Thanks for pointing this out! I made 30K in NYC and lived a pretty fantastic life. I was proud of how much I was making. If I did get pregnant we would have moved to Jersey or further east of the city to a cheap apt, cut drinking and going out to eat, our fancy cell phones, stopped vacationing, etc. Last time I checked 30K is a decent living.
It truly depends on where you live if 30k Is decent. Last year I was a single school teacher in Idaho. My salary before anything came out was just below 32k. Once retirement, health insurance, rent(I rented from my district), and both fed and state taxes came out; I had less than 1800 per check. With no car payment, a cheap phone and plan, and just student loans I could barely squeeze by with maybe $25 left at the end of the month.
It just depends on where you live, and the standar of living there.
------
Ummm.. my first job out of college I also lived in Idaho and made under $20,000! I did just fine. Yeah my parent may have helped me buy nice things from time to time but I paid all my bills and was able to save. It was Idaho Falls- my rent was $350 a month!
Living in that little taught me to budget.
****what is up with quote boxes today??****
Ermahgerd!! 350/mo??? I just died. I'm dead. When I moved to NYC, my rent was 1210... This is a studio apt. In Queens. By the time I left 3 years later, it had gone up to 1500. At that point, I moved in with Fiancé (Now DH), and since we didn't merge finances until he put the second ring on it, I paid him $1200/a mo (which seemed like SO cheap after 1500) that he put directly towards paying down the principal on his mortgage for the year we were engaged.. I could have spent that money on luxuries, since he could obviously afford his place himself. It Has helped us big time in the long run of real estate. Smart money decisions, people. Love them. Live them. Have more $ down the road.
Ummm.. my first job out of college I also lived in Idaho and made under $20,000! I did just fine. Yeah my parent may have helped me buy nice things from time to time but I paid all my bills and was able to save. It was Idaho Falls- my rent was $350 a month!
Living in that little taught me to budget.
I never said it can't be done, but living over a 1/4 tank of gas from the nearest store with more than bread and eggs makes it difficult. I did budget, and I still do. I also have added in coaching, so I have a few $100 extra. I get it, but just because you live in a city doesn't mean it's cheaper or more expensive than somewhere else.
***
Yes. Yes it does. I'm not sure about comparing Boise to backwoods Idaho, but I can ASSURE you that if we're talking New York City, LA, Chicago, London, etc, we're talking apples to watermelons here. Happy to provide further research.
Ummm.. my first job out of college I also lived in Idaho and made under $20,000! I did just fine. Yeah my parent may have helped me buy nice things from time to time but I paid all my bills and was able to save. It was Idaho Falls- my rent was $350 a month!
Living in that little taught me to budget.
I never said it can't be done, but living over a 1/4 tank of gas from the nearest store with more than bread and eggs makes it difficult. I did budget, and I still do. I also have added in coaching, so I have a few $100 extra. I get it, but just because you live in a city doesn't mean it's cheaper or more expensive than somewhere else.
************
Let's play a game. If you go out to pick up a sandwich, small bag of chips, and soda at the local deli...what would that cost you?
ETA: Eveyone can play. Chime in with your location (keep it general, says Internet safety Sue) and what a standard hoagie/hero/grinder/sub would cost with chips and soda from a local deli, this could be fun.
Yes. Yes it does. I'm not sure about comparing Boise to backwoods Idaho, but I can ASSURE you that if we're talking New York City, LA, Chicago, London, etc, we're talking apples to watermelons here. Happy to provide further research.
When it's over $150 a month just to run the stove, fridge, and keep it at 50 inside, it is different. I'm not talking Boise ID I'm talking Reading ID. There is a single gas station that gets gas brought in once a year. The nearest town is over 75 miles each way. There is a serious difference is standard of living.
Formerly known as Kate08young August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Me: 28 H: 24 Married: 7/22/14 Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017. Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
Yes. Yes it does. I'm not sure about comparing Boise to backwoods Idaho, but I can ASSURE you that if we're talking New York City, LA, Chicago, London, etc, we're talking apples to watermelons here. Happy to provide further research.
When it's over $150 a month just to run the stove, fridge, and keep it at 50 inside, it is different. I'm not talking Boise ID I'm talking Reading ID. There is a single gas station that gets gas brought in once a year. The nearest town is over 75 miles each way. There is a serious difference is standard of living.
******
Girl, that is not a big utility bill. I have oil heat in the northeast. Try over a thousand for the winter. Just for heat. ETA: we could go back and forth playing pain Olympics. But you clearly have no grasp on the cost of living in major cities.
It sounds like rent was cheaper in Idaho (which makes sense) but utilities were insanely high and there were costs associated with living in the middle of nowhere which people who live in cities would not have and may have a hard time understanding.
Rent is beyond question more expensive in a major international city, but there are trade offs such as utilities costing around the national average, availability of public transport and close availability of goods and services to offset it that someone in an extremely rural setting may not have access to.
