How I Would Budget $3,600 a Month

If I could have a fresh start with my credit I would do things so much differently. I am hanging on by a thread due to lack of knowledge in credit / loans.

So, let me understand this. We are going to cut our $100 dining out, tell them to work harder, but keep giving money to the church. I would say the churches already have enough. I’m not saying eating out is right when in debt, but giving 350 for the church when they are barely making it is insane!

if we squeeze ourselves to work, it takes a toll on our health if it takes a few more months to be debt free it is A OK. HEALTH IS WEALTH

Easy, because some Americans live on way less than that

Where in the USA is the rent $800.00?

LOL! what is that? a budget from 1995? Come on!

The idea of working with someone's real budget was a good idea. But then to re-work it with all those hypotheticals made the lesson worthless. (Maybe they are already working 80 hours a week to get those three incomes? Maybe they are unskilled, older and physically not able to do popular side gigs so their incomes are low?)

I wish she would have done this budget adjusting with the real owners of this budget beforehand. Then she could have summarized their answers to the hypotheticals for a concise and ACCURATE video. I think she cares for people but without the real world answers, this was just another commercial for Every Dollar.

Rachel, please do some of these for different people in several life stages, abilities, education and incomes, but with their real world answers to things you are guessing at.

This is WAY more realistic BUT rent, car (including payment/insurance--required by law) and groceries ALONE take up 50 to 70% of an average person's budget in 2024. That's just how it goes. Period. And I'm sorry, but no one, NO ONE should have to work 3 to 5 jobs (including side hustles) to make ends meet. It can lead to sickness (which you can't get out of debt if you end up in the ER because you've worked 24/7). Also, I'd say double the emergency fund to $2,000 because of inflation as well as the cost of things has gone up exponentially. Also, don't tell me you don't need a car because in most cities you do; public transpiration can be dangerous and in some cities/rural areas it's virtually non-existent. I'd LOVE to see this realistic budget and budgets for DISABLED people who LEGITIMATELY cannot work ONE full time job let alone 2 or 3. Budgeting is FANTASTIC and I do it happily and gladly and yes SACRIFICES can and should be made, but the bottom line is, you HAVE to BRING IN MORE than you PAY OUT. Period. And not everyone can bring in more. It isn't laziness. It's a fact for many of us in bodies (or minds) who don't cooperate and don't care what money/budgets can and can't do.

Live with family, so cheaper rent and only make $2400 a month in north central Iowa.

She can never do a budget without adding income not everyone has the time In there life to add income/side hassles

Can’t work on a Sunday. So silly. We NEED rest.

Where can you find rent for 800 dollars a month anymore.

It's so funny. The answer is always more income. Lol

Real estate investors losing money is music to my ears. They are a major reason why the real estate market is the way that it is now.

🎉

Rent at 800? Wow. Try doubling that for more realism

Working Sundays/Evening to pay for church...OH yea.

This is crazy! My mortgage alone is 4k /month and student loan payment is 2k /month!

That peron is working the 3 side hustles just to donate to the church. That should go first

InterCXN empowers me to monetize my skills on my own terms. It's liberating! 💼

Seriously ask yourself a question which scenario would you feel like you "can't breathe" working 50 hours a week including your side hustles or "upping your income" by working 65 hours a week and not going out to eat at all . Like where do you have a life

Why leave the tithe to fund the pastors mansion??? Kenneth Copeland don’t need more money. Churches are extremely corrupt in my eyes so I could never justify giving $350 per month to a church.

Can you do mine 😭

Thank goodness they don’t have to pay for insurances, cell phone bills, etc. Must be nice!

This sounds more like my income. I bring home $3400/mo
And I got out of $100,000 debt on this single income! ❤

@RachelCruze Please do this budget but for a family of 4 or 5. We are debt free and on baby step 4 but we are ministers and do not have a 7K or 10K monthly income. More like 4-5K a month

Someone who has 1 job and 3 side hustles is working really hard. Why should he work more and damage his body and soul when he can donate 2 or 5 percent of his money. Also donating this much money to church doesnt help anyone but can help a homeless person to go on back their feet. If anyone believes in god, then they know that god doesn't need money but people who are in bad conditions need. A faithful person is not who goes to church and donates to church but thry are who help others.

