Salary to "Live Comfortably" (San Jose, Gilroy: look for a job, to live, costs)

[RVD90277]

lol yeah. but the bottom line is that if you can keep your housing costs low and manageable ($500/mo) then you can survive probably even at minimum wage.

minimum wage is like $10/hour right? even at that rate, you're still taking home like $1400/month after taxes if you can find full time work? after a $500/mo rent, then other $900/mo should be enough to cover expenses, etc.

obviously you don't live like a king but you can survive...

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by RVD90277

lol yeah. but the bottom line is that if you can keep your housing costs low and manageable ($500/mo) then you can survive probably even at minimum wage.

minimum wage is like $10/hour right? even at that rate, you're still taking home like $1400/month after taxes if you can find full time work? after a $500/mo rent, then other $900/mo should be enough to cover expenses, etc.

obviously you don't live like a king but you can survive...

and technically they could buy a house if they went back to the 70s, so we're talking about unlikely things.

[phantompilot]

This thread is depressing.

[RVD90277]

Well, there's always the six figure facebook guy who couldn't afford to live in the valley either. But he probably didn't have a cool drone to keep him happy right?

I made 6 figures at my Facebook dream job

[IGotMine]

It's sad to see the youth so self defeating. I bought a home in half moon bay despite going to college and working 60 hours a week because I wanted something for my future family to call their own. You can make it no matter how much or little money you make.

[bentobox34]

Originally Posted by Ahyle

I used this page to check my taxes (married)
https://smartasset.com/taxes/califor...tor#t3p2r01I88

Based on it I'll have $7485.5 as net salary per month.

Your budget allocates spending/savings of $118,185.31 per year which is $9,848 per month. It sounds like you need to reduce your budget by about $29,000 per year.

$500/month for gas seems incredibly high, given current gas prices. I currently have a 50 mile per direction commute and budget $120/month for gas (2000 miles/45 mpg * $2.50/gallon, round up).

If your employer(s) are not helping at all with insurance, $500/month might be on the low side for two people.

It's extremely unlikely you will spend $300/month on utilities in an apartment in California. My utilities have varied from around $40 to $80 per month (highest in certain summer/winter months when I run the AC or heater a lot - although in the South Bay you can also sometimes pass by a whole January without turning on the heater, or August without turning on the AC!).

[houstonview]

married total $185K before taxes, 2bd 2bath we pay more in rent than OP, were frugal but eat good and healthy at home, dinner out once a week and some new take out place once week. We only buy clothing on sale shop at marshalls sometimes also, dont have to have a flashy car.

Been able to save and live REAL nice so far in SJ, however that down payment on a house is a BUMMER

you just have to know how to live and not try to keep up with the jones

[ponyupgrl]

300k+ for two people was not enough so we moved. "Comfortable" is relative though :-)

[VA Spaceman]

Originally Posted by ponyupgrl

300k+ for two people was not enough so we moved. "Comfortable" is relative though :-)

I don't blame you. Two people pulling in $150K each ($300K total) can afford something like this assuming they put approximately 20% down ($250K) and pay 36% of their net income (~$5500/mo) towards the mortgage:

https://www.trulia.com/property/3247...yvale-CA-94087

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice place. But $1.25M nice, I don't think so.

Here's what you can get in Williamsburg, VA (not far from where I live) for the relative bargain of $795K:

https://www.trulia.com/property/1353...sburg-VA-23185

Yes, I know it's not in CA, but c'mon. Is it really worth that kind of sacrifice to live in Sunnyvale, CA? To each their own, I guess.

[thetrb]

Originally Posted by VA Spaceman

I don't blame you. Two people pulling in $150K each ($300K total) can afford something like this assuming they put approximately 20% down ($250K) and pay 36% of their net income (~$5500/mo) towards the mortgage:

https://www.trulia.com/property/3247...yvale-CA-94087

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice place. But $1.25M nice, I don't think so.

Here's what you can get in Williamsburg, VA (not far from where I live) for the relative bargain of $795K:

https://www.trulia.com/property/1353...sburg-VA-23185

Yes, I know it's not in CA, but c'mon. Is it really worth that kind of sacrifice to live in Sunnyvale, CA? To each their own, I guess.

You're comparing apples and oranges. If I could get the same salary in a cheaper COL place then I would probably move there. However, the high-tech jobs are here in CA (and a few other places like Seattle).