A Cuban living in Texas recently took to her TikTok account (@gabriela93jesusmylive) to break down her monthly expenses, highlighting the struggle to trim her fixed costs. "Here I am every month doing the math, it gives me a migraine," she admits while showing her notebook where she logs each payment.
She explains that she and her family of four reside in a two-bedroom apartment costing $1,385 per month, which includes utilities like water, electricity, and pest control. Additionally, she spends $100 on internet and $200 on phone services.
Gabriela also mentions having two cars, with monthly payments of $650 and $490, plus $380 for insurance. Other expenses include Netflix ($20), gas ($240 per month), and groceries that range between $400 and $500 for her family of four.
Additional Costs
Her list of expenses doesn't end there. Gabriela also factors in a student loan, miscellaneous purchases, hygiene products, and money sent to Cuba. Despite her best efforts to manage her finances, she admits she's at a loss for where to cut back further. "I can't find any more ways to economize," she remarks, a sentiment echoed by many Cubans in similar situations.
Her followers chimed in with comments like, "Everyone spends their money as they see fit, but why send $200 or $300 to Cuba every month? That’s a lot of money given the exchange rate," "The car payments are killing you; try to pay off the principal faster," "I spend $280 weekly on food for five people," "I also keep a never-ending notebook and it makes me want to cry," "You need a second job," and "We're all in the same boat; nothing gets cheaper, everything keeps going up. This isn't even half of what it was 11 years ago."