How much do you spend on food?

[Diceman Cometh]

I'm moving to Boston for law school in a couple months, and I was wondering how much money I should include for food (beer and "eating out" is a seperate line in my budget - I'm just talking about an average day). What do yall think?

[Nothing Sound]

That depends on what you mean by "eating out".
Are you talking Pizza, Fast Food, Diners, Restaurants.....
How much beer do you plan on drinking during these days?

[Mike H]

are you fat like me or cut like a Greek God like Opie?

[Sack of Chisels]

I spend maybe $50-70/week, and I eat relatively sparingly.

[turdfrgsn]

I'm moving to Boston for law school in a couple months

okay dude, fuck food

just kill yourself

kill yourself now

i know i know ah hahahaha terrific, that's funny hardy har

no i'm serious

fucking kill yourself now

[ChrisH]

okay dude, fuck food

just kill yourself

kill yourself now

i know i know ah hahahaha terrific, that's funny hardy har

no i'm serious

fucking kill yourself now

As a lawyer (third year associate at a firm in NYC) who is currently pretty bitter and in the midst of a job hunt, I am tempted to agree with Turd Furgeson here. But I would say instead, just bust your ass, get the best grades you can, get on a journal, and get a clerkship, even if it means sacrificing a year of salary out of school; TRUST ME, it's more than worth it in the long run--you have NO IDEA how brutal and draconian the competition is for your second job (the first job is easy).

As for groceries, when I was in school (in DC) I spent about 50-60 on groceries a week and was pretty disciplined about bringing my lunch most days, not eating out often, etc. I also had a seperate line item for booze, however. :icon_wink

[DjAnalLightBulb]

Gets my vote for oddest thread of the month

[Schnit Dick]

I spend like 150 bucks a month...including dinners like 4-5 days a week and usually 5 lunchs a week

[Diceman Cometh]

I spend like 150 bucks a month...including dinners like 4-5 days a week and usually 5 lunchs a week

By dinner, do you mean eating out?

I was thinking of giving myself 15 bucks a day for food...would that work?


As for booze and general "having fun" expenses, I allocated about $120 a week. Sound good? Could that actually last an entire week?

okay dude, fuck food

just kill yourself

kill yourself now

i know i know ah hahahaha terrific, that's funny hardy har

no i'm serious

fucking kill yourself now

care to explain, sir? I'm not getting it.

[Schnit Dick]

120 is plenty for for a week I think...if you are single. My 150 a month doesnt include eating out. But that really varies depending on if I go out with my girl or not and where we go. For booze just buy cheap and you are set. You can get the beast and be fine. I found a place by here that sells 30 packs of a few different things for 10 bucks...so if you drink 30 a week, that gives you 110 a week for the rest of your food...as long as you cook that is more than enough

[Diceman Cometh]

120 is plenty for for a week I think...if you are single. My 150 a month doesnt include eating out. But that really varies depending on if I go out with my girl or not and where we go. For booze just buy cheap and you are set. You can get the beast and be fine. I found a place by here that sells 30 packs of a few different things for 10 bucks...so if you drink 30 a week, that gives you 110 a week for the rest of your food...as long as you cook that is more than enough

TEN BUCKS for THIRTY BOTTLES??? How the fuck is that possible? What kinds of brands can you get for that?

You can get the beast and be fine.

What do you mean by that?

[ChrisH]

By dinner, do you mean eating out?

I was thinking of giving myself 15 bucks a day for food...would that work?


As for booze and general "having fun" expenses, I allocated about $120 a week. Sound good? Could that actually last an entire week?



care to explain, sir? I'm not getting it.

Two things about your first year of law school: You will be pretty busy and may not do as much drinking as you may think you will.

On the other hand, lawyers and law students really are drunks, and there are a lot of events that are sponsored by companies with free beer/booze. So add those together, and you will probably have more opportunities than you do now for free booze, but will have less time to drink. If that makes any sense.

[Bushwood]

TEN BUCKS for THIRTY BOTTLES??? How the fuck is that possible? What kinds of brands can you get for that?



What do you mean by that?
Schafer, Schlitz, Milwaukees Beast, etc.. All the great domestics.

