Is it possible to make it on $85K as a couple living in Alexandria?? (Arlington: salon)

[dcmoving]

My girlfriend just got a job offer of $55,000 in Alexandria and I am hoping to find a job in the $30,000-$40,000 range or so, she will always make more than me... But we found an apartment in Kingstowne for around $1400. In that price range, will that salary be enough to live in this area??
We are moving from North Carolina so we are used to things being quite cheaper, but can adapt to the NoVA living..

Any advice is appreciated.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by dcmoving

My girlfriend just got a job offer of $55,000 in Alexandria and I am hoping to find a job in the $30,000-$40,000 range or so, she will always make more than me... But we found an apartment in Kingstowne for around $1400. In that price range, will that salary be enough to live in this area??
We are moving from North Carolina so we are used to things being quite cheaper, but can adapt to the NoVA living..

Any advice is appreciated.

Assuming you have no major debts and any car notes are low or paid-off, you will be fine. You won't be able to jet off to South Beach every weekend LOL but you should be able to save enjoy yourself at most of the usual off-hours diversions and even save a few bucks.

Speaking of diversions, while Kingstowne is loaded with the usual midscale retail/restaurant suspects, it's not necessarily a social hotspot especially for those under 30. If that includes you, you'll probably find yourself heading up to the Ballston-Clarendon corridor in Arlington, Old Town Alexandria (more like 30+) or DC.

[okletmein]

yes no problem

[dcmoving]

Thanks for the advice so far. We do have a little credit card debt and one student loan we are paying on so that does worry me, but I am hoping as long as we live frugally we will be okay. Money just stresses me out!! It just seems like such an expensive area, but I want to be able to make it there!

[oneasterisk]

Sure, plenty of people do it for cheaper. Kingstown is a nice area to live, but it is kind of expensive. You could find a cheaper place to live to free up more spending cash.

[FairlingtonBlade]

$85k will work. Here's a few money saving tips.

The big Asian supermarkets are terrific places to get inexpensive groceries. GrandMart and H-Mart (my favorite) are two of these that have a number of area locations. Magruder's is also good to find and less expensive than Safeway, Giant, or (especially) Harris Teeter. I'm also a fan of Trader Joe's--there's one in Springfield not too far from you.

Eating out is a bit more of a challenge. There's a lot of good inexpensive places--especially Peruvian style roast chicken, Vietnamese (Falls Church), Korean (Annandale). Five Guys for burgers. If you plan to eat out frequently, I'd pick up the Cheap Eats guide from the Washingtonian. City Paper is another good resource. BBQ might be a little more difficult, though I'm a big fan of Rocklands. Washington also does high end dining, but that comes at a price. Happy hours tend to be good in the area--you'll pay about $3 - $4 for a pint.

For clothes, think Ross, Marshall's, DSW. Also, you'll be just a few miles north of the Potomac Mills outlet mall which also has a Costco and an Ikea. Gasoline is also cheaper in that area.

In general, housing is the one thing that makes the DC area expensive. We live in Alexandria and spent $400k on a glorified closet. Well, not that bad, but it's shall we say cozy. Outside of housing, the DC area isn't too bad for cost.

Good luck!

BB

[redskindad12]

Okay...Grocery costs are double, yes double of what I paid before moving here. When my wife gets her hair done here it costs double, yes twice as much here. Nail salon charges 3 times what she used to pay prior to moving here...and yes she has shopped around for a better deal. We have state tax, property tax yearly (car), and other crazy fees that some states don't have. The cost of eating out is a bit more also. The housing...my friend who used to live in San Francisco almost had a heart attack when she came to visit us. That being said, there is nowhere else I would rather be living in the world right now. And that friend who used to live in SF, is now considering moving here.

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by dcmoving

My girlfriend just got a job offer of $55,000 in Alexandria and I am hoping to find a job in the $30,000-$40,000 range or so, she will always make more than me... But we found an apartment in Kingstowne for around $1400. In that price range, will that salary be enough to live in this area??
We are moving from North Carolina so we are used to things being quite cheaper, but can adapt to the NoVA living..

Any advice is appreciated.

Yes, it's enough. My roommate and I originally had similar salaries when we moved here and paid a little more for our apartment in Alexandria with no problems. You may not be able to save much or be "rich", but you'll more than survive.

The BBQ will be a little disappointing, though. I wait until I go visit friends in NC (and I'm not even from the South!). That said, Levi's Port Cafe in the Navy Yard area of DC is pretty good. Not living nearby will make getting there while he's open difficult, but it's a good little hole-in-the-wall. The owner's from Durham and spent a good 15 minutes bragging to me about his barbeque (after I had paid and ordered).