The numbers vary month to month. Even though the amounts are 'ish' on this budget I do know what the amounts are.
Income -usually works out to about $4,000 between the two of us. Sometimes a little higher.
Rent 1194. Just got a rental increase to 1249 for May 1.
electricity 150 (last two months have been higher. I'll adjust the amount up if if is still over $150 on my next bill. Shouldn't be)
gas 110 (118 last month)
phone/ internet/ cable $134 (on a three year contract... it wasn't me...)
water/ sewer/ recycling 75
garbage is provided by the property management
smoking 0
drinking 0
gambling (including lottery tickets) 0
entertainment (see cable!|) Sometimes we spend a little.
lunches out, take out - sometimes we get take out or something, but rarely. It's a planned thing if we do.
Haircuts, grooming supplies, make up- 0 We just use soap. DD and I have long hair and I use the clippers on everyone else. I did get a trim last year - $15.
Groceries $800-1000. I felt a big breeze when everyone lifted their hands to backhand me, but let me just say food comes in refrigerated trucks in the winter and it is expensive. My vegetables were double when I went to the store a week ago. And I don't mean tomatoes, friends. I mean cabbage, yam, potatoes, carrots and parsnips. At $800 there is no room for chips, crackers, etc. though I do buy people kibble (cereal) for dh. We mostly eat wild meat, but sometimes break down and buy beef or chicken. On sale. It doesn't seem like it but I really do keep it as low as I can. I can only tell you that I'm not delusional and you can believe or not. :-)
car payment - 0 It's usually $1,000- $1500 every fall to maintain.
insurance 87/ month - no discount for doing it yearly
public transportation. I buy pass packs twice a year for $187 and walk the other four months. Some winters I can walk all winter, but this winter I can't. Sometimes I buy extra tickets (20 for $28) for summer or kids. We live in the center of the city blocks from everything and aren't more than 4 kms from anywhere we drive and that is Costco/ Mark's.
gasoline- $150 budgeted in past months, but this month we are going to let it go to half then dh and son #2 are going to take turns.
Blue cross $118 Dh has a plan through work, too, probably making us over-insured, but the money comes off his cheque and the plans work together making all of the medications in the house free. So I feel pretty fine with it.
Debt - zero except the bankruptcy trustee and that is $197 for him and $243 for me.
Clothes. Dh works in a manual labour job and it is new gloves ($15) about once a month or new jeans. He's set up for work boots, winter work boots, snow clothes, etc. I often get birthday money from my mom and usually buy new clothes for myself with that, but I did buy a whole new wardrobe of .50 t-shirts when Zellers closed. I don't need work clothes and usually wear my sleep sweats and sleep tank top to work. I only buy clothes for one of the kids and it is soft sci fi t-shirts from Value Village. I try for half price day but it doesn't always happen.
I've got a little bit for savings. I couldn't tell you how much - I take it from the joint account and put it in my account then ignore it. Realistically it is probably right around 1 month's expenses.
Whatever is left at the end of the month goes into savings. I know that seems like money will get frittered away, but we are all good about buying what we need not want and need. It is usually $500- $750.
In a year I'll worry about investments and retirement. Right now I'm just focusing on ready cash. I do usually have a fairly respectable (by normal standards- not MMM standards ) emergency fund.