Here is my budget. So for a long time, I was in a lot of debt. In my early 20s, I was in a very dark place of being irresponsible and impulsive. I let other people influence me into spending and doing things that I shouldn’t have done. Because of this, my credit score went into the crapper. For 9 years, I didn’t even have a job because of my health.
Two years ago, I got serious about my finances. A lot of the debt I had from years ago has fallen off my credit report, but I still have some work to do.
Right now I have 2 derogatory marks on my credit score, that total $1507. I also have $1779 in credit card debt. I want to share this all with you because we don’t really talk about or finances. It’s taboo and private. Now more than ever, I think it’s important to share wage information because it helps everybody get paid fairly for the work they do. Putting this out there also is a form of accountability to make sure I stay on my goals
For comparisons sake, I’m 36 years old, living in Las Vegas.
Income Budget
Here’s my income. I never made enough on Twitch to get a payout. With my health, consistency was a problem and that’s fine. The VA compensation is something I’ll receive for the rest of my life because of my time in the military and my health after I left the military.
Right now we’re receiving a 10% bonus at work that will end on Friday, so my income is about to go down. I budget out a lower amount than I actually get because it fluctuates. My paychecks range between $915-950 right now.
This is what I take home as a manager with 2 years of experience as a manager and 3 years total with the company.
Expense Budget
So here are my current expenses. My savings is an odd number because I am saving exactly 1/4th of my income. This is new as of this month. I’m very proud that I can do this now.. As of this article, I have $1516 in savings.
My two big savings goals before I start with anything is to save $5000 to move into my own place with my partner and then save 6 months of expenses in an emergency fund. I also need to pay down my credit cards. I’m budget out $150 a month in extra payments for that, and that will help get my credit score up too.
My phone plan includes 2 phones, a smart watch, and a mobile hotspot, which is why it’s so high.
Current Goals
$5000 – moving expenses (19.22% funded)
$15,000 – emergency savings (0.0% funded)
Pay down credit cards ($1779)
Get credit score above 650
Increase available credit by $10,000
Start investing for retirement