well if you cant manage with numbers on a screen

kick it old school and take out how much cash you need every week and only pay in cash for everything

7/21/2008 2:28:02 PM

lol at evan telling someone else they eat unhealthy shit

you fucking lardass

7/21/2008 2:42:31 PM

and this is why I wanted my own thread OMAR

7/21/2008 2:52:54 PM

What do you mean? Just don't spend more than your budget.

7/21/2008 2:55:17 PM

Credit cards don't show you a balance.

I wonder if cash would be easier, or keeping track of receipts, or getting a debit card and putting a certain amount of money on there...

7/21/2008 3:12:47 PM

I never use cash but I hear a lot of people recommend using it for budget purposes.

7/21/2008 3:14:14 PM

^^you might want to read up on Envelope System.

I have budgets set up on mint.com and it texts my phone whenever I go over budget in any area. So far I haven't, but I also work well knowing that a deadline or limit to what I can do is looming.

7/21/2008 6:51:47 PM

how hard is it to remember how much money you spend?

7/21/2008 6:55:36 PM

I rarely eat out since I'm on a strict diet, never buy alcohol or soda even diet, only crystal light food lion brand knockoffs and water from the faucet

but i spend ~$25 week on food, mostly 4-5lbs of meat, 10x bananas, 10x yogurt, all food lion brand, Old El Paso Taco kits(when they're on sale, you can use the -$1.00 coupon on the packages[little green sticker] and get the seasoning + shells for like $1.59 [Food Lion Taco Kits are $1.69]), head of lettuce, taco cheeses
I might spend $15/month on eating out, I hate doing it but my job/relationships sometimes force me to
Then my only drawback is $60/month on protein powders, I'm intaking ~200g/protein/day...I've lost 80lbs since Jan'08 so it's been working

I credit a tight budget to the ease of a commitment to dieting...having no snacks in the house and only foods that require prep time is FTW..I'm very stingy with my money now...I even shit/shower at the gym to save on utility bills...yellow let it mellow...too bad my roommates are ignorant and steal my bananas which throws my whole schedule off

introvert ftw

7/21/2008 7:03:05 PM

Quote :

"I'm very stingy with my money now...I even shit/shower at the gym to save on utility bills..."

holy jesus

flushing a toilet costs less than a penny.

7/21/2008 7:18:12 PM

^^

Thanks for dinner.

7/21/2008 7:31:24 PM

So, i've never heard of mint, but i'm checking it out right now...is it really ok to put your account information online like that?

7/21/2008 8:13:40 PM

I spend way too much money eating/drinking out. Easy $120 for a nice dinner for two (that's when I'm dating...$50 or $60 when single). At least $60 for a decent night of drinking (although usually more)...which happens on average a little more than twice a week. Then there's one or two good lunches...$15 to $25 a lunch. Then there's the daily coffee shop trips in the morning which run $5 a day. I've been trying to cut back while I'm studying for the bar...making sandwiches for lunch and and cooking at the house more. Its ridiculous how much I've saved. But I have to because I haven't been working.

I don't see it slowing down anytime soon though. I live in a town with so many damn good restaurants and bars. It's a sin not to go out on a regular basis. I gotta make sure I get a good job when I get back from traveling so I can keep my eating/drinking habits up.

7/21/2008 9:07:36 PM

Quote :

"So, i've never heard of mint, but i'm checking it out right now...is it really ok to put your account information online like that?"

I was worried as well but after I saw a few financial magazines drop the name I figured I'd give it a shot.

7/21/2008 10:25:38 PM

^^ Damn dude. I love fixing nice liquor drinks when I'm hosting a gathering or going to a friends place but I always try to order drink specials when I go out or at least just stick to beer. If you like eating out a lot I'd invest in one of those entertainment books or at least stick to cheap restaurants. I had Mexican last weekend, 2 en trees, 2 drinks, and dessert and the tab was only $20.

Where the hell do you go for lunch? Do you live in NY?

[Edited on July 21, 2008 at 10:28 PM. Reason : ]

7/21/2008 10:28:04 PM

Quote :

"flushing a toilet costs less than a penny"

part of the reason I shit at the gym is because I like to cheat before weighing in

Showering at the gym is fucking awesome if you can overcome being naked in front of dudes, mostly old dudes, but dicks flying nonetheless. The water pressure at the gym is incredible, blows away the drip master we have at home, and I'm already paying for the access to the gym, why double pay to heat the water and use the water at home?