Budgets are hard and money is always tight (No matter how much you make as shown by psychological/sociological research.) We all do the best we can and some struggle with it more than others. I think moving forward everyone here is probably more budget conscious than they were in the past. God knows I'd love to have some of the money I blew on stupid shit while I was in high school.
Yes. Yes it does. I'm not sure about comparing Boise to backwoods Idaho, but I can ASSURE you that if we're talking New York City, LA, Chicago, London, etc, we're talking apples to watermelons here. Happy to provide further research.
When it's over $150 a month just to run the stove, fridge, and keep it at 50 inside, it is different. I'm not talking Boise ID I'm talking Reading ID. There is a single gas station that gets gas brought in once a year. The nearest town is over 75 miles each way. There is a serious difference is standard of living.
******
Girl, that is not a big utility bill. I have oil heat in the northeast. Try over a thousand for the winter. Just for heat.
But you don't have to drive as far. There are trade offs for each location. I'm just trying to show that numbers are not always equal depending on location.
Formerly known as Kate08young August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Me: 28 H: 24 Married: 7/22/14 Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017. Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
Ummm.. my first job out of college I also lived in Idaho and made under $20,000! I did just fine. Yeah my parent may have helped me buy nice things from time to time but I paid all my bills and was able to save. It was Idaho Falls- my rent was $350 a month! Living in that little taught me to budget.
I never said it can't be done, but living over a 1/4 tank of gas from the nearest store with more than bread and eggs makes it difficult. I did budget, and I still do. I also have added in coaching, so I have a few $100 extra. I get it, but just because you live in a city doesn't mean it's cheaper or more expensive than somewhere else.
------------------------------------------------------------- You sound ridiculous. Living in the city absolutely means its more expensive than somewhere else. That's a fact.
Let's play a game. If you go out to pick up a sandwich, small bag of chips, and soda at the local deli...what would that cost you?
ETA: Eveyone can play. Chime in with your location (keep it general, says Internet safety Sue) and what a standard hoagie/hero/grinder/sub would cost with chips and soda from a local deli, this could be fun.
Ooh ooh I will play. In the South is say $6-$9, average
For me on the fringes of NYC metro, it's about $12-13. DH can easily pay $15 in Manhattan where he works.
I was just going to say this. If I don't bring my lunch to work (NYC), we're talking $10 absolute minimum (slice of pizza and a soda), realistically $15-$20 and that's for grab and go sandwiches, salads, etc. Forget it if I want to sit. By my house (NJ), I'm looking at $10-$12 for what you listed above.
***sandwich cost of living game*** Tennessee City: around 7$ Full disclosure, I had to google the price online, because it's really been THAT long since I've eaten lunch out...
Sandwich chips and pop would be around $30 in my northern Canada small town. In the city at subway it would be less than half that, but that's a 5 hour drive each way.
Ummm.. my first job out of college I also lived in Idaho and made under $20,000! I did just fine. Yeah my parent may have helped me buy nice things from time to time but I paid all my bills and was able to save. It was Idaho Falls- my rent was $350 a month!
Living in that little taught me to budget.
I never said it can't be done, but living over a 1/4 tank of gas from the nearest store with more than bread and eggs makes it difficult. I did budget, and I still do. I also have added in coaching, so I have a few $100 extra. I get it, but just because you live in a city doesn't mean it's cheaper or more expensive than somewhere else.
************
Let's play a game. If you go out to pick up a sandwich, small bag of chips, and soda at the local deli...what would that cost you?
ETA: Eveyone can play. Chime in with your location (keep it general, says Internet safety Sue) and what a standard hoagie/hero/grinder/sub would cost with chips and soda from a local deli, this could be fun.
Define sandwich was what I started to say and then I saw your ETA. Ha! That rhymes.
We're talking local deli, not chain, right? That's so variable here. We have one deli downtown that is insane. In that case, I would say 10-15. Normal local deli? Maybe 8-10. I'm in a major metro.
Yes. Yes it does. I'm not sure about comparing Boise to backwoods Idaho, but I can ASSURE you that if we're talking New York City, LA, Chicago, London, etc, we're talking apples to watermelons here. Happy to provide further research.
When it's over $150 a month just to run the stove, fridge, and keep it at 50 inside, it is different. I'm not talking Boise ID I'm talking Reading ID. There is a single gas station that gets gas brought in once a year. The nearest town is over 75 miles each way. There is a serious difference is standard of living.
******
Girl, that is not a big utility bill. I have oil heat in the northeast. Try over a thousand for the winter. Just for heat.
But you don't have to drive as far. There are trade offs for each location. I'm just trying to show that numbers are not always equal depending on location.
-------------------------- I would take your rent and utilities ANY DAY! I live in central Indiana it is nothing for me to have electric bills that are 250-300 in the winter. Really $100 is the cheapest the bill ever gets and that 1 or 2 months a year. Rent has never been cheaper than $1000 ( I have a strict no ghetto policy lol)
Sandwich chips and pop would be around $30 in my northern Canada small town. In the city at subway it would be less than half that, but that's a 5 hour drive each way.
