Anonymous wrote:Health care is the big unknown, but with the house paid off, I could see living perfectly comfortably on $50,000. Other than property taxes (ours are about $12,000) and food (cooking at home, say another $10,000), I don't see any true fixed costs, so everything else - entertainment, hobbies, eating out, travel, is pretty much discretionary. Personally, I'd add a chunk for travel, but again, that's not needed for a comfortable lifestyle, and it will vary greatly.
I am also modeling 50k as absolute base including medicare but not additional unexpected health care costs. In addition to property taxes you mention above, include 5k for fed and state taxes if that 50k income is not taxfree, and maybe 3k for property/auto insurance.