Quote:
|
Originally Posted by JinnKai
When I was down in Seattle three weeks ago, I talked to this random guy at a bar who was 45ish. He'd had the whole gambit of experiences, and had recently divorced after a 23 year marriage.
|
Ok, I'm sorry. But you mean 'gamut'. Gambit means something entirely different.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gamut
Anyway, my advice to McFrosticles: Get used to being poor. It sucks, in a way, but I partly agree with Jinnkai's bar guy - looking back on it (from the ripe old age of 30 ;-)), the times when I was poor were at least as satisfying as the times when I wasn't.
You won't be able to have the same lifestyle as when your parents supported you. Figure out what you're spending money on. Compare that to how much money you make. The first number must be lower than the second. Make that happen. Most people spend between 1/4 and 1/2 of their income on 'housing'. 1/2 is far too much. How much is your apartment compared to your income? (No, don't tell me, it's none of my business) Make that ratio approach 1/4, if you can. (ie, move into a cheaper apartment) Figure out your other expenses. Avoid credit card debt like the plague it is.
After housing, look at the other things that are taking up your income, and cut them. Car payment. Eating out. Bar hopping. Whores. Drugs. Whatever is eating up your income must go.
There's lots of great advice on these topics here on TFP, and on the rest of the internets. Take a look. But the basic advice for surviving financial adulthood is that your income must be greater than your spending.