2025 Budget Wrap Up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you please share how you were able to do Yellowstone, Hawaii, and a Disney cruise on $2k for three adults? Those are all 20k trips on their own?

That's $2,000 per month on average--so $24k for the year.

$7,000 Yellowstone (5 nights AirBnB, made our own food, park is nearly free with hiking, sightseeing, got great airfare deal)
$5,000 Disney cruise (4 nights, cheap flight to Miami)
$10,000 Hawaii (7 nights AirBnB, two islands, prepare own food, activities mostly free/cheap, we did snorkel and kayak trips)

Not sure how we could spend $20k on a vacation. We didn't even come close to that when we took DD to Europe for her HS graduation for two weeks!

Remaining $2,000 was misc travel throughout rest of year including a New York getaway for two.

No desire to scrimp--this is just what we all like!

you don't like food or wine. That saves you 10or 15 grand a year easy.

[Anonymous]

Genuine question- as three adults is a Disney cruise fun? Is it about the location or were you with other family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Genuine question- as three adults is a Disney cruise fun? Is it about the location or were you with other family?

Nope. Just the three of us. We had a great time. We planned a whole day in the Bahamas including time at Atlantis and a taxi ride over to Adastra Gardens. We read by the pool, watched the shows, just relaxed. We work out, walk the deck track, meet the characters for photos, have long dinners. We all like children so we interact with people throughout the day, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t enjoy dining out?? Even if you don’t like the food, don’t you miss out on a lot of socializing?

I don’t track anything this closely but I think you must be missing your health insurance costs, and I’m not sure you should do the roof/water heater/etc by dividing them over 12 months. I think you should either do them as cash or count big home things over a larger period, maybe the life of each system? Idk but I don’t think 12 months makes sense.

DP
We don’t track ours that closely either, but the health costs didn’t seem very far off to me. Our monthly premiums are around $500/ mo plus another $30 for dental.

The monthly clothing cost struck me as being high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your real estate tax is very low. How much is your home worth?

Townhouse in Montgomery County. Worth between $850,000 and $900,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don’t enjoy dining out?? Even if you don’t like the food, don’t you miss out on a lot of socializing?

I don’t track anything this closely but I think you must be missing your health insurance costs, and I’m not sure you should do the roof/water heater/etc by dividing them over 12 months. I think you should either do them as cash or count big home things over a larger period, maybe the life of each system? Idk but I don’t think 12 months makes sense.

DP
We don’t track ours that closely either, but the health costs didn’t seem very far off to me. Our monthly premiums are around $500/ mo plus another $30 for dental.

The monthly clothing cost struck me as being high.

This was a higher than average year for clothes. That was deliberate as we knew going into the year we both needed some refreshing of our clothes and shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don’t enjoy dining out?? Even if you don’t like the food, don’t you miss out on a lot of socializing?

I don’t track anything this closely but I think you must be missing your health insurance costs, and I’m not sure you should do the roof/water heater/etc by dividing them over 12 months. I think you should either do them as cash or count big home things over a larger period, maybe the life of each system? Idk but I don’t think 12 months makes sense.

DP
We don’t track ours that closely either, but the health costs didn’t seem very far off to me. Our monthly premiums are around $500/ mo plus another $30 for dental.

The monthly clothing cost struck me as being high.

This was a higher than average year for clothes. That was deliberate as we knew going into the year we both needed some refreshing of our clothes and shoes.

Ok. Thanks. Makes sense, especially if you have job types that might necessitate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your real estate tax is very low. How much is your home worth?

Townhouse in Montgomery County. Worth between $850,000 and $900,000.

I guess our tax in Va is higher. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, are you sure your utilities are that low? Electricity has been that much alone for a few months.

We are low users of energy. House set to 62 in winter and 77 in summer. We also do all those savings programs. Figures are accurate. It was 55 the other morning inside. Brrr. But I don’t mind and DH goes in to work.

What are “all those savings programs”? Also, can you break this out—it really seems impossible to get water, gas, electricity, phones (for 3) and internet for $350/mo. Friends and I calculate our numbers each year and nobody is anywhere near this low. Electricity is up nearly 20% this year.

Two Pepco throttlers on my two systems (furnace, heat pump) saves $48/month on electricity bill
Washington Gas Energy Rewards gives annual gift card for participation
My company gives me $25/mo for my phone line

Mobile Phone with Verizon Visible - $780 annual/$65 monthly for three lines after company subsidy
Water/Sewer/Trash (~9,000 gallons per quarter) - $830 annual/$70 monthly
Internet Verizon FiOS - $540 annual/$45 monthly
Pepco Electric - $1,700 annual/$142 monthly
Washington Gas - $300 annual/$25 monthly

Our Wash Gas bill approaches $200 per month in the winter months. I guess because we have our heat set on 69 and not 62.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, are you sure your utilities are that low? Electricity has been that much alone for a few months.

We are low users of energy. House set to 62 in winter and 77 in summer. We also do all those savings programs. Figures are accurate. It was 55 the other morning inside. Brrr. But I don’t mind and DH goes in to work.

What are “all those savings programs”? Also, can you break this out—it really seems impossible to get water, gas, electricity, phones (for 3) and internet for $350/mo. Friends and I calculate our numbers each year and nobody is anywhere near this low. Electricity is up nearly 20% this year.

