Houston - High Salary Vs Low Cost Of Living (apartment complex, day care)

[AK123]

Originally Posted by EM1956

And you show me a professional, with 25 years of progressive experience that make less than a nurse with the same level of experience on the average.

I don't know about that but when I was working at a large hospital here in research, doing the exact same thing the research nurses do, they were making way more than me just for having a bachelor's plus that RN license (while I had a master's degree but no RN). I didn't think it was very fair, but what do I know...

[EM1956]

Originally Posted by AK123

I don't know about that but when I was working at a large hospital here in research, doing the exact same thing the research nurses do, they were making way more than me just for having a bachelor's plus that RN license (while I had a master's degree but no RN). I didn't think it was very fair, but what do I know...

But the nurses have a license and a whole 'nuther set of rules/regs to keep that license.

But I stand by my point- show me an IT manager with say 25 direct reportees, with budgeting responsiblities and a nurse manager with the same reportees and fiscal responsibilities----who makes more?

But anyway, this is way off topic, so I'll stop posting about how I think nurses are undervalued in Europe

[FlyDrive100b]

Originally Posted by EM1956

But the nurses have a license and a whole 'nuther set of rules/regs to keep that license.

But I stand by my point- show me an IT manager with say 25 direct reportees, with budgeting responsiblities and a nurse manager with the same reportees and fiscal responsibilities----who makes more?

But anyway, this is way off topic, so I'll stop posting about how I think nurses are undervalued in Europe

The reason there is a shortage of nurses, is because women don't always want to become a nurse, they have other career opportunities, and nursing is not viewed as a prestigious, also working conditions, pay , quality may be a factor in that decision making process.

Its a free market too in that respect, also nursing academics are not viewed as prestigious compared to lets say physics or even social sciences for a better argument, nurse educators make far less teaching in academic circles .

So that creates a shortage which drives up prices, lower pay more than there will be a more shortage further eventually driving up prices.

One, could then make cheaper or subpar conditions tied to pay and hire less qualified nurses , but healthcare will then suffer.

As for Europe and nurses, I am not sure of the opinion, but in britian they don't get paid much, then homes are not expensive and the costs of basic goods and services are high.

[Big Dirty]

Originally Posted by Texas User

$1,500 for a 1 bed in Houston, nice area? I disagree with it. You can get it under a $1,000

Auto Ins pretty much depends on your history. I pay less then $100 a month for full coverage.

Electricity, 7.5 kwh. Less then $100 in Summer times.
Meal is about the same everywhere.

Everybody has different expenses. I was simple comparing the two "cities" Ihave lived in. If you don't pay tis, then great. A nice two bedroom apartment in the loop is going to cost you. I am not talking about the suburbs. Like I said before, my wife is an inexperienced driver and has an Infiniti. That insurance is not going to be cheap. If you have been driving for 15 years and have a Honda then your insurance will be cheap anywhere.

[Texas User]

Originally Posted by tech2enable

Possibly, but your lifestyle may be different than others and its not just lifestyle its circumstances and income, thats the point. Not everybody has a mortgage on their home, pays the same property taxes, etc , some people also live in subsidized housing.

Some people in california pay $400 a year in taxes on a home worth $400,000, others pay $4,000. Homeowners insurance is lower , auto insurance is about the same, and utilities a bit lower thought not by much, the weather makes it more bearable.

Not everybody is married with kids or has the same commute, so you cannot say texas cost of living is necessarily lower based on those above facts. For most texans its probably higher or atleast in the middle, but they may not realize it.

Also if you are a homeowner, you are reducing equity in your home, more on that later. For certain people it doesn't matter as its short term or they can't afford a pricier home and want better school districts.

If you have a mortgage and you have trouble meeting the ends meet then you can't afford that home. If you lose your job and can't pay the mortgage after a month and still not job, then you can't afford that home.

If you are married and if your spouse does not work then he/she is a gold digger! thats my opinion. To me being married should be 2x income. As far as having kids, couple should have planned this out before having one and to do a analysis to what it will cost to have a kid for long run all the way to college tuition. Too many people have kids(s) but can't afford it.

