How expensive is los angeles for someone who earns 50k ? (free, girl)

[elnrgby]

Originally Posted by jm1982

$350 would be average $11.6 per day . Is that what you were actually spending ?
I guess it’s possible if preparing every meal yourself but it would probably mean not going out at all to eat.

But i guess it just depend on the person , if it’s not important to you .Food has gone up a ton even within the past couple years. It can add up a lot . The min wage law doesn’t help plus commercial rents have gone up too

I would say I spend less than $10 per day on food. Let's add. Breakfast: two boiled eggs with two pieces of toast and olive oil and a bag of tea for breakfast - total cost probably less than $1). Lunch: tuna sandwich (half-can of tuna, a bit of mayo and vinegar, one sliced tomato, two leaves of lettuce, large wheat bun) and a bottle of home-made iced tea and a pear - total cost about $3. Dinner: pasta with mushroom tomato sauce and maybe 4-5 bites of chicken (from the pack of about 25 bite-sized pieces of pre-cooked chicken for $6 at Trader Joe's) and another piece of fruit (maybe an apple) - total cost of less than $3 again... that adds up to about $7 per day. That would be my food on a typical day. Is there something wrong with it?? :-)

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by elnrgby

I would say I spend less than $10 per day on food. Let's add. Breakfast: two boiled eggs with two pieces of toast and olive oil and a bag of tea for breakfast - total cost probably less than $1). Lunch: tuna sandwich (half-can of tuna, a bit of mayo and vinegar, one sliced tomato, two leaves of lettuce, large wheat bun) and a bottle of home-made iced tea and a pear - total cost about $3. Dinner: pasta with mushroom tomato sauce and maybe 4-5 bites of chicken (from the pack of about 25 bite-sized pieces of pre-cooked chicken for $6 at Trader Joe's) and another piece of fruit (maybe an apple) - total cost of less than $3 again... that adds up to about $7 per day. That would be my food on a typical day. Is there something wrong with it?? :-)

Oh ok cool . No I didn’t say anything wrong with it , you gave me some ideas with the Trader Joe’s chicken actually , never bought it .

I need to make more stuff myself , I like variety in food though and that can be tough if preparing your own stuff .
Just seems recently prices have gone up to where it’s not a great value eating out .
I can see why places are doing it though since they are getting squeezed and need to make a profit to survive .

[MuscleCar]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Oh ok cool . No I didn’t say anything wrong with it , you gave me some ideas with the Trader Joe’s chicken actually , never bought it .

I need to make more stuff myself , I like variety in food though and that can be tough if preparing your own stuff .
Just seems recently prices have gone up to where it’s not a great value eating out .
I can see why places are doing it though since they are getting squeezed and need to make a profit to survive .

Yeah the kids wanted to go to Applebees. Yuck. But we took them anyway, made them happy. (Its just those table tablets that get them) But the bill for 4 of us was $60. At Applebees. That's ridiculous.

[JustMike77]

From the guy who came from Ohio to L.A. at 24 with 600 bucks and no job, here are my thoughts. Basically, you make it work. You find a little Mom & Pop 6 unit apartment building where they maybe don't charge the max rent. You get a side hustle or a second job. You get a room mate. You just DO IT. It'll all work out if it's meant to work out. Life's too short to not be where you want to be.

[RabihaS]

Originally Posted by elnrgby

I would say I spend less than $10 per day on food. Let's add. Breakfast: two boiled eggs with two pieces of toast and olive oil and a bag of tea for breakfast - total cost probably less than $1). Lunch: tuna sandwich (half-can of tuna, a bit of mayo and vinegar, one sliced tomato, two leaves of lettuce, large wheat bun) and a bottle of home-made iced tea and a pear - total cost about $3. Dinner: pasta with mushroom tomato sauce and maybe 4-5 bites of chicken (from the pack of about 25 bite-sized pieces of pre-cooked chicken for $6 at Trader Joe's) and another piece of fruit (maybe an apple) - total cost of less than $3 again... that adds up to about $7 per day. That would be my food on a typical day. Is there something wrong with it?? :-)

I think those are nutritious meals with a more than good budget. I personally barely have any expenses.

[jm1982]

I think if someone is worried about whether or not they'll be able to live in a certain city , it's probably best they look for more affordable cities to live in.
Los Angeles is one of the most if not the most unaffordable places to live in the entire nation.
Affordability meaning median pay versus cost of living (housing etc).

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Stephy0519

Housing will be your most expensive cost. I agree, that a roommate situation is the best way to go. You CAN find 1 bedrooms (I'm walking distance to the beach) for around 1800, in my area, but they will be older, tiny, and not updated. You would also be paying gas and electric (which is an every two months bill) for your utilites, and I assume you need wifi (another 50.)

Food is DEFINITELY cheaper in LA, than back east. I buy MUCH fresher food and grass fed meat, etc, and my food bill is laughable. I do save on things to do, since there is so much to do outside--and when I do pay to, say, kayak or paddleboard, it is STILL cheaper than back east.

Gas is definitely pricier than a lot of the country. Depending on where you work in relation to where you live, that can add up to a lot of money. I am lucky enough that I only drive to work maybe once a week and, unlike a lot of LA, I do a lot of walking, so I save there.

It's really all about how you approach it...I think it's doable, but you need to keep in mind you will not have the luxury of extra cash, on that salary, as you do in the midwest..

Very well said.

[WizardOfRadical]

Depends on your lifestyle. If you move to an off beat, non trendy area, and are frugal?

You can live, survive, and save a bit.

Expensive tastes? Forget it.

[ben young]

You make less than welfare.

[Chowhound]

Yeah, hate to say it but 50k in So Cal isn't much money, sad to say. I mean of course you can live here for that, plenty of people do but it ain't living high on the hog.