EXPENSES: Anyone feel like they are out of control?

[panhead]

Here's what mine look like:

cellphone 1248
oil (heat) 1345
tv/internet 1476
trash 358
sewer 350
electric 774
__________
total: 5551

I'm in the northeast and it's just me in a 1000 sqft cottage so I'm not sure how applicable this is to you. I hate my cable bill but I'm not ready to cut the cord yet. My cell phone is employer subsidized so I'm not worred about my (single smartphone) bill yet.

 

[OAG]

Live in a 3,700 SF Ranch Style Condo in midwestern USA.
Electric 75 a month, Natrual Gas: 54 a month, Cell Phone: 10 a month (on F&F plan, no data), Internet: 63 a month (no cable TV just Wi-Fi streaming for Netflix and 3 computers), Condo fee covers Insurance, water, sewer, all outside maintenance, Snow removal, Landscaping, etc.,: 250 a month. No mortgage, one Luxury car, one cell phone, don't work (been retired forever).

 

[rbmrtn]

Thre is usually a thread each year for expenses, here is a recent one http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/2013-expenses-69835.html

Cell phones: $100 (tracfone )
Internet/tv: $1125
Electric: $1178
LP: $300
Garbage: $216
Water: $360

 

[hausfrau]

Here were ours. We also live in the upper midwest in an 100-yr old house (but insulated). In the winter, we keep our thermostat at a steady 68 degrees.

Natural Gas: 1050
Water/Sewer/Trash: 835
Electric: 981
Satellite/Internet: 1362
Cell: 1088 (one smart, one reg)

I think we could cut the cell and satellite, but DH likes it.

 

[scrabbler1]

Living in a large co-op apartment complex on Long Island (NY), some of these expenses are paid from my monthly maintenance fees and are not broken out in our annual report. I live alone in a studio apartment. Expenses are annual.

Electric: $671 (excludes a portion of the co-op's electric bill for common areas)
Natural gas for cooking: Part of my maintenance, not shown separately
(The above two charges are combined in my annual report, my share is $166.)
Landline phone + Internet: $692
Cell Phone: $0, I don't have one
Cable TV: $859
Water: $154, my share of co-op's water bill
Sewer/Trash: Part of my maintenance, not shown separately
Oil for heat: $396, my share of co-op's fuel bill.

Total: $2,938 (about $245 per month).

 

[sengsational]

	Yours	Mine	Notes
	Cell phones: $3,060	1080	Four phones, 4 plans (iPhone, 2 Android, 1 old semi-smart)
	Satellite: $1,344	0	OTA with personally crafted DVR software	Internet/phone: $924	$300+$47	TimeWarner Cable (negotiated) + Ooma
	Electric: $2,099	1267	Duke Power (0.11/kwh)
	LP: $1,400	902	Piedmont Natural Gas (2400sf, 350 miles S of mason-dixon line)
	Garbage: $264	47	Single Family Solid Waste
	Rural Water: $676	732	City Water
	9768	4375	45%

I'm gonnna have to see what I can do about that water bill, hehe.

 

[audreyh1]

We have spent less than a fairly generous budget I had set years ago - and never adjusted for inflation.

We got close to our "budget limit" last year. But considering we put a large chunk into a charitable gift fund, and we paid two years of property taxes last year, we actually did a lot better than it appears on the surface. Those expenses were pulled into 2013 from future years, and they will certainly make this year's expenses lighter.

 

[fh2000]

Family of 3.5 (DD in college dorm most of the time) in SoCal. House is 1590 SF.

Electric/Water/garbage $3600 -- one bill
Land line/internet $1080 -- one bill
Nat Gas $600
Cell (2 kids) $600
TV $0

Total: $5880.

Not sure what I can cut. Maybe less A/C in the summer.
After DW and I RE, we will have to get 2 dumb cells with pre-paid plans, so Cell category will go up a little.

 

[mrfeh]

what are other peoples expenses?

