Bills Due, Bills Paid

I originally started counting my expenditures on July 1st for the simple reason that it’s the day bills are due. At least where I come from they are.

With four of us living in a large upper apartment in the heart of Elmwood Village, rent and utilities will be split into an easily digestible portion for each of us. And while many my age have tired of roommates, I still gladly take the cheaper cost of living and the inspiring energy that comes from living with three of your best friends. As an added bonus to my own personal history, we are paying less now for a four bedroom, two living room place in Buffalo than a I did last year living in a comfortable three bedroom house in Portland, OR.

All told, bills and utilities came to $272 apiece this month. The only other bills I have to regularly account each month are my phone, my student loans (which just went up $7 this month), and my credit card (which just last year was approaching $1000 but that I now have down to only slightly more than a $100 and that is only because of the bike I recently purchased). With each of those bills respectively costing $55.96, $69.04 and $20.00, added to the aforementioned $272, my bills for this month, and which can comfortably be budgeted for a similar amount each month, came to an even $417.

If I was to spend in full the allotted $1000, this would leave between $500-$600 a month to spend. Far more than enough for me to have fun.

Also far more than I probably will spend in any of the next twelve months.