[Diceman Cometh]

Two things about your first year of law school: You will be pretty busy and may not do as much drinking as you may think you will.

On the other hand, lawyers and law students really are drunks, and there are a lot of events that are sponsored by companies with free beer/booze. So add those together, and you will probably have more opportunities than you do now for free booze, but will have less time to drink. If that makes any sense.

I dont really drink a lot anyway, and I'm not much of a partyer, but I do wanna date, so I figure I need a decent amount of cash to take chicks out.

I have a feeling I'm gonna be frequenting the comedy clubs a lot, gonna need some laughs in such a stressful time.

[ChrisH]

I dont really drink a lot anyway, and I'm not much of a partyer, but I do wanna date, so I figure I need a decent amount of cash to take chicks out.

I have a feeling I'm gonna be frequenting the comedy clubs a lot, gonna need some laughs in such a stressful time.

Just remember that it is a lot of work (more work than college, you really do have to keep up with the reading and notetaking), *but* the majority of the stress is the mystique of the first year of law school, which is ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT. Just keep up with the reading, take good notes, do your outlines early enough (you'll understand what I mean later by this), and don't let the generic "fear" of your first year rattle you, and you'll do just fine.

[Glenn Dandy]

I drop a few hundred a week at the bar. and about140 at the local diner for dinner. lunch is bout 20 a day/ re: breakfast coffee/ lunch80 a day i tear through easy.

Theres absolutly no food in my house.

[Diceman Cometh]

Just remember that it is a lot of work (more work than college, you really do have to keep up with the reading and notetaking), *but* the majority of the stress is the mystique of the first year of law school, which is ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT. Just keep up with the reading, take good notes, do your outlines early enough (you'll understand what I mean later by this), and don't let the generic "fear" of your first year rattle you, and you'll do just fine.

Thank you sir...you've helped me out on several occassions with law school advice...much appreciated :action-sm

[Diceman Cometh]

$80 a day i tear through easy..

ummm.....holy shit?

I hope that is considered extremely high becuase I cant really go over 120 a week.

With another 120 for drinks, dating, and just going out in general, I have 240 a week for food, drinking, and dating.

[Smoke]

(beer and "eating out" is a seperate line in my budget - I'm just talking about an average day).

You said about 15 a day, that sounds about right for Boston prices. I'm spending about 100 a week outside Boston, but that includes 6.25 four days a week for lunch at work. As long as you have the beer and eating out as seperate line items, you're fine.

[turdfrgsn]

again, nothing personal
but all lawyers (or those who seriously want to be)
should just kill themselves

now

[ChrisH]

again, nothing personal
but all lawyers (or those who seriously want to be)
should just kill themselves

now

Just out of curiosity, do you mean that a) lawyers are scumsucking bastards who all deserve to die, or b) lawyers have such miserable lives they are doing themselves a favor by ending it all early?

[Diceman Cometh]

by the way, is it going to be difficult to date/get laid in Boston if I wont have a car?

[turdfrgsn]

craigslist.com

[Jolie]

I spend about 1200 - 1300 per month on groceries/eating out (about half of that is eating out), but thats for two people. So about 600 - 650 per month per person. That includes non-food related groceries.

[stabmasterarson]

lawyers kick ass

[IDontCare05]

Way too much ...lets just put it at that. Instead of mooching off my parents since I live at home I eat out instead most of the time.

[Diceman Cometh]

lawyers kick ass


Whats amazing about your sigpic, dude, is that even after that monster bodyslam, the Russian guy actually beat the black guy about 45 seconds after that slam....

[stabmasterarson]

yeah...how anyone could recover from that is incredible, let alone keep fighting and win


crazy russians

[CaraC]

if you dont eat out too much, you can spend ~$50/week on food..

of course it depends on the type of food you like... but if you look for sales, etc, if youre only buying for yourself, $50 should just about do it

[ChrisH]

if you dont eat out too much, you can spend ~$50/week on food..

of course it depends on the type of food you like... but if you look for sales, etc, if youre only buying for yourself, $50 should just about do it

Ramen noodles are a great side dish, and for 3 for $1, can't be beat. Baked potatoes with some woerstershire/tabasco is also inexpensive.

