Washingtonian Magazine calling for your stories on "What is Costs to Live in the DC Area Now"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interview my dry cleaning lady at the Spring Valley shopping center and ask her how she justifies charging $31 for two items!

+1 That Spring Valley dry cleaner is outrageous. Once they started charging me extra for each spot they had to put a piece of tape on, I started bringing my dry cleaning to the cleaners near my office in downtown DC. They also wanted to charge me $60 once to hem a pair of jeans, which I wound up getting done at my downtown cleaners for $20.

[Anonymous]

Anyone in that $400K category that agrees to be profiled in the article is too stupid to deserve to make that much money.

-Someone in that category, who understands what you're talking about, but is smart enough to keep my mouth shut.

[Anonymous]

I see the article was published in this month's magazine. I'm trying to decide which story I found more humorous, the legal assistant who pays 5k a month in rent (sometimes on a credit card) so that she can live in City Center or the family with the HHI of 260k who said they can't afford a second child.

It did give me the Lolz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interview my dry cleaning lady at the Spring Valley shopping center and ask her how she justifies charging $31 for two items!

+1 That Spring Valley dry cleaner is outrageous. Once they started charging me extra for each spot they had to put a piece of tape on, I started bringing my dry cleaning to the cleaners near my office in downtown DC. They also wanted to charge me $60 once to hem a pair of jeans, which I wound up getting done at my downtown cleaners for $20.

+2

I had to go there in a pinch and they wanted $20 for one item. I was floored. I don't understand people who use them... We'd be spending $150 or $200 a week there vs $100 a month somewhere else .

[Anonymous]

Link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Link?

It's from the November issue. I just got it in the mail today, and I don't see it on the website yet. I'll post a link when it becomes available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see the article was published in this month's magazine. I'm trying to decide which story I found more humorous, the legal assistant who pays 5k a month in rent (sometimes on a credit card) so that she can live in City Center or the family with the HHI of 260k who said they can't afford a second child.

It did give me the Lolz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see the article was published in this month's magazine. I'm trying to decide which story I found more humorous, the legal assistant who pays 5k a month in rent (sometimes on a credit card) so that she can live in City Center or the family with the HHI of 260k who said they can't afford a second child.

It did give me the Lolz.

OMG.

Can't wait to read this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone in that $400K category that agrees to be profiled in the article is too stupid to deserve to make that much money.

-Someone in that category, who understands what you're talking about, but is smart enough to keep my mouth shut.

Really. No one wants to put their business out like that. I don't even tell my relatives how much I make, why the heck would I want my neighbors, business associates, and etc to know. I'd only participate if I could do it anonymously.

[Anonymous]

The blow hard from Sotheby's had no problem saying he and his partner made over 1 million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see the article was published in this month's magazine. I'm trying to decide which story I found more humorous, the legal assistant who pays 5k a month in rent (sometimes on a credit card) so that she can live in City Center or the family with the HHI of 260k who said they can't afford a second child.

It did give me the Lolz.

OMG.

Can't wait to read this.

Please post the link! I love to make fun of the people who rent at City Center, it's my guilty pleasure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Although this list is by no means comprehensive, here are a few examples of what we're looking for:

* New homeowners who are finding their mortgages to be a stretch.
* Would-be-homeowners who are unable to find something affordable, no matter where they look.
* Renters who have found it hard to find an affordable place to live, or who have scored a spot that's under-market and plan to stay as long as possible.
* People who are making solid, even great incomes — let’s call it $400,000 a year or so — but are finding that even with that much money coming in, far too much is going out. The house. The nanny. The social commitments. The far-too-expensive restaurants in the neighborhood. Et cetera.
* People who could be defined as middle class and yet feel like they’re always just one missed paycheck away from failing to make the rent/mortgage/car payment.
* People who are getting by okay, but can’t figure out how in the world everyone else around them seems to be able to afford the house, the nanny, the social commitment, and the far-too-expensive restaurants.
* People who are killing it. Who feel like they’re doing a lot better here than they could/would do elsewhere.

Interesting that all but one of the examples are weighted toward costing too much. It's obvious how the author intends to spin the article already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The blow hard from Sotheby's had no problem saying he and his partner made over 1 million.

That's why I don't live in McLean any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see the article was published in this month's magazine. I'm trying to decide which story I found more humorous, the legal assistant who pays 5k a month in rent (sometimes on a credit card) so that she can live in City Center or the family with the HHI of 260k who said they can't afford a second child.

It did give me the Lolz.

Yeah, those were eye opening!

[Anonymous]

I want to read the article. We have a HH income of 260k, and no debt other than mortgage and we only have one child. its not necessarily tight for us but we live in a transitioning neighborhood, an OK elem school and NO middle school or high school option. The BIGGST issue for DC families is the cost of child care. we do a nanny share and our half of it is almost 2k/month. thats whats killing us. So by the time we pay the mortage $2400, childcare 2k, insurance $600/month, retirement savings 1500/month, food, gas, stuff for kid...yeah its freakin expensive even with our HH income.