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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If OP has learned anything from this thread it’s that he can’t date 50 year olds that need Vitamin C treatments to assuage their aging skin.

Such a loss.[/quote]

+1
All of the extremely hot women of DCUM have come out of the woodwork simply to tell OP that they are too hot and accomplished for OP.

Guess what? OP isn't looking for an unpleasant troll so buzz off.[/quote]

Just curious which women you think won't want some expensive skincare one day? The ones who never age a day?[/quote]

[b]OP is 33 and being lectured by AARP members about how he can’t possibly find a girlfriend / wife because he can’t pay for some Vitamin C cream for aging skin that costs $180 for 3 months. We are not making this up lol!![/b]

The self deluded arrogance of these PPs to think that anyone who OP would be interested in (25-33 year old women presumably, or somewhere there about) would have the same concerns or dating preferences as them is baffling. The average young adult woman would think she struck the jackpot dating a man with a paid off house and $2M in the bank. [b]That the Golden Girls in this thread can’t step outside of themselves and acknowledge that is weird.[/b]

[b]And then we have a contingent of PPs who are concerned with OP being in the house all the time. Newsflash: a large percentage of employed men are in the house all the time right now working from home on a full or partial WFH schedule. OP is going to be as much of an annoyance as anyone who works in IT these days.[/b] [/quote]

Not a "red pill" guy (see my desire to get married and have kids) but this made me lol.  And the last bolded is a good point -- I don't really see how this could be a problem for her.[/quote]

Because someone who is working, is working. They're busy with that. Not roaming the house seeking attention, critiquing your SAHM-ing, and generally being unhelpful.

And because if she has less total leisure time than he does, that's annoying no matter what time of day it is and where he's having it.

[b]And because all the sacrifices she has to make to live on $90K (yes I know OP thinks it's a lot, but it isn't) are going to really grate on her when they could be alleviated by him getting even a wee little part-time job[/b].[/quote]

$90,000 without taxes is $7,500 a month. And there is no mortgage on top of that so it’s mostly all disposable income. You must live a very privileged life if you think having $7,500/month without a mortgage isn’t a nice life.[/quote]

People broke this down for you several pages ago, OP. It's really not that much for a family of four.

Health insurance is going to cost way more than you think. Bronze plans aren't as good as they look. For a family of 4, you'll be spending $2K a month on the plan plus copays, balance billing, and non-covered services. Little kids have a lot of appointments and you can't skip their annual dental and physicals-- it'll be required by the school. Kids injure themselves, they get ear infections, all kinds of random appointments. $2K a month is the best case scenario-- it could be a lot more if you have a child with special needs.

Home maintenance is more than you think. Really think about this-- calculate that you have to set aside monthly to keep up with big maintenance things like a new roof, boiler, HVAC, exterior paint. Plus all the appliances that wear out every 10 years or so. Even if you DIY, you'll be buying a lot of supplies and renting tools. Also don't forget your exterior landscaping, front walk, gutter cleaning, and proper drainage, and you may also have a garage that needs roof, paint, etc. I suggest budgeting $1000 a month for this-- I know it seems like a lot, but that's my experience. Especially if your home insurance deductible is pretty high.

You'll also be needing to maintain at least one car and replace periodically, most likely two unless your wife enjoys being confined to the home, and  more gas and mileage than in a LCOL than a city, so plan $500 a month for gas, maintenance and as a replacement fund.

Property taxes would be about $150-200 a month. But then there's HOA stuff if you're in a HOA, and all the random "assessments" that LOCLs tend to do so they can brag about their low tax rate. Plus, LCOLs have lots of built-in expenses that city condo dwellers can't even begin to list, such as getting your septic tank pumped. Paying for snow plowing. Fallen trees, driveway maintenance if your driveway isn't a town road. So let's guess a total of $500 a month for taxes and other random costs. https://www.frugalwoods.com/2018/01/29/city-vs-country-which-is-cheaper-the-ultimate-cost-of-living-showdown/

Average of $500 a month for kid expenses, because kids cost a lot-- it's not any one item or activity, it's all of it together. They outgrow their clothes and shoes-- you can get used, but that's a time-suck and hard to find the shoes, and they're always losing their mittens and jackets and boots. Then there's their activities-- and I know you think kid activities are stupid, but are you really going to hold them out of a school field trip rather than pay $10? Make them decline all social invitations that have any cost? Never have swimming lessons for safety? Come on. Plus birthday and holiday gifts.

Groceries and household supplies, say $500 a month but it'll be a lot more as the kids grow.

$200 a month utilities and phones-- utilities really depends on the climate though.

Let's not forget travel, since you're insisting on a LCOL your wife will probably want to travel to visit her family twice a year. And do you want to visit your own family who so lovingly supported you after college? So maybe $300 a month for that, depending on if you drive or fly. It could be a lot more if your parents start having health problems and actually need you more frequently, of course.

Don't forget $500 a month for the cleaning service! You'll definitely want it twice a month when you have kids, since you're not even willing to clean your own little condo right now.

Then of course, there's saving for college. I understand you don't see a need for this, but it's really hard to find women who want to do that to their own children if it isn't strictly necessary, so you'll be compromising here. Most mothers would consider their children's education more important than their husband's super-early retirement. So let's do $500 a month for that (across two kids), for part of their tuition, expenses, and room and board.

So, we've already spent $6500 of your monthly $7500 on really basic stuff. We haven't considered, for example, adult clothing and shoes, or replacing computers, or anything you might spend on holidays or religious or civic activities. Surely you'll go to a restaurant now and then, and perhaps you might each have a low-cost hobby. And nothing really bad has happened-- nobody's had a major illness, nobody's needed to see an out-of-network specialist, no kid has required tutoring or developmental interventions. And you've denied your wife a third child, which would be a dealbreaker for some. $7500 a month is really quite tight, and doesn't allow for a lot of fun. To live that way just so a grown-up man can sit around all day... I think a lot of women would say "No thanks". Because remember, women have the upper hand in FIRE dating and she can likely be a SAHM on a more generous budget by marrying someone else instead.[/quote]

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