A lot of my friends, including myself, are finding out how expensive life truly is. Once we all moved out of our parents’ umbrella of protection, we realized expenses quickly add up.
I have been managing my budget for a long time (since I went off to college), and I had to start paying for all my bills etc. My parents gave me monthly allowance, but that’s it. I had to figure out how to allocate it towards rent, food, going out, books, etc. But being completely on our own comes with realizations of how expensive life can be.
For example, I went to the dermatologist on Saturday. My doctor prescribed three different medicines. I pick it up at my pharmacy and later checked how much the prescriptions cost. The money is automatically withdrawn from my FSA. I balked at how much the prescription was. A grand total of $190. Yikes!!! It would have been cheaper if I had refilled it through my insurance online pharmacy, but I didn’t know how to process worked. Plus, so far, my prescriptions would total to no more than $10, so I hadn’t bothered to really check. Well, I checked online and found out I need to give a fax number to my doctor and ask him to fax the prescriptions to my insurance provider. Savings? Through my insurance prescriptions will only be $70. Huge difference. Research is so important and I totally failed at this one. No more mistakes though!!! I have the fax number in my phone. $$$$$$ Cha-Ching
Tiresss??? We have to buy 4 tires this week. Right now we have received quotes for up to $750….I’m shopping around…
I spent some time with a friend on Saturday, and money came up. Money is tight for everybody. We were talking about how quickly gas adds up, and the balking cost of insurance. In retrospect, it sounded like we were both complaining about adult life. Were we actually complaining? Probably…were we being negative? No. We were happy with the fact we are adults now and have freedom. The cost of freedom though is bills and more bills….
I think we are all still in shock. It seems like we are working just to pay the bills. We save because we budget and work more. Sometimes life is slightly better than college when we were all super broke. Do we make more money now? Yes, but do we have higher expenses? Yes. Lifestyle Inflation at its greatest.
I’m not complaining here. More like expressing how I feel every time I have to pay a bill. In my mind, I often wonder if I really have to pay the bill.
Do you talk to your friends about how expensive grown up life is?
Savvy Financial Latina 
I hear that!! Once you completely start going at it alone, you realize just how expensive things are. Thats where good budgeting comes in for sure.
Having good budgeting skills and some $$ cushion definitely helps. Sometimes expenses pop up that you can’t avoid. Hah who am I kidding sometimes, like all the time!
We talk about it, not a whole ton though. Around half of my friends have everything paid for by their parents still (which is sad because they are 27-28 years old), whereas the other half of us all have houses, and lots of bills.
I definitely prod and ask my friends a lot of questions about their finances. Sometimes I think I step on their toes, but I’m genuinely interested in their life. I ask how much they owe for student loans, etc. I’m pretty open as far as how much we pay for things. Not afraid to say how much we spend on rent or bills.
Dang!!! 27-28 year olds still depending on their parents???? WTH
I’m used to people asking me everything about my finances. Partly because I work in the financial industry, and also because I bought a house at 20. I like talking about money! And yes, ugh. I dont know how they don’t feel bad about depending on their family so much when they are that old.
I like talking about money too.
Yeah, a house at 20 is crazy!
Why do their parents still give them money???
I’m always thinking about how expensive grown up life is – people getting married, having to get bridal shower gifts and wedding gifts and blah blah blah.. it’s good though.
It’s never ending!!!! Suddenly, just because you are grown up people expect good gifts. My parents use to be satisfied with a good card and a small gift. Now they want a big gift and dinner! 😮
You hit the nail on the head – we pay for freedom with expenses. And the more freedom you have, the more expensive it can get. Just wait until you get some real estate tax bills in the mail. Those are tons of fun. Jk. =)
Not looking forward to those real estate tax bills at all!
I remember when I moved out of my parents’ house, I hadn’t calculated the cost of buying little things, like toilet paper and ziploc bags. All that crap adds up!
It definitely does!
For example, we didn’t have washer/dryer last year. We would go to my in laws to do it, and to help us out they didn’t charge us for detergent or dryer sheets. Now we have to pay for them! It adds up!
This is so true. Life was definitely simpler back in University, when bare bones was acceptable. Now, as an adult, there are expectations of adult behaviour and along with those come expenses.
There are days I miss the simplicity of university.
Grown up life is really expensive! My friends and I talk about it all the time!!!! You just don’t realize how quickly everything can add up!
No not really. I’ve been a grown up (but immature in so many other ways-lol) for a long time. I’m pretty used to the gig, but could see how it is a bit of a culture shock to those just venturing out on their own. We’re so quick to grow up aren’t we…but grown up life can be tough…rewarding, but tough. I wish teenagers knew that. 🙂
I knew it was going to be expensive, but it still shocks me every time…
Car repairs and medical expenses are two of the major things that got us into financial trouble in the first place… We are now in a place where we are planning ahead for those expenses, but it isn’t easy because they can be expensive.
jefferson
Very expensive. Not looking forward to buying these tires….
I remember when I had to replace my tires. It was around $500! That emergency fund is crucial!
It truly is!!!
I don’t think many younger adults are prepared as much as they should be when they get out into the real world. I don’t think it’s wrong for parents to charge their children rent when they live at home as a means to teach them responsibility. The parents could always put the money in a bank account and give it back to them as a gift. The most important part is they are learning how important and how costly it will be once out on their own. I’ve seen me mum baby my sister and she’s not doing all so well in the money department. I left home and bought my first house at 19 and let me tell you it was a learning experience but one I don’t regret doing in the least. I learned so much about living in the real world that I took with me into my second and third home. Parents can help by setting realistic outlooks for their kids but it’s up to the kids to want to run with this info. How many times do we laugh at our parents and say, ya whatever haha. Our parents tell us one day we will learn, and we always do. Cheers Mr.CBB
Oh ya – grown up life is really expensive! Even compared to university, I find more and more expenses creeping up. Things like the car tires you mentioned… truck tires are way more, you’re getting off light 🙂 I covered a lot of costs in university via an allowance, but others sneaked in. Winter clothes and new runners are a good example.
Trucks are expensive! I would not own one…
I’m really trying to hold our expenses down so we don’t hit lifestyle inflation. Making monthly and yearly saving goals is helping a little.
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