1.99>, it is common for this area. Cherries are under $2 a pound at the point of origin ... can get corn when I pass their stands outside their farms on my weekly trip to the Delta at unbelievable low prices ...

I was in the Bay Area and Southern Cal last week. I was suprised that the price of fruit, vegetable and sea food were so much lower than Minnesota. However, household items such as shampoo, paper towel, cleaning products, etc, were 30% higher.

 

[John Galt]

In my first marriage, I paid no attention whatsoever
to the cost of groceries (or most anything else really)
right up until the ER idea took hold. Even then I did
nothing about budgeting, at least not seriously.
When I became a bachelor again and retired, I was
pretty careful about my spending, especially in the early
days when I was adjusting to my new life. The point is that even though I thought I was being thrifty, my new wife showed me stuff I hadn't even thought of, and some of it was obvious. She is a very careful shopper
and loves a bargain (me too).
She just finds too many of them, and that's why I can no longer park a car in our garage

JG

 

[bruce1]

She just finds too many of them, and that's why I can no longer park a car in our garage  

JG  

Lucky you are't a packrat on a farm with two barns, two outbuildings and a garage and a couple of cousins and an aunt to help fill them. I am going to have the biggest yard sale in a year or two. At least I think I can get more at a yard sale than an auction.

 

[gayl]

I was in the Bay Area and Southern Cal last week. I was suprised that the price of fruit, vegetable and sea food were so much lower than Minnesota. However,  household items such as shampoo, paper towel, cleaning products, etc, were 30% higher.

You've pretty much described my diet ... Store brand shampoo is about a dollar and I avoid paper towels ... I wash and reuse real ones.

I stopped eating beef years ago so maybe that's why it is so low?