How much money should I save a month to save for a house. I am a single woman who is tired of paying rent?
344349
The question should be how much can you save per month.  To figure this out you need a budget.  Figure out where all your money is going now.  Then figure out where you can afford to cut back.  \nNext go to your bank and ask to speak to a financial advisor (this should be a free service).  They will go over your budget with you and help you to determine an affordable monthly amount you can invest safely (low risk).  I have an investment  (mutual fund) for my 10 year old that he contributes $25.00 a month to.  Your Financial advisor will be able to recommend investments some that can give you tax breaks if the investment is going towards the purchase of a first home.  We can't all be financial wizards so take advantage of the ones your bank offers, this is their job.  Good luck and believe me its not as hard as it looks (after one month you won't miss the money), plus you know you will one day own your own home.  \n\nMost places require 10% as a down payment although some places will offer no downpayment (usually though your interest rates are higher then).  You can ask your financial advisor about this as well.
488548
Depends so much!  Are you paying for gas and/or electric?  Do you need to pay to heat your water?  How big is your place?\n\nI am really cheap on the electric-- my bill is usually 25 bucks a month (two bedroom) and gas (to heat) has varied from 10 (summer) to 50 (winter).\n\nI plan on an average of 50 bucks.  \n\nActually, the best way to do this is to find the place you're interested in.  Then you find out what gas and electric companies the prior tenant used.  Then you call and ask them the averages and highs/lows.  They can give out this information to help you plan.
529046
I know that 15K looks like a lot, but what you should consider, kind of along the lines of the longer response below is your time line for the home.  If you are going to live in the home for a long time then you might want to check out a lower rate.  You can always check with a mortgage broker whom can run the rates and tell you how much you can save... I used a site called http://www.rezponze.com when I refinanced my home and got 3 different quotes that I could compare.  Ended up saving a boat load when I did it. I listed a few other sites that you can see rates live as well below. \n\nI would say that right now probably isn't the best time with interest rates rising.  I would probably wait it out till August who knows what the economy might be like then.  Best of luck...
1003429
The cost of living in Indiana, where I live, is very low. You can buy a newly built big house with a garage and all the appliances for maybe a little over 100,000 if that, at $650/a month, people pay that alone a month for an apartment. There are SO many breaks for first time home buyers. I live in an apartment myself, I want a house soon though.
46541
Creating a budget would be ideal, but it can get boaring and eventually you will stop keeping track of your spending, if budgeting is not interesting to you. \n\nOne easier way would be to estimate the total amount of money you allocate to entertainment(anything that considered to be a want not a need) then take 10% of that amount and save it.\n\nExample if you spend $250 a month on entertainment save $25 a month. Be sure to put the money is some form of interest bearing savings account.
542458
It depends how much you can afford to take out.  If you're married and have some financial support for your spouse that helps.  If you can live with less than 30k, try and contribute as much as possible until you hit the limit where the company stops matching.  As long as they match, that's basically free money and you should try and take advantage of it.
363359
Depending on whether or not you are married, the average amount you would get to take home is 6,200 per month or 74,400 per year. You'll be able to claim the interest on your land and student loans. The best thing for you to do, if you have no dependents, is to let your employer take the most amount of taxes out that you can afford. Also, if your company has it, participate in the 401k retirement funds. They are tax deductible.
824572
A good rate is $10-15 an hour.\n\nObviously, it depends on how big your house is.\nIf you find the right person and your house is small you could expect around $30.\n\nYou could save money by finding a starving college student or illegal alien.
308482
My wife and I lived great on 1500/month.  We lived in a shack and saved 3500/month.  Then we bought a house.
