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ny55angel
car seat tech & geek :-)
Member since 2/06 4346 total posts
Name:
P
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do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
I am trying to figure out how much FH and I could possibly afford in a mortgage. I came up with these rough figures and was hoping for some imput.
Electric - approx $120/month
Phone
Cable - $110 per month for all three
Internet
Oil - about $600 - $700 per year (or am I way off here)
Food & household items (for me, FH and 8 year old daughter) about $300 - 400 per month
The house I am looking at doesn't have gas, and I know that water bills aren't that much. My mom pays about $60 - $70 every three months, and she says that is high.
Am I on the high end, low end? When I was putting numbers together I realized that FH and I probably don't have as much $$ as I thought we would. It's a LOT cheaper to live by ourselfs in our parents houses ! ! Even with me having my daughter!
I don't know WHAT we are going to do if we can't afford a house. I don't realy want to rent because I don't want to be switching my daughters school a lot. And, we don't have 20% to put down on a co-op (unless i hit the lotto ! ! ! )
UGH ! ! ! Sometimes I HATE Long Island ! ! !
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Posted 1/24/07 9:54 PM  |
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Jessee
LIF Adult
Member since 3/06 1260 total posts
Name:
Jessee
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
We live in Wantagh (just bought about 3 months ago). The house is small and our bills are:
LIPA - so far not more than $65/mo. (assume will be a lot more with AC in the summer)
Cablevision - triple play is $107 I believe
Oil - we paid $500 when we closed and had to refill once so far for about the same - so that's $1000 right there (we're in the process of converting to gas so we didn't do much research on locking in a low rate per gallon)
Water - $50 or so for 2 months
HTH
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| Posted 1/24/07 10:02 PM |
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ny55angel
car seat tech & geek :-)
Member since 2/06 4346 total posts
Name:
P
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
Thanks ! !
your electric was the much without gas? I assumed it would be higher with an electric stove and dryer.
And as for the oil....ugh, that's a lot!
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| Posted 1/24/07 10:06 PM |
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Jessee
LIF Adult
Member since 3/06 1260 total posts
Name:
Jessee
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
I assumed it would be more too - but so far, not too bad. Although I can't claim to be using the stove too much!
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| Posted 1/24/07 10:30 PM |
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
I's say your not far off, except with oil.
At todays prices, it can easily be $400 every 4 - 6 weeks from November to April if its as cold as its supposed to be.
Sometimes we get one last top off in May and that lasts til November.
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| Posted 1/24/07 10:33 PM |
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Kissy331
My two miracles!
Member since 5/06 17826 total posts
Name:
Kristen
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
You are not far off but the oil definately is. I have a larger house, but we have already paid over $1000 for oil & have filled twice. You should figure that you will need to fill your oil every 6-8 weeks depending on what temperature you leave the heat on
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| Posted 1/25/07 7:31 AM |
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Mommy2Boys
My Boys!!!!
Member since 6/06 14437 total posts
Name:
C
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
It really depends on the size of the house. When you find a house you are interested in, you can always ask the owners what their electric and oil bills are to get an idea. For oil, we are on a budget of about $175 a month. And we put oursevles on a budget for LIPA and it is $199 a month. LIPA figures your budget based on the previous year, so even if you buy a house and use less electric, they base your expense on the owners the year before. They will re-evaluate after a year. I have called LIPA numerous times to lower my monthly payment but they won't.
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| Posted 1/25/07 8:49 AM |
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PotofLuck06
Our Baby Boy Is Here!!!
Member since 11/06 13241 total posts
Name:
Betsy
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
I'm paying $180/month for oil in a budget plan - we're closing on Monday. This includes the oil and the service contract for 1 year.
So $180x12 months = $2,160/year
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| Posted 1/25/07 9:17 AM |
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ckone
LIF Adult
Member since 8/06 3014 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
My suggestion is that, although it doesn't sound too far off, always estimate higher. We pay about 450 every other month for oil. We keep the heat at 70 because we have a baby.
We had triple play but they when it's over the price goes up, so keep that in mind.
Sounds good though.
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| Posted 1/25/07 9:24 AM |
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bikramaddict
mommy-to-be
Member since 8/06 4376 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
Posted by ny55angel
I am trying to figure out how much FH and I could possibly afford in a mortgage. I came up with these rough figures and was hoping for some imput.
