Kate Jones2 said:I worked my way through college while helping out my parents, too. On paper, they own the place, but the liens on the house are basically equal to its market value. They don't have the cash, and—believe me—neither do I. I've managed to patch up parts of the house already, but we're talking about a place built in the late '60s, which means it needs a massive amount of investment. To me, $30–$40 is a huge sum regardless of what I make, because once I pay all the bills, I'm left with barely $333. Here is the breakdown:
$500 Commuting to work
$267 Electricity (don't even ask—I honestly have no clue, I think there's an issue with the wiring since I'm away from home most days, or maybe it's just old appliances)
$67 Water
$117 Utilities, trash pickup, and stuff like that
$500–$700 for car maintenance, since I work via 932 miles (that's my average monthly cost leveled out over the year)
$400 for rent and my cell phone
$2,000 for food (I don't have a functional kitchen, but I still have to eat, obviously)
About $333 per month for various house repairs
Around $500–$333 for unexpected expenses, like a burst pipe or things I can't really control
Just to get the bare minimum of a decent living situation set up right now, I'd need about $25,000–$30,000—and that's using the cheapest materials and doing the labor myself. Someone might think I'm exaggerating, but if you've ever stepped foot in a house from the late '60s, you probably realize exactly what needs replacing and just how much it all costs.
Thanks everyone for the replies, especially Lavazza.
Regards, Mackenzie. A few of those expenses jumped out at me as being way too high. If you want to actually survive in the US, you should probably start by looking into the electric bill, the phone (with unlimited data and decent plans, a phone 400 USD is way too much for one person), and the kitchen (if you're spending $2,000 on food, but a new stove starts at $1,500, it might be smarter to invest in a new stove, fridge, microwave... and solve the cooking issue long-term).
Based on what you wrote, it honestly sounds more like you're just lonely rather than needing to upgrade your lifestyle.
If you have the ability and the capacity to work elsewhere, that's definitely the better move—provided you find a good offer, not just any random job.