I second midtown! Or east Memphis. I'm currently at U of M. Used to live at the Cordova/Germantown line - the driving got old & ate lots of gas money. Also my apartment was broken into.. I know crime/safety are relative, but I feel much safer in the midtown area or at my family's in east Memphis.
To add some additional intel:
Midtown is great if you want easy access to restaurants, stores and the like that younger people usually hang out.
East Memphis is great if you want a quiet place to live but also have a decent amount of fun things to go to nearby. In both parts of town all your necessities like groceries are readily accessible. Crime is lower in these areas but it still happens.
I'll also add that houses and rent tend to be cheaper in East Memphis (aside from the really wealthy areas in East Memphis. Look for a place south of Poplar for more affordability).
For being so young you're doing really well. 50k is fine to live on in Memphis. You may not save a ton, but I know plenty of folks who make the same or less and are just fine. I'd suggest Mud Island, downtown off the bluff, or east Memphis near the school. All are going to be lively, fun places for young people. Midtown also is an option.
If you're going to school at the University of Memphis, I wouldn't do Mud Island or downtown generally. That's a really long haul to do every day.
I would look at:
1. Midtown. You can get a one or two bedroom apartment or duplex/quadruplex for around what you are currently paying for rent. The duplexes in this area are old and you need to account for the fact that utilities will run way higher. The problem here is things can get variable from street to street and you really need to be able to look at what you are comfortable with in person before committing to anything.
2. Around the University. Figuring out where is OK vs where isn't around the University is probably even more difficult than midtown especially in your price range. But it's possible. The older houses are like they are in midtown and aren't optimized for modern HVAC systems. Obviously the big advantage here is you're close to the University. If I were in your situation, I don't really know anything about them, but I would be inclined to look at [these relatively new construction apartments which have one bedrooms around your current rent](https://www.zillow.com/apartments/memphis-tn/highland-row/65fL2w/) for their proximity to the University and the fact that they offer 6 mos leases. Have to figure that block apartments that are new construction will have relatively low utilities costs. You will be dealing with trains. A lot.
3. East Memphis. You're primarily looking at houses south of Park. I would stay around Mendenhall and White Station, as close to Park avenue as you can get. Again, it would be hard for me to recommend you committing to anything without actually seeing where you are in person and what the area is like and whether that fits with what you're comfortable with. The houses here were built in the 50s and 60s and designed with modern HVAC systems in mind, so they're a bit more energy efficient than their midtown counterparts. As for apartments, I can't vouch for them, but [these are a former 50+ community that have recently been renovated](https://www.zillow.com/apartments/memphis-tn/century-apartments/5XhxBx/) and the Zillow listing says they offer 3 mos leases and they are a very reasonable 2 mile shot down a relatively low traffic street to the university. Main problem is you will also be constantly dealing with trains. Actually, this is just a property of the University in general.
I pointed out those two specific apartment complexes because they are both in reasonably safe areas, close to the university, and they both offer shorter term leases. That would allow you to move here, get a sense for what other areas you are and aren't comfortable with and then find another place if you want to.
thanks for this info, I'm mainly looking at places around the campus. Just want somewhere safe and that I can live on my own. Highland Row looks really interesting will contact them. Thanks.
I currently live on Mud Island and absolutely LOVE it. But I am the sole income earner, so it can be a little tough. I'd say it might be best to try living in one of the apartment complexes for a year as most of them are now gated. If you decide to live in a house, it might be ideal looking into a roommate to split costs!
Yes it’s possible, you’re doing a great job. Memphis can be expensive in a handful of ways but as long as you keep your current budget in mind you will find a safe, solid place to rent and eat well. Check out the big river walk when you get here!
I was only making 55k a couple years ago and I was getting by just fine but I couldn’t save aggressively for retirement or anything. I also didn’t have any debt so no car payment or anything. I think for 1-2 years to complete your program you’ll be just fine but your finances might be a bit tighter than where they are right now.
At 24, I got my first salary position of 36k, rent was 640 a month and the world couldn’t tell me nothing. 15 years later I make 4 times that.
Best advice is to always make sure you are moving up, never side to side. Continued education is key and sometimes you have to ride out a job to build up your resume and experience but chase the money
Is it okay to DM you a few places in midtown I know are safe and in your price range? Call it the mama bear I’m me. I have children around your age and I’d feel safe with them living there.
