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We each automatically have $200/month transferred out of our separate checking accounts, and have it transferred into a special joint savings account labelled "house fund." We don't touch it. If we'd be able to afford putting more in each month, we would do it.
We're also saving money (for now) by only having one car. Kinda done against our will since my car was totaled in a parked hit/run last month, but we're not in a rush to replace it. Granted, hubby's LIRR monthly ticket expense is more than the insurance was on my car...
I wish I could stomach Florida, I hear the COL is friendly for young families. Too hot and muggy for us though.
We only have 1 car also..that's what also limits me to staying at my current job. There's no public transportation that connects to different towns like in LI. My job is 15 minutes away from my husband's job, otherwise I don't know how he would get home from work since he leaves at 4 if I worked 45 min-1 hour away.
It's not all peaches and cream outside of New York.
We moved up here from NC the summer of 2015, and we're much better off financially here than in the south. While the cost of housing is more, almost every other expense is comparable, and both my wife and I saw our yearly income more than double here for doing the same jobs. When you add in good benefits, strong public transportation, excellent public schools, and a diverse economy, NYC and Long Island has a lot going for it.
Last edited by JB from NC; 02-09-2017 at 06:37 AM..
We only have 1 car also..that's what also limits me to staying at my current job. There's no public transportation that connects to different towns like in LI. My job is 15 minutes away from my husband's job, otherwise I don't know how he would get home from work since he leaves at 4 if I worked 45 min-1 hour away.
I would suggest that you read up on the status of Long Island Buses. Many routes being cut and you really need a car on LI.
It's not all peaches and cream outside of New York.
We moved up here from NC the summer of 2015, and we're much better off financially here than in the south. While the cost of housing is more, almost every other expense is comparable, and both my wife and I saw our yearly income more than double here for doing the same jobs. When you add in good benefits, strong public transportation, excellent public schools, and a diverse economy, NYC and Long Island has a lot going for it.
Do you own your home or rent? I agree the pay scale is better however, I don't see the COLA being what it is on LI unless you lived in a resort area or a city in NC. IF you are commuting there is the additional cost, car insurance is more expensive, groceries, etc. Can you explain a bit more, I am interested in how you found this.
Do you own your home or rent? I agree the pay scale is better however, I don't see the COLA being what it is on LI unless you lived in a resort area or a city in NC. IF you are commuting there is the additional cost, car insurance is more expensive, groceries, etc. Can you explain a bit more, I am interested in how you found this.
We rented for the first year, and now we own. We lived in a military area of about 300,000. Commuting is a wash, as we no longer need two cars. Car insurance is cheaper here, groceries are break even, and our combined utilities are cheaper than just our electric bill in NC.
Our mortgage and taxes increased $24K per year in total over what had in NC, which is far less than increase in our income.
I "found" it by living in both places rather than relying on second-hand information and websites. Prior to moving, we were hesitant; we had poured over the COL calculators and looked at prices on line, and they painted a very bleak picture. But NC's economy is much different than here, and we wanted strong schools for our kids (NC public schools are some of the worst in the country, after all) and an area that offered them opportunities once they were grown. Once we made the plunge, we found that it wasn't nearly as bad as most people were saying; we found that housing was the only major shock, and our increases in pay easily covered the difference.
It's not all peaches and cream outside of New York.
We moved up here from NC the summer of 2015, and we're much better off financially here than in the south. While the cost of housing is more, almost every other expense is comparable, and both my wife and I saw our yearly income more than double here for doing the same jobs. When you add in good benefits, strong public transportation, excellent public schools, and a diverse economy, NYC and Long Island has a lot going for it.
I agree with you..Once you move out of LI, you realize that LI is attractive because of its commutable distance to NYC, schools, and public transportation. While you may say the public transportation is bad, it doesn't get as bad as NC. For example, it takes longer to commute by train in Charlotte than actually driving to your destination. To find a job in a city such as Charlotte or Raleigh, I need to drive 2 hours to Charlotte or 1 hour to Raleigh(if there's no traffic). NC's school system isn't totally bad..there's great colleges such as Duke and UNC Chapel Hill. I found that while searching for jobs during my first few months here in NC, there are office jobs that pay only $8/hour. Within 2 months of moving, I had no choice since money was running low but to take on a job that paid $8.25/hr then I took on a job that pays $11/hour.
We rented for the first year, and now we own. We lived in a military area of about 300,000. Commuting is a wash, as we no longer need two cars. Car insurance is cheaper here, groceries are break even, and our combined utilities are cheaper than just our electric bill in NC.
Our mortgage and taxes increased $24K per year in total over what had in NC, which is far less than increase in our income.
I "found" it by living in both places rather than relying on second-hand information and websites. Prior to moving, we were hesitant; we had poured over the COL calculators and looked at prices on line, and they painted a very bleak picture. But NC's economy is much different than here, and we wanted strong schools for our kids (NC public schools are some of the worst in the country, after all) and an area that offered them opportunities once they were grown. Once we made the plunge, we found that it wasn't nearly as bad as most people were saying; we found that housing was the only major shock, and our increases in pay easily covered the difference.
You said car insurance is cheaper in LI?? I doubt that..we pay $172 for 6 months here in NC compared to the quote we received for NY which is $162/month. My electric bill in NC ranges from 65-100/month.
You said car insurance is cheaper in LI?? I doubt that..we pay $172 for 6 months here in NC compared to the quote we received for NY which is $162/month. My electric bill in NC ranges from 65-100/month.
My car insurance is cheaper in NY. The rate you're quoted depends on various factors. We spend about $200 less over 6 months in NY than we did in NC for auto insurance.
Congratulations on your electric bill; mine was much higher, especially in the summer.
My car insurance is cheaper in NY. The rate you're quoted depends on various factors. We spend about $200 less over 6 months in NY than we did in NC for auto insurance.
Congratulations on your electric bill; mine was much higher, especially in the summer.
Which company do you have your car insurance with? Even my parents and in laws pay 800-900 for 6 months.
Which company do you have your car insurance with? Even my parents and in laws pay 800-900 for 6 months.
All State.
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