Plus, it never hurts to keep a Box o' Wine at home; $13 for 5 liters of not-bad red (Franzia Burgundy). Plus, you're in Boston, so it's appropriate....

[CaraC]

Ramen noodles are a great side dish, and for 3 for $1, can't be beat. Baked potatoes with some woerstershire/tabasco is also inexpensive.

Plus, it never hurts to keep a Box o' Wine at home; $13 for 5 liters of not-bad red (Franzia Burgundy). Plus, you're in Boston, so it's appropriate....
exactly... there are so many ways you can have a great meal, inexpensive... the other day I had baked chicken, rice, veggies for 5 people ... and it cost $8!

[Diceman Cometh]

exactly... there are so many ways you can have a great meal, inexpensive... the other day I had baked chicken, rice, veggies for 5 people ... and it cost $8!

niiiicey nice.....I think I'm starting to feel a little more positive about moving up to that friggen city.

[ChrisH]

niiiicey nice.....I think I'm starting to feel a little more positive about moving up to that friggen city.

Dude, realax, it will be crazy, nuts, insane! You'll do blow with Bono and Tom Brady. :action-sm

All kidding aside, you can make your food $ go really far if you are disciplined, go to the grocery store often, BRING YOUR LUNCH TO SCHOOL (I cannot emphasize this enough), and cook yourself dinner--which is *not* difficult. A bit of advice: get a few things that you can make a lot of on Sunday (baked chicken, chilli, soup, pasta sauce, etc.) so you won't have to cook every night. It will make your food budget go farther, and will make it less likely you'll get lazy, order out, and spend more $ than you plan on.

[CaraC]

niiiicey nice.....I think I'm starting to feel a little more positive about moving up to that friggen city.
yeah dont worry about it... just look for deals... for instance, if chicken/steak/etc is on sale, buy a few of each and store it in your freezer... same goes for anything else... when you see a sale, buy more than you need and store it accordingly... groceries here, from what I understand, are not going to be more expensive than any other part of the country...
youll have to accomodate more $$ in for gas/electric bills, etc but as long as you have your rent figured in, youll be ok
as long as you know how to bargain shop with food, you can me $1 go a long way

[Sack of Chisels]

Also might want to consider buying in bulk from costco or whatever "HUGE ASS" stores are in the area.

[Diceman Cometh]

Also might want to consider buying in bulk from costco or whatever "HUGE ASS" stores are in the area.

Costco was precisely what I had in mind - buying in bulk has saved my parents quite a bit of cash on their groceries.

[Diceman Cometh]

for instance, if chicken/steak/etc is on sale, buy a few of each and store it in your freezer... same goes for anything else

Now the trick is actually learning how to cook....the most complex thing I ever made for myself was French Toast.

sorry for the double-post, mods :icon_redf

[CaraC]

Also might want to consider buying in bulk from costco or whatever "HUGE ASS" stores are in the area.
BJs and Sams Club :)

[Lil'JimmysMule]

I got around spending money on food by NOT going to college.

[wetsticky frank]

When I was a trainer for new drivers in the trucking industry I always told my students to budget $150-$200 a week for food alone. Granted that was all eating out.

Just had to put my $.02 in.

[ChrisH]

When I was a trainer for new drivers in the trucking industry I always told my students to budget $150-$200 a week for food alone. Granted that was all eating out.

Just had to put my $.02 in.

Jesus, it costs $150-200 per week to eat in diners? Wow....

[LilJimmiesMule]

I travel up in the NE quite a bit, you can eat for about 15 to 20 a day, boozin is a whole different deal though, good luck..

[ChrisH]

I travel up in the NE quite a bit, you can eat for about 15 to 20 a day, boozin is a whole different deal though, good luck..

Yeah, boozin' is expense here (I live in NYC, went to law school in DC, etc.). Remember, there is NO SHAME in pregaming with boxed wine or a 40. Get your buzz on cheap, then meet friends for a few drinks, and you'll be golden.

[Just Invisible]

It really depends on how often you want to go out and eat and drink. I spend waayy to much. I live at home, but go out to eat as much as possible. I love it.

