Would I make it here on 32k?

[dscurlock]

Originally Posted by RonMaverick804

Hello my dad is a LPN and we were considering moving here. He makes 32k as a LPN at the Veteran's Affairs. We live in Virginia and are looking to move the family. So in short do you think we could make it here and have a good time on 32k? Is Minnesota a good move if he is a LPN? I know nothing of the health field. Do they have a "medical city" like how North Carolina has the Triangle and Maryland has John Hopkins. Thanks to anyone who can help.

impossible...I earn almost $100k/yr and I am having a hard time, and I do not live a fancy life at all. You may get away with it if you move to Alabama, but MN is fairly expensive...I am considering on buying a cheap
mobile home in a park, so i can get out of the $1000 range rent that I am paying now, even if you own the home in the park, the rent is still like $500/month...but if you rent a condo/home for your needs, then your rent would most likely be over $1000/mo...MN is not mobile home friendly either like alabama is..for you to own your nothing lot in mn in the twin cities would cost you a fortune over $100,000 compared to 2-3 acres in AL for like under $20k....when you start looking 2-3 hours out from the twin cities, then the land of course gets cheaper...land up here in MN is god awuful crazy, they think it is made of gold...and to be honest, there is nothing in MN that can not be found in ALabama...I have a basic two story house in texas for $100,000 that same house in MN would run as
high as $300-$400,000 - you surely do not get your monies worth in MN. maybe he should also consider becoming an RPN...

[Slig]

Originally Posted by dscurlock

impossible...I earn almost $100k/yr and I am having a hard time, and I do not live a fancy life at all...

If you're making 6 figures and can't afford $1000/month for rent then you have some serious budgeting problems. I don't make close to that and I'm a student with a dependant at an extremely expensive school without school loans and I'm getting by fine.

[uptown_urbanist]

$32,000 isn't a lot, but it's extremely misleading for the earlier poster to suggest that someone making almost $100,000 in MN would struggle. Maybe if you have a ton of loans or some other significant debts, but if you're making 100k and paying $1,000 per month for rent that still puts housing at only 12% of your annual salary - a very decent rate.

I realize that Minnesota isn't as cheap as some places, but it also offers a very good "bang for the buck" in terms of benefits available for the price. It's a bargain compared to many other parts of the country.

[Aylalou]

Originally Posted by Slig

If you're making 6 figures and can't afford $1000/month for rent then you have some serious budgeting problems. I don't make close to that and I'm a student with a dependant at an extremely expensive school without school loans and I'm getting by fine.

No freakin' kidding! Especially with the great housing market now. Please! You can very well as a single person on $40-50. Geez.

[Haver]

Living alone, I make twice that ($64K) and am able to save half of it for a house downpayment without having to do anything extreme with my budgeting - the only real concessions are that I live in an efficiency (a rather spacious one in a very good neighborhood - an extra $250/month and I could have a 2 BR in the same building) and I have a 10 year old Camry which I paid for with cash. I eat out, I have cable and internet, and am debt free. I started out renting here when I was barely making it on $2/hr over minimum wage and have just held on to the habits I developed during that period, which was mostly "Just say no".

My older brother makes less than that as an accountant and he has a house...but his spending is very disciplined.

For a family of 5, however ... forget it. You're going to need two incomes or a significant pay bump to around the $50K range minimum.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by dscurlock

impossible...I earn almost $100k/yr and I am having a hard time, and I do not live a fancy life at all. You may get away with it if you move to Alabama, but MN is fairly expensive.

Well if you didn't own second homes in Texas, etc. while renting $1000K/ mo. apts here, you probably wouldn't be "having a hard time" at all.

The combined income of my wife and I is less than $100K- we have a mortgage on a house in Mpls that we're eternally doing major renovation projects on, 2 cars, and a significant student debtload- we go out quite a bit, take trips every year, and we're still able to put money away for savings/ retirement.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by RonMaverick804

lol my dad pays $1550 to rent the 1450 sqft townhouse/condo were in now. Only reason they are paying it is because we HAD to move from our last location, there was a murer suicide less than 3 feet from our house.. while we were inside ours.

So what are you living on?? Net take home is about that much each month. Here you would have MAYBE $700/month for food, gas, clothing, insurance, etc. No way you can do that here with a family of 5.

[fromupthere]

If you are smart about and live within your means, you can make it on $32K. Been there, done that. It is possible but don't expect great things.