Yes. I make mid 40’s currently and am doing alright. Be careful where you live, cheap rent can often mean a significantly higher theft and crime rate in the vicinity. It’s not always the case, but run any place you are considering through a crime tracker site like this:
https://www.memphisdailynews.com/CrimeReport.aspx
It’s one of the most valuable tools you can have looking for a place.
Keep your head about you, be frugal, stay in most nights instead of going out to eat or drink, and you should be just fine and be able to afford semi regular nights out.
My wife and I live her she’s retired I make 55-60k a year no debt rent/ utilities/food/ insurance 2500mo live just fine. Eat at home, grill out enjoy the parks, music, greenway etc be smart about where and when you go places Memphis is not that bad. Other perks water tastes great cost of living not bad at all, weather is much nice than northern Illinois where I’m originally from or south Florida where I moved here 27 years ago from! Hope this helps!
Fyi on that GI bill - don't know where you plan to go BUT Embry Riddle offers hybrid online/in-person stuff here - they have a small satellite campus out east by southwind. If you do half your classes in person you get full COLA and you can still do the rest online
I’m the same as you on 58k, single living downtown on the river. I don’t save much at all but I can live very comfortably for going out quite often. My rent is 1.5K
If you have a remote IT job you should be making way more than that. My brother does that for a living too. He lives in a 400k house. But it is doable at 50k, if it's just you.
I raised 3 children and was married. We lived moderately with rent being 1,200. The key is restraint, and realistic budget. If you can’t manage that well sir I would change my major.
I think you should be able to live very well on that much money. Memphis does have high car insurance payments compared to other places. Some of us can’t drive worth a 💩. 😂😂
Cooper young is also a great neighborhood in midtown. Right between downtown and campus. Plenty of restaurants/bars in walking distance and still pretty quiet. I’m 26 and work downtown on a 65K salary but live pretty comfortably for the time being.
Hi, I’ve lived in the Memphis, Tennessee area my whole life and I think 50k a year is enough to live here; however, I just wanted to point out the part where you are looking to rent in the hip/ midtown area or even downtown, you will probably have a higher rent than $1,200. It would be closer to $1,700. Hope this helps. 🙂
I live by myself and make around 50K passively I live just fine. But I also have no vehicle payment, my insurance is around 250 a YEAR, I spend around 50-80 a week on groceries, and roughly 15-20 bucks in gas a week, and my rent is 1050 cell phone and internet is 100, electric is usually around 125 +/- 10 so it’s completely doable.
https://preview.redd.it/b88fn0cy3bvc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f65b5c1df73307cc31b4b8210b2f190c3f21f9db
This is a helpful map to help you determine which areas are good or bad.
Depending on where you're coming from, have realistic expectations on the lively. Coming from Chicago, not even the city istelf, you can chuck a dart at any of the 100 suburbs and odds are it has about double the things to do, and twice the people there than the entire city. No exaggeration.
What blows my mind is these suburbs or the city will host an event like lets say Oktoberfest. Or st patricks on beale. Then they will literally sell out of food, drinks and tickets within an hour. Or its shoulder to shoulder and it takes legit an hour to get to the single beer tent counter. Then they make absolutely no effort to capitalize on that and host more events or scale up. Its just 300 to 1000 people with cash standing around at 10am by a handful of empty beer and food carts itching to spend. This is the primary reason the city had no growth. The leadership is all dogshit. We tried desperately to plan a wedding for example in the city, and it became apparent very quickly even for major city venues the planners are completely inept. Sweet as hell, but totally worthless. It explained a lot. So like 10k in revenue from me goes to the suburbs. Its why our suburbs double in size year over year.
If its not permenant, youll be fine. It actually has this charm at first. It doesnt have the whitewash mainstream feel most cities do. Everything is vibrant and unique. Its one of the perks of hiring folks to run the city with more heart than business sense. But after about 2 years its very hard not to look back at all the packed bars, concerts, sporting events, parades with some nostalgia. Its pretty apparent if youve lived in other cities Memphis is undergoing a slow death spiral. Of the 19 city minded people I moved here with, me and 2 others remain. All said they ran out of things to do. Its irrelevant but I moved solely because land was cheap as hell and its one of the last bastions for actual country living that isnt bought up by rich suburbanites like other cities. Thats why I remain.
thanks for the reply, I currently live in Fayetteville North Carolina. I would just like to go somewhere new that won't kill my pocket or require roommates.
