Shocked: Our bare-bones monthly cost of living is 5K after taxes! What's yours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parenst were self employed my childhood and my sister and I were healthy. If we needed shots or a check up we go to clinic. I needed stitches urgent care. You all are such pussies with colds. Weh weh weh my baby has a 104 fever for a couple days. Well then monitor your kid and get that amct/ ibuf combo and warm baths. Yes we were tired but I didnt run to the doc like all the other parents at daycare. Your ins comp has a hotline you call for things like this. If everyone (excluding medically fragile ppl) would just toughen up our rates would go lower.
My budget
905 mort/ins/tax
30 HOA
30 internet
242 daycare48 water
86 (2cells) sprint
89 domion power
80 food (generic, lil meat and WIC )
260 car (gas, ins,maint)
65 ballet
80 misc (tp, shampoo, light bulbs air filter batteries

I have no debt except for home. We do get hand me down and go to clothing swaps. WE make extra fun money by selling are unsed crap on craigslist or something. If my dd wants the new harry potter well she sells some other toys. I make 2400 a mont after taxes. It seems tight but Im going to school and the children are happy. We are a completely diff family than wha I grew up in. No crap tv and money problems makes life a lot less stressful. We also have a $12000 emergency fund.
1 adult and 2 kids

242 dollars a month for daycare? For 2 kids???

[Anonymous]

FP here again...

Last year I mentioned on a thread that we didn't have to turn on the heat all winter because all 4 neighbors (up down R and L) had their heat up so all our rooms were warm.

The great news this winter is that we're on the first floor above the garage and all our floor is warm from the heated garage. Too bad this time around we're paying based on square footage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FP here and I've addressed all the issues you pointed. I think you're not following the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP is full of shit.

I'll tell you why:
-no clothing costs & no shoes
-no transportation costs, so I suppose they can walk EVERYWHERE they need to be, so I'm not sure how they do that living in a "low rent" area. And wouldn't one go through a lot of shoes walking to work and every where else one needed to be?
-no internet (maybe she steals wifi from her neighbors, which is quite likely)
-no medical expenses, including asprin
-no feminine products
-no diapers
-no TV or entertainment
-fresh produce? YEA right on $35/wk because I AM a frugal from scratch shopper and spend $75/week on groceries for a family of 4. I serve up 74 meals for the 4 of us at just over a dollar each. On this alone, the poster is full of a load of shit, unless she is eating all empty carbs.
-no haircuts
-no toilet paper or other household supplies
-no emergencies

FP, where are you from?

[Anonymous]

Calvert Co. MD

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP here and I've addressed all the issues you pointed. I think you're not following the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP is full of shit.

I'll tell you why:
-no clothing costs & no shoes
-no transportation costs, so I suppose they can walk EVERYWHERE they need to be, so I'm not sure how they do that living in a "low rent" area. And wouldn't one go through a lot of shoes walking to work and every where else one needed to be?
-no internet (maybe she steals wifi from her neighbors, which is quite likely)
-no medical expenses, including asprin
-no feminine products
-no diapers
-no TV or entertainment
-fresh produce? YEA right on $35/wk because I AM a frugal from scratch shopper and spend $75/week on groceries for a family of 4. I serve up 74 meals for the 4 of us at just over a dollar each. On this alone, the poster is full of a load of shit, unless she is eating all empty carbs.
-no haircuts
-no toilet paper or other household supplies
-no emergencies

FP, where are you from?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, hit submit too soon.
We also lived in NOVA and now we're in the Midwest.

Anonymous wrote:Calvert Co. MD

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP here and I've addressed all the issues you pointed. I think you're not following the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP is full of shit.

I'll tell you why:
-no clothing costs & no shoes
-no transportation costs, so I suppose they can walk EVERYWHERE they need to be, so I'm not sure how they do that living in a "low rent" area. And wouldn't one go through a lot of shoes walking to work and every where else one needed to be?
-no internet (maybe she steals wifi from her neighbors, which is quite likely)
-no medical expenses, including asprin
-no feminine products
-no diapers
-no TV or entertainment
-fresh produce? YEA right on $35/wk because I AM a frugal from scratch shopper and spend $75/week on groceries for a family of 4. I serve up 74 meals for the 4 of us at just over a dollar each. On this alone, the poster is full of a load of shit, unless she is eating all empty carbs.
-no haircuts
-no toilet paper or other household supplies
-no emergencies

FP, where are you from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, hit submit too soon.
We also lived in NOVA and now we're in the Midwest.

Anonymous wrote:Calvert Co. MD

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP here and I've addressed all the issues you pointed. I think you're not following the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP is full of shit.

I'll tell you why:
-no clothing costs & no shoes
-no transportation costs, so I suppose they can walk EVERYWHERE they need to be, so I'm not sure how they do that living in a "low rent" area. And wouldn't one go through a lot of shoes walking to work and every where else one needed to be?
-no internet (maybe she steals wifi from her neighbors, which is quite likely)
-no medical expenses, including asprin
-no feminine products
-no diapers
-no TV or entertainment
-fresh produce? YEA right on $35/wk because I AM a frugal from scratch shopper and spend $75/week on groceries for a family of 4. I serve up 74 meals for the 4 of us at just over a dollar each. On this alone, the poster is full of a load of shit, unless she is eating all empty carbs.
-no haircuts
-no toilet paper or other household supplies
-no emergencies

FP, where are you from?

