Fleet Marine Life #155 – Budget
Most Marines live paycheck to paycheck. I wouldn’t say Marines suck with money because when the time comes to make it from the 1st to the 15th, some Marines have a temporary financial plan that takes account of every penny. It makes me laugh how most financial problems can be easily avoided with some sort of budget. A budget is a simple financial plan that you make up to make sure you know where your money is going. Even if you don’t have financial problems, I highly recommend that you take an hour out of your day once a month (or 3 months) and write down how much money is coming in and how much money is going out and to where it is going to.
You’d be surprised how much money you blow away on Monsters and alcohol during the weekend.
A basic budget looks something like this
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Budget for Oct 2012:
Money Coming in:
Monthly Paycheck: $995 (Underestimated LCPL pay)
Bank Interest: $5
———————–
Total coming in: $1,000
Money Going Out
Cleaning supplies: $40
Weekend food: $60
Entertainment: $100
Alcohol: $300
————————
Total going out: $500
Total at the end of Oct (Money In – Money Out):
$1000 – $500 = $500
I should have $500 left over.
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Assuming that this “imaginary LCPL” can keep this up for 4 years (48 months), he should have saved at least $24,000.
How can you tell if you’re like shitbag Steve? If you know what an overdraft fee is, chances are that you are financially unstable.
Living off the ATM since 1775.
Lol
Had a guy in MOS school who thought if there were checks in the checkbook, there was money in the account.
1 Cpl who joined our unit called me before work and asked if I could loan him $20. I figured, wow, this must be very embarrassing. I discreetly gave it to him. Turned out, this asshole got cash from everyone in the platoon early on before we found out what a douche he was.
As for scams, it’s not the worst one, but it outs you right away as being irresponsible and untrustworthy.
We had a guy borrowing money from everybody. On payday platoon sergeant took him to the bank and made him withdraw all the money he owed. 3 years later I run into him and he’s in the reserves. He’s stuck on base and can’t go home because he doesn’t have any gas money.
you forgot haircuts
Holy moley. I did.
Subtract $2,080 (4 years (52 weeks per year) * $10 per haircut) from the $24,000
Some things in the Corps will never change. I remember at MOS school at Camp Johnson we were in line to cash paychecks (ok, this was 1989) and I had two checks, the current one and the previous one I had locked away in my wall locker. The guys in line asked how I got a second check and I told them I’d saved it. They freaked the fuck out!! Their’s had been spent within 48 hours on beer, strippers and tattoos! Ha ha…I freakin love my Marines! Dumb MFers and all…
Half my platoon is like this maybe more…