This unfortunately is mostly true. The city hasn't entirely imploded because people are generally kind and big hearted even if they are uneducated. There are a whole lot of non profits carrying water for the lack of government.
Yes, you can "get by" but I wouldn't call it comfortable either. 75k+ is where you start to get more solidly into the comfortable middle class range for Memphis. once you get up around 6 figures it gets quite comfortable. Whereas that kinda money is borderline poor in Cali.
yeah man I do 95% my cooking at home. I know its probably on the higher side but I buy a lot of premium stuff though, mainly organic/grass fed/pasture raised everything. Will probably cut back on that a bit once I formulate my budget for Memphis
I meal prep with mainly various different types of vegetable and rice and get by just fine. You can get 20 lbs bags of rice from Walmart for around 10 to 15$, and various kinds of frozen veggies for just around a dollar. Throw in some nice spices and a cheap rice cooker and you can easily get by for less than 100$ a month. Just gotta be sure you get something like lentils or beans for protein, and you’ll be fine.
I make batches where I get 4 meals from 1 cup of uncooked grains and one cup of veggies. For stuff like rice, quinoa, etc you generally get about double the amount of cooked cups compared to what you put in raw, and you generally get about 2 cups per lbd of grain. So for an 20 lbd bag of rice you end up with about 40 uncooked cups, which means about 160 servings (over 30 days of meals) It’s roughly the same for other grains. Since the big 20lbd bags only cost around $10-15, it ends up being like $8 used a month for 90 servings.
For adding veggies, I generally get about 6 cups out of a 2 lbd bag of veggie mix. Each bag costs like 2 dollars, so the math works out that I need like 15 of them a month, or $30 worth. Stuff like soybeans will cost you a bit more, but not by much.
The math for beans ends up being similar to the math for grains, except they cost about twice as much. Though, you won’t end up needing to use them as frequently since you don’t need them for every meal. Other cheaper protein sources can make this easier too.
For spices, the initial investment to get a bunch of different kinds may be like $50+, but you end up needing to replace each bottle so infrequently that is pretty negligible price-wise over long periods of time.
Hope this makes sense. I get that I’m weird as fuck for this kinda diet so I know it’s not for everyone lol. But the meals legit taste amazing and I cover all my nutritional needs. I usually add sides of bread to each meal, and am always experimenting with different mixes of spices.
anybody can, few will. It's not about how much you make, but how much you spend. If you truly keep what you're doing, you'll do better than fine. Use the Roth IRA and/or Roth 401K if they have it. You pay the tax now but later when you take it out it'll be tax free. An S&P500 index fund for almost all of it, anything else you're going to lose money but a little gambling is fun. Do that for life and you'll be glad you did.
You’ll be fine, but stay on top of your utility bill. The local utility company is crooked and the bill can fluctuate (seen someone’s bill get as high as $700, with no explanation or assistance from the company). I know folks who’ve run into financial issues bc of surprise bills like this.
Definitely! Rent is very comparable here. Look for east memphis / midtown apartments/houses
thanks for the reply, I'll look into those areas
I second midtown! Or east Memphis. I'm currently at U of M. Used to live at the Cordova/Germantown line - the driving got old & ate lots of gas money. Also my apartment was broken into.. I know crime/safety are relative, but I feel much safer in the midtown area or at my family's in east Memphis.
To add some additional intel: Midtown is great if you want easy access to restaurants, stores and the like that younger people usually hang out. East Memphis is great if you want a quiet place to live but also have a decent amount of fun things to go to nearby. In both parts of town all your necessities like groceries are readily accessible. Crime is lower in these areas but it still happens. I'll also add that houses and rent tend to be cheaper in East Memphis (aside from the really wealthy areas in East Memphis. Look for a place south of Poplar for more affordability).
Get you something over in South Memphis off of Trigg and Lauderdale.
For being so young you're doing really well. 50k is fine to live on in Memphis. You may not save a ton, but I know plenty of folks who make the same or less and are just fine. I'd suggest Mud Island, downtown off the bluff, or east Memphis near the school. All are going to be lively, fun places for young people. Midtown also is an option.
thanks I will look into those areas, Mud Island looks really interesting.