If I were to build a new home, I'd definitely invest in one of those gray water recycling systems, they're said to pay off in 10 years or so of use, so as long as my plans were to stay in said home, I'd feel good and save money at the same time. I'd also be interested in those solar roof systems for like 50k, but that'd be pushing the smugness to the roof. I already hypermile in my GTI, pisses off enough people.

Can't wait for cooler weather to hit, we were able to hold off til June to turn on the AC, can't wait to get off it. If I'm single with my own place, don't ever come over in the winter. I'll have a tree from my property chopped up, running the house purely on the fireplace or just a ton of blankets. I can utilize my computer gaming to heat up my room. I need a girlfriend

7/21/2008 10:33:06 PM

Quote :

"So, i've never heard of mint, but i'm checking it out right now...is it really ok to put your account information online like that?"

mint compiles all your information into one website. everything is already online, it has to be for mint to access it.

personally i think its awesome that i can go in and see my bank balance, 401k, roth ira, money market balances, credit card usage, etc all on one screen.

i can see concern for putting all your login information into one website but all the accounts mint accesses are already ONLINE so i dont see why you're concerned about your information being "online" like that-- its already there!

7/21/2008 10:37:06 PM

Quote :

"Damn dude. I love fixing nice liquor drinks when I'm hosting a gathering or going to a friends place but I always try to order drink specials when I go out or at least just stick to beer. If you like eating out a lot I'd invest in one of those entertainment books or at least stick to cheap restaurants. I had Mexican last weekend, 2 en trees, 2 drinks, and dessert and the tab was only $20. Where the hell do you go for lunch? Do you live in NY?"

I live in Charleston.

Several things:

- I don't actually drink liquor drinks, which would usually mean that my tabs aren't that high. But I do drink good beer. So instead of $3 domestics, its usually $4 to $6 imports.

- From being a bartender at probably the most popular bar down here, I know a lot of people at whatever bar I go to. So usually shots/drinks get bought for me...which I, feeling obligated, usually do the same. So rounds of shots/drinks are usually added to the tab. And I know most of the bartenders at the bars I go to, so I usually buy a round of shots for them and myself.

- Knowing the bartenders/servers and working the service industry...I tip too much. The good thing is that it usually is just money being passed around in a circle, because it comes back to me when I work. Only bad thing is that I haven't been working while I'm studying for the bar, so the money isn't currently coming back to me.

- As for lunch...if I eat out for lunch, I'll go to this ridiculous Thai place that is right beside the law school and coffee shop I study at (unfortunately they keep raising the prices of their lunch and it's around $11 or $12 for an entree). Also, I just go to small restaurants where lunch entrees are around $8 or $9. But if I get a drink and tip $4 to $6...it gets around $20. Now I might only do this once or twice a week...but it adds up.


During my studying/not working period...I have been skimping a little bit. Making more lunches, drinking domestics when I go out, not ordering the rounds of shots, trying not to tip quite as much....and generally just not going out as much.

But once I start back, I presume it will go back to the regular habits. And after looking at it...I'm amazed as to how much money I've been able to save over the years.

7/22/2008 11:14:13 AM

Quote :

"Knowing the bartenders/servers and working the service industry...I tip too much."

Yeah, I'll never understand this practice. I see servers working through school with high credit card debt doing this all the time. I tip well but I think 50% tips are pretty ridiculous.

7/22/2008 11:27:19 AM

^I've gone over it extensively in other threads...so I won't re-type (might try to find it later).

It definitely has its benefits if (1) you also work in the industry and they come back and tip...its basically just like money being passed back and forth and (2) you are the type of person who enjoys and finds "useful" the other benefits (getting treated "right" when you go out, among other things).

And yeah...it doesn't make sense for some of the people who work in the industry to tip what they tip. I know a lot of servers who might make $100 or $200 a night and blow it all in the 2 hours they have after getting off and before the bar closes...a lot of that being in tips. Then they repeat this almost every night. But I don't hate if they're young and they're just having a good time while they're in college or before they "go out into the real world."

But then there are the bartenders and servers who make $300 or $400 a night and spend a big chunk of change and tip a lot every now and then (not every night). That's usually what I fall under.

