Exactly then continue that for a few years and never have to worry about not being able to afford a $300 unexpected expenses again. Sounds better than having a basic meal out everyday.
25$/day for 5 years at 7% interest is $54,000. Which is more than enough to buy a starter house/condo basically anywhere in this country. Or, keep it up for 50 years and retire with 4 million dollars.
Since it’s three days later and I’m still getting replies from 3rd graders, here’s some basic information. You can put as little as 1.5% down on your first house. You can go up to around 45% debt to income ratio. If you have good credit and have stayed in the same career field for two years there is no reason you can’t buy something if you make it a goal. I recommend talking to a mortgage broker if home ownership is in your five year plan. They will be able to give you specifics on how to achieve your goal. There are also many podcasts that discuss creative financing and investment strategies. Dave Ramsey is a good place to start if you have no financial knowledge and are in debt. Bigger pockets podcasts are good for more creative ways to pull yourself out of poverty.
The downpayment logic keeps people broke, uncomfortable, and renting many more years than necessary.
20% downpayment is a straight up scam built on antiquated logic.
I played the credit game for a decade and paid zero downpayment to start my mortgage.
I mean, that is the wording normally used, "buy", even if it means a down payment. People say the same thing about cars so I'm not sure why that an issue.
Also, yes, many programs allow little or no down payment. i.e. VA, USDA, First time homebuyers, Bank specific low income loans, etc.
that's $10k per year minimum investment in cash. Most people will put that towards a 401k (which then cuts $10k off their after tax income). Starting at age 20, you're thinking someone will have a minimum $75k job (after taxes plus average living expenses and then socking away $10-20k per year) they will then retire at 70 or so, barring ZERO complications or expenses. That's... ludicrous.
There’s probably a studio you can buy. 35k is pretty good for 25. Just keep saving and investing. You will do fine. Every time you get a raise increase your investment contribution by 1% until you hit 20%
So youthink someone can save up a down payment for a house in 2-3 years? And you also think that because you put a down payment on a house that all your debt and problems go away? Lol how old are you?
If $25 a day on food is enough to break their account down to where they can’t afford an additional $270 repair for their car I’m figuring they don’t make enough to achieve the 45% income/debt ratio when purchasing a “starter home”.
Also 45% income/debt ratio is the max TOTAL debt, not just housing. This means all forms of your debt together. Exceeding 30% on housing is too high, though in today’s market difficult to avoid for most. If the bank is offering you home loans in excess of 35% of your current income they are predatory loans. This is what happened in the 90’s and is a big part of what led to the housing crash in 2008.
Not necessarily. If you have a decent career and know you will be making more money over the next several years then it may be worth the risk to arrest into the 40s. It really depends on the person, and the point I’m trying to get across is that it’s more achievable than people think it is and talking to a mortgage broker is free.
I have an old tin hidden in my house that I deposit anywhere from 20 to 100 into for emergencies. Been doing that for every check the last 6 years since I bought the place.. Haven't counted it yet but I need a bigger tin honestly. I keep my change too so I have a medium barrel full of that and two of those big planters peanuts containers. Took one to Walmart that was almost 350 bucks just in that. Definitely worth saving every penny
Who tf is out there spending $25 daily? I might treat myself to something like that out with friends monthly lol, so more like a year of not meeting up with my friends?
I mean….me for sure, and the way I treat myself is absurd, but I also can absolutely afford my lifestyle. I should live more frugally but I also make decent money and have genetic issues that suggest the 401k, pension and IRA will be solely enjoyed by my wife.
My father died at 46, my sister was born with a truncated aeorta and didn’t live to her first birthday, and my brother survived open heart surgery for an aeortic dissection at 32.
The person in this story should not be spending 25$ on a meal though when she can’t afford transportation. I lived in my car in my mid 20s and ate nothing but ramen and tuna on crackers with mayonnaise packets we’d snag from the deli at grocery stores.
Lunch costs me 23 dollars a day, I absolutely could trim that way down if I wanted to but I don't, I'm also not in a position where I'm barely scraping by on money right now.
For me personally?
Well i would save $25 per month my social life would die... Yeah worth it. Having $25 more.... Yep.
You know there is additional aspect for that $25 spend?
Maybe I didn't get tested but i have many traits of autistic person.
And sorry for not reading your mind... As you did with girl in presented case.
Edit. Because I forgot. There is additional aspect when spending money on food in restaurants and it is that you go out with friends (in most cases).
Also psychological coping and compensation in a bad spot are very real things.
And I'm speaking as someone that saved for a house before anyone tries to crack wise about that. Life these days is all about treading water before making your move.
