<prompt> Human: Im living in Austin after graduation. I dont know much about his subreddit so I dont know if its okay to post how much ill be making but its 57k annually. Im trying figure out how much I can afford on rent I dont want to live in a dump, how much to put in my 401k, etc. EDIT: Okay Im getting a few responses from people and I think I should elaborate a little. After insurance, 401K which is at 10 with my contributions my employers, and taxes my take home is 2,889. I have zero loans and debt. I have very little 6000 in my bank account right and its not going to be going up at all until I start my job after I graduation.  <response>: Im going to play very fast and loose with the math here, but it will get you close. You will be paying a portion of that 57k to taxes. Call it 20. That brings you to 45,600. People will advise not to pay more than a third of your salary toward living expenses, giving you a budget of just over 15k a year. Monthly thats around 1250. Ive never felt like coming anywhere close to 33, but thats me. Some people really value living in a nice area. Contribute to your 401k enough to max out the employer match, then find something else to do with your money. Either build an emergency fund, or if you have one, start investing paying off debt. People will tell you to put money into a Roth. Its not a bad idea. 