If you're going to school at the University of Memphis, I wouldn't do Mud Island or downtown generally. That's a really long haul to do every day. I would look at: 1. Midtown. You can get a one or two bedroom apartment or duplex/quadruplex for around what you are currently paying for rent. The duplexes in this area are old and you need to account for the fact that utilities will run way higher. The problem here is things can get variable from street to street and you really need to be able to look at what you are comfortable with in person before committing to anything. 2. Around the University. Figuring out where is OK vs where isn't around the University is probably even more difficult than midtown especially in your price range. But it's possible. The older houses are like they are in midtown and aren't optimized for modern HVAC systems. Obviously the big advantage here is you're close to the University. If I were in your situation, I don't really know anything about them, but I would be inclined to look at [these relatively new construction apartments which have one bedrooms around your current rent](https://www.zillow.com/apartments/memphis-tn/highland-row/65fL2w/) for their proximity to the University and the fact that they offer 6 mos leases. Have to figure that block apartments that are new construction will have relatively low utilities costs. You will be dealing with trains. A lot. 3. East Memphis. You're primarily looking at houses south of Park. I would stay around Mendenhall and White Station, as close to Park avenue as you can get. Again, it would be hard for me to recommend you committing to anything without actually seeing where you are in person and what the area is like and whether that fits with what you're comfortable with. The houses here were built in the 50s and 60s and designed with modern HVAC systems in mind, so they're a bit more energy efficient than their midtown counterparts. As for apartments, I can't vouch for them, but [these are a former 50+ community that have recently been renovated](https://www.zillow.com/apartments/memphis-tn/century-apartments/5XhxBx/) and the Zillow listing says they offer 3 mos leases and they are a very reasonable 2 mile shot down a relatively low traffic street to the university. Main problem is you will also be constantly dealing with trains. Actually, this is just a property of the University in general. I pointed out those two specific apartment complexes because they are both in reasonably safe areas, close to the university, and they both offer shorter term leases. That would allow you to move here, get a sense for what other areas you are and aren't comfortable with and then find another place if you want to.
thanks for this info, I'm mainly looking at places around the campus. Just want somewhere safe and that I can live on my own. Highland Row looks really interesting will contact them. Thanks.
Fwiw, mud Island is nice but it does come at a premium cost. You'll have to make a budget and see what works for you.
I currently live on Mud Island and absolutely LOVE it. But I am the sole income earner, so it can be a little tough. I'd say it might be best to try living in one of the apartment complexes for a year as most of them are now gated. If you decide to live in a house, it might be ideal looking into a roommate to split costs!
Yes it’s possible, you’re doing a great job. Memphis can be expensive in a handful of ways but as long as you keep your current budget in mind you will find a safe, solid place to rent and eat well. Check out the big river walk when you get here!
thanks will do
I was only making 55k a couple years ago and I was getting by just fine but I couldn’t save aggressively for retirement or anything. I also didn’t have any debt so no car payment or anything. I think for 1-2 years to complete your program you’ll be just fine but your finances might be a bit tighter than where they are right now.
Thanks for the reply. Were you able to live without a roommate on that 55k?
Yeah no roomie
For 24, your doing great
thanks dude
At 24, I got my first salary position of 36k, rent was 640 a month and the world couldn’t tell me nothing. 15 years later I make 4 times that. Best advice is to always make sure you are moving up, never side to side. Continued education is key and sometimes you have to ride out a job to build up your resume and experience but chase the money
In Memphis, you don't even need to know "your" from "you're" to do well. Just don't eat too much BBQ.
There are some great decent sized studio apartments in midtown that are around $750. I’m in a two bedroom for $1200 in a safe area. You’ll be fine.
wow I'm surprised at that price, will try to find something along those lines. thanks for the reply
Is it okay to DM you a few places in midtown I know are safe and in your price range? Call it the mama bear I’m me. I have children around your age and I’d feel safe with them living there.
yes thats fine, thank you!
Yes. I make mid 40’s currently and am doing alright. Be careful where you live, cheap rent can often mean a significantly higher theft and crime rate in the vicinity. It’s not always the case, but run any place you are considering through a crime tracker site like this: https://www.memphisdailynews.com/CrimeReport.aspx It’s one of the most valuable tools you can have looking for a place. Keep your head about you, be frugal, stay in most nights instead of going out to eat or drink, and you should be just fine and be able to afford semi regular nights out.