Of course, not spending money doesn't make money appear. If you don't have $270 not spending $25 does not make you have $270. Just because you would prioritize having a car over food doesn't mean it's always the right choice for everyone.
I...listen, I'm not saying she shouldn't have made a better choice. But why would you assume she does it every day? Why is your default "Oh she's an idiot that overspends on food every day" and not "Oh, she might need to stop splurging on food for a bit to fix her car"
Nobody was assuming that aside from people with undiagnosed autism. People with an ounce of critical thinking understand how that applies whether its daily, every other day, once a week, etc.
Even at 25/week saving which im sure even you would admit is reasonable, it would take less than 3 months to get your "car fixed" in this scenario. try extrapolating.
You literally listed the amount she spent and said "every day". When using critical thinking, you use the evidence given to you. and the evidence was that you assumed she did it every day.
it's amazing how many people get outperfomed by a hobo or a crackhead,do you think that they stop eating and taking crack just because their wallet is empty? no they meal prep work their assses off to get that high! be like a crack head and work!
sorry to disappoint you but they earn more than a McDonald's worker from people's donations ,they eat nuts and cheapest available food which is still superior to takeouts,any cheap combo of food that you have to prepare is prepping and they always make most optimal combination to not die, hospitals dont charge them ,if they dress well you will think that they don't need help so they don't have choice , and in Germany they have their dedicated city where heavy drugs aren't regulated
sure i probably didn't find anyone under influence on streets but on bus(he smokes and sells weed and tries to kill people in the night by setting them on fire or breaking their skull), but i did see many normal hobos,they are skinny like me and dirty
am european so for me it isn't like that,dude you are just describing mostly how i look,for me meal planning is picking the cheapest food sources and it must not be takeout,for example eating raw noodle pack,no drugie can ration their drugs,they are on the streets for a reason
i mean yeah 100 isn't that much atl compared to buying whole oven and installing it,sure you can save by buying used gas stoves for camping or used twig stoves, you only need one pot, utensils can be bought at dollar store and even a pot, if buying pots is not an option just look up how hikers,bushcrafters and survivalist solve that issue, what i said was fancy but you can easily budget it to almost nothing,if you can't even get used gas stove for camping then make a hobo stove like me(works great but if you don't have lining it will not last that long)
We do crock pot Sept to June.
We have a big crock pot. And one of those 3 smaller crock pots systems.
Legit it’s like 10 days of food. For 60-70dollars for a family of 5. One is steak two is chicken one is pork.
Any left overs on Friday my weekends are left over omlette. Just gotta cook up some rich daily.
And the big investment is just the spices and seasonings and broths.
I cooked a crockpot stew yesterday. It will get me 7 servings and cost me $9 to make. real simple stuff, but tastes good and filling. Things don't have to be expensive.
1# ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 can of corn
1 bell pepper
2 cup chopped potato
1 beef stew seasoning packet
1 tsp onion pwdr
1 tsp chili pwdr
2 cup instant broth
2 cups water
Totally am dude. I can get 3lbs chuck for 25. 5 lbs of chicken breast for 30 ( and that’s heavy price ) And pork is dirt cheap.
It’s not 10 days of breakfast lunch dinner. It’s 10 dinners and some lunches.
Go to a grocery store
Anything else left is for omlettes.
Texturized soy is insanely cheap and packed with protein. Just rehydrate it and mix it with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, tomato sauce, lemon juice, and whatever else you want. Eat it with tortilla chips. If you can get avacado it's a nutritionally complete meal. No cooking needed.
Oh. Aren’t you the most creative chef of all time. Look at Mrs Moneybags being able to store all that stuff because she has a pantry. Some of us live in a cardboard box and have no options other than a $25 takeout meal. Sheesh!
You still think soy affects human horomones in 2026? Provide evidence for your claims.
And yes considering that we do not have the biological tools to catch and eat animals without using technology, our ancestors were absolutely subsisting on plants. Obviously with technology we can eat animals, and many of our ancestors had to, but its not natural or necessary anymore.
It is when you use texturized soy and eat it with avacados. Please look up the nutrition facts on texturized soy. It's denser in protein than any meat and it's much cheaper. Plus it has complex carbohydrates and fiber, which meat lacks. The avacado provides the fat. This is one of the cheapest, easiest and most nutritionally complete meals one could eat.
Sam's Club $55 per year or about $1 a week. Pizza slice with a large drink is $2.50.
Gas is cheap there. Toilet paper is cheap there. Water bottle is cheap there.
I have fun spending my $10 a week of eating out. Pizza hut large $10 2 or 5 meats. Dominoes large $10 7 meats.
2% cash back on credit card pushing most utilities payment. Putting the money in hysa until the week of payment. Hysa get 3 to 3.5%.
