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Started By
Message
re: How can folks afford to live their lives today?
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:03 pm to Dawgfanman
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:03 pm to Dawgfanman
quote:
$50,000 SUV
At least they have a used SUV I guess
0
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:04 pm to RB5
So many different ways. Some get off to a great start with parents paying for wedding and house down payment. Some make just low enough to get food stamps and Medicaid and save a bunch there.
The ones right above that are the ones who have to get clever. No subscriptions, one car, no paid haircuts, rarely eating at restaurants, no fast food, selling clutter online or to consignment. Kids have one or two pairs of shoes instead of buying name brands they’ll wear for 3 months, spouse has to be practical, no Amazon for fun.
Or you can have picked the right career and make enough money so it doesn’t hurt so badly when you pay 3x as much for everything as you should. Even better if your spouse did the same, and you didn’t buy an overpriced/sized house.
Just like there are multiple ways to becoming overweight, there are multiple ways to become broke. Everything is definitely way, way overpriced though. Especially degrees.
The ones right above that are the ones who have to get clever. No subscriptions, one car, no paid haircuts, rarely eating at restaurants, no fast food, selling clutter online or to consignment. Kids have one or two pairs of shoes instead of buying name brands they’ll wear for 3 months, spouse has to be practical, no Amazon for fun.
Or you can have picked the right career and make enough money so it doesn’t hurt so badly when you pay 3x as much for everything as you should. Even better if your spouse did the same, and you didn’t buy an overpriced/sized house.
Just like there are multiple ways to becoming overweight, there are multiple ways to become broke. Everything is definitely way, way overpriced though. Especially degrees.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:13 pm to bayoudude
quote:
Doesn’t feel like you are spending as much money when you just slide or tap a card vs have to write out a check for that amount or better yet dole out physical cash.
My wife and I have stopped using cards for personal spending, and instead we each get a cash allowance every month that we use on stuff for “ourselves.” It’s given us much more control over our budget because everything on the credit card/bank statement is predictable. We have also found that we both spend less because we have to think about it more. It has really shed light on inflation. Like you said, when you’re tapping a card, you don’t really feel the difference when something that used to cost $17.54 now costs $23.78, until you go to pay down the card at the end of the month and wonder how the hell you spent so much more on the same stuff.
It’s just like a casino. People will stack up more $5 chips than they will $5 bills on a hand of blackjack. They’ll also cash out and go home faster if they are winning.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:14 pm to GreatLakesTiger24
quote:
public schools are trash
Not where i live
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:15 pm to PhiTiger1764
quote:
They have been saving for a house and now have 20% down and want to buy a solid $350k home
quote:
and todays 7% interest rate
So don't buy a house right now until you make more money
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:23 pm to Indefatigable
quote:
Where can you eat out with a family of five for $40-$50?
Taqueria Vallarta
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:23 pm to WigSplitta22
quote:
So don't buy a house right now until you make more money
Or… and hear me out… OR… maybe a couple making in the 75th percentile of household income in this country, with 20% down payment saved, ought to be able to afford a decent house to raise a family in?
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:29 pm to RB5
Adjust my lifestyle. Thankfully the mortgage I have is from the sub 3 days so if I'm honest that's a big part of it. But truthfully, I drive a 10 year old vehicle and we cook most of our meals. Don't go out as much as maybe we'd like, but we are using that money for retirement and kids futures. You just have to take a good hard look at any area that can be curbed easily and try your best to make it work.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:29 pm to PhiTiger1764
quote:
Or… and hear me out… OR… maybe a couple making in the 75th percentile of household income in this country, with 20% down payment saved, ought to be able to afford a decent house to raise a family in?
Dude, just buy a house in a violent neighborhood like I never had to do back in the 1980s.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:31 pm to Lsupimp
quote:
The government is basically begging small business to close shop.
That was the entire purpose of the Covid shutdowns.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:37 pm to Mushroom1968
quote:
The government is basically begging small business to close shop. That was the entire purpose of the Covid shutdowns.