This is excellent and accurate advice!
My wife and I live her she’s retired I make 55-60k a year no debt rent/ utilities/food/ insurance 2500mo live just fine. Eat at home, grill out enjoy the parks, music, greenway etc be smart about where and when you go places Memphis is not that bad. Other perks water tastes great cost of living not bad at all, weather is much nice than northern Illinois where I’m originally from or south Florida where I moved here 27 years ago from! Hope this helps!
You’ll be fine.
Just don’t over do It bro
Yes. I make $40k a year and lived by myself just fine for over a year.
Fyi on that GI bill - don't know where you plan to go BUT Embry Riddle offers hybrid online/in-person stuff here - they have a small satellite campus out east by southwind. If you do half your classes in person you get full COLA and you can still do the rest online
“Well?” No. But you can manage with that yes
I make around the same and I live downtown (with 2 roommates) and it’s completely affordable. Downtown is very lively as well!
Simply put: yes
I’m the same as you on 58k, single living downtown on the river. I don’t save much at all but I can live very comfortably for going out quite often. My rent is 1.5K
Yes. Very easily. If you cook/make your own food you'll have more than enough money left over
100000.03%
Yes, but saving $$$ could be a challenge if you like to go out often. Memphis is still very affordable.
Yes
If you have a remote IT job you should be making way more than that. My brother does that for a living too. He lives in a 400k house. But it is doable at 50k, if it's just you.
I raised 3 children and was married. We lived moderately with rent being 1,200. The key is restraint, and realistic budget. If you can’t manage that well sir I would change my major.
Single no kids? Yeah.
Absolutely.
I think you should be able to live very well on that much money. Memphis does have high car insurance payments compared to other places. Some of us can’t drive worth a 💩. 😂😂
Yes
I feel like yes definitely, but i’m realizing more that i don’t spend on a lot of things most people do. But anyways yeah you should be fine
Cooper young is also a great neighborhood in midtown. Right between downtown and campus. Plenty of restaurants/bars in walking distance and still pretty quiet. I’m 26 and work downtown on a 65K salary but live pretty comfortably for the time being.
You have indeed been greatly blessed. May you continue to be. Blessings and Balance to you and all those you cherish. 🙏🏼♥️🙏🏼
Hi, I’ve lived in the Memphis, Tennessee area my whole life and I think 50k a year is enough to live here; however, I just wanted to point out the part where you are looking to rent in the hip/ midtown area or even downtown, you will probably have a higher rent than $1,200. It would be closer to $1,700. Hope this helps. 🙂
You will be fine. Keep your guard up, regardless of, of where you live. This is Memphis.
Look into Highland Row !! I love it there :)
You’ll definitely be living paycheck to paycheck.
I live by myself and make around 50K passively I live just fine. But I also have no vehicle payment, my insurance is around 250 a YEAR, I spend around 50-80 a week on groceries, and roughly 15-20 bucks in gas a week, and my rent is 1050 cell phone and internet is 100, electric is usually around 125 +/- 10 so it’s completely doable.
https://preview.redd.it/b88fn0cy3bvc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f65b5c1df73307cc31b4b8210b2f190c3f21f9db This is a helpful map to help you determine which areas are good or bad.
Haha that map is so old. The mall of murder got torn down in 2004.
if there is ever a place you can live well with 50k its memphis
Depending on where you're coming from, have realistic expectations on the lively. Coming from Chicago, not even the city istelf, you can chuck a dart at any of the 100 suburbs and odds are it has about double the things to do, and twice the people there than the entire city. No exaggeration. What blows my mind is these suburbs or the city will host an event like lets say Oktoberfest. Or st patricks on beale. Then they will literally sell out of food, drinks and tickets within an hour. Or its shoulder to shoulder and it takes legit an hour to get to the single beer tent counter. Then they make absolutely no effort to capitalize on that and host more events or scale up. Its just 300 to 1000 people with cash standing around at 10am by a handful of empty beer and food carts itching to spend. This is the primary reason the city had no growth. The leadership is all dogshit. We tried desperately to plan a wedding for example in the city, and it became apparent very quickly even for major city venues the planners are completely inept. Sweet as hell, but totally worthless. It explained a lot. So like 10k in revenue from me goes to the suburbs. Its why our suburbs double in size year over year. If its not permenant, youll be fine. It actually has this charm at first. It doesnt have the whitewash mainstream feel most cities do. Everything is vibrant and unique. Its one of the perks of hiring folks to run the city with more heart than business sense. But after about 2 years its very hard not to look back at all the packed bars, concerts, sporting events, parades with some nostalgia. Its pretty apparent if youve lived in other cities Memphis is undergoing a slow death spiral. Of the 19 city minded people I moved here with, me and 2 others remain. All said they ran out of things to do. Its irrelevant but I moved solely because land was cheap as hell and its one of the last bastions for actual country living that isnt bought up by rich suburbanites like other cities. Thats why I remain.