Cell phones: $360 (2 smartphones, 2 dumb phones)
Satellite: $0 (receive TV OTA)
Internet/phone: $600
Electric/gas: $2,040
LP: $0
Garbage: $0
Rural Water: $100


I'm amazed at how much the average household spends on mobile phones and satellite/cable TV.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

My advice is to attack each of the expenses and see what deals you can make to reduce each one. The savings will add up.

We have been doing this for two years and we still have a lot we can cut. I keep a big spreadsheet of everything we have done to date. We still live in the same house and drive the same cars, but it has been eye opening how much we can lower each expense without making any major lifestyle changes.

This year so far I cut an advertising expense for the business, deleted an old email account that was costing $20 a year, cut a magazine subscription I can replace with a nearby city library card with Zinnio access, and realized I could get 30% off our dog food by signing up for Petco newsletters and buying the food online when it is on sale, not at the store when we run out. So that was an easy $300 a year. If we live 50 more years that is $15K.

We have another $10K or so total, even without downsizing, I think we can cut per year of just a bunch of little stuff like that all added up. It just takes time to implement each one. But over a 50 year retirement that means freeing up $500K in the nest egg for travel or charity or something significant, instead of piddling it away on day to day unnecessary expenses.

Each week we just work down the list and keep cutting all the unneeded expenses one by one.

 

[NW-Bound]

I am currently working on a budget and have discovered that my basic expenses are kinda crazy.

These are annual #'s.

Cell phones: $3,060 (3 smartphones, one dumb phone)
Satellite: $1,344
Internet/phone: $924 (We are kind of stuck with our internet provider and the phone is included)
Electric: $2,099
LP: $1,400
Garbage: $264
Rural Water: $676

Total: $9,768 ***Edited as I found a mistake in my spreadsheet

The only thing that I spend less on is for the cell phones, and that's because we still have no data plan. I may have to add that on a monthly basis when I take off again in my RV.

 

[Midpack]

Our 2013 expenses for two adults (vs OP):

Cell phones: $3,060 (3 smartphones, one dumb phone) $722 (2 semi smart phones-voice/text/slow data)
Satellite: $1,344 $777
Internet/phone: $924 (We are kind of stuck with our internet provider and the phone is included) $599 (no landline, not wanted)
Electric: $2,099 $1600 elec & gas
[-]LP: $1,400[/-]
Garbage: $264 $158
Rural Water: $676 $453

Also upper Midwest, 2270 sf home.

 

[robnplunder]

Cell, internet, streaming service, cable/dish, land line all add up to a fortune if you are not careful. Insurances, cost relating to owning a house (more in CA), taxes (ditto), entertainment (night out, golf, travel, ...), donations, ...., whew! When I RE, hopefully, I can make some serious change to all my expenses.

 

[ABQ2015]

I live alone and have no cell phone (just a landline) but utilities/phone/internet/cable run $6K a year. I consider it out of control but live in an older 2600 SF home that is not energy efficient. My plan is to downsize in a couple of years after I retire and get a smaller, more energy efficient home. I haven't looked in detail at the cable alternatives but get the impression that most of the shows that I like to watch are not yet available. Visiting family who only have Netflix has been painful.

 

[danwhite77]

Without the benefit of having expense numbers with me, I have four kids, so . . . yeah

 

[haha]

I am currently working on a budget and have discovered that my basic expenses are kinda crazy.

These are annual #'s.

Cell phones: $3,060 (3 smartphones, one dumb phone)
Satellite: $1,344
Internet/phone: $924 (We are kind of stuck with our internet provider and the phone is included)
Electric: $2,099
LP: $1,400
Garbage: $264
Rural Water: $676

Total: $9,768 ***Edited as I found a mistake in my spreadsheet

That's not including home or auto insurance, life insurance, taxes, mortgage, cabin payment, food, entertainment, health insurance (through wifes work) etc.

The kids are Sophomore and Freshman in college so hopefully, the electric and LP go down! The water will go down slightly.

