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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As with any "how do you make ends meet in DC" thread - I feel the need to point out that not doing take out, cutting beauty appointments, and putting a hault on shopping only does so much. The biggest ticket items in your budget need to be lower than you otherwise would have them so that you can afford the extra childcare expenses. So, could we with a HHI of 220k afford 3k/month in rent? Sure, if we didn't have to pay childcare on top of that, didn't care about 529 contributions, etc etc etc.

So, we live in places with a monthly rent of <2k, and childcare happens to be cheaper out here - 1400/month for infants and 1000/month for preschool. Limiting take out, manicures, and shopping saves a few hundred a month but if you're coming up 2k a month short, not able to afford childcare, then cooking at home more often isn't going to bridge that gap. You have to make big, substantial cuts in other areas. [b]It may require moving, which I know no one wants to hear, but that's better than stopping your retirement contributions IMO[/b]. [/quote]

For many of us who live in the city, we are car-free. Moving farther out to save a few hundred dollars would be totally offset by having to buy 2 cars. Plus, moving would cost us thousands of dollars in fixing up and selling our condo and likely an overlap in mortgage/rent. No way would that help us.[/quote]

+1 ... and even if you already have a car, adding on to commute time = extra gas $ and having to pay for longer daycare hours.  Sometimes trying to get your mortgage as low as possible by moving farther out is penny-wise, pound foolish.[/quote]

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