Author Topic: Case Study - Just a other guy...  (Read 3647 times)

MatheusP

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Case Study - Just a other guy...
« on: October 14, 2015, 08:04:39 AM »
Hello, I’ve been reading the blog and the forum for a while now, and I recently got to a point where I kind of feel lost with my financial life. Thanks for the time to read this. =)
Oh, and I’ll put the income in Reais that is the local coin and in parenthesis I’ll put the equivalent in Dollar.

Life Situation: I’m 23, about to graduate in computer engineering, I live in Brazil, no kids, a girlfriend that I pretend to marry, debt free ( Scholarship in my college ), I work as a programmer analyst. 

Gross Salary/Wages: R$22K ($5.8K) annual salary

Pre-tax deductions: Here in Brazil we have INSS as tax, i currently pay R$108, 26($27, 83) each month around 8%, well at least so far… The more you gain the more you pay, = (.

Living Expenses: R$1000($257, 07) this includes Gasoline, Lunch, Girlfriend, Dinner. I always eat out in restaurants for lunch and dinner, that’s because I work 08h00 till 18h00, and then I go to college 19h00 till 22h30, no time to eat at home.


        Okay, I manage to save about 53% of my salary monthly; this money is separated at three categories, my future apartment, a new computer, and a Financial Life Independency Found. I finally got about R$17K($4,37)  saved for those things.
   The problem in, everybody that I know say that I’m losing my life saving money and not spending it, even my girlfriend says that sometimes… The last month I really slipped on my expends, like three times more, with stuff I did not want, to please people that I don’t like, with money I don’t have… All that just to fit in those “normal” age rules: party, drink, go out, nice cloths.
   So here is the problem, I don’t to slip again and I’ll prove those fools that is telling me that spending is the way to go, that we are right in be mustachians ( Even if you can’t grow your own mustache, like me.), I got tired with the arguments with them, showing the math and everything.  I will prove them in ten years that this is the best way to live a life, but to prove that I need help, haha.
I control every penny I have with a software called YNAB(You Need A Budget), I know where I spend the most, Car>Lunch>Dinner>Girlfriend, but I cannot cut those expenses, I need to eat, I need to go to point A to point B, and I need to go out with her(In a set budget).

Have any tips for an inspiring mustachian?
   

Matt_D

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Re: Case Study - Just a other guy...
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2015, 08:21:54 AM »
Forgive me for my ignorance on costs/incomes in Brazil... but is your current salary something that will change dramatically once you finish school?

MatheusP

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Re: Case Study - Just a other guy...
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2015, 08:59:38 AM »
Forgive me for my ignorance on costs/incomes in Brazil... but is your current salary something that will change dramatically once you finish school?

Maaan, i reeeeeaally hope so! hahaha. The promise that they say is that when you graduate you will get around R$216k($55k).

But looking at the market right now, i am really unsure about everything...
« Last Edit: October 14, 2015, 09:02:11 AM by MatheusP »

Retired To Win

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Re: Case Study - Just a other guy...
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2015, 09:05:26 AM »
...
Living Expenses: R$1000($257, 07) this includes Gasoline, Lunch, Girlfriend, Dinner. I always eat out in restaurants for lunch and dinner, that’s because I work 08h00 till 18h00, and then I go to college 19h00 till 22h30, no time to eat at home....

You're actually doing very well saving 53% of your income.

You could save more on your food costs if you found a way to use a lunch box (with hot food thermos?) so you could do lunch and/or dinner with food from home.  You don't have to eat AT home.

Good luck.

FLBiker

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Re: Case Study - Just a other guy...
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2015, 09:14:47 AM »
I agree that you're doing well.

One tip is to take advantage of whatever tax advantaged accounts you have access to.  I'm not sure how that works in Brazil, but in the US there are different kinds of retirement accounts available to us (depending on where you work / how much money you make) that you can save money tax-free with pre-tax / post-tax dollars.  It makes a big difference.

Meowmalade

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Re: Case Study - Just a other guy...
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2015, 09:20:37 AM »
Is Brazil the kind of place where eating out might be cheaper then bringing food from home?

Also, do hope that you can increase your future pay!  I'm wondering if there is international outsourced work that you could do.

jzb11

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Re: Case Study - Just a other guy...
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2015, 09:46:10 AM »
Oi Amigo, tudo bem? Estou morando no Brasil para meu trabalho agora, mas nao falo portugues fluente ainda. Vou tentar escerever em Portugues para praticar.

Acho que voce nao tem um problema com dinherio. Voce sabe como salvar/gastar dinheiro. Precisa aprender como faz voce mesmo feliz. Nao precisa fazer coisas que voce nao gosta so para fazer as outras feliz. Isso é um aula de vida que  precisa aprender, não é fácil, mas é mais importante do que salvar dinheiro.  Pode ignorar os outros, porque esta pensando sobre o futuro, e eles nao estao.