[Diceman Cometh]

Back to the car thing, though...In parts of NYC (and certain other cities in the country, I'm sure) its difficult to get a girl without a car. Is not having a car in Boston going to seriously hinder my ability to get girls?

[Bunny™]

Back to the car thing, though...In parts of NYC (and certain other cities in the country, I'm sure) its difficult to get a girl without a car. Is not having a car in Boston going to seriously hinder my ability to get girls?
Not really. Keep in mind that the subway (T) runs until 1am, but the bars close at 2am. Unless you have your own reserved parking space or a resident parking sticker, parking your car will be a pain in the ass. I lived in the Fenway 4 years ago and I paid $90 a month to park in a tiny spot behind my building. There is no free parking in the city.

[Diceman Cometh]

Not really. Keep in mind that the subway (T) runs until 1am, but the bars close at 2am. Unless you have your own reserved parking space or a resident parking sticker, parking your car will be a pain in the ass. I lived in the Fenway 4 years ago and I paid $90 a month to park in a tiny spot behind my building. There is no free parking in the city.

I do have my own spot, actually...in a driveway.

[Bunny™]

I do have my own spot, actually...in a driveway.
Fancy!

[Diceman Cometh]

Fancy!

Well I'm a fancy guy, sir...

I share it with my other roommates actually...its pretty long, and we just back up over the lawn if one car is blocking the other.

[TaZMaNiaK]

Best thing you can do is start watching the Food Network, and downloading some recipies from their website. It'll surprise you how easy it is to whip up something good, and how little it winds up costing you.

One of my favorite quickies:
Chicken w/broccoli

2lb skinless/boneless chicken breast - $3.99
1 head of broccoli, chopped - $0.99
2 cans cream of mushroom soup - $1.00
Minute rice - $1.49

Brown the chicken with some garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Put it in a baking dish, along with the broccoli and mushroom soup, and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes (till the broccoli is cooked). Serve over rice. That's it!

This makes enough for 2 people, plus you'll have some left over for lunch the next day, annd it only costs $7.50

Also, if you get anything perishable from Costco like cheese or meat, I would highly recommend getting a vacuum sealer. Otherwise you'll end up spending more on wasted/spoiled food than you save by buying in bulk. Also, stay away from Costco bread.. It turns green real fast..

[O&AVirus&more]

Food. Always good is the pizza at the Sam's Club in South Tampa. It's so hot it can make you sweat! Here's another sign it's good pizza. One slice of Pepperonni costs me: $2.02! It's a sign! It's something I have to get every time! And now back on topic!

[Jolie]

Best thing you can do is start watching the Food Network, and downloading some recipies from their website. It'll surprise you how easy it is to whip up something good, and how little it winds up costing you.

One of my favorite quickies:
Chicken w/broccoli

2lb skinless/boneless chicken breast - $3.99
1 head of broccoli, chopped - $0.99
2 cans cream of mushroom soup - $1.00
Minute rice - $1.49

Brown the chicken with some garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Put it in a baking dish, along with the broccoli and mushroom soup, and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes (till the broccoli is cooked). Serve over rice. That's it!

This makes enough for 2 people, plus you'll have some left over for lunch the next day, annd it only costs $7.50

Also, if you get anything perishable from Costco like cheese or meat, I would highly recommend getting a vacuum sealer. Otherwise you'll end up spending more on wasted/spoiled food than you save by buying in bulk. Also, stay away from Costco bread.. It turns green real fast..

2lbs of chicken only makes enough for 2 people?!?!? I was thinking I would make this for my family when they are here this weekend (5 adults, 2 kids)...

[Diceman Cometh]

2lbs of chicken only makes enough for 2 people?!?!?

Yea, I was thinking the same thing....

...by the way Jolie, congrats

[Jolie]

Yea, I was thinking the same thing....

...by the way Jolie, congrats

Thanks... but why the congrats? :icon_conf

[Diceman Cometh]

Thanks... but why the congrats? :icon_conf

The baby you silly goose

[Jolie]

The baby you silly goose

OH!!! Thanks. ;-)