A Month In The Life of Cindy Cole

1
A Month In The Life of Cindy Cole
2
Physical Therapist

• Monthly Gross Income 3,666.66
• Monthly Net Income
• 2,750.00
• Starting pay for a physical therapist at Vineyard
  Nursing Association is 44,000.00/ yr.

At this job, a full benefit package is given to
their workers, including health insurance.
3
Housing

• Security Deposit 995.00
• Rent 995.00
• Heat Included
• Electric 60.00
• Water Included
• Phone 26.95
• Cable N/A
• Garbage Included
• Insurance 27.50/mo
• I am living in a one room apartment in
  Stoughton Massachusetts, just a little South of
  Boston. I am living right outside of Boston
  because I attended Northeastern University for
  six years and wish to stay in the surrounding
  area.

Stone Ends Apartments45 Wheeler Cir.Stoughton,
MA 02072
4
Transportation

• Public Transportation Massachusetts Bay
  Transportation Authority- Monthly Combo Bus Pass
  63.00/moI chose public transportation over
  owning my own car because I cant afford car
  payments and car insurance each month and I am
  also living in a big city where public
  transportation is available to its residents.

5
College Loans

• Graduate degree from Northeastern UniversitySix
  Years 250.00/mo

6
Savings/Investments

• 137.50 (5 Net Income)

7
Essentials

• Food 250.00 I plan on making food at home more
  than I eat fast food or eat out. I will probably
  eat take out about once or twice a week. I never
  eat breakfast, lunch I will bring to work, then
  for dinner I will make my own food, unless I feel
  lazy and want take out instead.
• Medical Insurance Full Coverage
• Drs Co-pay 15.00 per visit When I go to the
  doctors office, I pay 15.00 for my co-pays, so
  I based my price around that.
• Dentist 20.00 For my dentist cost, I took into
  perspective that I only visit the dentist once
  every six months.
• Rxs I have a strong immune system, and dont
  get sick very often, and I dont take any
  essential medications, so I have money set aside
  for emergency prescription funds.
• Clothing 150.00 I know that I will be living
  in a big city but I am a frugal person and
  probably will only go clothing shopping
  occasionally, plus I already have a lot of
  clothes.

8
Non-Essentials

• Pager/Cell Phone N/A- I dont have a cell phone
  or pager now, and I dont find a need for one so
  I am not going to have a cell phone.
• Gifts 100.00- I would only have to buy gifts
  for people once in a while, there would only be
  like a couple birthdays or occasions a month, and
  would only really spend a lot of money around
  Christmas time.
• Hair/Nails 25.00- I really dont get my hair
  cut too often, and when I do its just like a
  little trim and only costs about 25.00
• Pets 150.00- My dog is my life, and I love to
  buy her good food and toys, plus her medical
  bills for medicines and check-ups.
• Subscriptions N/A- There arent any magazines
  that I order regularly, so I dont find a need to
  order any.

• Memberships N/A There are no any places where I
  desire to be a member.
• Donations I am not religious, or give money on a
  regular basis to humanitarian societies, except
  for around Christmas time, so this could be
  included into my miscellaneous costs.
• Internet N/A Being a physical therapist, I will
  not need internet access at home. If I truly need
  access, I could go to the library.
• Entertainment 150.00 I will see a movie
  occasionally, rent a movie, go out with my
  friends for a night on the town, etc.

9
Miscellaneous

• 16.00 a month for laundry, 1.00 for washer use
  and then 1.00 for dryer use, at two loads a
  week.
• 100.00 for retirement funds.
• 100.00 for Miscellaneous Expenses in case there
  is an unexpected health emergency, or pet
  emergency, the occasional over spending when
  shopping, and basically all unexpected expenses

10
Resource List

• Job/Income
• http//boston.jobs.com/getjob.asp?JobID19842319
  AVSDN20032D112D12133...
• Physical Therapist at Vineyard Nursing Home
• Annual Income 44,000.00
• Monthly Income 2,750.00 (After Taxes)
• Apartmenthttp//www.apartments.com/search/oasis.
  dll?subarea22YpageRentarea6Ystatemargn111
  4prvpg4cont.x37cont.y14
• Phone http//www.usa.att.com/localhelp/ma/call_pl
  ans.html
• Renters Insurance http//insurance.yahoo.com/hr/r
  1.html
• Electric N-Star - 1800-592-200
• Transportation Massachusetts Bay Transportation
  Authority- Monthly Combo Bus Pass
  http//www.mbta.com/traveling_t/passes_typespasses
  fares.aspmonthlybuspass

11
Resource List

• College Loans
• Page four of packet- 5 years - 250.00/mo
• Savings/Investments
• Automatically done on Excel Budget Worksheet
  template
• Essentials
• Medical Insurance Coverage from job
• Food 250.00 I came to this price by estimating
  that I will be spending about 62.50 dollars a
  week for groceries.
• Drs Co-pay 15.00 per visit When I go to the
  doctors office, I pay 15.00 for my co-pays, so
  I based my price around that.
• Dentist 20.00 For my dentist cost, I took into
  perspective that I only visit the dentist once
  every six months.
• Rxs I have a strong immune system, and dont
  get sick very often, and I dont take any
  essential medications, so I have money set aside
  for emergency prescription funds.
• Clothing 150.00 I know that I will be living
  in a big city but I am a frugal person and
  probably will only go clothing shopping
  occasionally, plus I already have a lot of
  clothes, it wouldnt be essential that I go
  clothes shopping all of the time.

12
Resource List

• Gifts I came to the price of 100.00 because I
  would only have to buy gifts for people once in a
  while, there would only be like a couple
  birthdays or occasions a month, and would only
  really spend a lot of money around Christmas
  time.
• Hair/ Nails I came to the price of 25.00
  because I really dont get my hair cut too often,
  and when I do its just like a little trim and
  only costs about 25.00.
• Pets I came to the price of 150.00 because my
  dog is my life, and I love to buy her good food
  and toys, plus her medical bills for medicines
  and check-ups.
• Laundry I estimated that the price of laundry
  would be about one dollar for washer and one
  dollar for dryer use per load. At two loads a
  week for one month, it would add up to be 16.00
  per month for laundry.
• Retirement Funds If I put 100.00 away each
  month, that would add a lot more money to my
  retirement funds.

13
Reflections

• As an adult, I am realizing that I have to
  budget my money carefully. By having expensive
  bills to pay, I have to be more frugal in the
  non- essentials that I would like to have. Luxury
  items like a cell phone or the internet, are not
  necessary items needed to survive, so I have to
  eliminate them from my everyday life. Being a
  responsible adult in control of my own life is
  not an easy task, but it is an inevitable fact of
  life.
• This project was a nice way of showing
  students what the real world is like. Having to
  sacrifice luxury items in order to meet your
  basic life needs is a hard concept to grasp. You
  may like to have all nice expensive things, but
  you have to realize that money doesnt grow on
  trees and you have to budget it wisely. I now
  have a more realistic sense of money and how
  expensive living can truly be. I dont have all
  of the luxury items like cable and the internet
  or a cell phone, but I know my basic needs are
  being met and I can be successful in the real
  world if I budget my finances just like this.