For commuting, this should also be planned.

[Texas User]

Originally Posted by Big Dirty

Everybody has different expenses. I was simple comparing the two "cities" Ihave lived in. If you don't pay tis, then great. A nice two bedroom apartment in the loop is going to cost you. I am not talking about the suburbs. Like I said before, my wife is an inexperienced driver and has an Infiniti. That insurance is not going to be cheap. If you have been driving for 15 years and have a Honda then your insurance will be cheap anywhere.

tis? you can get a nice 2 bedroom in a nice area that is not loop like Katy.
Inexperienced? She passed the the driver test which means she is experienced enough to drive. So what if she has a Infiniti? The thing you decided to buy that vehicle based on your decision that means you can afford it.

[Cassino]

Originally Posted by Texas User

If you are married and if your spouse does not work then he/she is a gold digger! thats my opinion.

That depends entirely upon their situation, you cannot fairly apply that standard to everyone. My wife and I have decided that once we have kids, she will be a stay at home mom. The amount of money she makes would barely cover day care and she and I would both prefer that she be the person our child has daily interaction with, not a stranger. We are both fine with this arrangement and planning accordingly for when it happens.

Originally Posted by Texas User

Inexperienced? She passed the the driver test which means she is experienced enough to drive.

Many insurance companies will charger higher premiums to insure what they deem to be an inexperienced driver. For my company, that is a driver with less than 9 years experience driving.

In regard to the original topic, compared to the SF Bay Area, Houston's cost of living is remarkably cheaper. Considering that I will be making the same in Houston as I currently do in the Bay Area, Houston will be cheaper for me.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by Texas User

If you have a mortgage and you have trouble meeting the ends meet then you can't afford that home. If you lose your job and can't pay the mortgage after a month and still not job, then you can't afford that home.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Texas User

If you are married and if your spouse does not work then he/she is a gold digger! thats my opinion. To me being married should be 2x income. As far as having kids, couple should have planned this out before having one and to do a analysis to what it will cost to have a kid for long run all the way to college tuition. Too many people have kids(s) but can't afford it.

Let me guess...you are not married? My wife is a SAHM. She works harder than I do and there is no way we are going to let some $7/hr day care worker or illegal nanny raise our son. We can live a modest lifestyle and wait for a 2x income in 20 years.

[Big Dirty]

Originally Posted by Texas User

tis? you can get a nice 2 bedroom in a nice area that is not loop like Katy.
Inexperienced? She passed the the driver test which means she is experienced enough to drive. So what if she has a Infiniti? The thing you decided to buy that vehicle based on your decision that means you can afford it.

The word I typed wrong was this. Sorry if you couldn't figure that out. I never said I couldn't afford it. I never complained. I was simply comparing prices to give an idea of the cost of living of Houston vs another southern city. I don't know why you can't understand that. Katy is Katy. Houston is Houston. I don't like or know anything about the suburbs.

[FlyDrive100b]

Originally Posted by Texas User

If you have a mortgage and you have trouble meeting the ends meet then you can't afford that home. If you lose your job and can't pay the mortgage after a month and still not job, then you can't afford that home.

If you are married and if your spouse does not work then he/she is a gold digger! thats my opinion. To me being married should be 2x income. As far as having kids, couple should have planned this out before having one and to do a analysis to what it will cost to have a kid for long run all the way to college tuition. Too many people have kids(s) but can't afford it.

For commuting, this should also be planned.

Not everybody has a mortgage, in fact I think one third of homeowners don't have mortgages, and I believe another one third have mortgages that have a low percentage of value left on them.

I am in agreement to your quote as to wise financial planning in that regard, there are kids in their teens and 20s who get married and have kids regardless if they are married and do foolish decisions. Sometimes people don't think its tempting to do things, are they don't know.

Cost of living though is still affected by lifestyles and choices and circumstances . Proposition 13 is bad for new homeowners but a grand daddy for older ones and their descendants, California may have been a bad example because of that.