Two Pepco throttlers on my two systems (furnace, heat pump) saves $48/month on electricity bill
Washington Gas Energy Rewards gives annual gift card for participation
My company gives me $25/mo for my phone line

Mobile Phone with Verizon Visible - $780 annual/$65 monthly for three lines after company subsidy
Water/Sewer/Trash (~9,000 gallons per quarter) - $830 annual/$70 monthly
Internet Verizon FiOS - $540 annual/$45 monthly
Pepco Electric - $1,700 annual/$142 monthly
Washington Gas - $300 annual/$25 monthly

Our Wash Gas bill approaches $200 per month in the winter months. I guess because we have our heat set on 69 and not 62.

These numbers are substantially lower than what people on Reddit say their average bills are in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, are you sure your utilities are that low? Electricity has been that much alone for a few months.

We are low users of energy. House set to 62 in winter and 77 in summer. We also do all those savings programs. Figures are accurate. It was 55 the other morning inside. Brrr. But I don’t mind and DH goes in to work.

What are “all those savings programs”? Also, can you break this out—it really seems impossible to get water, gas, electricity, phones (for 3) and internet for $350/mo. Friends and I calculate our numbers each year and nobody is anywhere near this low. Electricity is up nearly 20% this year.

Two Pepco throttlers on my two systems (furnace, heat pump) saves $48/month on electricity bill
Washington Gas Energy Rewards gives annual gift card for participation
My company gives me $25/mo for my phone line

Mobile Phone with Verizon Visible - $780 annual/$65 monthly for three lines after company subsidy
Water/Sewer/Trash (~9,000 gallons per quarter) - $830 annual/$70 monthly
Internet Verizon FiOS - $540 annual/$45 monthly
Pepco Electric - $1,700 annual/$142 monthly
Washington Gas - $300 annual/$25 monthly

Our Wash Gas bill approaches $200 per month in the winter months. I guess because we have our heat set on 69 and not 62.

These numbers are substantially lower than what people on Reddit say their average bills are in DC.

DP
We just paid our Dec Washington Gas bill and it was $69. SFH, gas heat, hot water and stove.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, are you sure your utilities are that low? Electricity has been that much alone for a few months.

We are low users of energy. House set to 62 in winter and 77 in summer. We also do all those savings programs. Figures are accurate. It was 55 the other morning inside. Brrr. But I don’t mind and DH goes in to work.

What are “all those savings programs”? Also, can you break this out—it really seems impossible to get water, gas, electricity, phones (for 3) and internet for $350/mo. Friends and I calculate our numbers each year and nobody is anywhere near this low. Electricity is up nearly 20% this year.

Two Pepco throttlers on my two systems (furnace, heat pump) saves $48/month on electricity bill
Washington Gas Energy Rewards gives annual gift card for participation
My company gives me $25/mo for my phone line

Mobile Phone with Verizon Visible - $780 annual/$65 monthly for three lines after company subsidy
Water/Sewer/Trash (~9,000 gallons per quarter) - $830 annual/$70 monthly
Internet Verizon FiOS - $540 annual/$45 monthly
Pepco Electric - $1,700 annual/$142 monthly
Washington Gas - $300 annual/$25 monthly

Our Wash Gas bill approaches $200 per month in the winter months. I guess because we have our heat set on 69 and not 62.

These numbers are substantially lower than what people on Reddit say their average bills are in DC.

DP
We just paid our Dec Washington Gas bill and it was $69. SFH, gas heat, hot water and stove.

So more than double what OP pays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, are you sure your utilities are that low? Electricity has been that much alone for a few months.

We are low users of energy. House set to 62 in winter and 77 in summer. We also do all those savings programs. Figures are accurate. It was 55 the other morning inside. Brrr. But I don’t mind and DH goes in to work.

What are “all those savings programs”? Also, can you break this out—it really seems impossible to get water, gas, electricity, phones (for 3) and internet for $350/mo. Friends and I calculate our numbers each year and nobody is anywhere near this low. Electricity is up nearly 20% this year.

Two Pepco throttlers on my two systems (furnace, heat pump) saves $48/month on electricity bill
Washington Gas Energy Rewards gives annual gift card for participation
My company gives me $25/mo for my phone line

Mobile Phone with Verizon Visible - $780 annual/$65 monthly for three lines after company subsidy
Water/Sewer/Trash (~9,000 gallons per quarter) - $830 annual/$70 monthly
Internet Verizon FiOS - $540 annual/$45 monthly
Pepco Electric - $1,700 annual/$142 monthly
Washington Gas - $300 annual/$25 monthly

Our Wash Gas bill approaches $200 per month in the winter months. I guess because we have our heat set on 69 and not 62.

These numbers are substantially lower than what people on Reddit say their average bills are in DC.

DP
We just paid our Dec Washington Gas bill and it was $69. SFH, gas heat, hot water and stove.

So more than double what OP pays.

Yes, compared to the $25/month, but it seemed the OP doesn’t have gas heat.

[Anonymous]

I have two systems: a heat pump upstairs and a gas furnace downstairs. I have no other gas appliances. I looked up my bills. The $14 is the minimum for keeping gas service. I use no gas in those months. In a heavy month, I use about 40 therms. The bill date paid does not exactly correlate with the date of the weather--it's a little ahead.

Jan - $36
Feb - $62
Mar - $62
Apr - $31
May to Nov- $14
Dec - $18

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two systems: a heat pump upstairs and a gas furnace downstairs. I have no other gas appliances. I looked up my bills. The $14 is the minimum for keeping gas service. I use no gas in those months. In a heavy month, I use about 40 therms. The bill date paid does not exactly correlate with the date of the weather--it's a little ahead.

Jan - $36
Feb - $62
Mar - $62
Apr - $31
May to Nov- $14
Dec - $18

Feb and March seem high.