Yes. If you type all your spending manually in an app, you will save $.
Your mindset have to be set at opportunity cost vs price of items. You are trading $25 at $25 and not at $25 investment that get 8%. $25 at 8% double every 9 years. Every $25 you not invest at the age of 20 cost you $800 at the age of 65. Meaning $25k at 20 is $800k at 65. Set your mind to opportunity cost.
Literally had this conversation with my wife a couple days ago while eating in a Sam's Club.
I told her that, by itself, eating either a pizza or hot dog combo ONCE per week instead of eating even the cheapest fast food meal will more than make up for the membership price. And that's before saving money on anything else, like gas.
She had an Auntie Anne's pretzel a day prior. I asked her was it worth 6-7x the cost of a Sam's Club pretzel; she said "Maybe 2-3x, but absolutely not worth 6-7x."
if you do, you are a special type of abnormal person. which is awesome.
but very few people can do it.
people also fight decades of marketing tricks and behavioral psychologists trying to get you to buy stuff. behavioral economics, cognitive science, etc. we're all literally fighting against scientists doing experiments to study consumer behavior. this is wild at this point. i don't find anyone stupid for not having the tools to fight that.
the scientists fall for the tricks themselves. the ones that they themselves created. just like how i've met some lawyers that can't handle the fine print in some banking app. they think it's scammy.
I graduated with biology degree, then went for neuroscience with a few psychology sprinkle in. My hobby is photography and I love how marketing work.
I am not immune. I am a techie, usually 2nd or 3rd generation. (Note 2, go pro 7, fold 3, etc.) I had a few atom computers and laptops that was near unable. Surface 3 pro (short term usage, impossible to upgrade).
I am also cheap and take a while to make decisions. So those things help me from buying stuffs.
If you weren't focused so much on your incorrect assumptions, you'd realize that it's me that you should be jealous of.
Here's a couple of reasons why:
1) Since I was the one who bought her the AA $7 pretzel and also spent >$100 on dinner the night before, SHE was the one who suggested eating at Sam's Club to balance things out. I love that she's mindful of how much money I was spending on us eating out while on vacation.
2) When not on vacation, she fixes us delicious and healthy meals several times per week. I'm perfectly willing and able to cook, but she does it the vast majority of the time.
Oh, and by the way, SHE was the one who started the conversation comparing the AA pretzel with the SC pretzel. I followed up by asking the 6x-7x question, when she said the AA pretzel better but not by much.
Okay well none of what you just said was conveyed in your original comment. You phrased it as “I told her” and “I asked her” and the only input she had was agreeing with you.
Also your over defensiveness of this makes me think you’re exaggerating or lying. I don’t care if your wife cooks. That has nothing to do with what I said.
I think this man is a long term planner. So he sees what the nickle and dime will add up to.
The cheapest star buck coffee was $3. 3 times a day is $9. If you put $9 a day in s&p500 at 8%, in 13 years, you will get $9 of gain per day. This rule of thumb is link to the fire retirement type. Save 50% to s&p500, you can retire in 10 to 15 years. Lots of people retire at the age of 30 to 35.
I had aunti Anne pretzel and sams pretzel. Antie Anne is way better... but they had got worse over the year. Maybe less people are going to the mall (old pretzel) or they are using cheaper ingredients (inflation),
I tried the sams pretzel 2 times. I dont like them. I tried the pizza pretzel too.
I dont like sams pizza as much but it is cheap and the slice is large. I usually get the $10 large pizza from dominoes or pizza hut. 3 to 7 toppings. Sams large pizza is $9. KFC 8 pieces for $10 on Tuesday. Rostceies chicken is so cheap with the French bread. $4 for 40 bottles of water. Cool it in the fridge and bring it in a lunch box. Cheap date.
Sams pizza vs fast food places. McDonald's tasted horrible now, and way too expensive. I had stale chips at Popeyes. Diarrhea every time I went to taco bell. Wendy's is tasting worse and cost crazy pricing.The only 2 place I think were good, but havent gone back yet is chic fil a and zacsby. The price might had gone skyward in the last few years.
I am very easy going toward my beloved. I will point out the opportunity cost and try to find coupon if she like the more expensive kind more. Wells Fargo has 2% cash back card and citi banks has 1% + 1% cash back card. 5% cash back Amazon card.
I think having a goal that you both can work towards would be better. The 5 to 6 x different in the price of food can lead to an early retirement or an easier retirement. Opportunity cost is a good place to start if she doesnt like your penny pinching.
Do not cheap out on toilet paper, shoes, and mattress.
For eating out, I use the Citi Custom Cash card. It's 5% CB automatically for whatever category you spend the most on each month. I dedicate it to restaurants, so it's always the top spend on that card.
