Teenager Shares How Much it Costs to Live Alone as an 18-Year-Old and How She Manages Expenses

The cost of living in America has soared in the past couple of years due to high inflation as well as the sluggish pace at which salaries are being hiked. Historically unaffordable rent, and food prices that disrupt household budgets as well as high car prices call for better money management by young people to sail through turbulent times. Living alone as an 18-year-old, facing such financial headwinds, can be scary. But TikTok creator Savannah Dutton aka Sav (@officialsavannahdutton) claims that she has been able to make it on her own with strict budgeting and financial discipline.

Here's the cost of living alone in America as an 18-year-old

In the video which now has over 1.2 million views, the creator breaks down her budget and shares exactly how much it costs for her to live alone. She says it doesn’t matter how much money people make as long as they stick to a strict budget.

Rent utility costs

Savannah spends $1500 on rent which she is able to afford because she pays close attention to her expenses. She does mention that at times she has to cancel plans as she prioritises rent payments. She pays $20 for water, electricity costs $80, trash and WiFi are $60 combined, and on top of that, she pays $30 for pest control and community service fees. She also pays $15 towards renters' insurance every month.

Transportation costs

Savannah says she is grateful for a car that has already been paid for and she spends $15 a month on car wash. Her insurance is $85 a month, gas comes at about $70, and other costs like repairs and oil changes vary from month to month.

Food expenses

Food being an essential expense, Savannah says she spends $400 to $500 on groceries every month as she loves cooking for herself. But when money runs out, she can survive on ramen. She also keeps a $100 fast food allowance that she sometimes uses for snacks as well.

Personal costs

Savannah says she spends $30 on subscriptions like Amazon and Spotify Premium. She also spends about $100 to $150 on doctor’s appointments and her phone bill is around $30. She adds that for special occasions like Christmas or a loved one’s birthday, she keeps some money aside for gifts from the monthly budget.

Several viewers appreciated Savannah’s content and motivated her to keep up the good work. Meanwhile, a few had some questions as well. “do you save any money/put back anything every month?” wrote one user @jamied4. She replied to the comment sharing information on savings as well. 

While several viewers appreciated her honesty and the content, many were curious to know what she does for a living. “I feel like this isn’t the most informative because this is just your expenditure,w/o an income to compare it to we can’t infer how ur budgeting,” wrote one user, @loverbeans. 

In a separate video, Savannah explained that she works three jobs, first is at a boutique, second is her own business and third is an occasional gig as a baby sitter and house assistant. 

For more such lifestyle and budgeting content, follow Sav (@officialsavannahdutton) on TikTok.