Nao é errado de pensar sobre voce mesmo. Só você pode realizar as coisas que você avalia, ninguém vai fazer isso para você. Pode continuar salvar seu dinheiro. E correto de pensar sobre o futuro. Faz planos e trabalha para obtinir seus planos/objetivos.

Tem um livro em ingles "No more mr nice guy", acho que ele pode ajudar voce tambem. Eu tive essse problema antes, e esse livro me ajudou muito.

Boa Sorte!

The attitudes he's referring to regarding losing his money saving revolve around the fact that inflation is high and there are some rather large/recent concerns (corruption scandals, the real is only worth 25 cents, from 45 cents a year ago). Depending on the region he lives, the attitude can be very much one of "live in the moment/enjoy today" due to the fact that things in Brasil are expensive, don't function well, and are quite difficult to deal with (more so in the north east, where I am currently living for my job). I think his efforts will best be focused on learning how to not be a "people pleaser", as some of his overspending/discontent is coming from trying to make other people happy instead of himself. He seems to be frugal and mindful of his income/savings.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2015, 10:54:55 AM by jzb11 »

MatheusP

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Re: Case Study - Just a other guy...
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2015, 10:41:31 AM »
...
Living Expenses: R$1000($257, 07) this includes Gasoline, Lunch, Girlfriend, Dinner. I always eat out in restaurants for lunch and dinner, that’s because I work 08h00 till 18h00, and then I go to college 19h00 till 22h30, no time to eat at home....

You're actually doing very well saving 53% of your income.

You could save more on your food costs if you found a way to use a lunch box (with hot food thermos?) so you could do lunch and/or dinner with food from home.  You don't have to eat AT home.

Good luck.


I tryed that for a while, but there is no microwave here where i work, so the food got kind of cold... I spend around R$220($56) on lunch, and R$130($33) to diner. It is not THAT much, but it really inflates the bill on the end of the month.



Is Brazil the kind of place where eating out might be cheaper then bringing food from home?

Also, do hope that you can increase your future pay!  I'm wondering if there is international outsourced work that you could do.

Defenitly not, Eating home is really really cheeper, but i work far from home and even further from college, so i kinda relly on eating out, thinking about it, alot of people do exacly that... But hay, we are not here to be like other ppl, right?

I was looking for jobs at Canada ( They say that young couple can get jobs there, still seaching till the day). I would be a dream to go outside the country to work, is something i'm looking to do, but i need to graduate first, etc...


Oi Amigo, tudo bem? Estou morando no Brasil para meu trabalho agora, mas nao falo portugues fluente ainda. Vou tentar escerever em Portugues para praticar.

Acho que voce nao tem um problema com dinherio. Voce sabe como salvar/gastar dinheiro. Precisa aprender como faz voce mesmo feliz. Nao precisa fazer coisas que voce nao gosta so para fazer as outras feliz. Isso é um aula de vida que  precisa aprender, não é fácil, mas é mais importante do que salvar dinheiro.  Pode ignorar os outros, porque esta pensando sobre o futuro, e eles nao estao.

Nao é errado de pensar sobre voce mesmo. Só você pode realizar as coisas que você avalia, ninguém vai fazer isso para você. Pode continuar salvar seu dinheiro. E correto de pensar sobre o futuro. Faz planos e trabalha para obtinir seus planos/objetivos.

Tem um livro em ingles "No more mr nice guy", acho que ele pode ajudar voce tambem. Eu tive essse problema antes, e esse livro me ajudou muito.

Boa Sorte!

The attitudes he's referring to regarding losing his money saving revolve around the fact that inflation is high and there are some rather large/recent concerns (corruption scandles, the real is only worth 25 cents, from 45 cents a year ago). Depending on the region he lives, the attitude can be very much one of "live in the moment/enjoy today" due to the fact that things in Brasil are expensive, don't function well, and are quite difficult to deal with (more so in the north east, where I am currently living for my job). I think his efforts will best be focused on learning how to not be a "people pleaser", as some of his overspending/discontent is coming from trying to make other people happy instead of himself. He seems to be frugal and mindful of his income/savings.

Boa Tarde meu amigo!!

Seja bem vindo a esse grande País quebrado. hahaha.
É bem isso mesmo, eu to começando a ter que pensar como um adulto, vindo de uma familia super over spender... Vou procurar esse livro parece ser exatamente o que to precisando aprender....

--//--//--//--//--//


Thanks for all your help guys, if you need more info about what is going on don't mind asking, i want to leave here what to do, specially how to get my girl on board of the frugal life style =D


 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!