Can a newly divorced woman with 2 kids live off of 4000 per month?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the kids ages, but it's completely inappropriate for different sex kids to be sharing rooms once they've reached middle school age or so. I don't care how any of you all grew up, but if there is a custody battle that will ensue, mom making her teenage boy/girl siblings share a room while dad has room to actually accommodate them to allow privacy will not make mom look good.

If you were going through puberty and conscious about your body, would you want your brother sleeping a few feet from you every night? If you were a boy and waking up with erections, would you want to wake up with your sister next to you?

Ah, another DCUM reader that thinks Flowers In The Attic was an autobiography.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the kids ages, but it's completely inappropriate for different sex kids to be sharing rooms once they've reached middle school age or so. I don't care how any of you all grew up, but if there is a custody battle that will ensue, mom making her teenage boy/girl siblings share a room while dad has room to actually accommodate them to allow privacy will not make mom look good.

If you were going through puberty and conscious about your body, would you want your brother sleeping a few feet from you every night? If you were a boy and waking up with erections, would you want to wake up with your sister next to you?

It's still probably better than living with an abusive father.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NoVa so similar COL. 4000k would be net amount. Can't do 2 bedroom cause 1 boy and 1 girl.

Boy/girl siblings can totally share a bedroom.

Many apartments will not rent if it means boys/girls share a bedfroom.

Op also doesn't need the hassle of the dad finding out about the kids sharing a room. Get a 3 bedroom to be on the safe side

[Anonymous]

I net about $800 per week, after taxes and health insurance are deducted. I have 1 child and live and work in the DC area.

Because I didn't want to spend every last cent on housing, I rent a 1 br basement apartment from a single mom. It's still kind of tight. I have to plan for things like getting my hair done or other non-essentials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the kids ages, but it's completely inappropriate for different sex kids to be sharing rooms once they've reached middle school age or so. I don't care how any of you all grew up, but if there is a custody battle that will ensue, mom making her teenage boy/girl siblings share a room while dad has room to actually accommodate them to allow privacy will not make mom look good.

If you were going through puberty and conscious about your body, would you want your brother sleeping a few feet from you every night? If you were a boy and waking up with erections, would you want to wake up with your sister next to you?

Ah, another DCUM reader that thinks Flowers In The Attic was an autobiography.

Uh, or, perhaps I live in reality about not having wanted to share a room with my brother on a nightly basis through high school. Why is that concept so hard to understand? It has nothing to do with incest. It's about privacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NoVa so similar COL. 4000k would be net amount. Can't do 2 bedroom cause 1 boy and 1 girl.

How old are they? You CAN do a shared bedroom if you need to, depending on their ages!

[Anonymous]

Since husband is abusive, you should leave regardless if you think the budget will be enough, it will be better for your kids and you than being around him and having a playstation.

There are some great low cost lifestyle tips on this website (about saving and investing): http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

I say find a place you can afford to live, plan to cut way back on eating out and other luxeries and GFO. You can also consider leaving nova if needed and staying with family, being near them will help.

Good luck to you, I'm sure it's scary to consider this new phase of your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the kids ages, but it's completely inappropriate for different sex kids to be sharing rooms once they've reached middle school age or so. I don't care how any of you all grew up, but if there is a custody battle that will ensue, mom making her teenage boy/girl siblings share a room while dad has room to actually accommodate them to allow privacy will not make mom look good.

If you were going through puberty and conscious about your body, would you want your brother sleeping a few feet from you every night? If you were a boy and waking up with erections, would you want to wake up with your sister next to you?

Ah, another DCUM reader that thinks Flowers In The Attic was an autobiography.

Uh, or, perhaps I live in reality about not having wanted to share a room with my brother on a nightly basis through high school. Why is that concept so hard to understand? It has nothing to do with incest. It's about privacy.

better than staying with an abusive father...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH has been primary breadwinner. He's abusive, has been cheating, is an absent father...I've been building my way out. I've obtained a job (entry level administrative (I've been out of the workforce for 10 years)) and have built an additional savings such that I can budget a monthly income of $4000. Is that enough to live off of? Someone help me be realistic. I don't want to make the jump until I know we will be ok.

I don't care about credit card bills or other monthly debt - they can destroy my credit all they want. Mine and my kids sanity and quality of life is so much more important than a stupid credit score number. I need to pay:

- 3 bedroom apt rent
- utilities
- car payment
- insurance
- gas
- food
- clothing
- cell phone bill

Maybe some child support will be obtained, but not anything that will make a huge difference - DH recently had pay cut as opposed to being laid off entirely. I'm not banking on child support to make a tremendous difference.

Can I do it?

You can live very nicely in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[Anonymous]

4k a month is more than enough. You would be average for this high income area.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP, its cheaper to buy than to rent in many cases. You can get a nice deal on a bank owned property and rent something short term in the meantime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, OP, its cheaper to buy than to rent in many cases. You can get a nice deal on a bank owned property and rent something short term in the meantime.

terrible advice.

[Anonymous]

Is the $4,000 net or gross? If it's net, you could probably do it. Gross around DC? Doubtful.

I'm a single mom with about $4,200/month in take-home net pay and $1,200/mo child support. Nearly $3K a month goes to mortgage and utilities (including cell phone, cable, wifi) in Arlington. We're doing ok.

Another single mom friend of mine makes about half of what I do and has two kids. She has a much smaller rent payment, but struggles.

[Anonymous]

also, a suggestion - how about you and your daughter share the master bedroom and your son takes a smaller second bedroom? It's not ideal, but it might be easier than trying to find and afford a 3-bedroom place, and it's not forever.

[Anonymous]

I do it with one child. With 4K monthly, I pay about $1000 a month for rent (very cheap 1 bedroom), $320 for car payment, $400 for student loans, $150 for credit cards, $140 for phone, $80 for gym, $250 for utilities (cable, gas, electric), $150 for car insurance, $450 ish for food, $500 health insurance. I would not recommend a whole lot more for rent, depending on pay schedule and other expenses.

Whatever is left over for clothes, food, entertainment, clearly all on the cheap. I have to save up for any travel, emergencies, summer camp, but we are ok. Savings, what little can be accumulated, is usually consumed by these types of expenses.

Thank goodness that DC is out of daycare.