Budgeting Tips for once You get a Place

First thing you need to do is write down all expenses including rent, utilities, phone and wifi for the month. Then write down needs and debt. Then write down purchases you'd like to make or investments you want to start making. 

Once you do that write down how much you make in a month. Yes, the amounts' totals will be very out of reach so don't sweat it, because we aren't doing that. You need to now worry about bills first, needs second, then debt. If you don't make enough for debts don't go into debt to pay debt, that's a neverending cycle. Just save the leftover money until you can pay one debt and remember you can call the debt collector and try to settle for less. This takes some bravery, but haggle that debt down. Especially if it's been sitting for a long time. I need to practice what I preach about debt, but I have started saving, so there you go.

When you are done paying debts down, it's time to enjoy life. Treat yourself and save up for a want. That makes it bills, needs, then wants. Let me tell you, that's living large. I have done it with the addition of my mother's income and it always felt like we had enough. One thing I haven't mastered is spreading out the food budget, because our bills and debts were so high. That is why I said needs before debts. If I learned anything from my mom, it's how not to spend money. She NEEDED to pay the debt and we would always starve by the end of two weeks, because she cope ate all the food. So glad she's not around anymore and I don't have to do Latin extended family crap anymore. She's a nightmare. 

Overshare. Indigenous trauma.

Ok for example, I get $1005 in benefits and have a ucard with over-the-counter benefits from an advantage plan. I could spend $283 on rent with utilities included at my old place (I kept getting robbed by the mom who was like "ExtEnDed FamIlY!!!" She kept trying to force her way into my place then began to just take the money.). I had money for everything, but food following the patterns of my mom and ran out of food. Thankfully, the over-the-counter card and pantries kept me stable, but the Mom thing. That is why I am writing. 

If you live in a traditional indigenous family, just realize they think debt is a huge sin. Debt is an even bigger deal to Asians which I also am. Debt is just not ok with them. They all struggle from this same thing. Cycles of endless debt because repaying people for gifts gets way out of hand if you don't make a lot. My mom kept doing manifestation spells to end up paying for manifestation spells. It was a toxic cycle. The only thing I can think of to remedy these cultural cycles is to affirm that debt is always going to be there, just don't pay it unless you can eat on the 30th and 31sts of the month. If they like to manifest to manifest...tell them that they can go to dollar tree for that and pay the debt because it will just keep happening. Stop getting fancy shit you can't pay for and stop owing our family so much for not buying food. It got so petty with the rest of the family the sent ramen and a giant jar of peanut butter delivery just to make sure she bought food.

So in the end make sure you can afford to be housed and run the house then make sure you can eat and shower and do laundry all the way to the end of the month. THEN you can pay debt. Once debt is paid THEN you can buy fun stuff.