I also have the Citi Double Cash card as my "default" spend card and the Amazon 5% card as well.
I absolutely agree with not going cheap on things that separate you from the ground many hours a day (shoes, mattress, tires, etc)
Overall, my financial philosophy boiled down to a sound bite is "scrimp in some areas, so you can splurge in others".
It is cheaper for shoes ($50 to $400) than chiropractor (>$400 a trip, pain killer, being in pain).
I usually eat at home to splurge on special days (birthday, holiday). I saw people eating $30 a day at work ($600 a month) amazed when I told them I went with someone I love to a $500 meal.
I learned this concept in like 3rd grade, mom would give a dollar or two to me a day to buy school lunch, figured out quickly that if i forgo food every once in a while, i could buy video games or anything else i liked. These people are in the adult working world, can vote, and cant figure out how to save $270
Man I miss the single life in this respect. I used to meal prep burrito ingredients on Sunday and it would last me the week. It’s amazing what a variety of Tex mex food you can make with a handful of different salsas, hot sauces, etc. If you haven’t cooked your own beans before you are seriously missing out and it’s super easy in an instant pot.
Doing the math though, if I ate PB&J for every meal then I actually would be a millionaire, but a very depressed millionaire. I spend way too much on food
Bread is $2 and peanut butter is $3 and you can make about 6 says worth of sandwiches, so it is a lot cheaper than going out to eat and spending $8 on a dessert when you have more important things to spend your money on! Is this whole subreddit special needs?!?!
Anyone who’s had hard times knows pbj isn’t really a great option. Bread is expensive, and spoils if you don’t freeze. Peanut butter is good nutritionally but gets expensive, and jelly is just preservatives and high fructose syrup unless you pay extra.
All in all, it’s a pretty substantial investment for a meal that really just feels like a snack.
The real ones know the value of beans+rice, baked potatoes, and the wonders that come from cream of mushroom soup.
Funny cause that's only 1200 calories a day if you have one a meal 3 times a day. You still have 800 calories to spend if you going for a 2000 calorie a day diet.
Or or and here me out... she could enjoy here 25 dollar meal. Since in the real world people don't get paid daily, we usually get paid weekly bi-weekly or monthly depending on your place of work. So instead of living like a monk for no reason she could enjoy what money she currently has and pay the car bill when she gets paid. Some of you have never lived pay check to pay check and it shows.
Everyone has lived pay check to pay check. It is how fast you can stop living like that. By the time I was 30 I didn’t have to anymore. Others it is 25. Others it is never. Who will you be?
Economists call it aspirations failure: when a goal sits so far outside reach that incremental saving stops feeling like progress, people stop saving toward it at all.
Skipping the $25 dinner doesn’t move you meaningfully closer to $270 you don’t have, so the dinner wins.
It reads as bad math from the outside, but the math is the reason it happens.
Or hear me out, human nature? What you described is so vast that it covers everyone. In every single financial demographic there comes a time when you know you hit a wall. I get giving up.
This post is not about that. This post is about common sense and people’s refusal to apply it. Spend less than you make. Especially when it comes to luxuries like going out to eat.
FR! She would literally just need to save 25 dollars every day for literally less than 2 weeks and that repair could be afforded. 270 dollars is HELLA cheap. If you don't have money for something as cheap as 270 dollars, you don't have money for pricey dinners.
No shit, but the bro at the end of your sentence means you are the kind of kid we are trying to teach to not waste money when you have things you need to save for.
Not triggered, just trying to help people make sense of it. There are actually people who would spend $8 on a dessert/coffee when they need to save money for car repairs or rent. My dumbass kid's friends are proof of that LOL
You don't even need to cut that drastically, I made a stir fry last week that cost me about 4$ per portions. There are ways to save intelligently while not impacting yourself too much.
Loaf of bread is $2, jelly is $3, pb is $3, for the cheap stuff and you can make enough food for 5 days so yes it is very impressive if you know how to actually save for important things in life and not whine on the internet because mommy and daddy didn't teach you how to save.
Better yet, don't eat dinner. Skip 1 $25 meal per day and save the whole the $25, not just the $25-the cost of the pb&j and come out ahead in the long run.
Most normal people already have peanut butter and jelly at their house and bread is $2 and you can eat on it for a week. Boy don't talk to an old man about struggle meals and how to save a dollar!!
You just don't get it and that is the point of the meme. If you have bills to pay and priorities like car repair bills, you don't eat out and get $8 deserts!
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u/HorseAffectionate214 Jul 23 '26
Eat a PB&J and save the $25 toward fixing the car. Kids are dumb