Electric - approx $120/month
Phone
Cable - $110 per month for all three
Internet
Oil - about $600 - $700 per year (or am I way off here)
Food & household items (for me, FH and 8 year old daughter) about $300 - 400 per month
The house I am looking at doesn't have gas, and I know that water bills aren't that much. My mom pays about $60 - $70 every three months, and she says that is high.
Am I on the high end, low end? When I was putting numbers together I realized that FH and I probably don't have as much $$ as I thought we would. It's a LOT cheaper to live by ourselfs in our parents houses ! ! Even with me having my daughter!
I don't know WHAT we are going to do if we can't afford a house. I don't realy want to rent because I don't want to be switching my daughters school a lot. And, we don't have 20% to put down on a co-op (unless i hit the lotto ! ! ! )
UGH ! ! ! Sometimes I HATE Long Island ! ! !
The $110 for cable/phone/etc. is a little low. Optimum has all three for $99, but it's only a one year promo and then it goes up...signifigantly so.
I realize I don't know what you like to eat, but DH and I spend about $400/month on groceries and such. I imagine it would be more if we had a child.
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| Posted 1/25/07 9:27 AM |
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snowboardgirl
LIF Adult
Member since 8/05 1033 total posts
Name:
Christine
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
Our house is about 2800-3000 sq. feet. it is just the 2 of us.
Our optimum phone, cable and internet is now $170 a month. this is after 2 years. it was $110 to start.
we got 2 oil deliveries this winter since november. first was for $840 the second was for $680. we have a large tank- 1000 gallons
groceries have been about $600 a month.
our electric bill is $222 per month.
water is low. about $40 every 2 months, something like that, I don't pay attention to it!
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| Posted 1/25/07 9:41 AM |
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Beth
The Key to your new home....
Member since 2/06 24849 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
I think the electric and the food/ household items sound low
in a 1 bedroom apartment- about 850 square feet my electric bill was way higher then that- it would have been $107 with the balanced billing
I spend about $400 now on food for 2 people - and I never cook real meals- and we order in on the weekends- so I would guess for 3 people it would be more
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| Posted 1/25/07 10:24 AM |
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Blu-ize
Plan B is Now Plan A
Member since 7/05 32475 total posts
Name:
Susan
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
your oil figures are low and the lipa is a little low.
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| Posted 1/25/07 10:36 AM |
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hazeleyes33
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 13060 total posts
Name:
Ginger
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
We have a small 3 bedroom ranch
Electric - $92/month (on budget)
Phone
Cable - $133/month
Internet
Oil - $140/month (on budget)
Food & household items-$320/month for 4 of us
Water-about $30/3 months
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| Posted 1/25/07 12:32 PM |
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LuckySV
LIF Adult
Member since 10/05 4675 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
Electric sounds o.k. but maybe a little higher. We pay $120 per month on budget. We have an electric stove (antiquated) and dryer (new).
We pay $138 for cable, phone, and internet but cablevision does that promo for 1 year for $99.
Oil is definitely too low. We do COD. We haven't filled up since the end of October so it really depends on the weather how much you'll spend. We also use oil for hot water. We usually pay about $400 for a fill up depending on the price (for 215ish gallons).
I actually think food may be o.k. We only spend about maybe $250 a month on food. So an extra $100 for a child may be reasonable.
Water (we're in Suffolk) is usually $38 every 3 months.
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| Posted 1/25/07 12:52 PM |
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Ltdentway99
LIF Adult
Member since 9/06 1752 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
The food and household items sounds really small. My DH and I alone spend about $250 a week on food.
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| Posted 1/25/07 1:15 PM |
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happydays
LIF Adolescent
Member since 8/06 513 total posts
Name:
working my way to 1000 posts!
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
Posted by npbride
I actually think food may be o.k. We only spend about maybe $250 a month on food. So an extra $100 for a child may be reasonable.
How can you only spend $250 a month on food and household? I do food shopping once a week and spend an average of $110 a week. This is for just my DH and me. This does not include the three or four times a year we go to BJ's.
Do you eat out alot? We eat out on Fridays and that is it. (that is not included in grocery budget) This also includes lunches for DH. I get my lunches at work at no cost. But sometimes if I want something different at work then I buy for my lunches, as well. We buy minimal junk food. I am just amazed at $250 a month and wish I could get away with that.
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| Posted 1/25/07 1:15 PM |
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MrsS2005
Mom of 3
Member since 11/05 13118 total posts
Name:
B
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
I think the oil estimate really depends on the weather, the size of your house, the size of your tank, and whether your house is well insulated.