Again...it's all relative.

7/22/2008 11:40:27 AM

If bartenders make $400 / night why should I tip them at all?

[Edited on July 22, 2008 at 11:44 AM. Reason : sp]

7/22/2008 11:44:42 AM

What?? They make that because you do tip them. And if you didn't tip them, you would wait 20 minutes to get your next drink.

7/22/2008 11:48:50 AM

Well damn, they make more than I do a day. Guess I'll cut back on my tips. Thanks for the advice.

7/22/2008 11:51:51 AM

Also depends on what bar you go to and what night.

But tipping is all up to you. If you don't feel you need to tip that much...than that's your decision...but don't complain when your service suffers.

7/22/2008 11:56:55 AM

and thats where the bullshit is

you feel that you are entitled to that tip money when you are already being paid to provide a service

lol

7/22/2008 12:00:27 PM

Quote :

"It definitely has its benefits if (1) you also work in the industry and they come back and tip...its basically just like money being passed back and forth"

If it is just being passed back and forth why bother tipping at all?

7/22/2008 12:02:38 PM

Quote :

"you feel that you are entitled to that tip money when you are already being paid to provide a service"

i hardly consider getting paid $2/hr enough to be happy to serve people with that attitude.. if you don't like the idea of having to tip, don't go somewhere it will be expected.

that being said...

anyone that is using mint.com have trouble logging into certain banks? it won't let me log into ING, Citi, or my 401k account.

7/22/2008 1:30:24 PM

Quote :

"I live in Charleston."

Quote :

"being a bartender"

What's with the beer scene down there? The Mrs. and I went there the other weekend, and half the places didn't even have beer on tap, and the ones that did didn't have any beer that couldn't be purchased at a Food Lion. Were we going to the wrong restaurants and bars?


In regards to the budget, we've started using much more bulk couscous, quinoa, lentils, rice, etc from Whole Foods in our meals. It's very cheap and mega healthy.

7/22/2008 1:42:28 PM

Alright...I'll respond to two things. But first...I found the thread where I laid out why I tip more than necessary. Here's the summary I gave:

Quote :

"I'll agree with the right to servers having no right to complain...but that's only if they work in places where it evens out (usually nicer places where people tip really big). But when some servers are slaving away in places where they majority of the time they get less than 20%...then I think they can complain. And it really isn't stupid. I tip big for two reasons: 1) I've served and I've bartended. I know how it feels to get a good tip. It's uplifting...it can make your day. I like to make people feel good. Just for example: I was at a bar I frequent on a slow night with some of my friends...rang up something like a $90 tab getting everyone's drinks. Tipped somewhere between $40 and $45 bucks. The next night when I was working, the bartender who was serving me (who I know casually) came up to the bar and gave me the biggest hug and said, "Thank you so much for last night. You have no idea the financial troubles I'm going through, and you really helped me out last night." Made me feel awesome. I don't always tip that big, but sometimes I do, and its for reasons like that. 2) You will reap the benefits. I go out to eat and drink pretty frequently where I live (Charleston). And I always tip pretty well and then get to know the servers and bartenders. There isn't a bar that I go to that I don't get served ahead of five people in front of me, get free drinks, get free shots, and ultimately just get treated well. It probably doesn't work out well monetarily (my big tips aren't directly correlated to free drinks...although sometimes it does), but it definitely pays off not having to wait for drinks on busy nights and being able to take care of friends coming into town or dates that you take out. And there isn't a restaurant that I go to that I don't get a complimentary glass of champagne, free desert, or maybe an appetizer taken care of (to go along with getting the best table in the house and usually the best server). This sometimes comes from the manager on duty or just the server buying me a desert because he/she knows I'm going to take care of them when the bill comes. Again, this doesn't usually equal out monetarily, but is sure as hell impresses dates and probably the best is when I can get my sister and mom taken care of when they come into town. It really all comes down to priorities. I like the perks that come with tipping well and being taken care of servers. I'm also about to start a profession where its important that clients be taken care of, and I'll get premium service wherever I take clients out in my town. If all you care is to go out and have someone else cook for you and serve you food...then keep tipping shitty and keep getting shitty service. And sometimes you say, "Well the server didn't know what I was going to tip before he/she gave me bad service." That's actually wrong a lot of times. If you've worked in the industry long enough, you can usually tell. One telling sign...not ordering cocktails at dinner. 95% of the time the tip is going to be less than 15%. And the check isn't going to be big anyways, so that also lessens the incentive. I could go on...but I feel like I'm ranting."

