Going Out and Budget?

I have found that over the past 3-4 months I cannot seem to go out nearly as much as any of my co-workers do and in fact I am turning down dates and invites from work friends and external friends of mine left and right for weekend outings. This is all due to budget reasons, not personal choice or disinterest.

I make the same or near the same as the people at work who have been asking me to go out on weekends (summers on a college campus are best times for faculty/staff to go out downtown since students are gone and we have minimal chance of running into the students who work for us).

Every weekend Thursday-Saturday some group of co-workers or friends of mine are going DT for a few drinks or a bite to eat or movies or a day trip to a near bye water park or museum. As a nice gesture they invite me most times. I can only afford to go maybe 2 or 3 times a month while they go every single weekend to these things…?

I make $2150 a month which leaves me about $250 for food, $50 for supps, $100 for gas and $50 for CEU courses, and then $100 for social spending all month. All else I make is ear marked for my rent, car loan, student loan, car insurance, cell, cable, utilities, internet, etc.

Most of these co-workers live in apartments that cost as much or more then my own and drive cars much more expensive then mine is as well. I am not sure where they are finding the $$ or where I am losing it which makes for such discord in lifestyles?

I feel like a recluse as of lately with how often I have to play the “cost too much” card. They even joke that I must be building a huge retirement fund with all the cash I save by not going out with them. Little do they know I have no retirement of any kind…

Thoughts?

maybe they make a lot more than you.

but you could always get a second job, even if its just a few days a month. something extra wont hurt, and seeing as youre not going out anyways do it on the weekends.

It’s likely that your coworkers, if not serious about nutrition and exercise, are spending $300/month on food and supps. Their grocery bills are probably much less thus affording them the ability to eat out and since they probably don’t enjoy preparing their own food as well, they see this as a positive and a just expense.

It all comes down to sacrifices and what is more valued my friend. I don’t drink/smoke/eat meat/enjoy going downtown to clubs and thus I don’t see the majority of my friends and peers as much as others would, and I’m fine with that. If you’re upset at feeling like a recluse then deal with it and spend some money, or find a hobby you can enjoy while staying in.

[quote]La Crosse Grad wrote:

I make $2150 a month which leaves me about $250 for food, $50 for supps, $100 for gas and $50 for CEU courses, and then $100 for social spending all month. All else I make is ear marked for my rent, car loan, student loan, car insurance, cell, cable, utilities, internet, etc.

Thoughts?[/quote]

Declare bankrupcy and default on your loans. Who needs a credit rating anyhow? When you want to buy your own home just save up the cash. With a disposable income of $100 a month you could buy your own home by the time you’re 90. Then it’s time to settle down and have kids.

[quote]JaseHxC wrote:
I don’t drink/smoke/eat meat/enjoy going downtown to clubs[/quote]

Wierd ass Straight Edge guys… I’ll never understand.

OP, if you want to go out you’ll find a way. Even as a single father with about $30/month in disposable income I was able to find a way to get out occasionally.

Your co workers are probably in horrible credit card debt lol. It sounds like you are pretty smart about your money and living within your means which puts you in the minority. I would just say don’t spend recklessly when you do go out and you should be alright. Gotta have some fun once in a while man

[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
Your co workers are probably in horrible credit card debt lol. It sounds like you are pretty smart about your money and living within your means which puts you in the minority. I would just say don’t spend recklessly when you do go out and you should be alright. Gotta have some fun once in a while man[/quote]

This. Most people can’t even begin to truly afford their lifestyles. My boss, who is just about the most financially responsible person I’ve ever met tells a story about when he and his wife first got married. He was driving down the road with her next to him and suddenly he just lost it. He couldn’t understand why he was such a loser and how all these people, many younger than him, were driving all these nice cars and all he could afford was their crappy old Tercel. Long story short, he had been assuming that the 20 year old kid next to him in the BMW, and everyone else on the road, had paid cash for their cars because, well, that’s just how you buy stuff. He had been brought up to believe that a house was the only thing a person would borrow money for. His wife promptly set him straight and his perspective changed.

Personal debt is at a crisis level in our society and it is largely because people are unwilling to live within their means. We see others around us (i.e. your friends and coworkers) spending all this money and we assume that we can/should as well. This doesn’t make it suck any less when it seems like everyone but you is at the party. Have fun, sure, but keep on doing it within your budget. You may not retirement savings now, but at least you are not digging yourself an enormous hole which you’ll need to dig out of before you can start saving. I realize that this is boring and lame, but it’s true. Stay the course man.