No, I mean, originally. Earlier you mentioned traveling to your country every year, so I was thinking, how far away is your home country so you can afford to travel there that often..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parenst were self employed my childhood and my sister and I were healthy. If we needed shots or a check up we go to clinic. I needed stitches urgent care. You all are such pussies with colds. Weh weh weh my baby has a 104 fever for a couple days. Well then monitor your kid and get that amct/ ibuf combo and warm baths. Yes we were tired but I didnt run to the doc like all the other parents at daycare. Your ins comp has a hotline you call for things like this. If everyone (excluding medically fragile ppl) would just toughen up our rates would go lower.
My budget
905 mort/ins/taxT
30 HOA
30 internet
242 daycare
48 water
86 (2cells) sprint
89 domion power
80 food (generic, lil meat and WIC )
260 car (gas, ins,maint)
65 ballet
80 misc (tp, shampoo, light bulbs air filter batteries

I have no debt except for home. We do get hand me down and go to clothing swaps. WE make extra fun money by selling are unsed crap on craigslist or something. If my dd wants the new harry potter well she sells some other toys. I make 2400 a mont after taxes. It seems tight but Im going to school and the children are happy. We are a completely diff family than wha I grew up in. No crap tv and money problems makes life a lot less stressful. We also have a $12000 emergency fund.
1 adult and 2 kids

You apparently also save money on apostrophes and grammar.

[Anonymous]

This thread is somewhat comforting. DH and I live paycheck to paycheck on his 130k salary and we have no retirement savings. He works for a small company and our family health insurance premium is $800 a month and we have $30 copay every time we go to the doctor (3 dc).

We also moved here from the midwest and I'm starting to regret it. Everything, every little and big thing here is much more expensive.

What towns have $1300-$1400 a month rentals? Maybe we need to move. We are paying $2500 for a very, very small house in Arlington. It seemed like a fair price for the market.

[Anonymous]

It's a 12 hour flight non stop to my country.

To DH's country we never fly straight, though. It's usually to Europe, we spend a few days there with friends and family then head to his country in Asia for a few more weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, hit submit too soon.
We also lived in NOVA and now we're in the Midwest.

Anonymous wrote:Calvert Co. MD

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP here and I've addressed all the issues you pointed. I think you're not following the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP is full of shit.

I'll tell you why:
-no clothing costs & no shoes
-no transportation costs, so I suppose they can walk EVERYWHERE they need to be, so I'm not sure how they do that living in a "low rent" area. And wouldn't one go through a lot of shoes walking to work and every where else one needed to be?
-no internet (maybe she steals wifi from her neighbors, which is quite likely)
-no medical expenses, including asprin
-no feminine products
-no diapers
-no TV or entertainment
-fresh produce? YEA right on $35/wk because I AM a frugal from scratch shopper and spend $75/week on groceries for a family of 4. I serve up 74 meals for the 4 of us at just over a dollar each. On this alone, the poster is full of a load of shit, unless she is eating all empty carbs.
-no haircuts
-no toilet paper or other household supplies
-no emergencies

FP, where are you from?

No, I mean, originally. Earlier you mentioned traveling to your country every year, so I was thinking, how far away is your home country so you can afford to travel there that often..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parenst were self employed my childhood and my sister and I were healthy. If we needed shots or a check up we go to clinic. I needed stitches urgent care. You all are such pussies with colds. Weh weh weh my baby has a 104 fever for a couple days. Well then monitor your kid and get that amct/ ibuf combo and warm baths. Yes we were tired but I didnt run to the doc like all the other parents at daycare. Your ins comp has a hotline you call for things like this. If everyone (excluding medically fragile ppl) would just toughen up our rates would go lower.
My budget
905 mort/ins/tax
30 HOA
30 internet
242 daycare48 water
86 (2cells) sprint
89 domion power
80 food (generic, lil meat and WIC )
260 car (gas, ins,maint)
65 ballet
80 misc (tp, shampoo, light bulbs air filter batteries

I have no debt except for home. We do get hand me down and go to clothing swaps. WE make extra fun money by selling are unsed crap on craigslist or something. If my dd wants the new harry potter well she sells some other toys. I make 2400 a mont after taxes. It seems tight but Im going to school and the children are happy. We are a completely diff family than wha I grew up in. No crap tv and money problems makes life a lot less stressful. We also have a $12000 emergency fund.
1 adult and 2 kids

242 dollars a month for daycare? For 2 kids???

She is on WIC, she obviously probably has subsidized daycare and probably housing. For her to chime in on this is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a 12 hour flight non stop to my country.

To DH's country we never fly straight, though. It's usually to Europe, we spend a few days there with friends and family then head to his country in Asia for a few more weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, hit submit too soon.
We also lived in NOVA and now we're in the Midwest.

