Anonymous wrote:Bummer, how do I convince her to get the hell out?!? She's 26 btw.

Problem is you're 30 before you know it but don't have any money or a spouse. She needs to figure something out.

That being said, some people don't mind being life long renters or not having money saved. Our friends still in NY fall in one of two categories. They either make a ton of money and own OR spend all of their money and rent. They will never have anything besides their experience in NY. Yes, NY is great but it's not great enough to never own a place or be able to retire. Also, you eventually get tired of goin out all the time.

Anonymous wrote:What does she do for a living and are there jobs in her field elsewhere or is she in a NYC specific industry? Honestly if she can make 40k elsewhere - isn't that convincing enough from a COL perspective? Besides SF, NYC is the most expensive city in the country and not meant for people who make less than 150k but want to live nicely -- meaning a dishwasher, washer dryer, and car.

Just moved to DC from Manhattan 4 weeks ago and I'm stunned at the cost of living here. Everyone here tells me it's so expensive, yet the COL here right now is what NYC was back in the early 2000s.

Agreed. We moved from NY and were shocked how much less expensive everything is here! We went from renting to owning and a luxury car. We live in DC too...not some burb. We are able to save a few thousand each month outside of rentire meant, which we could never do in NY.

She can do it. She just needs 12 roommates and a sugar daddy.

Pp is right. I lived in Murray Hill in my early 20s in a 3rd floor walk up in a 1bdrm with a roommate. All of my friends who lived in nice buildings were being financed by their parents.

I didn't move on up in the world until I met my husband, who is a trust fund kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made in the $40s in NYC in 1998. I was poor, like couldn't go out on weekend and ran up $50k of debt poor. It's a great city if you can afford to take cabs everywhere and eat out for every meal.
So, no, I don't think that $40k can cut it. Most of my friends who lived in the city also had parents that paid their rent and credit cards.

I made $68k as a designer in Brooklyn in 2011 and was poor as fuck. All my friends who are still there are secret trust-funders or have huge inheritances.

And what are you doing now? (If I may ask)

Anonymous wrote:How much $$$ do you need to live in, say Brooklyn, in your 20's? My sibling makes about $40k. Recently split from S/O so struggling with big life decisions. I think sibling is miserable for many reasons, but a big one I hear about is "I'm poor." My advice is to move, but obvs. that's not that simple either. I lived on much less than that for all of my 20's but in a much lower COL area. Those of you who are or were in NYC, can $40k cut it?

I made about that much there 15 years ago and it was TIGHT. I wouldn't recommend it.

Anonymous wrote:I made in the $40s in NYC in 1998. I was poor, like couldn't go out on weekend and ran up $50k of debt poor. It's a great city if you can afford to take cabs everywhere and eat out for every meal.
So, no, I don't think that $40k can cut it. Most of my friends who lived in the city also had parents that paid their rent and credit cards.

I made $68k as a designer in Brooklyn in 2011 and was poor as fuck. All my friends who are still there are secret trust-funders or have huge inheritances.

Anonymous wrote:What does she do for a living and are there jobs in her field elsewhere or is she in a NYC specific industry? Honestly if she can make 40k elsewhere - isn't that convincing enough from a COL perspective? Besides SF, NYC is the most expensive city in the country and not meant for people who make less than 150k but want to live nicely -- meaning a dishwasher, washer dryer, and car.

Just moved to DC from Manhattan 4 weeks ago and I'm stunned at the cost of living here. Everyone here tells me it's so expensive, yet the COL here right now is what NYC was back in the early 2000s.

She's in design, so theoretically NY-based, but we live in a global world...I am sure she could find a similar job elsewhere.

What does she do for a living and are there jobs in her field elsewhere or is she in a NYC specific industry? Honestly if she can make 40k elsewhere - isn't that convincing enough from a COL perspective? Besides SF, NYC is the most expensive city in the country and not meant for people who make less than 150k but want to live nicely -- meaning a dishwasher, washer dryer, and car.

Just moved to DC from Manhattan 4 weeks ago and I'm stunned at the cost of living here. Everyone here tells me it's so expensive, yet the COL here right now is what NYC was back in the early 2000s.

I made $30k in 2001. Shared a pretty awful 6th floor walk up in a not so great neighborhood. My share was $800...over half my take home pay. I managed but it wasn't easy. Moved to an outer burb a couple of years later, $1400 for a great 2br, but that price doesn't exist any more.

Brooklyn has gotten hooorrrribly expensive. I adore NY. I wouldn't live there on 40k.

Bummer, how do I convince her to get the hell out?!? She's 26 btw.

No $40 K does not cut it. Even in Brooklyn.

I lived there for a couple of years and it is crazy fucking expensive. For instance it costs twelve dollars to drive over a fucking bridge.

A few years back I made a 75k base and around a 70k bonus. I was in my 20s. I think it depends on how she grew up. I grew up upper middle class and in a low COL city. I was used to being able to shop when I wanted, a nice dishwasher amd washer/dryer in my home, lots of living space etc. living in NY was an adjustment for sure. With 70k all of my money went to going out and rent. One paycheck was my rent and I lived in a fifth floor walk up. Obviously no washing machine or dishwasher. I didn't even have a kitchen counter! I saved the bonus.

Here is the problem - what will she do to buy a place one day? She either needs to marry well, move into a much higher paying job, or save while she is living in NY and then move somewhere else.

Keep in mind that Brooklyn is more expensive than so,e parts of Manhattan these days!

Manhattan is a great place to live and party in your 20s. But then you realize you want to accumulate wealth, own your own apartment, have some space, own a car and travel. Then you move somewhere else.

I scraped by on $35k in DC in 2013. Not sure about NYC though, $40k is probably absolute bare minimum. Definitely not comfortable.

I made in the $40s in NYC in 1998. I was poor, like couldn't go out on weekend and ran up $50k of debt poor. It's a great city if you can afford to take cabs everywhere and eat out for every meal.
So, no, I don't think that $40k can cut it. Most of my friends who lived in the city also had parents that paid their rent and credit cards.

How much $$$ do you need to live in, say Brooklyn, in your 20's? My sibling makes about $40k. Recently split from S/O so struggling with big life decisions. I think sibling is miserable for many reasons, but a big one I hear about is "I'm poor." My advice is to move, but obvs. that's not that simple either. I lived on much less than that for all of my 20's but in a much lower COL area. Those of you who are or were in NYC, can $40k cut it?