How do young people afford it? (Woodbridge: for sale, loan, homes)

[CAVA1990]

You could also start by buying a lower cost condo somewhere in the exurbs and build some equity that can be used as a downpayment on something bigger as your incomes grow.

[marie5v]

Originally Posted by Zimar

Here is my general advice, as someone 7 years older than a 20 year old:

You don't lose much by waiting, you lose a lot by rushing.

I got married 4 years ago, at 23. I'm 27 now and we have a baby, and while I am happy and I think my marriage is successful, it was difficult and very turbulent at times. I have changed so much over the past few years, and I could never have even imagined how different my attitudes would be now back then. Luckily for me, my husband and I were able to evolve together and I think we are happier and stronger as a result. However, if there aren't extenuating circumstances (which we had), why rush and get married so young? Think about what you could lose by waiting (nothing, especially if this is the loyal man of your dreams) versus what you would lose by getting married to the wrong person too soon (a messy divorce at a young age that you have to tell every guy you date about later on). That's all.

I started law school a few years back and my husband made 42k in his first job in this area. Even with that salary, we were able to live in Montgomery county in a nice apartment and save money in addition to paying for my law school costs without going into debt. We do this because I saved like a crazy person before going to law school, I was lucky enough to get generous scholarships, we live in a wonderful low-income apartment unit, and I basically act like a crazy person. I watch every single expense. I once calculated our yearly expenses, and it was 26k not counting school. I love books, so I wait until I have a long list of books I want to read, then I buy them all in a big group for 75 cents each from half.com or something. No kindle for me! Any time I have an expense over 50 dollars, I research the most cost-effective way to buy it. I hunt for stuff on ebay a lot. We typically eat out once every two months, I'd say? I cook anything and everything... from scratch. I buy discounted movie tickets from school. My mother cuts my hair. I noticed one of the benefits of not wearing makeup very often is that I do not have to buy makeup. I *do* have an iphone, but I bought it used and unlocked to avoid getting a data plan, and I've kept it for almost 3 years. I do not shop for clothes and occasionally my parents take me shopping and pay. I'm a big clearance shopper. I gleefully mooch off my parents whenever possible, and they don't mind because 1. they see how I live and they appreciate my effort and 2. I don't go overboard. They have offered me a generous down payment for a house, so I sat down and calculated how much housing expenses like a small mortgage, INTEREST on the mortgage, insurance, taxes, maintenance, and utilities compare with my low-income unit. My low-income unit wins even without any mortgage factored in (and we do not make enough money for the mortgage interest deduction to significantly impact our tax bill). I think that using the house you live in as an investment vehicle is a bad idea. Any time I sit down and do the basic math (and there is tons of information on the web to help estimate the expenses of owning a home), renting a small apartment is better when you are in a transitional period in your life. My hubby and I are only house-hunting now because we have a sizable down payment and a baby and we are too packed into our little apartment.

I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Most people consider my lifestyle "slumming it." I don't. I actually don't mind doing things the way I do, it's more of a game to me. If I were OP, I would put off getting married for a few years, spend my 40k savings getting a degree in an in-demand field like nursing or IT (NOT law school, such a scam!), get rid of my expensive pets or whatever is costing them so much money, and cozy up to my rich parents and live with them. But then again, she's going to have to learn quite a bit on her own.

That's the best advice I've ever seen from a 20-something. It took me til 40 to learn those lessons.

I should add that waiting to have children has its own risks - I waited and waited, and by the time I found the right person I was in my 40's. We got lucky (after going through a lot of infertility stuff) and managed to have a baby, but we'll never have more than one.

[Joke Insurance]

Originally Posted by lmw36

My breakfasts and lunches are quite simple.

Morning breakfast could be:
-Oatmeal (I'm talking the plain kind that is $2 a tub at Wegmans), I microwave it with skim milk instead of water. I put slivered almonds, craisins, peanut butter, or whatever "filler" I happen to have in my cupboard. I also keep brown sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon on hand to make it more decadent!
-Toast and peanut butter with sliced banana on top
-Eggs and toast

Lunch could be:
-Chicken with some sort of marinade, or even plain to be thrown in my salad
-Some sort of carb (brown rice, whole grain pasta)

I try not to snack much, but if I do, I keep raw almonds on hand, some fruit, or low fat yogurt. I'm lucky in that work provides a lot of healthful snacks.

I buy everything store brand where I can (Wegmans has excellent store brands). I buy the bulk packs of chicken, buy a box of freezer bags, and freeze what I don't use immediately. I freeze them in individual/two day portions so I don't have to defrost a lot. If you want to be thrifty, you can even re use the bags (if you buy quality freezer bags!). I also buy the family packs of frozen salmon, which are also individual portions.

I eat a lot of fresh veggies, as well as a lot of frozen. They are cheaper per pound.

I am stocked with a decent array of spices, olive oil, and some basic sauces. I always have a head of garlic and an onion on hand.

It's really just practice and shopping around for the best deals. If I want to be adventurous, I go on epicurious.com and cook something for dinner.

OH, I recommend getting a crock pot. It's amazing, the healthful and cheap meals you can cook. There are so many cheap chilis you can make. I also individually freeze portions of this. It's also nice to make your own pasta sauce. Pasta is cheap.

danke!

[oneasterisk]

I guess we scared her away...

[Teebyrd86]

Originally Posted by oneasterisk

I guess we scared her away...

Sometimes the real world can be a lot more to take on than some people think. I just had an assistant quit va email and move back home to Ohio because he couldnt handle leaving mommy and daddy. This guy was very spoiled and felt entitled to everything. I give him credit for trying though.

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by oneasterisk

I guess we scared her away...

But...we were being so helpful.

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by Teebyrd86

Sometimes the real world can be a lot more to take on than some people think. I just had an assistant quit va email and move back home to Ohio because he couldnt handle leaving mommy and daddy. This guy was very spoiled and felt entitled to everything. I give him credit for trying though.

It's rather strange interacting with some of the "get a trophy for existing" generation.

[VM1138]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

More relevant question is what do you do? It must be part time. My younger kids makes $10 an hour as a lifeguard which is pretty much min wage around here. My other one your age works full time and makes about $60K which is pretty normal for this area as her friends also make about that. They don't have Masters degrees, just Bachelors. However, they've been employed since getting out of college, mainly in office jobs.

I'm stuck in retail hell, full-time, as a department lead. It's a nightmare, haha. I also live in the middle of nowhere so wages are probably considerably lower. I make $11 an hour.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by VM1138

I'm stuck in retail hell, full-time, as a department lead. It's a nightmare, haha. I also live in the middle of nowhere so wages are probably considerably lower. I make $11 an hour.

As a guy escaping call center hell in Louisville, I can feel your pain. I honestly think my call center gig was the best job I was gonna get in Louisville. No thanks. Sometimes to get on you have to me on. $35k at my new job in NoVA may not be great now but my first step is getting the local address then go for better jobs after a year maybe.

[oneasterisk]

Originally Posted by Fern435

But...we were being so helpful.

Well I figure if they can't stand some online prickly comments, the "Real World" is going be hell...