Can a Family of Five make it in Seattle? (Federal Way: to rent, daycare)

[exit82]

We make about $130K, and have two kids. We are barely skeetching by.

I still fail to understand how you are having such a hard time on $130K a year. Are you burdened with unmanageable credit card debt? Bad investments? $130k should be plenty for a family of four, even with a $2000+ monthly mortgage.

I'd be interested in that as well,

[mitsuturbo]

130k?!!? holy effing rich! god, i'd kill for that kind of income! i feel im doing pretty well for myself and i only make about 50 after just moving back from out of state! granted i live in a %$#*ing apartment for the first time ever in my life, but i'll be renting a house in september again! my kid and woman are comfortable enough.. we just bought a new tv, some furniture, a nice digital slr, and have plenty of food, phones, insurance, etc. i dont have a car payment and dont want one ever, so maybe that is a factor, but damn... 130k?!!!!!!! with that kind of money i could do whatever the hell i wanted whenever the hell i wanted to!!

[SYS]

Sure, you can barely get by with $130K income in a place like Seattle, and you can also get by with half that income and enjoy your life, too. Isn't it all depending on what your lifestyle is?

[Ira500]

Sure, you can barely get by with $130K income in a place like Seattle, and you can also get by with half that income and enjoy your life, too. Isn't it all depending on what your lifestyle is?


Absolutely. Some people are fine renting a 700 dollar per month apartment. Some others have to live in homes costlier than 500,000 dollars. Some people have to send their kids to private schools or pay for private French or tennis lessons,or extracurricular activities, or restaurants, or clothing..some make 130,000 dollars but have to spend a lot on professional expenses... Others feel lucky that their kid's school is merely safe...And for those who are paying for daycare, that's an enormous expense.

[CityGirl72]

Well thanks for the ridicule. (**smiling with sarcasm**)

We have alot of student loans for graduate degrees. We have one car paid and one car loan. Our Mortgage is $1850, and we have one child in daycare - if you go to Bright Horizons in U village it's $1650 a month. Those are all our big ticket items.

Yes, we take one family vacation a year - but not to like Europe or anything fancy.

We have a small 1300 sqft house, and drive a toyota Rav 4, so no Mercedes here.

Plus we pay 100% for my mother in law, because she's on a low fixed income and needs our help.

But hey, who's to judge anyone right?

[Ira500]

Well thanks for the ridicule.

I hope you didn't feel that I was ridiculing you. It wasn't my intent at all, and wasn't thinking about your particular situation, and wasn't trying to infer that one person was any better than any other.

I paid for daycare and student loans 25 years ago, and it was a huge money drain then, and it's probably worse for people today.

[CityGirl72]

Oh no! Not you IRA - I changed it to show I was smiling and kinda of giggling too, I'm much more laid back then that! HA!

If you can't laugh at life, then what can you laugh at?

And I don't think people realize that we are in a different tax bracket now - and get hit there too

[SYS]

Just to put things in perspective, who was that German guy who was worth billions and yet committed suicide by train very recently because his wealth went down to something like mere 500 mil? Obviously, he didn't think he could afford to live ANYwhere on this planet earth with that kind of money. Yet a lot of us play lottery and pray that we win just 1/500th of that amount...

[happiestever]

To the OP, I think you could do it. Although I would say to find a job before you move or at least have several interviews lined up would be your best bet. Most rentals here require first, last and deposit. So you would need that, plus money to stock your fridge.....any kind of registration fees, licensing, cars, ins.... $5k might squeak you by, but then what do you have to fall back on? Jobs first, and rent money, you can always relocate to something nicer once you get a feel for the area. Good Luck

[Anders15]

I also would like more on this issue