

Ask HN: How much disposable income should you have? - cunninghamd

I&#x27;m curious, how much disposable income should you have, after things like rent&#x2F;mortgage, car payment(s), groceries, etc.? I know it&#x27;s subjective, but what are the general budgeting guidelines?
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ctb_mg
I think you'll struggle to find a solid suggestion since disposable income
isn't something people directly budget for; it's what's left over after you've
ensured everything else is budgeted for.

The thing is, what is your disposable income for? Going out to the movies
every weekend? If you enjoy movies that much, why not roll it out of
'disposable income' and into your regular monthly budget?

Or did you have a more refined definition of disposable income?

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josephjrobison
Are you wondering percentage wise or an absolute dollar amount for living in
one of the top 10 largest cities in the world or US?

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cunninghamd
Dollar value of disposable income. Retirement is a good consideration (per the
other poster), however I do have a pension plan, so I'm slightly less
concerned about that.

Ultimately, I'm considering financing or leasing a (pretty expensive) car, and
wonder how short I should leave myself.

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sharemywin
you didn't mention retirement. That should be about 10% of your income.

