This document discusses the various costs of living and provides estimates for common monthly expenses such as groceries ($100), transportation (bus pass $50, gas $1.30/L), communication (basic cell phone plan $20, premium plan $150), clothing ($20), and entertainment (movies $12, music $1.29). It emphasizes finding a balance between saving money and enjoying leisure activities, doing research before signing contracts, and using coupons strategically to save the most on purchases.
2. GROCERY
SHOPPING
You may not think everyday items
make a dent in your income, but
you would be surprised at how their
costs can add up. When living on
your own, you can expect to pay
upwards of $100/month for
groceries. In Canada, some
average prices are: $2 for milk,
$2.74 for bread, $1.74 for lettuce,
and a little over a dollar for
toothpaste.
3. ENTERTAINMENT
While saving your money may be of high
importance, it is also critical that you set
aside time for fun and avoid working
yourself to death. Whether you spend
your leisure money on $1.29 songs on
iTunes or $12 tickets to the latest movie,
you need to find a balance so that you
may enjoy yourself without going over
your budget. A good idea might be to set
aside a specific amount of money each
month dedicated to leisure.
4. TRANSPORTATIO
N
The cost of transportation can have a very
wide range, depending on what methods you
choose to get from place to place. The most
practical option for someone on a budget
would likely be to get a bus pass (around $50
for a monthly pass) or take the subway if your
city has one. Other options would include
walking (free, but not always practical), driving
(convenient, but gas may be expensive -
average of $1.30/L), riding a bike (costs
include the price of the bike as well as
repairs), or carpooling (you'll probably want to
chip in for gas).
5. COMMUNICATIO
N
Today, a cell phone is a mandatory
expense. It can be necessary for you to be
within reach if your employers or
acquaintances need to contact you, and
they can be very practical. If you don't want
to spend very much, you should get a basic
plan which will usually cost around
$20/month. However, if you want a lot of
benefits from you plan, like data or
roaming, your costs can soar to more than
$150/month, so do your research before
signing any long-term contracts.
6. CLOTHING
How much a person spends on clothing
may differ from person to person. For
women, there is greater pressure to buy
the latest fashions, so they may spend
more, but it's still dependent on the
person and if they're content with the
clothes they already have. Men don't
typically spend as much, but their
clothes still eventually wear out. You
might put aside around $20/month for
clothes to stay within your budget.
7. COUPONS
When shopping, coupons are vital to
consider, because you may be paying
much more than you have to. Coupons can
be found in the newspaper, in flyers, or on
stores' websites. You might want to brush
up on your math skills to find the best way
to make use of them. Know that , if a
coupon gives you a certain percent off of
an item's price, it's better to use it on an
expensive item. If a coupon gives you a
dollar amount off, it doesn't matter what
you use it on because your savings will be
the same.
