Is 25$ hr a liveable wage if I get roommates ? (San Diego: apartment complexes, lease)

[dg628]

Got the job so I can transfer. Gotta wait my 90 days before I get hired on permantely to technico but based on what I make now doing scaffolding o should make 23$-25$ hr down there. This branch doesn’t get much OT but down there it might be a different story because of the big city down there. Not sure how the maritime business compares to Norfolk.

So I figure after taxes I’ll probably be taking home 3k or a little more so here’s my sample budget

Rent ( roommate) 1000$ +

Gas 300$ , older v8 truck, I PREFER using 93 but don’t know how much gas is there

Car insurance 150$

Food 400$

Utilities 150$

Phone 40$

Gym 30$

Can’t really think of anything else at the moment

Do this look pretty accurate to you ?

I hate scaffolding but it’s just something I’ve stuck with until I get my ass down there. Plan on doing an apprenticeship of one of the big 3 once I get down there. Hours and licenses are a state by state thing so it’d be pointless to put in my 4 years here.

Don’t really count on spending much going out, if anything I’ll just do a little outdoor stuff there like hiking or walking on the beach.

I’m shut in so the only social aspect I care about is the music scene because I’m a musician.

Anyway will be able to scrape by on ~25$ hr ? No debt, no car payment ?

[moved]

If you're just going to work out at the gym, you can join one for $10/mo.

[jnojr]

Originally Posted by dg628

Rent ( roommate) 1000$ +

You might be able to do that if you already had a couple of other people you were tight with that you could sign a lease with.

I have a strong feeling that you're going to be looking at more than that to rent a room anywhere you'd want to live.

[dg628]

Originally Posted by jnojr

You might be able to do that if you already had a couple of other people you were tight with that you could sign a lease with.

I have a strong feeling that you're going to be looking at more than that to rent a room anywhere you'd want to live.

Most rooms I see on Craigslist are about that much. I don’t care if I live in pacific beach or downtown hipsterville. Could only imagine a few areas there costing just 1500$ for renting a room from someone.

[LaJollaEast]

You can live in San Diego on that salary if you have roommates. My daughter and most of her friends live here and make about the same. They are all just a couple of years out of college and have roommates. Most live in PB, North Park, OB or Normal Heights.

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by dg628

here’s my sample budget

Rent ( roommate) 1000$ +

Gas 300$ , older v8 truck, I PREFER using 93 but don’t know how much gas is there

Car insurance 150$

Food 400$

Utilities 150$

Phone 40$

Gym 30$

Can’t really think of anything else at the moment

Do this look pretty accurate to you ?

Rent with Roommate - Absolutely you can find apartments for that amount. Too many people here price out the new, deluxe apartment complexes rather than the old, Huffman style crapshacks. These older apartments aren't great, no A/C and sometimes don't include a pay laundry room onsite, but they are options to reduce housing costs.

Gas: $300 = 80 gallons = 1200 miles per month (assuming 15 mpg). The accuracy of this is all about how close you live to work. Live close, and save!

Food: $200 for food at home + $200 for lunch at work. $10 per lunch. I only spend about $160/month on food eaten at home. The more you can bring your lunch to work, the more you will save. If you could make every Monday lunch from Sunday leftovers, you will save. The problem will be to forego that take out dinner purchased on your way home from work.

By utilities I'll assume you mean both Gas & Electric and Cable & Internet. Your share of the G&E for an apartment can comfortably average $50 per month over the year, even with some summer time A/C use. It's the C&I that will kill you if you don't watch out. These folks are gougers. Don't splurge on Cable packages you don't really need.

Can't think of anything else? Here's what you will need to squeeze into your remaining $900 per month:

Healthcare: (dental, glasses, deductibles) $150/month
Entertainment: $100/month
Clothing: $75
Retirement Savings (max out whatever they offer!) 5% = $150/month
Regular Savings (you'll want something that doesn't create a tax penalty when dipping in) $100
Car Fees, Service & Repairs (older truck) 1 big repair could be $2500. $200/month

I think it's doable. Go for it.

[oddstray]

I agree, it's doable. But do have a contingency plan in case you find yourself laid off at some point, or stuck with the roommate from h*ll.