<prompt> Human: Hello - this is my first post on PF but I have read your threads for a while now. I have lived independently for several years - 3 in Japan, 1 in Canada, 1 at American undergrad - and was never happier. I was a depressed kid, and then when I was on my own I was really happy. After finishing grad school I moved in with my parents - and got really stressed and depressed again. Now I just signed a lease with a friend for an apartment, and I want to try to get my finances in order. I cant pull out of the lease, and I know that I should have just sucked it up at home for another year, but cant look back now. I essentially impulse bought an apartment with a roommate and now I need to budget the consequences! Im 24.Numbers:Income: 35,000 until May, than 40,000Rent: 640Internet: 30Utilities: 100 Were unsure, havent paid them yetStudent Loans: 540 minimum paymentCar Insurance: 200 8 payments, not 12Car Lease: 149Total: 1659monthChecking Account After paying September student loansrent: 2925Credit Card: 501 of 7500 limit; this is all the cost of the furniture for the apartment, I typically put very little on this card and pay it off instantlyI get paid once a month, and my stub is for around 2300. Monthly income: 2300Monthly bills: 1659Remaining: 641So that leaves me with about 640 a month for gasfoodlife. I work from home about 4 days a week, and commute the rest anywhere from 10 miles to 40 miles one way. My car gets about 300 miles to a tank of gas, which costs 34. So even if I fill my tank once a week which I wont, thats 605 a month.I do not think I will be able to get any kind of savings up until May when I get my raise guaranteed. I am really worried that I dont have enough savings to cover rent for 3 months in case I ever lost my job. I am hoping to get a second job as a waiter just a few blocks away, but if that doesnt happen: any survival tips on this budget?  <response>: I think 641 for food, gas, life for one should be enough, really! I also think you made a miscalculation on your gas, or youre not communicating it to us in the right way. Surely when you can work from home four days per week, you dont drive a lot. If you fill your tank once per week, it costs you 130-150month... Try to go grocery shopping as little as possible, buy from a list that you prepared at home, and buy a lot in one go less transport costs that way, more bulk buying less costs less often in the store means less temptation. Try to cook at home most of the days; perhaps share meals with your roommate. Keep your other costs down; perhaps switch your mobile phone provider, dont take cable just yet, maybe in May, etc. For now remember that youre in a situation with a bit of risk, so lean towards being careful with your money and putting aside as much as you can. From May onwards you can then adjust your budget by then youll also know a bit more what the costs are like in this apartment. 