Sara Martin 🥉

Hey James, I've been in a similar spot with roommates where incomes varied a lot, and we found that splitting rent proportionally to income worked well without too much hassle. First, everyone shares their monthly take-home pay anonymously if that helps avoid judgment, then you add up the total income for the household. Divide each person's income by the total to get their percentage, and apply that to the rent and utilities bill. For example, if the total rent is $1500 and you make 40% of the group's income, you'd pay $600. This keeps it fair and simple, especially on a tight budget. We used a shared Google Sheet to track everything, updating it monthly for utilities so no one has to chase payments. It took us about 15 minutes to set up initially, and we revisited it every six months if incomes changed. This method avoided resentment because it felt equitable, and we all agreed on it upfront during a casual group chat over pizza to keep things light. If someone's income is super low, you could cap their share at a minimum to ensure the bills get covered without anyone feeling burdened.

With only $900 saved and a job where overtime can swing, I'd prioritize liquidity first. Build a small emergency fund to at least $2,000 before you start hammering the car. Keep making the minimum car payment and put the full $300 into a separate savings account labeled Emergency so you do not touch it. The reason is simple. One surprise bill without cash likely turns into credit card debt at 20 percent, which is much worse than a 6.5 percent car loan.

What helped me was treating prep like Lego pieces: cook neutral bases (rice quinoa, roasted potatoes) and a couple simple proteins, then freeze most in single portions so you're only staring at two days' worth at a time. Keep a tiny sauce rotation-say salsa verde, peanut sauce, and a herby yogurt-so the same chicken + grain becomes tacos one day and a bowl the next, and add a fresh topper like bagged slaw, scallions, or lime so yeah... to keep produce perky, store greens with a paper towel in the box, herbs in a jar of water in the fridge, and pre-chop only what you'll use in 2 days.

Seven miles taking an hour means your time is getting taxed. If driving reliably cuts that to under 30 minutes door to door, it can make sense, but only if you count the real price. Annualize the car: depreciation on an $8k used compact, about $1.8k insurance, $2.4k parking, $700 to $1k maintenance and tires, $600 to $1k gas, registration and the odd ticket, so roughly $5k to $7k a year plus the mental load. If you mostly need hauling and twice monthly family trips, do those with rideshare or carshare and keep transit for the grind unless the car saves you half the time every day.