Rent and transportation.
I live so damn far from work and school that I spend $100+ month on public transit. Transfering between multiple bus and train lines, even with transfer discounts, gets to be expensive. I could move closer to work, of course, but that would require a huge jump in rent. Did I mention that rent in Chicago has been trending up citywide for the past 5 years in a row? Yeah.
So I'm facing two choices right now.
A.) Keep paying low rent, but put up with expensive long-ass commutes to/from work and school via unreliable public transit prone to delays, and almost complete isolation from friends, or...
B.) Pay much higher rent, but have easy commute to work and school, and actually be able to hang out with friends more often.
I'm leaning towards option B. I just need to ace this job interview tomorrow so I can afford it.
For me it is gas and groceries. Yesterday I bought a pack of ground beef, a small pack of chicken breast, bananas, broccoli, heavy cream, and oreos (dont judge....I'm pregnant lol) by total was $40!!!! Seriously 6 items cost me $40. And dont even get me started on gas! Sheesh!!!!
@Stralem wrote:Rent and transportation.
I live so damn far from work and school that I spend $100+ month on public transit. Transfering between multiple bus and train lines, even with transfer discounts, gets to be expensive. I could move closer to work, of course, but that would require a huge jump in rent. Did I mention that rent in Chicago has been trending up citywide for the past 5 years in a row? Yeah.
I feel you on the transportation. It takes me 45-50 minutes of driving one way to get to my job. Sometimes I wonder if part time hours are worth the gas/insurance/vehicle maintenance expense.
I have to spend $300+ on public transportation per month. I live in East Bay, CA so those in the area know it is extremely frustrating when public transit goes on strike (yes I'm talking to you BART union). 
For me definitely health insurance...$280 a month (includes dental and vision) for someone who is very low income. And no, I do not qualify for any sort of subsidy (I really want to know what you have to do to qualify..). When I lived in a country with social insurance, I was making double what I make now and paying less than $200 a month for insurance (also including dental and vision with a better RX plan).
My boyfriend (whom I live with) and I only pay for internet, we don't bother with cable (that's what the internet is for...) and we did make a one-time purchase of a TV antenna so we get the basic channels. Rent is pretty steep as we live in a very wealthy area (there's no middle ground here; either you live in the nice wealthy area or you live in the ghetto).
Quicksilver $10,000 | Better Balance Rewards $2000 | Sallie Mae $3500 | Freedom $3500
