Monthly Necessary Expenses Chart

Every six months, I take some time to review all my necessary expenses. These are typically housing, food, transportation, insurance, utilities, and loan interest. There's a FAQ below if some of these don't make sense.

October, 2007
Expense	Cost
Housing	$987
Transportation	$200
HELOC	$41
Groceries	$50
Internet & Cable	$43
Gas and Electricity	$40
Cell Phone	$40
Property Insurance	$25
Water	$15
Home Phone	$7
Total	$1448

June, 2007
Expense	Cost
Housing	$1,049
Transportation	$325
HELOC	$89
Groceries	$50
Internet & Cable	$43
Gas and Electricity	$40
Cell Phone	$30
Property Insurance	$25
Water	$15
Home Phone	$7
Total	$1673

April, 2007
Expense	Cost
Housing	$1,049
Transportation	$325
HELOC	$107
Groceries	$50
Internet & Cable	$43
Gas and Electricity	$40
Cell Phone	$30
Property Insurance	$25
Water	$15
Home Phone	$7
Total	$1691

October 2006
Expense	Cost
Housing	$1,049
Transportation	$325
HELOC	$143
Groceries	$50
Internet & Cable	$43
Gas and Electricity	$40
Cell Phone	$30
Property Insurance	$25
Home Phone	$7
Total	$1712

Q: These seem really low. What's up with that?
A: These represent half our overall expenses. We are a two income family and split the expenses down the middle.

Q: That food budget still seems low, even if it's just for you.
A: The company I work for provides me with lunch and dinner each day. That's a huge savings as you might imagine.

Q: Your transportation costs seem low as well.
A: My car is paid in full, leaving gas and insurance the two major bills. My company is less than 3 miles from my home, which keeps my gas expense low.