NYC Biglawyers - How is your monthly expenditure? Forum

[Anonymous User]

7th year associate in NYC. Paid off my loans 3-4 years ago. Pay 2400 in rent (my share a 1BR in the Village with my girlfriend). Try to spend ~$1200/month on food/booze all in (including groceries and going out). Gym is $60. Cell phone is $10 (after firm reimbursement). My share of utilities is ~$100. Laundry is ~$100. Vacations vary wildly, from $0 monthly to $3k. Here is my last 12 full months according Mint:

• February 2017 $5,503.38
  March 2017 $4,079.15
  April 2017 $5,954.97
  May 2017 $3,802.57
  June 2017 $6,402.45
  July 2017 $9,235.36
  August 2017 $3,884.79
  September 2017 $9,649.24
  October 2017 $14,187.53
  November 2017 $6,501.67
  December 2017 $16,476.35

December and September included expenses on an investment property. October included first/last/security on a new apartment.

[ughbugchugplug]

Brutal, but this is still $218, not $25? It's moot because I could never eat like this, but that's not the point here I guess. Just curious.

Also when you say you spend on "going out," unless this refers to just alcohol, some of that $$ is probably meals?

I don't eat through several bags of rice, 10lbs of chicken, and 100 cans of beans and tomatoes in a month. That lasts like 5-6 months. Prob I end up exceeding 25, but its in that range.

Yeah, true, but I don't generally eat when I go out. I guess maybe I should revise my monthly food costs up to 75?

I honestly don't see this as a sacrifice. I genuinely enjoy my meals - I really look forward to the day I cook (every 4-5 days) because that's when the meal is the most spicy. But I also have lifted weights and competed in sports for most of my life, so I see food more as a means to an end than most people do.

This is also not possible if you live in New York City proper (or LA/SF, I'd guess), as it requires a huge amount of storage space, a large kitchen, and a large fridge. Plus, if you lived with roommates they would probably kill you.

It doesn't really take up much space. If you have a closet, you can keep the nonrefrigerables in a sealed bin there. And 30 LBs of chicken takes up way less space than you think if you individually wrap and freeze it. The container and vegetables also might take up a single rack in a mid-sized fridge. Maybe if you have a minifridge, no closet, or have 3+ roommates it would not work.

[Toubro]

Brutal, but this is still $218, not $25? It's moot because I could never eat like this, but that's not the point here I guess. Just curious.

Also when you say you spend on "going out," unless this refers to just alcohol, some of that $$ is probably meals?

I don't eat through several bags of rice, 10lbs of chicken, and 100 cans of beans and tomatoes in a month. That lasts like 5-6 months. Prob I end up exceeding 25, but its in that range.

Yeah, true, but I don't generally eat when I go out. I guess maybe I should revise my monthly food costs up to 75?

I honestly don't see this as a sacrifice. I genuinely enjoy my meals - I really look forward to the day I cook (every 4-5 days) because that's when the meal is the most spicy. But I also have lifted weights and competed in sports for most of my life, so I see food more as a means to an end than most people do.

So this is kind of off topic, but I think the bolded is really the key in your situation. Sounds kind of sad, but I really look forward to dinner (lunch is usually something drab and quick at work), so if I had to come back home to the same chicken pilaf for the 15th time, I'd be pretty upset no matter how spicy it is (though once or twice a week it would be a good meal).

Good for you, though; joke's probably on us.

[ughbugchugplug]

Brutal, but this is still $218, not $25? It's moot because I could never eat like this, but that's not the point here I guess. Just curious.

Also when you say you spend on "going out," unless this refers to just alcohol, some of that $$ is probably meals?

I don't eat through several bags of rice, 10lbs of chicken, and 100 cans of beans and tomatoes in a month. That lasts like 5-6 months. Prob I end up exceeding 25, but its in that range.

Yeah, true, but I don't generally eat when I go out. I guess maybe I should revise my monthly food costs up to 75?

I honestly don't see this as a sacrifice. I genuinely enjoy my meals - I really look forward to the day I cook (every 4-5 days) because that's when the meal is the most spicy. But I also have lifted weights and competed in sports for most of my life, so I see food more as a means to an end than most people do.

So this is kind of off topic, but I think the bolded is really the key in your situation. Sounds kind of sad, but I really look forward to dinner (lunch is usually something drab and quick at work), so if I had to come back home to the same chicken pilaf for the 15th time, I'd be pretty upset no matter how spicy it is (though once or twice a week it would be a good meal).

Good for you, though; joke's probably on us.

You're probably right. I mean, everyone is different, and if you really enjoy cooking dinner every night then more power to you. I'm no different, just in different areas. I always get craft beer when I go out because I can't stand the drabness of budweiser or whatever, and I splurge on a gym because I love to exercise. If you looking forward to dinner is sad, then me looking forward to the gym is sad. Which it probably is?