OT: Can You Live On? - Page 2

Will · #1 September 29th, 2004, 12:23 PM

I voted barely, but it would really depend. If I lived in Pennsylvania, then I could do it easily. If I lived in Los Angeles, I most likely couldn't, I'd be going over the $1000/month line a lot. Differences in cost of living pretty much, since in urban California, you would need a bit over minimum wage to get anywhere, probably around $9/hour minimum. The area of rural Pennsylvania where my parents live, someone could easily get by on the minimum wage of $5.15 there... and some people do (although usually it's bumped up to somewhere in the $6 after a year).

Loser · #2 September 29th, 2004, 02:21 PM

I live on less than that now and consistantly add to my savings. My car was paid off, and insurance only ran me $250 every six months. The mortgage runs around nine, I have a three-hundred-dollars-a-month personal note, and all the stadard services (phone, water, power, gas, broadband) only run around $250.

I have filled my five-bedroom house with roommmates, so things are exceedingly tolorable. When I finish school and get a job, rather than relying on the unemployment insurance checks, I'll be putting away a lot of money. Even a crappy $9/hour job will allow me to really stack up the bank.

No credit cards (though I just picked up a few for emergencies), no health insurace (every now and then I have to go to the doctor's, and that's about $70 for the visit and they give me 'samples' for medication), somewhat expensive eating habits (Atkins, more or less), no eating out, no movies, no new games (still playing D2:LoD, SE IV, and SMAC), no television, no real problems.

Here in Colorado unemployment is paid by your former employers through an insurance system. I know there is welfare, but it isn't any way to get by.

I don't know what's running you up so bad, man. But once again I invite you to move to Colorado. It's nice here.

(I didn't vote, CC bills, auto note and whatnot just out of my paradigm)

Ragnarok · #3 September 29th, 2004, 02:37 PM

I could make it on that amount each month but it would be pretty tight. Although probably not as bad as I think it would be if I'd budget and not eat out so much.

I make just a little bit more then that each month at my current job and make it just fine. Although that is with the fact that I still live at home...Hey, leave me alone, I'm only 19.

If my car payment was a little bit lower each month I would not have any problems at all making it on that amount each month if I had my own apartment. Living in rural Indiana is nice in that regard.

AgentZero · #4 September 29th, 2004, 03:53 PM

I usually pull in about eur1300 a month which works out at about USD1600 and I still have to be very careful with my money or I'll run out before the end of the month.
That 1300.00 usually breaks down as:
350.00 rent (which is bloody cheap for Dublin)
180.00 food (also eating cheaply by Dublin standards)
150.00 credit card
85.00 pension fund (government one is rubish)
60.00 transportation (bus or train to work, owning a car in Dublin is prohibitively expensive.
80.00 on repayments on my PC
80.00 on the loan I had to take out to pay hospital bills.
60.00 medical insurance (I learned my lesson)
50.00 mobile phone bill (if I'm lucky)
90.00 electricity/phone/heating bills
30.00 for ISP (only one in the house with a PC so I foot the bill myself.

Which leavs me with about eur80.00 after everything is payed for which isn't too bad but it doesn't go very far over here. Ah well, once the loan, PC and credit card payments are done that'll free up another 300... Only 2 more years to go.

Arakiel · #5 September 29th, 2004, 04:07 PM

voted NO F***ING WAY! because...well...there no F***ING way. $1000 is only half my current mortgage payment, nevermind cars, food, etc...
Even renting isn't possible, the house down the end of my street is currently renting for more then my mortgage and my Last 2 bedroom apartment rented @ $800 so maybe in another part of the US but certainly not in Massachusetts.

Baron Munchausen · #6 September 30th, 2004, 12:21 AM

And yet that's fairly cheap for Europe from what I hear. What about living away from Dublin, in the western and more rural parts of Ireland? Would it be lots cheaper or does it not make much difference anymore?

parabolize · #7 September 29th, 2004, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Loser said:
I live on less than that now and consistantly add to my savings. My car was paid off, and insurance only ran me $250 every six months. The mortgage runs around nine, I have a three-hundred-dollars-a-month personal note, and all the stadard services (phone, water, power, gas, broadband) only run around $250.

I have filled my five-bedroom house with roommmates, so things are exceedingly tolorable. When I finish school and get a job, rather than relying on the unemployment insurance checks, I'll be putting away a lot of money. Even a crappy $9/hour job will allow me to really stack up the bank.

No credit cards (though I just picked up a few for emergencies), no health insurace (every now and then I have to go to the doctor's, and that's about $70 for the visit and they give me 'samples' for medication), somewhat expensive eating habits (Atkins, more or less), no eating out, no movies, no new games (still playing D2:LoD, SE IV, and SMAC), no television, no real problems.

Here in Colorado unemployment is paid by your former employers through an insurance system. I know there is welfare, but it isn't any way to get by.

I don't know what's running you up so bad, man. But once again I invite you to move to Colorado. It's nice here.

(I didn't vote, CC bills, auto note and whatnot just out of my paradigm)

Not in the citys. $1000 isn't what you need to make it in Colorado Springs let alone Denver.

kerensky · #8 September 29th, 2004, 06:00 PM

I live in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads area of Virginia, so the living costs aren't all that bad. About a year ago, my dad went on disability pay for nearly eight months which meant he only got 66% of his normal paycheck. take that into effect that we are buying our house and i live in a family of four kids...

Loser · #9 September 30th, 2004, 12:56 AM

Quote:

parabolize said:Not in the citys. $1000 isn't what you need to make it in Colorado Springs let alone Denver.

Nonesense. I've lived on less than that for years at a time, putting money away even.

Of course when I lived on <$800 I was living in squallor: no car, no broadband, shared appartment, ate at work.

Seriously, though. Downtowners don't even need a car here in the Springs. They live downtown in small apartments that are part of what used to be the homes of millionares (1890s), they work downtown in the resurants, shops, and hotels, they party downtown at their friends houses or on CC campus (real downtowners apparently never go to the clubs downtown). They can live on less than a grand.

Baron Munchausen · #10 September 30th, 2004, 12:13 AM

That's not so difficult to live on where I am (small town/rural Midwest), but I'm sure it's very difficult to live at that level on either coast where the cost of living is so much higher. It would be tight here, but it's doable for a single individual. I bet both unemployment and welfare benefits are less out here, though.

Edit: Hmm, I ended up responding to Loser. Now why can't you change who your message replies to?