Finally moving to dallas! Please help

[aginther]

My elementary school aged kids go to Kerr Elementary in Allen, TX and we LOVE IT because it has such a wonderfully diverse population!

See this thread for more info: //www.city-data.com/forum/dalla...der-allen.html

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by nycgirl2dfw

Hi Rb4browns,
Believe me i think it ridiculous how broke we are too but we really don't live extravagantly. It is the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities on earth! The average price of an apt. here is over 1.2mil! And most local papers consider $300-360k to be the start of the middle class tier. So making what we do here is not much and don't forget half of our money goes to taxes alone! and when you mention fixed expenses like a car etc..we don't even have that i have no clue what those costs are for insurance how much gas we would use etc... When i look at homes or apt. in dallas they mention common charges/hoa fees for 200-300 a year but in NYC our building charges are about $1000 a month!! and this does not include our mortgage and we do not live in a fancy new high-rise just a little 1 bedroom built in 1939. I did a search on here to get an idea of grocery cost and people were listing things like $500 for a family of 4. For the 2 of us our grocery bill(not eating out) is $1200 a month!! We live in the city where there is no discount walmart type stores. And to be honest most people i know here are living paycheck to paycheck and are make much more than me. So i'm trying to get an idea of what costs are like there because i get the impression it is vastly different. I would just like your perspective because i'm afraid if i do i will over estimate things or totally not include something like i read something about sewer bills? what is that? I guess it may sound strange to you, but in many ways living in manhattan is like living on another planet. A very expensive one!

I'm really not trying to patronize you here, I'm just telling you though as one who is very budget conscious, and someone who is married to a New Yorker and who knows what stuff costs there (my wife was living in Manhattan when we got married, her rent was cheap because she lived in Washington Heights but everything else still expensive), you've got some leaks in your budget that need attention. I only say this because it's going to color what you ask for here in D/FW. Even if your housing costs amount to $8k-$9k a month in NY you should not be living hand to mouth on $175k-$200k.

Anyways, you can google a simple mortgage calculator and figure out what a monthly payment is on a home. While I suppose one can argue about what middle class is, but I say a nice middle class home starts in D/FW around $200k. Tack on about 2.5% in taxes and whatever homeowners insurance costs. I'd say electric gonna run you between $300-$000 a month depending on time of year. Gas will cost more for the commute down if you/hubby are working in any of the business districts. Food/household stuff for 2 less than a $1000/for sure and then whatever you budget for entertainment/dining out. Car payment at $300-$500 a month depending on your tastes and about $80/month for full coverage insurance.Then whatever you put away in 401k and savings.

You can live comfortably here on $100k and very comfortably on $120k +.

[$DFW8$]

Originally Posted by rb4browns

I'm really not trying to patronize you here, I'm just telling you though as one who is very budget conscious, and someone who is married to a New Yorker and who knows what stuff costs there (my wife was living in Manhattan when we got married, her rent was cheap because she lived in Washington Heights but everything else still expensive), you've got some leaks in your budget that need attention. I only say this because it's going to color what you ask for here in D/FW. Even if your housing costs amount to $8k-$9k a month in NY you should not be living hand to mouth on $175k-$200k.

You really don't have any right to make that statement about their budget because you have no idea about their situation or anything else. I lived in NYC for many years and it is definitely not a cheap city to live in for somebody that is on a budget. Money was never a worry for us as we made well over $1 million dolllars a year there and lived in very nice condo/apartment in the Upper East Side, but for somebody like them, it can be very challenging to manage.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by longhornfan22

You really don't have any right to make that statement about their budget because you have no idea about their situation or anything else. I lived in NYC for many years and it is definitely not a cheap city to live in for somebody that is on a budget. Money was never a worry for us as we made well over $1 million dolllars a year there and lived in very nice condo/apartment in the Upper East Side, but for somebody like them, it can be very challenging to manage.

Oh please, give me a break. Good for you that you made a million dollars, lived on the Upper East Side, and care about the "little people" less fortunate than you. That's very special.

For the rest of us paupers (including my wife who lived in Washington Heights when we got married - LOL an Upper East Side millionare wouldn't be caught dead up there), it's actually helpful to one another when we point out that on $200k a year if one is living paycheck to paycheck than there is a problem in the spending and budget, and that the original poster probably could use some solid advice on keeping track of (and a hold of) their money. I am so, so sorry you find that offensive.

[Celticgal68]

I don't believe it is ever helpful to make a judgmental statement such as "if you are living paycheck to paycheck, then you have a problem." I believe DFW8 has an issue with your choice of words. Nycgirl2dfw was asking for opinions on what would be a good salary for someone to live comfortably in the DFW area. Not opinions on how they are living now. So let’s stick to her question, shall we?
Would those of us who live in the DFW area agree that making a blanket statement like "that pretty much anything over $100k a year would make for a comfortable living in the DFW area" would be accurate?

[Celticgal68]

By the way nycgirl2dfw, I'm inclined to agree with aginther when it comes to places to live. My family has lived in Allen for 8 years now (moved from CA), and I have to say that I have enjoyed every one of those years. Fantastic schools, lovely parks and friendly people. Though I am not Jewish, I do know there are kosher sections in every grocery store I've been in here. As far as the size of the yards; while it is true that many here are cookie cutter-ish, there is a decent selection of homes with spacious yards (this coming from a gal who grew up on 3 acres) here.
In any case, good luck with your search.

[Grainraiser]

I have never lived in NYC but I will say 200k a year here will give you a very comfortable lifestyle. You most certainly won't be living paycheck to paycheck. I think you are in for a pleasant surprise on what that salary is going to afford you here. You will wish you left NYC much earlier than now.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by Celticgal68

I don't believe it is ever helpful to make a judgmental statement such as "if you are living paycheck to paycheck, then you have a problem." I believe DFW8 has an issue with your choice of words. Nycgirl2dfw was asking for opinions on what would be a good salary for someone to live comfortably in the DFW area. Not opinions on how they are living now. So let’s stick to her question, shall we?
Would those of us who live in the DFW area agree that making a blanket statement like "that pretty much anything over $100k a year would make for a comfortable living in the DFW area" would be accurate?

Not sure what the point of resurrecting this after 4+ months is, but my point stands. It's not helpful to tell the emperor he is wearing clothes when he is not. It is helpful, especially in a forum like this where everything is anonymous and someone can take or leave any of it, to point out the painfully obvious.

My statement was not an opinion, it is fact. That's the beauty of numbers. When you spend more than you take in, and you are taking in as much as the OP is (was), there's a problem there.

Anywhoo...

[tycobb2522]

Well said, rb4browns.

[momof2dfw]

Did anyone not notice this was a resurrected thread that had been "dead" since June????