Quote :

"and thats where the bullshit is you feel that you are entitled to that tip money when you are already being paid to provide a service lol"

Are there still people out there that don't know that servers and bartenders barely get paid $2 an hour?? And then once they enter tips, the majority of them don't even get paychecks??

Quote :

"If it is just being passed back and forth why bother tipping at all?"

Come on man...be realistic. It's not like I go somewhere for dinner, tip $20, then get it back the next night when the server comes into my bar. It's all in general. I frequent places, I tip well at those places, then the people that work there come to my bar and tip me well. At my favorite restaurant, I usually get waited on by the same one or two girls...but when all ten of their female servers come into my bar, they all tip me well because word gets around. The food and beverage industry is a small world...and everybody knows who takes care of their servers/bartenders and who doesn't (this goes for non-restaurant people too...I think people would be surprised how fast their reputation as a bad tipper gets around).

Quote :

"What's with the beer scene down there? The Mrs. and I went there the other weekend, and half the places didn't even have beer on tap, and the ones that did didn't have any beer that couldn't be purchased at a Food Lion. Were we going to the wrong restaurants and bars?"

Where did you go?? If you stayed around the Market St./East Bay St. area...then yeah, there isn't a lot of bars with good beers on tap if any beer at all.

As far as Charleston in general...it's not really a beer town. Its old south, so everyone has their bourbons and scotches...and I feel like people drink Vodka ten times more than any drink down here. And wine bars have also become pretty popular. That being said, Upper King St has a lot of bars with good beers on tap (and in bottle). The bar I worked at only had three beers on tap, but we also tried to get really good beers. Beerworks also has like 20 beers on tap and Chais always has good beer (bottle and tap).

So in general...Charleston isn't a big "beer town"...but if you can find good beer at the right places. (we've also got a new local brewery that makes some amazing beer).

7/22/2008 2:35:45 PM

Hah, yeah, we spent most of our time along East Bay and Market. I'm not sure where upper King begins, but we didn't really go north of Calhoun.

Damn good eats around there, though.

The one bar we did like in the lower area was the Blind Tiger. The back patio reminds me of a really great place in Winston.

7/22/2008 3:31:00 PM

Quote :

"20% of your gross income to car payments. "

what the fuck do you drive a bmw 7-series or porsche carrera? i know you are a doctor so that 20%
car payment is a big chunk of change.

Quote :

". Keepers. The minority of americans fit in this group. They go through life dreading debt, and while others focus on income, they focus on wealth. They make no more money than the other two groups but over the course of thier lives will gain significantly more money than the other two."

i believe we call these people JEWS. I plan on saving and putting money on my 401k when i start working.
However, i believe in "living life" and have no problem indulging myself as long as it
is money i have to pay back and not taking out unncessary debt. I refuse to be a
thrift master and miser like my father. Who penny pinches drives around 8 hours
to save $10 on a $300 camera.

7/22/2008 3:38:37 PM

only about 11% of the GDP is investment, with only 1% being personal invesment.

on the other hand, about 70% of the GDP is made up of consumption.

americans just love to spend money.

[Edited on July 22, 2008 at 3:45 PM. Reason : d]

7/22/2008 3:44:04 PM

Quote :

"what the fuck do you drive a bmw 7-series or porsche carrera? i know you are a doctor so that 20% car payment is a big chunk of change."

I think he was just listing the ceiling on the most one should spend.

Quote :

"It probably doesn't work out well monetarily"

Well then it doesn't make a lot of sense. Besides, if the waitress takes too long I can just go to the bar. Yeah, they get pissy, but that's what they get for taking too damn long.

7/22/2008 3:58:21 PM

^That's why I listed more than monetary reasons. And honestly...overall...it probably does work out monetarily (in the really BIG picture).

And I always give waitresses the benefit of the doubt for two reasons, (1) I'm just too nice and (2) from working in the in restaurants and bars for so long I know there's about a million reasons why it might be taking them too long, and it's not always their fault. And sometimes they just forget...I know I've forgotten a few times, so I try not to take it out on their income.

7/22/2008 5:20:24 PM