JMJ+Budget+Project

||  ||  || ||^  || ||^   || || * [|MTS Trolley Fare] ||  ||  ||  || * [|MTS Trolley Fare] ||^  || ** [|Phone Charge] * [|677 Sevent Avenue in Downtown San Diego] 
 * =**JAWAN, MEGAN & JOSIE (JMJ) BUDGET PROJECT** = || 
 * media type="custom" key="2083627"
 * media type="custom" key="2083625"
 * media type="custom" key="2083629"
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">JAWAN (EVIDENCE):
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">MEGAN (EVIDENCE):
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">JOSIE (EVIDENCE):
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">[|Simply Everything Plan]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">[|Total Charge (Link May Not Work)]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">[|Mail in Rebate (Phone)]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">[|Call in Rebate (Apartment: Rent.com)]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">[|MTS Trolley Fare] ||^  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif">APARTMENT

<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block">JAWAN, MEGAN & JOSIE BUDGET PROJECT

We chose to live in Downtown, San Diego because of how close it was to the trolley and two major entertainment districts (The Gaslamp and Little Italy, among others). The place we chose (677 Seventh Avenue) is within walking distance of the trolley, which lets us go anywhere (obviously within a limit) without having to pay for insurance, gas or car repairs, which would be expensive when you’re living on a $1500 a month budget.

We all shared expenses when it came to where we live: 677 Seventh Avenue because of their spacious lofts (594 square feet at a minimum) that were affordable and provided a great view of the city. Each person pays less than $500 a month for the right to live here, and for that $500 we also get air conditioning, hardwood floors (bamboo or cherry), cable, high-speed internet, a walk-in closet, all the necessities for a complete kitchen (refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, all from GE), a washer/dryer unit in our loft, and an outside balcony that offers a view of either Petco Park or Downtown San Diego. The complex also offers an attached garage for parking (which we don’t really need) and a 24/hour fitness center that overlooks the city. There is also a bamboo courtyard with fire pits and cabanas, for when we want to invite people over (and perhaps save some money, as opposed to going out and spending).

Everyone spent their money in different ways, but I think we all agreed that living where we are, there’s hardly any need to pay for entertainment. By hopping on the trolley we could visit the historic (and festive) Little Italy, or perhaps spend an evening in the Gaslamp, which is always bustling with activity on weekends.

One way that Jawan chose to spend her money was on clothes, which Megan and I chose to skip out on (come on; it’s not like you can’t wear a favorite shirt four or five or… a dozen… times a month). Aside from that her phone bill was her largest expense.

Megan spent her money in almost an identical way to mine. Of course, Cox Cable caught her attention more than it did mine: although the complex provides cable for its residents, she wanted a little extra. And with a little extra to spend, why wouldn’t she?

For myself… I fell in love with the new Sprint phone (the Samsung Instinct). I bought their Simply Everything plan because it was the greatest deal. My additional expenses were aided in later months when I received payment for two rebates: the first for the apartment (by finding it through rent.com I received money back) and the second for my phone. These came in the third and fourth month respectively, and provided me with some extra pocket change to carry into the next month for whatever I felt like buying.

Everyone spent almost as much as they had, but aside from the $1000 (a general estimate) set aside monthly for rent, school savings and utilities we all were given the opportunity to live as we pleased with some change to spare. Frivolous would be too strong a word, but it does draw close to the mark in regards to a college student living on a $1500/month budget who needs to save $2300 from that in six months. Choosing what to spend our money on was not as difficult as it seemed because everyone got some room to breath when it became clear that we had a little over $500 extra per month to spend. It made this project fun and easy.

We all saved up the $2300 that we needed for their tuition. ||