How much $$$ do you need to earn to live well in SA? (Lone Star: home, buy)

[SA Greed]

What I meant was, I wish I was making it when it went further.

[traficdogn]

I think a single person with health insurance could live well at 35k.

$5k income tax, $15K housing / utilities, $6k car/gas/insurance, 9k food/entertainment/clothes

If you want to live well with kids, nice cars, travel, plush retirement savings, or have a horrendous diet that will def add to the cost.

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by firstclassflyer

Sure of course...but we only had 3 people who actually stated what their household income was.

70K
80K
110K

Was just wondering who he thought was fibbing. Those numbers are easily achievable.

I'm not saying that anyone in particular is fibbing - the close to 20% response for 100K and above sounds a little fishy though.

[sapphire]

But the question isn't "how much do you make?" It's "how much do you need?" Totally different.

[perticusrex]

I think if you can live within (or even below) your means you going to be alright. To live well is open to interpretation. If I made 60K a year as a single person I think I would be doing pretty damn well but if I made that much and was up to my eyeballs in debt with 5 kids and 2 mortgages then I might have some problems. For a looong time we survived on one income well below what 15 people on CD think they need to live well in SA on, and I thought we were living well. Nobody was hungry, everyone had clothes on their backs, we took vacations, ate out a lot, had parties, drove a new car - I guess it really just depends on the lifestyle you want or at least THINK you have to have.

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by sapphire

But the question isn't "how much do you make?" It's "how much do you need?" Totally different.

What she said.. ^^^

[fierce_flawless]

Originally Posted by eger

Have 5 kids, file for wick, Food stamps, Section 8 in a well to do neighborhood, and free Health Care through Care Link most people are set here. That leaves enough money for 22 inch rims on their suburban and spray paint to keep the kids busy.

LOL, I gotta ask, what exactly does "wick" stand for??

"Living well" is so very subjective. In my opinion, 35 to 40k, is perfectly doable here even with kids in the mix. It totally depends on what you value. I don't "need" a 2500+ sf house or a new car. A modest house and a paid for "cash car" is fine.

I could care less about name brands, hair, nails, designer purses, Spurs games, season passes to Sea World, etc. I would, however, prefer money for trips and travel, and enrichment things for the kids (lessons, activities). Being able to pay the (modest) bills without stress, knowing you have money in the bank to fix that plumbing problem or when your car needs an alternator, and being able to experience things/people/customs outside of your city (or heck, country) is "living well" for me. Going out for Indian or Italian food once in a while is nice too.

For me, living well is finding the balance between working enough to be able to afford to travel in a fairly frugal way, and not working so much that you have money out the wazoo and no time for anything fun.

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by sapphire

But the question isn't "how much do you make?" It's "how much do you need?" Totally different.

The same question has come up in a bunch of other forums I've been on. It migrates from the second question to the first pretty fast.

[firstclassflyer]

I think we did a pretty good job then....5 days and counting..

[alexmm]

For a single person who knows basic skills (like how to cook), no more than 50k.