That was what made the whole thing so bizarro world. Liberal types who prided themselves on not supporting big chains, wanted stores closed, and their favorite little chains were of course the hardest hit.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:46 pm to bayoudude
quote:
Yeah it’s a good $40-50 to even cook a modest meal these days for my family of five if I want any left overs.
Groceries are so expensive that things I wouldn't have normally wasted money on are moving into the rotation.
There's a local meal prep company here in BR where these two ladies make scratch meals for pickup, and I'll get a meal that serves 4 people for $25-$30. Buying each ingredient to make the meal myself would have cost me double that.
Or, I'm doing a lot of Whole Foods grocery delivery. It comes out to less money or at worst the same price to buy my groceries from Whole Paycheck and have it delivered (fee/tip) than it costs to do my shopping at Robert where I used to go. Unbelievable
Posted on 9/12/23 at 1:59 pm to PhiTiger1764
quote:
Including property taxes and insurance, and todays 7% interest rate with no PMI because of the $70k down payment, they are looking at about a $2500/month note.
Utilities: $400/month
Two modest cars and car notes: $600/month total
Car ins for two: $250/month total
Gas: $100/month total
Monthly groceries: $500
Daycare for 2: $1600
Total budget: $5950
Total take home: $5800
Situation: fricked
I'll get downvoted into oblivion, but it's called late stage capitalism. This all happens while the political scene is filled with debates about climate change, Ukraine, abortion, trans bullshite, election integrity, etc.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 2:34 pm to PhiTiger1764
This posts cost breakdown is perfect. Needs to be stickied for all the JuSt WoRk HaRdEr and SpEnD LeSs edgelords in here.
Absolutely. Conglomerated corporations and gov (same entity at this point) have calculated the exact price point to keep you mired in middle class poverty.
quote:
late stage capitalism
Absolutely. Conglomerated corporations and gov (same entity at this point) have calculated the exact price point to keep you mired in middle class poverty.
This post was edited on 9/12/23 at 2:41 pm
Posted on 9/12/23 at 2:37 pm to WigSplitta22
quote:
Good, then you should never bitch and moan about not having money. Your wife should be able to make more than 1700 a month and how the frick do you pay 1700/month for 1 kid?
I'm not bitching at all except for the cost of vehicles. I said its do-able with a strict budget and we do fine. My wife left a six figure job as an FNP to raise kids. We knew what we were getting into and I own it.
Daycare is expensive in the greater Austin area.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 2:45 pm to deeprig9
quote:
White mills are so damn scared of having kids because of reddit and youtube and NPR.
We aren't scared of having kids. Just never really wanted to have them until we felt settled enough.
This post was edited on 9/12/23 at 2:46 pm
Posted on 9/12/23 at 3:03 pm to Loup
quote:
Just never really wanted to have them until we felt settled enough.
There is no such thing. Best do it while you have time to recover once they're out of your home (and the energy to enjoy your time with them while they're there). Wait til you're "ready" and you might as well never have kids.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 3:07 pm to WeeWee
quote:
and I saving
quote:
doctor
You sure about that?
Posted on 9/12/23 at 3:08 pm to Loup
quote:
Just never really wanted to have them until we felt settled
Annnd they've got you hook line and sinker.
Posted on 9/12/23 at 3:15 pm to PhiTiger1764
quote:
Including property taxes and insurance, and todays 7% interest rate with no PMI because of the $70k down payment, they are looking at about a $2500/month note.
Utilities: $400/month
Two modest cars and car notes: $600/month total
Car ins for two: $250/month total
Gas: $100/month total
Monthly groceries: $500
Daycare for 2: $1600
Total budget: $5950
Total take home: $5800
Situation: fricked Yep.
Interesting breakdown. I don't see two modest cards being owned for $600/month. Gas at $100/month is also nearly impossible. Granted she has an SUV, but my wife fills up once a week and it's $65-70 each time. That's with a modest 15-mile commute to work. And $500 for groceries with two kids? Yeah, no. I'm sure it's possible, but not sure it could be considered sustainable. They're definitely fricked.
The take-home pay math seems off (low) for $140k, but maybe I'm missing something.
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