I'm sure one of the first question will be location....We live in the upper mid west. In a small subdivision outside of a small town. Our house is only 10 years old but it is fairly large so that does help explain how high the electric and LP is. (just over 5,000 sq ft counting main floor and basement.)

What part do you consider to be crazy?

Ha

 

[Bikerdude]

Single. 1800 sq ft home.

Cell phones: $107 Tracfone
TV: $432 basic cable + Netflix
Internet/phone: $900
Electric: $840
Oil: $1,540
Garbage: $50 for dump sticker
Water = well: $0


Total: $3869

 

[Fishingmn]

OP's expenses aren't much different than ours (cold here in MN - we live in smaller but much older house on water heat).

Cell phones - $2,500 (4 smartphones)
Satellite TV - $1,200
Internet - $480
Electric - $1,400
Natural Gas - $1,400
Garbage - $360
Water/Sewer - $800

Last 2 kids recently moved out which should help with electric & water but they are still on cell plan for now. I like sports too much to cut cord on TV as of yet although when you think about it my biggest interest is MN Gopher hockey (not available on OTA) and I might be able to buy season tix for the price I pay to watch them on TV.

 

[rodi]

cell phones: 600 (2 smart phones - Ting plan, no contract)
land line: 60 (probably less - in process of switching to magic jack)
cable/internet/tivo: 1476 (I hate my cable company - but I'm a tv person...)
electric & natural gas: 1159 (bill is combined, didn't feel like breaking it out.)
water: 700 (includes sewer.)

Trash comes with being a city resident - part of the property taxes.

 

[Bestwifeever]

We have one contract smart phone at $100/mo and one no-contract smart phone at $38/mo (these include taxes and fees). And cable tv and internet at another $100/mo. Which add up to a inexpensive car's monthly payment, just about. And are about 10% of our essential spending. And at 63 I am still amazed that we "need" these things that did not even exist a generation ago.

 

[bld999]

Posters with water wells, what is a fair annual assignment for a pump replacement or other significant maintenance cost?

 

[mrfeh]

Posters with water wells, what is a fair annual assignment for a pump replacement or other significant maintenance cost?

We have a shared well (us and 5 other houses), and we have each family throw $100 in per year. That covers electricity and builds up a fund for repairs.

 

[Major Tom]

Cell, internet, streaming service, cable/dish, land line all add up to a fortune if you are not careful. Insurances, cost relating to owning a house (more in CA), taxes (ditto), entertainment (night out, golf, travel, ...), donations, ...., whew! When I RE, hopefully, I can make some serious change to all my expenses.

It's good to know that some people are still driving the profits of corporate America so that my portfolio will continue to support me

 

[REWahoo]

Posters with water wells, what is a fair annual assignment for a pump replacement or other significant maintenance cost?

I ran those numbers and my costs came out to $1,000/yr. We drilled the well 15 years ago and have since spent $15,000 replacing the submersible pump twice and the pressure pump once. You may have better luck with submersible pumps (a lightning strike fried one of them) and be money ahead if that's the case.

 

[SumDay]

iibgdi,

Our annual, similarly Midwestern expenses for all you listed are $8,100 per year. I love/am addicted to my smart phone, DH needs his for his consulting business, we stay home and watch lots of TV and sports, so our cable bill is what it is, I need my reliable internet since I telecommute, our light bill is crazy, but at this point I'm not losing sleep over it.

I'm with you on this:

ONE of the reasons I posted this was because I was reading the thread in the "young" forum that is now closed, from the young guy with a $1.6 million net worth trying to convince everyone that his TOTAL household expenses were $12,000/year.

I find this inconceivable, and frankly don't want to live that way. We lived off that much in the early 80's, and it was a pretty meager existence. To each his own.

Honestly, we did not notice our light bill going down all that much when our kids moved out. We also had that wishful thinking. Just really didn't happen.

Interesting thread!