How much discretionary income do you have each month?

[VirtualSVT]

Depends. I put 25% of my "net" into an account for retirement.

I thought i was rather cheap until I started using mint.com again and saw my budgets and how much I spent on stupid shit without realizing it.

This always makes me sad:

I started bringing stuff to make my lunches from now on.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

Depends. I put 25% of my "net" into an account for retirement.

I thought i was rather cheap until I started using mint.com again and saw my budgets and how much I spent on stupid shit without realizing it.

This always makes me sad:

I started bringing stuff to make my lunches from now on.

Im doing pretty close to the same, how do you like Mint? I just have a hard time with putting all my account info in there to let it do its thing

 

[Coiled03]

Where's the poll option for "not enough"? :shrug:

If you mean how much discretionary after the money I put into 401K/savings, etc, I'd estimate about 5 - 600.

 

[VirtualSVT]

Im doing pretty close to the same, how do you like Mint? I just have a hard time with putting all my account info in there to let it do its thing

yeah it bugged me at first but nothing has happened and I've been using it for quite awhile. I don't have all my accounts in there so that makes me feel better.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

yeah it bugged me at first but nothing has happened and I've been using it for quite awhile. I don't have all my accounts in there so that makes me feel better.

so what do/dont you have linked?

I basically pay for everything on a CC for the points/rebates, that would at least track my spending

 

[Outlaw99]

we usually have about 800-1000 after all bills are done.

 

[LUBaseball2]

I normally have around 1500-2000 after rent, student loans, insurance, phone, utilities, gas and food.... I typically find a way to blow it though

 

[VirtualSVT]

so what do/dont you have linked?

I basically pay for everything on a CC for the points/rebates, that would at least track my spending

my retirement accounts or accounts that don't have many transactions.

I have 2 accounts listed on it and 3 others that are pretty much deposit only that aren't.

 

[PSUCOBRA96]

none, if you owe anyone money including the bank its not discretionary in my eyes. I try not to spend anything more than absolutely have to

 

[jrandy]

right around $1,500-$1,800 but i'm saving to buy a house so it almost all goes into investments right now

 

[zerocool]

Not a lot. If my income was year round and not just in the summer it would be a different story, but as it is I'll make about $18k or a bit more this summer and live off of it for the other 9 months while in school. It probably works out to less than $300 discretionary per month after rent and living expenses.

 

[CobraKid04]

Bought a condo a few months ago as my first house and it has stretched me thin. All my bills/groceries I break even or am in the hole 200-300 depending on over time and have to dip into savings. I planned it like that as my GF just finished college and she got a job, so I have a second income starting this month.

Little risky, but got a damn good deal on the condo I couldn't pass up.

so Ill be around 1 to 1.5k to the good after this month.

 

[2000gtp1sc]

I hate to be an ass, but isn't this thread essentially just a "how rich are you" one? I mean everyone's situation is different so comparing how much extra money one has after the bills are paid accomplishes what exactly?

If the op is wondering how people afford all their "toys", it really just comes down to common sense. Income outweighs expenses. Duh!

The less fortunate either have to wait longer to save up funds for toys, or borrow the money, or steal it. Pretty simple.

 

[Hmbre97]

I hate to be an ass, but isn't this thread essentially just a "how rich are you" one? I mean everyone's situation is different so comparing how much extra money one has after the bills are paid accomplishes what exactly?

If the op is wondering how people afford all their "toys", it really just comes down to common sense. Income outweighs expenses. Duh!

The less fortunate either have to wait longer to save up funds for toys, or borrow the money, or steal it. Pretty simple.

This. You can have a mediocre salary but not waste you money and have more left over than someone bringing in 6 figures and blowing their money on dumb shit.

 

[Wishing4Cobra]

How about spending more than I make... lol

 

[soccerman002]

Between my wife and I, we put away ~$600-$700/month into a rainy day account. We could swing more than that, but we enjoy eating out and going out with friends, and are always finding something new to improve upon in our home. It's a number that works for us. That doesn't include money that goes into our retirement account, so I suppose it's however you want to classify "discretionary" as some people don't have retirement accounts set up. Our two primary credit cards are used to buy everything that isn't a utility, house payment, car payment, etc., and we know what our limits are per month between both cards.

It's a tricky question to answer, b/c as others have said, if you have the extra money once the bills are paid but continue to blow it on alcohol, car parts, your girlfriend, etc., you really don't have any left over, do you?

 

[Kiohtee]

Between my wife and I, we put away ~$600-$700/month into a rainy day account. We could swing more than that, but we enjoy eating out and going out with friends, and are always finding something new to improve upon in our home. It's a number that works for us. That doesn't include money that goes into our retirement account, so I suppose it's however you want to classify "discretionary" as some people don't have retirement accounts set up. Our two primary credit cards are used to buy everything that isn't a utility, house payment, car payment, etc., and we know what our limits are per month between both cards.

It's a tricky question to answer, b/c as others have said, if you have the extra money once the bills are paid but continue to blow it on alcohol, car parts, your girlfriend, etc., you really don't have any left over, do you?

But the money spent on alcohol, car parts, going out, etc. is your discretionary income. The way I understand is that whatever is left after bills and all the essentials, that's classified as your discretionary income.

So if you make $3k a month after taxes, spend $1,700 on essentials, and the remaining $1,300 is spent on the alcohol, car parts, etc. that is your discretionary income, regardless of how much is leftover entering the next month.

 

[soccerman002]

The problem is, there are quite a few out there who consider alcohol and car parts essential, haha.

 

[Kiohtee]

The problem is, there are quite a few out there who consider alcohol and car parts essential, haha.

I know lol. Fortunately for them, the crowd with half a brain know better and can tell them it's not.

 

[lobra97]

Damn where do i apply at? some of y'all have $2k and above after,,,,,wtf