Anonymous wrote:Calvert Co. MD

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP here and I've addressed all the issues you pointed. I think you're not following the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP is full of shit.

I'll tell you why:
-no clothing costs & no shoes
-no transportation costs, so I suppose they can walk EVERYWHERE they need to be, so I'm not sure how they do that living in a "low rent" area. And wouldn't one go through a lot of shoes walking to work and every where else one needed to be?
-no internet (maybe she steals wifi from her neighbors, which is quite likely)
-no medical expenses, including asprin
-no feminine products
-no diapers
-no TV or entertainment
-fresh produce? YEA right on $35/wk because I AM a frugal from scratch shopper and spend $75/week on groceries for a family of 4. I serve up 74 meals for the 4 of us at just over a dollar each. On this alone, the poster is full of a load of shit, unless she is eating all empty carbs.
-no haircuts
-no toilet paper or other household supplies
-no emergencies

FP, where are you from?

No, I mean, originally. Earlier you mentioned traveling to your country every year, so I was thinking, how far away is your home country so you can afford to travel there that often..

Well, good for you if you're able to save that much in order to afford tickets.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure why dc rentals are so high---I get two bedrooms and a nice big apt w washer/dryer in San Diego for under $1500 including hot water and 2 pets. Also covered parking....plus people here are better drivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Community garden spaces exist in this area. Frozen/canned veggies are fine, but then again, you have to work at it. No use in buying imported produce, it's nasty. And square foot gardening can produce one hell of a lot of veggies if you are serious about it. So can permaculture.

But you'd rather grow expensive grass on your million dollar lawn.

Have you ever seen the wait on getting a tiny plot in a community garden? Obviously not. Do you know that the amount of space you get is not enough for canning for a whole month of food, let alone a year? Obviously not. Do you know the plant destroying diseases that run through community gardens due to people who don't care properly for their plants? Obviously not.

Additionally I'm the suburban gardener. You are a fool to think square foot gardening can be done on a budget. The Vermeculite alone costs a fortune, if you are lucky enough to find it. You also have to already have a ton of compost if you are going to start that or else buy it, and for the peat moss required, you get to buy that as well. Additionally SQFT gardening is a bit of a gimmick. The veggies get strangled and do not produce nearly as much as the promoters will tell you. If you want enough veggies to have anything other than a "hobby" garden, your up front costs for the SQFT method are going to be in the HUNDREDS.

Anyone who has a million dollar lawn is not going to invest in a home garden outside of a hobby. They will get their produce from the pricey farmers market. Even me being an avid gardener, still uses the farmers market for fruits. Most people do not have the space for orchards, which really cannot be done purely organic and nobody has the space for rows of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries.

To me, your snide comments really betray the ugly green envy you suffer from. You sound like a sad and bitter person. I will pray for you tonight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why dc rentals are so high---I get two bedrooms and a nice big apt w washer/dryer in San Diego for under $1500 including hot water and 2 pets. Also covered parking....plus people here are better drivers.

Employment.

In case you have not heard, the DC metro area has the strongest economy in the country for metropolitan regions.

Unemployment in all of VA is around 6.5% and NOVA hovers around 4%. If you take the historically impoverished out of DC (those unemployed even in times of plenty) you would have the same rates for the city.

I was just in SanDiego. The real estate market out there is in complete ruin, unlike the DC metro area where in some regions home prices are still slowly inching upwards. EVERYONE is coming here for the jobs. People in SD are fearful of losing their jobs and not being able to find a new one.

[Anonymous]

We could afford tickets either way but we just chose to live with less. We're happy this way and we don't really see a need to spend more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a 12 hour flight non stop to my country.

To DH's country we never fly straight, though. It's usually to Europe, we spend a few days there with friends and family then head to his country in Asia for a few more weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, hit submit too soon.
We also lived in NOVA and now we're in the Midwest.

Anonymous wrote:Calvert Co. MD

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP here and I've addressed all the issues you pointed. I think you're not following the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FP is full of shit.

I'll tell you why:
-no clothing costs & no shoes
-no transportation costs, so I suppose they can walk EVERYWHERE they need to be, so I'm not sure how they do that living in a "low rent" area. And wouldn't one go through a lot of shoes walking to work and every where else one needed to be?
-no internet (maybe she steals wifi from her neighbors, which is quite likely)
-no medical expenses, including asprin
-no feminine products
-no diapers
-no TV or entertainment
-fresh produce? YEA right on $35/wk because I AM a frugal from scratch shopper and spend $75/week on groceries for a family of 4. I serve up 74 meals for the 4 of us at just over a dollar each. On this alone, the poster is full of a load of shit, unless she is eating all empty carbs.
-no haircuts
-no toilet paper or other household supplies
-no emergencies

FP, where are you from?

No, I mean, originally. Earlier you mentioned traveling to your country every year, so I was thinking, how far away is your home country so you can afford to travel there that often..

Well, good for you if you're able to save that much in order to afford tickets.