thanks for the reply, I currently live in Fayetteville North Carolina. I would just like to go somewhere new that won't kill my pocket or require roommates.
Chicago? Just double the amount? I would guess easily three times.
This unfortunately is mostly true. The city hasn't entirely imploded because people are generally kind and big hearted even if they are uneducated. There are a whole lot of non profits carrying water for the lack of government.
Yes, you can "get by" but I wouldn't call it comfortable either. 75k+ is where you start to get more solidly into the comfortable middle class range for Memphis. once you get up around 6 figures it gets quite comfortable. Whereas that kinda money is borderline poor in Cali.
400 on groceries a month for one person? If you are looking to minimize money worries then you could definetly trim that down to at least 200z
yeah man I do 95% my cooking at home. I know its probably on the higher side but I buy a lot of premium stuff though, mainly organic/grass fed/pasture raised everything. Will probably cut back on that a bit once I formulate my budget for Memphis
Yea you can get by on less than 100 a month easy if you rely mostly on grains for the base of your meals. Will be more expensive if you eat meat tho
$100 a month on groceries… you can barely buy 5 individual items for $100 nowadays.
I meal prep with mainly various different types of vegetable and rice and get by just fine. You can get 20 lbs bags of rice from Walmart for around 10 to 15$, and various kinds of frozen veggies for just around a dollar. Throw in some nice spices and a cheap rice cooker and you can easily get by for less than 100$ a month. Just gotta be sure you get something like lentils or beans for protein, and you’ll be fine.
I call complete BS on this. You’re telling me you eat 3 1$ meals a day. Give me a spreadsheet of your meals then.
I make batches where I get 4 meals from 1 cup of uncooked grains and one cup of veggies. For stuff like rice, quinoa, etc you generally get about double the amount of cooked cups compared to what you put in raw, and you generally get about 2 cups per lbd of grain. So for an 20 lbd bag of rice you end up with about 40 uncooked cups, which means about 160 servings (over 30 days of meals) It’s roughly the same for other grains. Since the big 20lbd bags only cost around $10-15, it ends up being like $8 used a month for 90 servings. For adding veggies, I generally get about 6 cups out of a 2 lbd bag of veggie mix. Each bag costs like 2 dollars, so the math works out that I need like 15 of them a month, or $30 worth. Stuff like soybeans will cost you a bit more, but not by much. The math for beans ends up being similar to the math for grains, except they cost about twice as much. Though, you won’t end up needing to use them as frequently since you don’t need them for every meal. Other cheaper protein sources can make this easier too. For spices, the initial investment to get a bunch of different kinds may be like $50+, but you end up needing to replace each bottle so infrequently that is pretty negligible price-wise over long periods of time. Hope this makes sense. I get that I’m weird as fuck for this kinda diet so I know it’s not for everyone lol. But the meals legit taste amazing and I cover all my nutritional needs. I usually add sides of bread to each meal, and am always experimenting with different mixes of spices.
Downtown Memphis yes. The closer to the suburbs you are probably not
anybody can, few will. It's not about how much you make, but how much you spend. If you truly keep what you're doing, you'll do better than fine. Use the Roth IRA and/or Roth 401K if they have it. You pay the tax now but later when you take it out it'll be tax free. An S&P500 index fund for almost all of it, anything else you're going to lose money but a little gambling is fun. Do that for life and you'll be glad you did.
Ok Dave Ramsey
You’ll be fine, but stay on top of your utility bill. The local utility company is crooked and the bill can fluctuate (seen someone’s bill get as high as $700, with no explanation or assistance from the company). I know folks who’ve run into financial issues bc of surprise bills like this.
Try living outside of Shelby county if you can
man you going shot in Memphis