The guy makes $400,000 a year, but I can’t imagine him shelling out for groceries, toilet paper, or even the occasional six-pack (lay off the Bush as an alcoholic jokes, please). What about the utilities?
Does the most powerful man in the world have $60 cash in pocket for walking around money?
He pays for his ranch in Crawford, I’m sure.
According to some theologies, all presidents pay for everything after death. 
I believe that upkeep of the White House and state dinners are paid for, but personal groceries and private entertainment are not. This was a big problem for Carter, who couldn’t afford to throw the kinds of social functions that presidents are expected to hold.
The President can’t just walk into a store and take stuff off the shelf without paying. He probably does have some money to carry around. You never know when you might need it.
What if he’s got to tip the limo driver?
I doubt he buys his own toilet paper and groceries – there’s not much time for that and the security risk would be huge. Those things might fall under the category of ‘upkeep of the White House’, or it might come out of his salary.
Limo drivers would almost certainly be government employees and wouldn’t get tips. Other gratuities and justifiable costs would probably be covered by the president’s staff, but I think there would be a limit. Expenses that are not necessary (stuff from the minibar, $600 lunches, yachts, etc.) would have to be out-of-pocket to avoid the risk that the President would run up the bills too high and cause a scandal. There are people who already think the President is overpaid and would get very upset if they felt the President was spending too much. These people evidently have no idea how much the average CEO makes. I remember Robert McNamara in Fog of War saying that he almost didn’t quit his position as CEO of Ford to become Secretary of Defense because of the pay cut. His wife was worried they would barely get by. =)
He has to buy his own clothes, I suspect. Birthday/holiday gifts, personal items, tuition for his children (if any), and upkeep of his personal property (house, land, etc).
Groceries in the living quarters of the White House come out of the president’s bank account. They may not personally buy their own stuff, but then neither do many of the high and mighty. I’m sure Bill Clinton paid cash at McDonald’s.
When he goes to sporting events, does he pay for tickets for himself and his entorage, or does he collect an “appearance fee”?
You’re kidding? With $400.000 a year and no rent, he couldn’t throw parties?
Don’t forget, at that time, he was making “only” $200K/year
According to this, Carter’s salary was $200,000 plus a $50,000 expense account. I imagine the expense account was useful for clothing, food and other incidental purchases.
WOuld it be legal if say the democrates discovered that I was actually an ideal candidate, but I can’t afford to buy nice suits and support the image, for the party to just give me a suplemental income? Can the republicans or the democrates just throw money to the president because they think he is a nice guy and deserves a nice new boat?
They might not go shopping on their own, but I believe the president must pay out of his salary for all personal expenses, including food, clothing, and toilet paper. I seem to recall that Nancy Reagan was surprised by this.
In an answer to your thread title: we’ll see within the next 4 years.
How many state dinners have you thrown? I know that anytime I have more than six ambassadors over at once we run out of lobster puffs in less than five minutes.
Your are kidding right? My wife and I have made half of that and my wife’s parents make several times than that and it is still a very expensive proposal to throw those kinds of dinners. I have been to many, many of them and they range from $10,000 to $50,000 each for one night. That was for a party of 20 -100 people, a good band, sound system, great food etc. You need to be in the multi-million dollar a year range to do that more than a few times a year the correct way. This is the White House after all, not a child’s birthday party and the standards are much different.
A state dinner must cost about the same as a fancy wedding and reception. Some of those easily get north of $50K (or, if you are a celebrity, $1MM). So, yea, $400K might not go as far as you’d think! (Plus, you probably have to pay to put your kids into expensive private schools in D.C. – those after-tax school dollars add up quick, let me tell you!)
As far as formal clothing goes I think many times presidents receive free suits and and the like much like many celebrities do from clothing companies who want to achieve brand recognition.
Wow. You seriously think he carried that much cash?:o