I can live on 45k a year, right?
Ok budget savvy people. I'm putting my accounting class to good use-and trying to figure out a budget that I can live with.
So, I make $21 an hour right now. Which if I were full time, would give me $3200 a month, and $38000 a year. It's not that liveable in this economy. Or well, its liveable if liveable means that I give up on horses entirely or decide to stay at home until I'm 30!
So I figure, for me to be ok living on my own, I need minimum $25 an hour. $25.00 an hour would give me $3800 a month and $45 000 a year.
So let's break this down.
$3800 a month. Let's assume that I see $3000 of it after taxes. (that's about right, right?)
Mortgage is $1300 a month.
That leaves me with $1700.
Horse is $600 (which includes board and some lessons)
Leaving me with $1100.
Utilities would probably be about $200
Gas would be about $200
Food (generous) would be about $200.
$200 in miscellaneous spending money
So that leaves with me $300 left over per month.
What am I missing? It's doable, right?
I'm really freaking out at the moment. Legal assistant salery is kinda over the map between $38k (which I make now) and 60k (oh, think. then I'd be really well off) But some places make it seem like the starting salery is EXACTLY what I'm making right now-if not a bit less, so it begs me to consider why the hell I'm wasting 2 year of my life (and 6k) to get a job that might just pay the same as what I'm getting now. If I were to move up in the Region, and become a Secretary 3, I've be getting $49 000 a year. But that's it-that's the ceiling cap. With legal assistant though, surely I'd have some opportunity for benefits or pay increase, yes? Please tell me yes.
I'm freaking out about my life here.
So, I make $21 an hour right now. Which if I were full time, would give me $3200 a month, and $38000 a year. It's not that liveable in this economy. Or well, its liveable if liveable means that I give up on horses entirely or decide to stay at home until I'm 30!
So I figure, for me to be ok living on my own, I need minimum $25 an hour. $25.00 an hour would give me $3800 a month and $45 000 a year.
So let's break this down.
$3800 a month. Let's assume that I see $3000 of it after taxes. (that's about right, right?)
Mortgage is $1300 a month.
That leaves me with $1700.
Horse is $600 (which includes board and some lessons)
Leaving me with $1100.
Utilities would probably be about $200
Gas would be about $200
Food (generous) would be about $200.
$200 in miscellaneous spending money
So that leaves with me $300 left over per month.
What am I missing? It's doable, right?
I'm really freaking out at the moment. Legal assistant salery is kinda over the map between $38k (which I make now) and 60k (oh, think. then I'd be really well off) But some places make it seem like the starting salery is EXACTLY what I'm making right now-if not a bit less, so it begs me to consider why the hell I'm wasting 2 year of my life (and 6k) to get a job that might just pay the same as what I'm getting now. If I were to move up in the Region, and become a Secretary 3, I've be getting $49 000 a year. But that's it-that's the ceiling cap. With legal assistant though, surely I'd have some opportunity for benefits or pay increase, yes? Please tell me yes.
I'm freaking out about my life here.