186368
First off, understand that a budget isn't to save money, it's to tell your money what it's going to be doing for the next month or so.  You can stay on a budget and not pay your bills, shop 'til you drop, and not save a penny.  You are still on a budget as long as that's what you planned to do.\n\nHowever, if you want to save and pay your bills, you set up the budget to address those desires.  A month makes a good time-frame for a budget, so only list that one month's income, and then determine where every dollar is going to go.  Hopefully some will be left over for savings after paying bills, planning for occasional expenses (quarterly insurance, tag, whatever), buying some groceries, and so forth.  After doing the budget and working on the final numbers with your spouse (if applicable), agree to stick to it.  Never spend any money that isn't planned for by the budget.  "Hey," you say, "what if something comes up I forgot about?"  Simple - call an Emergency Budget Summit Meeting with your spouse.  I.e., sit down and figure out where the money is going to come from.  Scrimp a bit on food, cut back on entertainment, whatever - adjust the budget to include the unexpected expense.  Doing this will force you to accept that the money has to come from somewhere other than that darned useful Visa card (that will kill you over time).\n\nYour best bet for an entire plan of attack is Dave Ramsey's book _My Total Money Makeover_, usually available at the local library (or at your local bookstore).  _Financial Peace_, also by Ramsey, is also a good choice but MTMM is the latest.  Ramsey's plan is a systematic way to get out of debt and build wealth -- a realistic way, which means you won't be rich next month.  You can also take a look at http://www.daveramsey.com but the book is a better introduction to the system.\n\nI'm not affiliated with Ramsey, I just used his ideas and know they work.\n\nGood luck.
85012
How much did you pay for your first house?\nHow much did you pay for your second house and how much do you charge every month?
522082
charge depending on the size of the house and if you are using your own products.  A flat rate of around $50 is normally good.  Check out some of your competition, call maid services around your area and ask how much they would charge. Don't tell them your plan tho. Use that information to help you find a good price. It's hard to tell you what to charge, it depends on where you live and what the economic situation in your area is. Good luck tho!
70541
Get a sheet of paper.  Wright down your income for the month.  Then make a list of all your expenses; light bill, car payment, cell phone, credit cards, beer etc...  Make sure you have more coming in then going out.  If you have creditors calling, answer, or call them.  Ask for a lower intrest rate tell them about the hard time your having and you want to set up a payment plan.  Don't be rude (you attact bees with honey, not vinager) but don't let them be rude to you.  If they are speak with someone else.  Getting back to the more coming in then going out.  You may have to make cut backs.  It's not fun.  Less nights out, hot dogs insted of just about any thing else. Make piorities.  The rent has has to be paid or your under the bridge.  If the Visa don't get paid on time you get another letter in the mail.  Set realalistic goals, write them down, put them on the fridge or some where you will see them often.  Then at the end of the month evaluate how you did and adjust as needed.  Best of luck!!
574966
rent- 500 per month for apartment\n\npay- around 20 per hour\n\nnot too many opportunities
791477
Start tracking EVERYTHING you spend now. And have your boyfriend do the same. THen compare notes and see where you would be saving money. It's hard to say that you should expect to spend XYZ amount per month on groceries. Depends on what you like to eat and whether you shop for top brands, whether you use coupons, and so on. You can get a newspaper or check online for housing costs in the area you plan to move so that will help you figure out rent costs. But by tracking your budgets now and then comparing you should get a good idea of what you both spend your money on, wher eyou can trim costs and save money and so on.
1016223
I was in the same boat as you once. What I did was I sat down and wrote out a budget. I listed everything I spent money on for the last 2 months and looked at my income. I quickly figured out a lot of things on my expenses were stupid and a waste of money. I cooked at home more instead of going out, I stopped buying coffee at starbucks everyday, I learned to buy soda when it was on sale. Before you knew it, I freed up about $300 extra a month. So really look at your expenses and think about what you need and what you want. Big difference in that.
241802
Own,\n\nRemember if you are paying rent you are helping SOMEONE ELSE pay off their home. Why not take that money and help YOURSELF? There are a ton of programs that offer low or no down payment for first time home buyers which is what I got.\n\nNow when I write out the check each month I know it is going to help pay off my house and not someone elses!\n\nGood Luck!