Scraping by on $500k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you want enough room for three kids and you live in Brooklyn, I think that's pretty much the going rate.

In fancy areas of Brooklyn across Manhattan, yes.
But there are plenty of good neighborhoods in commutable distance from Manhattan where a
TH with plenty of space for 3 kids sells for half that or less.

[Anonymous]

Spending $10-15 on lunch everyday is indeed ridiculous and unnecessary. And they are maxing out their respective retirement accounts, so they are saving money. This is not as paycheck to paycheck as most Americans are.

I also don't sympathize with their student loans. They could have waited a few years to have kids and knocked those out making their high salaries. And the cars? They needed a BMW? Should have gotten something less expensive so they could knock out the loans faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We feel stretched on 750k. Three kids in daycare, two SUVs, a couple vacations a year, housecleaner, $8k mortgage, home maintenance and landscaping, and a modest vacation home...it adds up a lot faster than it seems.

Poor you.

You people are so gullible. It's great!

What are you talking about? We NEED the cars, no one tricked us into buying them. I'd like to see you cart 3 kids around in an Accord.

You can fit 3 kids in a mid-size crossover. Cheaper to run.

Do you also NEED a vacation home and out of country vacations?

An you keep falling for it! This is great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you want enough room for three kids and you live in Brooklyn, I think that's pretty much the going rate.

In fancy areas of Brooklyn across Manhattan, yes.
But there are plenty of good neighborhoods in commutable distance from Manhattan where a
TH with plenty of space for 3 kids sells for half that or less.

2002 called and wants you back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way too much for charity and cars. Put that towards school debt and worry about nice cars and charity in 20 years.

You can still do charity.

If I had school loans, I'd be my first charity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We feel stretched on 750k. Three kids in daycare, two SUVs, a couple vacations a year, housecleaner, $8k mortgage, home maintenance and landscaping, and a modest vacation home...it adds up a lot faster than it seems.

I think you all are trying to keep up with appearances. You know what you're doing.

Yes, you need a car but don't be dumb and think it has to be a luxury vehicle.

[Anonymous]

18k for 3 vacations is not bad actually. Sounds like they are kind of frugal when it comes to travel.

We are a family of 5 who travels 4 weeks a year and regularly spend $40k plus (including flights, food, hotel, etc).

Travel is our big splurge though. We have more than enough for savings and are not crying poor, unlike these people.

[Anonymous]

18K a year on charity should go to student loans. So should at least 10K of the vacation budget. They don't need two vehicles in NYC.

If either of them gets laid off or has a health scare, they could really be in a pinch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We feel stretched on 750k. Three kids in daycare, two SUVs, a couple vacations a year, housecleaner, $8k mortgage, home maintenance and landscaping, and a modest vacation home...it adds up a lot faster than it seems.

Poor you.

You people are so gullible. It's great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We feel stretched on 750k. Three kids in daycare, two SUVs, a couple vacations a year, housecleaner, $8k mortgage, home maintenance and landscaping, and a modest vacation home...it adds up a lot faster than it seems.

Then you're doing something wrong. Or living way above your means.

A "modest" vacation home and several vacations a year? Cry me a river of Amazonian proportions.

The vacation home is for weekends, the vacations are for leaving the country. There is nothing ridiculous about this. We drive to the vacation home so the costs to get there are modest. The real money pit is the swimming pool, which in hindsight we shouldn't have put in because the house is on a lake and has access to a community pool. But what's done is done.

There isn't anything inherently ridiculous about your lifestyle. What is ridiculous is to suggest that you are "stretched."

[Anonymous]

3 kids and HHI is stretched in DC. Why anyone would condemn themselves to is beyond me- why the 3d? Maybe go for the 4,5 and 6th over the next 3 years.

[Anonymous]

3kids+750k HHI in DV= stretched

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We feel stretched on 750k. Three kids in daycare, two SUVs, a couple vacations a year, housecleaner, $8k mortgage, home maintenance and landscaping, and a modest vacation home...it adds up a lot faster than it seems.

Then you're doing something wrong. Or living way above your means.

+1 At one point our HHI was $400K in Silicon Valley. We had all that, including a vacation home, and managed to save. I seriously don't undersand how you are stretched thin on $750K in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We feel stretched on 750k. Three kids in daycare, two SUVs, a couple vacations a year, housecleaner, $8k mortgage, home maintenance and landscaping, and a modest vacation home...it adds up a lot faster than it seems.

Then you're doing something wrong. Or living way above your means.

+1 At one point our HHI was $400K in Silicon Valley. We had all that, including a vacation home, and managed to save. I seriously don't undersand how you are stretched thin on $750K in the DC area.

People this PP is an obvious troll. Stop falling for it.

[Anonymous]

They don't need two vehicles in NYC.

THIS!