$1453 per month on rent? How?

maybe 2-3 bottles of $10 wine per month, nothing major. I buy a lot of grapes! Priced like gold.

Recommend adding a category for Chinese as well.

Definitely. But the meal planning based on sale items is the heart of it, honestly.

Indeed it was

If I ever get around to writing a novel - illegally converted warehouse apt above an artesian dildo factory is definitely a setting!

You would not believe how much the pandemic changed my eating habits.

Only $500 on eating out? I need to be like you.

I’m pretty particular with quality food as well, guess that must be driving it up.

Oh hell yes!

There are some good dive bars that get by the food sales rule by having some awesome stuff on the menu, like Cue Club in Annandale, and also Mark’s Pub in Falls Church. There’s also Dogwood, 4 P’s, Spacebar, etc…but all of these places are forced to focus a huge amount of their attention on having a large food menu and not just be a bar.

I spend like $400 a month on groceries. It’s just me. But I am very specific with my shopping & go to streets/yes organic.

That seems a bit high. Do you guys drink a lot?

Always look like you know where you're going, even if you don't. Look like wherever you are, you have every right to be there. I can always spot people from more rural areas by the look in their eyes, they always look lost and a little overwhelmed. I'm not someone up to no good, but if I was I know who would make an easy target by that look. I see those sorts of people approached a lot. Looking confident is key. It's ok to be "rude" and not talk to people that approach you, 90% of the time they want money. You're likely going to see homeless encampments. While I advise not getting too close if you can, MOST of the time if you don't bother them they won't bother you.

Thank you for asking this! I’m moving to dc soon and have been wondering how much to budget

Yeah. Could be a bit off, but not more than $550 I’d say. We get takeout/go out 1-2 times/week, but that’s not in the grocery budget.

Lidl is opening near us soon, that will help.

Thank you for doing this! I will absolutely be using this tool. You are a hero.

so 350-450 on food?

You need to start paying attention to the weekly grocery ad and planning your meals for the week based on what’s on sale. When a favorite protein is on sale, buy extra and put some in the freezer.

I think my average for 2 is less than half yours. Primarily Aldi, with Safeway/TJs for the occasional other item.

where do you shop?

$250 for myself

You seem miserable lil homie. Go outside and smile bud. 👌🏾👌🏾

Couple. ~$350/mo on groceries from Trader Joe’s. $100-200/mo at Target for home supplies and such. $0-$100/mo at Whole Foods/Giant as needed. No meat purchased.

ACS data also is an incomplete survey which misses a lot of relocations, particularly of those during and immediately after college (so, all the Gen-Z relos and some millennial ones). A lot of the data is inferred from USPS mail-forwarding and other voluntary data sources — many young people don’t change their mailing addresses formally or switch their driver’s licenses (if they have them).