Required Income for Family of Four...

[sftoma]

I just want to add to the others' advice that you have to consider the cost of child care here. Obviously it is not needed for the first year, but when you decide to start working, the costs will be considerable. Even after-school care is astounding. Sure, public school is free, paid by your tax dollars (more tax for better school, so they say) but could run around $50+ per day for your two kids to attend after school care even if you only need it for an hour or so. Plus there's school vacations and a place for them to spend the summer! I mention this because it does not sound like you're going to have family near by and this is my same story too.

So if you decide to go back to work and you are shooting for that 120K or whatever it is that will enable you to buy a home in the "good" school district, I would estimate conservatively $10K of your salary (after taxes!) is gone just so that you CAN work. And this is for school age children. Just my 2 cents.

[roamingveg]

Thanks again everyone for the advice. Thank you for the specific school info, sftoma. Considering all of the expense, and the unfortunately very low pay of the job opportunity, we took another job in a different state. I guess for now, Boston will just have to be a nice place to visit.

Thanks again, you all have been very helpful.

[Pear Martini]

Originally Posted by sftoma

I just want to add to the others' advice that you have to consider the cost of child care here. Obviously it is not needed for the first year, but when you decide to start working, the costs will be considerable. Even after-school care is astounding. Sure, public school is free, paid by your tax dollars (more tax for better school, so they say) but could run around $50+ per day for your two kids to attend after school care even if you only need it for an hour or so. Plus there's school vacations and a place for them to spend the summer! I mention this because it does not sound like you're going to have family near by and this is my same story too.

So if you decide to go back to work and you are shooting for that 120K or whatever it is that will enable you to buy a home in the "good" school district, I would estimate conservatively $10K of your salary (after taxes!) is gone just so that you CAN work. And this is for school age children. Just my 2 cents.

Here in Brookline daycares/preschools seem to start at $1,200 per month for full-time care and more for infants. Most of them are closer to $2,000 a month and a lot of them have waiting lists for certain age groups.

[Pear Martini]

Originally Posted by roamingveg

Thanks again everyone for the advice. Thank you for the specific school info, sftoma. Considering all of the expense, and the unfortunately very low pay of the job opportunity, we took another job in a different state. I guess for now, Boston will just have to be a nice place to visit.

Thanks again, you all have been very helpful.

Don't feel like you're missing out. Winters are brutal and can quite frankly be depressing once the Holiday Season novelty has worn off. It's only light out for 7 or 8 hours...pretty much the entire work day and then its dark and dreary by 4pm. I can't wait until I have the opportunity to move to either the Carolinas or Florida.

[civic94]

Originally Posted by Pear Martini

Don't feel like you're missing out. Winters are brutal and can quite frankly be depressing once the Holiday Season novelty has worn off. It's only light out for 7 or 8 hours...pretty much the entire work day and then its dark and dreary by 4pm. I can't wait until I have the opportunity to move to either the Carolinas or Florida.

the grass is greener on the other side. I have lived in boston till I was 14, then seattle for 12 years, and went to florida for 3 months. I hated the cloudy days and just want to see the sunshine for just 1 minute in the winters in seattle, in the summers in florida, there is nowhere to run or hide from the heat. while living in seattle and the drizzleing for 9 months straight keeps people indoors (also the boston cold keeps people indoors) my friend in florida who grew up in seattle wants to come back badly. in the heat, it ALSO keeps people indoors, either stay at home, drive in the car with the ac on, or go to a mall with a/c. you wouldnt enjoy the sunshine much because its too damn hot to do any outdoor activities.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by Pear Martini

Don't feel like you're missing out. Winters are brutal and can quite frankly be depressing once the Holiday Season novelty has worn off. It's only light out for 7 or 8 hours...pretty much the entire work day and then its dark and dreary by 4pm. I can't wait until I have the opportunity to move to either the Carolinas or Florida.

Where 9 months out of the year you are trapped inside away from the muggy, horrifically hot weather? No thank you. There is no weather south of Virginia that is meant for human habitation, part of why I got the heck out of Georgia when I was 18.

[roamingveg]

Originally Posted by civic94

the grass is greener on the other side. I have lived in boston till I was 14, then seattle for 12 years, and went to florida for 3 months. I hated the cloudy days and just want to see the sunshine for just 1 minute in the winters in seattle, in the summers in florida, there is nowhere to run or hide from the heat. while living in seattle and the drizzleing for 9 months straight keeps people indoors (also the boston cold keeps people indoors) my friend in florida who grew up in seattle wants to come back badly. in the heat, it ALSO keeps people indoors, either stay at home, drive in the car with the ac on, or go to a mall with a/c. you wouldnt enjoy the sunshine much because its too damn hot to do any outdoor activities.

This is so true. I grew up in PA, but have lived in TX for 7 years. I have never been able to get used to the heat here, and I feel like a hermit for more than half the year in attempts to avoid the heat and the extremely harsh rays of the sun. I'm looking forward to winters again. We're ending up in the mid-atlantic region, so when we get sick of one season, it'll soon be the next.