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Median household income $46k.
3br/2ba home ~$70-90k (I paid around $50k)
Property tax ~$800-1200/yr
Home insurance ~$50/month
Car payment ~$200/month (let's assume '07 Civic)
Car insurance ~$60/month
Utilities ~$250/month
Cell phone ~$60/month (for 2)
Gasoline ~$100/month (assuming 12k yr at 35mpg)
Health insurance ?
Car/home maintenance ?
Food ?
Why do you have question marks in your budget? Why isn't this broken down to monthly amount? I mean you said you know many people who do this now. Also when you said newish cars did you mean a single car per family of four? You mpg of 35 is off only the hybrid is rated high enough to get 35 mpg combined and like your other figures I think they might just be off.
Last edited by Lowexpectations; 08-16-2014 at 09:05 PM..
The camaro doesn't fit the 2+2 you claim. Even in that picture the mom is slammed up on the dash and if there was a second child seat the dad has zero chance
And the child seat is a capsule, significantly shorter than the next seat up. The Fit has two forward facing seats. Not so useful for the first 2-3 years of the child's life.
Eddie, did you know the annual average cost of childcare in your state is $9185, not $6000. Are you sure your bargain basement care place has vacancies?
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
Do child seats work in a Corolla or not?????
Yes and no answers have nothing to do with what I know or don't know.
Okay, I guess I will try to throw in my two cents. Raising children IS expensive, but some people do find ways to cut costs; however, as some posters have already argued, it's still a trade-off. If a mother who earns a decent salary becomes a stay-at-home mom to make sure her child gets quality care and education, she is missing out on earning what she would otherwise earn, and you really don't want to cut corners anyway.
Let me give you an example, I know of at least one mom who has tried to cut corners. Some of the things she does to save money are:
*Shop at consignment sales for the kids' clothes so that the children get what they need at an affordable price
*Use coupons / food subsidies when grocery shopping.
*Buy in bulk
*Rent a two-bedroom instead of a three or four bedroom place. I realize from previous posts that this is not even possible in some areas.
*Make and stick to a budgeting plan.
*Leave one parent at home with the kids at all times so that no childcare is required.
*Rent rooms to relatives and friends to off-set costs. Remember, it's only a two-bedroom place. My friend recently complained that it's getting crowded, and the people they are assisting have short-changed them a lot. Plus, more people in a house, especially if it's friends or family, means more food will be required.
*Always put family necessities first, even if that means going without small luxuries for weeks.
*Subsist on bare necessities. My friend can feed her kids macaroni and cheese, when they will eat it, and adults either eat what is cooked or go without.
*Take jobs on the side. My friend sometimes babysits other children for mothers who need to work. Her fiance sometimes works overtime and cashes in vacation hours.
*Look for free stuff. My friend frequently searches Craigslist for things she may need / want but can't afford at regular price.
Often, my friend goes without things that I would consider necessities, and her fiance sometimes has no money left over after paying for the kids. She seems to get through it, though, by making the kids her hobby. It's easy to do, especially if you have growing children for whom you care. She even manages to squeeze in a few extras for the kids, like dance and gymnastics. Cost-cutting for her own needs is a way to keep her kids happy, but she has had to make lots of sacrifices. She currently does not have health insurance, although the kids are insured. She doesn't always eat healthy and sometimes doesn't eat at all. She's had to put up with extra people besides her and her family. I think maybe you get the idea?
Eddie, did you know the annual average cost of childcare in your state is $9185, not $6000. Are you sure your bargain basement care place has vacancies?
Not with an adult in the passenger seat, no.
Yes actually they do, our daughter and son in law proved that for years with our grandsons and their car seats.
Why do you have question marks in your budget? Why isn't this broken down to monthly amount? I mean you said you know many people who do this now. Also when you said newish cars did you mean a single car per family of four? You mpg of 35 is off only the hybrid is rated high enough to get 35 mpg combined and like your other figures I think they might just be off.
Car/home maintenance varies so much it's hard to put a number on for anyone (changes every year) - the same for food. Health insurance will depend on what the employer provides. Let's assume no coverage and use the Obamacare calculator for now...
family of 4, $35k income = $1,373/yr or $114.41/month.
From experience I know a Honda Civic will easily get 35 mpg if driven correctly. I get 64mpg in my Prius that's rated for 50. But heck even using the 29mpg EPA rating, we're only talking a difference of maybe $25/month.
Here is where we stand:
Median household income $46k.
3br/2ba home ~$70-90k (I paid around $50k) lets assume $375/month
Property tax ~$800-1200/yr (lets say $1000)
Home insurance ~$50/month
Car payment ~$200/month (let's assume '07 Civic)
Car insurance ~$60/month
Utilities ~$250/month
Cell phone ~$60/month (for 2)
Gasoline ~$100/month (assuming 12k yr at 35mpg)
Health insurance $114.41
Car/home maintenance $150/month
Food $800/month
Total: $3159 or $37,908/month.
Hopefully this gives you some idea of how people do things in the south.
$170/month plus 5% discount for paying early = $161.50/month.
That was a 3 minute search.
Shouldn't it make you curious as to why I can find 3-4 facilities listed in this price range despite most places not even posting their rates online? What about the 100s of smaller centers that don't even have websites?
$170/month plus 5% discount for paying early = $161.50/month.
That was a 3 minute search.
Shouldn't it make you curious as to why I can find 3-4 facilities listed in this price range despite most places not even posting their rates online? What about the 100s of smaller centers that don't even have websites?
That is per week.
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