I rented a house with a bunch of friends several years ago. It was large, old house (3 stories and a basement) that was horribly insulated. I'm pretty sure the tank was old and small. It was an extremely cold winter and there were times when the tank was refilled every 10 - 14 days. We spent more on oil than we did on rent.
This has been an unseasonably warm winter so I don't know how wise it would be to base and estimate on this year's oil bills.
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| Posted 1/25/07 2:09 PM |
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MrsPowers
So blessed!
Member since 11/06 10348 total posts
Name:
Ivelysse
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
Posted by PotofLuck06
I'm paying $180/month for oil in a budget plan - we're closing on Monday. This includes the oil and the service contract for 1 year.
So $180x12 months = $2,160/year
Just curious who did you end up going with for oil?
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| Posted 1/25/07 4:48 PM |
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ny55angel
car seat tech & geek :-)
Member since 2/06 4346 total posts
Name:
P
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
WOW ! ! Thanks girls for all your imput. We are looking at a smaller levitt house (a few) but the general consensus is that my oil estimate is too low.
When FH, DD and I go away for a week to my family's summer house in vermont we can eat for a week (breakfast lunch, dinner, snacks drinks and dessert) for about $150 and have leftover stuff. So that is what I was figuring my $$ amt for food and stuff on. FH and I both work, so we are out of the house for lunch, DD eats at school. Plus we buy a LOT of CRAP when we go away, a lot more then we would at home!
Thanks again for all the imput. NOw, if we could just find a house that we can afford . . .we'll be all set ! ! !
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| Posted 1/25/07 6:08 PM |
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hazeleyes33
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 13060 total posts
Name:
Ginger
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
Posted by happydays
Posted by npbride
I actually think food may be o.k. We only spend about maybe $250 a month on food. So an extra $100 for a child may be reasonable.
How can you only spend $250 a month on food and household? I do food shopping once a week and spend an average of $110 a week. This is for just my DH and me. This does not include the three or four times a year we go to BJ's.
Do you eat out alot? We eat out on Fridays and that is it. (that is not included in grocery budget) This also includes lunches for DH. I get my lunches at work at no cost. But sometimes if I want something different at work then I buy for my lunches, as well. We buy minimal junk food. I am just amazed at $250 a month and wish I could get away with that.
When it was only my dh and I, we only spent $200/month on food and household things! We also ate out alot but it never cost us very much because that was when you could go out and spend $20 (with the tip!!) and get a good meal.
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| Posted 1/25/07 8:20 PM |
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butterfly20
Party of 5 - 2015
Member since 4/06 7390 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
our electric- lipa balance billing 150 month, however that includes our dryer and stove, lots of ac, xmas lights...
phone cable internet- 140/month(we have hbo channels and a few tv boxes)
Oil- balanced billing $200 a month, when we bought the house the oil ran out first week in nov(we forgot to sign up with the service) and it was$550 to fill the tank...
Food(us 2)- 100 week
.........
Since we dont have tons of money to throw around my husband keeps track of all we spend the gives me updates each month to where we need to cut back and where we are doing better one....
Other expenses to keep in mind formulating a budget:
Cell phone bill
Car Maintenance
Car Gas
Alarm
Gifts
Clothing
Taxes(which will always increase, ughh)
car insurance
homeowners insurance
Medical/dental
Donations
Misc(entertainment etc)
Message edited 1/25/2007 8:48:33 PM.
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| Posted 1/25/07 8:47 PM |
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JTK
my 4 boys!
Member since 6/06 7396 total posts
Name:
Kristi
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
mine is
Lipa about 250 a month
keyspan 220 a month
cable (all three) 130 a month
water 40 every 3 months
food (family of 6) about 250 a week!
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| Posted 1/25/07 9:01 PM |
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CheeChee
HI THERE!!!!
Member since 5/05 3416 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you think this "pre-budget" is okay?
My LIPA has been $100 a month... thats without being on a budget.
Keyspan (i have gas stove and gas dryer) last month it was $10.00
Oil is $240.00 for us (we get a discount since our oil company is thru my next door neighbor)  and we filled up twice so far. We have a wood burning stove which has come in WONDERFULLY!
Water is like $25.00 every 2 -3 months.
Cable we pay $150 for all 3 services.
Thats about it.
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| Posted 1/25/07 10:30 PM |
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