[quote]JaseHxC wrote:

I don’t drink/smoke/eat meat/enjoy going downtown to clubs

[/quote]

Alcohol helps with bulking. Meat helps with bulking. Smoking helps with looking cool. Going downtown to clubs helps with getting laid.

Actually I don’t smoke but it does look cool.

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]JaseHxC wrote:

I don’t drink/smoke/eat meat/enjoy going downtown to clubs

[/quote]

Alcohol helps with bulking. Meat helps with bulking. Smoking helps with looking cool. Going downtown to clubs helps with getting laid.

Actually I don’t smoke but it does look cool.[/quote]

All things that I have no concern or interest in for the most part.

[quote]JaseHxC wrote:

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]JaseHxC wrote:

I don’t drink/smoke/eat meat/enjoy going downtown to clubs

[/quote]

Alcohol helps with bulking. Meat helps with bulking. Smoking helps with looking cool. Going downtown to clubs helps with getting laid.

Actually I don’t smoke but it does look cool.[/quote]

All things that I have no concern or interest in for the most part.[/quote]

No interest in building muscle, looking cool and getting chicks?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Ok and to answer the OP and hopefully not derail this thread further, here is my initial thought:

Maybe a lot of your coworkers are married or live with their significant other? Having a two income household will allow for more money for going out and things like that. (just a thought)

Maybe your coworkers are in less debt than you are? (less student loans and sush)

Maybe your coworkers are in MORE debt than you are? (and put things on credit cards, not putting as much money towards their student loans, just financially irresponsible?)

Those are my initial thoughts

Pay for everything by credit card?

Might be what your co-workers are doing. Otherwise drink booze slower (better way to drink anyway for so many reasons - bing sober is a huge advantage when dealing with drunk people and you stay out of trouble easier), give up the coffee and gum and stuff that sucks ups a few bucks here and there. Befriend bar tenders and frequent one dive bar exclusively. If I go out drinking, even staying until 2am my tab is always something like $10 bucks, throw in a $10 tip and an economical evening. My only concern is that I might be local color for the tourists who make up a good portion of my local dive crowd. But if that’s the case, its like a second job.

[quote]gregron wrote:

[quote]JaseHxC wrote:

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]JaseHxC wrote:

I don’t drink/smoke/eat meat/enjoy going downtown to clubs

[/quote]

Alcohol helps with bulking. Meat helps with bulking. Smoking helps with looking cool. Going downtown to clubs helps with getting laid.

Actually I don’t smoke but it does look cool.[/quote]

All things that I have no concern or interest in for the most part.[/quote]

No interest in building muscle, looking cool and getting chicks?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
[/quote]

As I’ve said before, I eat to recover and maintain the body weight I have now and have no interest to make any drastic size changes. If I’m not recovering properly, I’ll eat more and accept the additional weight gain.

“Cool” is a state of mind and since the current physical definition of “cool” is a faux Italian in ugly clothes acting like a jack ass on National TV, I have no interest in this.

As far as getting laid, I do just fine without having to go and hit on women with lowered inhibitions. If I’m single and want to meet a woman with whom to spend time with and eventually have sex with, I interact with them in a non-bar atmosphere where I don’t have to yell over a monotonous techno beat.

Anyways, this isn’t my thread so /hijack

Clearly your co workers do porn on the interwebs.

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]La Crosse Grad wrote:

I make $2150 a month which leaves me about $250 for food, $50 for supps, $100 for gas and $50 for CEU courses, and then $100 for social spending all month. All else I make is ear marked for my rent, car loan, student loan, car insurance, cell, cable, utilities, internet, etc.

Thoughts?[/quote]

Declare bankrupcy and default on your loans. Who needs a credit rating anyhow? When you want to buy your own home just save up the cash. With a disposable income of $100 a month you could buy your own home by the time you’re 90. Then it’s time to settle down and have kids.[/quote]

You can’t default on student loans, even if you declare bankruptcy you have to pay it back.

Cancel your cable. Get netflix and go in with a neighbor on internet. Also, consider a roomate.

If they are your friends just start asking them every now and then about their financial situations. You will either find out they are in much more debt than you or the reason they have more money than you. Most people these days are bad at managing money and associate debt with just another bill like food/gas as opposed to a negative bank balance. If you owe $10k to credit cards/loans and have $1000 in your bank account you have -$9000 in the bank, not $1000 like a majority of people think.


holymac likes to party

The tighter the money… the tighter the dress.

O wait, wut?

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
holymac likes to party[/quote]

hahaha. That is 5 time the price dude.

[quote]jasmincar wrote:

hahaha. That is 5 time the price dude.[/quote]

holymac only knows the price of a good time