For anyone confused about the church giving, it is there for the same reason as taking out a restaurant fund in a strict budget: you are sacrificing for a better future. Making that sacrifice to give money that could go toward debt is a selfless act that will benefit them when they reach eternity. At the end of the day, when you die, the debt doesn't come with you, but your actions on this earth will.

$300 a month for groceries? Not reality.

All for having the side hustles, but God created Sabbath as a rest day and a day for us to that God is our provider even over our job. Also, as the side hustles go up the tithe also goes up. Tithe and Sabbath are commands from God, but also great ways for us to tell God we trust Him more than our job or any other source of income.

Don’t be unwise and not work, or work less. Work was commanded even before the Fall of Man, work was created good! Just didn’t but work of trusting God.

I earn 1/3 of that… sooooo 😁 Gonna make it work 🎉

PLEASE! The background music is VERY distracting and irritating.

11 years married, family of 3 home owners... on baby steps 4, 5 & 6 on this $3,500ish per month income. We own both cars, replacing several others with cash over the last 10 years. We paid off our (well, my) student loans, and have twice (once before our daughter was born, and currently) had/have an emergency fund balance exceeding 20k in the last 8 years. Folks... it CAN BE DONE!

Wow...How on earth do you get utilities and wifi for a combined total of $75 a month??

3 years. After 3 years i am debt free even go on holidays

Only $40 electric bill?? Yea right! I don't believe that.

This is a much better realistic income. I think most people who are struggling are on this kind of monthly income. It covers people on one income with dependents, someone in a couple who has lost their job or can’t work etc. Thank you 🙏

I wish I had a $40 electric bill. Ours is almost $500 on budget plan in ny 😢

$350 every month for church is great but income is less so big sacrifices. Makes no sense.
Not against religion but this is money one could use to pay down student loans.

They're already working 3 side hustles on top of a regular job. Asking them to work more is not the answer. I would say, they need to find a new job that pays better instead of increasing hours. People need to rest and have at least one day they don't have to worry about work.

$300 for groceries per month is no longer realistic, even if you're single. Also, you're still recommending giving 10% while trying to pay off debt?

The clothing rental may be a uniform for work. My husband worked in a machine shop and had money taken out of his pay every week that included uniforms that they provided and laundered for him each week. It actually seemed cheaper for us because he worked around lots of chemicals that would have been hard to remove from his clothing. Also they repaired and replaced torn and worn out clothing, which due to the nature of his work was often. This person could be a Police officer, Fireman or work in a shop like my husband.

I budget on my own, it is easier because I live with my parents. I get a check every month. I try to take care of my expenses on my own. If I can do it so can anyone else. I have had a few part-time jobs. It is better to budget on your own for your expenses regardless of how tight your budget is.

Hello from Spain, unfortunately your budgeting app is not available in our country. Could you do anything about it? BTW I want to thank you for your show, I wanted to add that Spanish culture is much different to the American culture and people don't get into debt as much as in the States. The concept of Credit points does not exist, also we have public colleges so no need to get into debt to be able to study.
Kind regards ❤

As a Christian, I would say that we should not be encouraging working seven days a week. There is an element of trusting God in this. If we can trust God with our 350$ tithe, we can trust him enough to rest one day a week as he commanded.

Great tips for paying off debt. However, the budget looks like there’s 3 things missing: What about cell phone service and retirement savings and benefit payments? Also, you do have to make it livable. If they’re single they need a social outlet. And eating out with friends is one very important one. They could easily spend less here by exactly what others have said and I’ve done too: Go out for tea/coffee and pastry, or at a restaurant drink the water and order the appetizer. I’ve done that with friends or even on my own to just be able to get out and feel social. Mental health and connection is just as vital while paying off debt and saving. Those practical social connections are vital. 😄💞

Just as seeds need time to grow into trees, investments need time to grow into wealth

This is EXACTLY how much I make. This should be interesting! 🤩

This is so helpful 🎉

To me this was a video about wasn't really informative.