WAMU article -families need $88615 to get by in the DC Metro area

[Anonymous]

I know the minimum to scrape by in the DC Metro area is always a hot topic of debate. It ranges from $60,000 to $600,000 according to what I see posted on DCUM. If nothing else I found this article to be a good budget check.

http://wamu.org/news/13/07/11/dc_families_need_88615_just_to_get_by_study_says

[Anonymous]

So is this 88k net? Because their monthly expenses added up to nearly $7400 and nobody making 88k gross is netting that. Our HHI is $160k and we net about $8200/month- someone making half that is not netting anywhere near that. Also there is nowhere decent for 4 people to live for $1412 a month and child care for the two kids would run WAY more than $1700/month.

[Anonymous]

No-it's not net, they list taxes and health insurance as expenses. For child care, they may be assuming school age kids who would only need part time care.

[Anonymous]

Are they going to do a fund raiser for me?

[Anonymous]

It's 88K gross because it factors in taxes and healthcare. It is for a family of four (2 adults, 2 children).

I'd say it's accurate.

[Anonymous]

And...you can't make $88K working for Walmart at $12.50/hour even.

[Anonymous]

This is why we are moving and it sucks! I was born here and my DH and I are finishing school, and trying to be a family. We both can't work 80+ hours a week.

We went apartment hunting in our new town in a neighborhood with the best schools in the area. We are getting a new 2 bedroom apartment with a new kitchen, walk in closets and 2 bathrooms for $915 a month!!

Our pay is going to be cut a little bit but not nearly enough to make up the difference in housing prices. When they gave us the price of the apartment my DH and I burst out laughing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And...you can't make $88K working for Walmart at $12.50/hour even.

Exactly

[Anonymous]

At my previous company, the health insurance is subsidized for just the employee, family coverage costs $900 per month.
So you could get that kind of a salary and have kids in day care and live out of your vehicle. No money left for rent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they going to do a fund raiser for me?

+1

[Anonymous]

Our household income is pretty much exactly the $89k quoted, and we are a family of 4. (Kids are 1 and 3). I consider us well off. We have sufficient money to do everything we need to do. We did buy our house ten years ago so have a relatively low mortgage compared to others who purchased more recently, but I feel that we are lucky and much better off than many in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's 88K gross because it factors in taxes and healthcare. It is for a family of four (2 adults, 2 children).

I'd say it's accurate.

I think it's accurate for families with small kids that require childcare;that cost will drop and eventually go away. Also, this is assuming two working adults (thus the childcare costs)and no employer supported healthcare. The healthcare for my family of three costs about 300 a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why we are moving and it sucks! I was born here and my DH and I are finishing school, and trying to be a family. We both can't work 80+ hours a week.

We went apartment hunting in our new town in a neighborhood with the best schools in the area. We are getting a new 2 bedroom apartment with a new kitchen, walk in closets and 2 bathrooms for $915 a month!!

Our pay is going to be cut a little bit but not nearly enough to make up the difference in housing prices. When they gave us the price of the apartment my DH and I burst out laughing.

Where?? I might want to move there too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why we are moving and it sucks! I was born here and my DH and I are finishing school, and trying to be a family. We both can't work 80+ hours a week.

We went apartment hunting in our new town in a neighborhood with the best schools in the area. We are getting a new 2 bedroom apartment with a new kitchen, walk in closets and 2 bathrooms for $915 a month!!

Our pay is going to be cut a little bit but not nearly enough to make up the difference in housing prices. When they gave us the price of the apartment my DH and I burst out laughing.

Where?? I might want to move there too!

Basically anywhere smaller. Suburbs of Atlanta. Richmond. Florida panhandle. Most of Georgia. Shanendoah valley. Whatever

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why we are moving and it sucks! I was born here and my DH and I are finishing school, and trying to be a family. We both can't work 80+ hours a week.

We went apartment hunting in our new town in a neighborhood with the best schools in the area. We are getting a new 2 bedroom apartment with a new kitchen, walk in closets and 2 bathrooms for $915 a month!!

Our pay is going to be cut a little bit but not nearly enough to make up the difference in housing prices. When they gave us the price of the apartment my DH and I burst out laughing.

Where?? I might want to move there too!

Basically anywhere smaller. Suburbs of Atlanta. Richmond. Florida panhandle. Most of Georgia. Shanendoah valley. Whatever

Pittsburgh. Philadelphia.