Wait, what? What the hell is in your sandwich?!?!??!
Oh and heat is insane. It costs an average of $2500 in the winter months to keep our house at an average of 10 degrees Celsius (but can only get it to 5 degrees inside at -40 degrees). I believe 10 C is about 50 F for reference.
Hoagie at the gas station as we don't have local delis: $6 for a small 4-5 inch. Chips $2.15, fountain drink small $1.78, bottled 20oz $1.89 So right about 10 when from a gas station. If you want an actual restaurant like local McDonald's, yet mom and pop store: Sandwich 6" $9, chips/fries/tots $4, drink $2.99 So $16 if it's not gas station stuff.
Formerly known as Kate08young August '18 Siggy April Showers:
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Sandwich chips and pop would be around $30 in my northern Canada small town. In the city at subway it would be less than half that, but that's a 5 hour drive each way.
Wait, what? What the hell is in your sandwich?!?!??!
My husband had a sub sandwich a few weeks ago at the only deli we have which is inside a grocery store. It was just ham and cheddar cheese and lettuce and bun. I told him it is cheaper to drive home and drive back than $30. So now he mostly eats at home unless his boss is splurging on pizza or something.
Yes. Yes it does. I'm not sure about comparing Boise to backwoods Idaho, but I can ASSURE you that if we're talking New York City, LA, Chicago, London, etc, we're talking apples to watermelons here. Happy to provide further research.
When it's over $150 a month just to run the stove, fridge, and keep it at 50 inside, it is different. I'm not talking Boise ID I'm talking Reading ID. There is a single gas station that gets gas brought in once a year. The nearest town is over 75 miles each way. There is a serious difference is standard of living.
******
Girl, that is not a big utility bill. I have oil heat in the northeast. Try over a thousand for the winter. Just for heat.
But you don't have to drive as far. There are trade offs for each location. I'm just trying to show that numbers are not always equal depending on location.
-------------------------- I would take your rent and utilities ANY DAY! I live in central Indiana it is nothing for me to have electric bills that are 250-300 in the winter. Really $100 is the cheapest the bill ever gets and that 1 or 2 months a year. Rent has never been cheaper than $1000 ( I have a strict no ghetto policy lol)
---- This for Michigan too. High in winter and summer for heat and air.
My rent has been cheaper and my mortgage is less than $700 for a 4 bed, 2 bath house... but houses on this side of the state are crazy cheap.
Just brain storming... a few ways to save/cut expenses- •If you're not locked into a cell phone contract consider doing a prepaid plan. I reactivated my cell phone when we got back to the states and through US Cellular my bill is 50 a month plus tax compared to my husband's over 100 bill each month because he needed a new phone. • My hometown has a dented can store. The cans are dented so they end up there and it costs a lot less! Maybe your area has something like that? Just make sure the seal isn't broken. •You can use less meat in some dishes by bulking it up with things such as black beans, other veggies, etc. When I make some texmex dishes instead of using as much ground turkey, I bulk it up by adding black beans, corn, and salsa. Also, since it's just the two of us I only use half a can and put the rest of the can in a container and put it in the fridge for later in the week. •When baby is here, of course, it's your choice and preference, but breastfeeding is free :-) formula can add up pretty fast. •You could get rid of cable. You can rent movies from the local library for free. Books are also great too! You can rent them for free as well. •Eat leftovers! That can save so much! If you don't feel like having them the next day, freeze them for later. It's a quick grab and bring to work for lunch! •Coupons! They might not seem like much at the time, but it really adds up! •Need new clothes? Maybe your friend would like to trade clothes! Or maybe she just had a baby and would be willing to let you borrow her maternity clothes, or even have them!
After budget cutting, if you're still having trouble making ends meet, you could check at your church to see if they have something in place to help a bit. Also, in your area maybe they have a crossings facility to help moms that are having a difficult time. They sometimes help with diapers, blankets, etc. when baby comes.
Oh and heat is insane. It costs an average of $2500 in the winter months to keep our house at an average of 10 degrees Celsius (but can only get it to 5 degrees inside at -40 degrees). I believe 10 C is about 50 F for reference.
No longer going to complain about my natural gas bill at $250-300 in the winters!! And that's only for about 4 months then it goes back down to about $20.
I also live in ID, most people outside the city or small towns have to use oil to heat their house if they don't have a wood or pellet stove and I know that can get very spendy. I also understand the previous poster with fuel cost. I used to drive 80miles round trip for work, nearest grocery store was 60 miles round trip, in most parts of ID outside the city you need a truck, monthly gas for vehicles was around $600-800 a month. So glad to be a SAHM now!! Gas bill is about $100 now!
A sandwich in my area with a pop and chips is about $10-12
Oh and heat is insane. It costs an average of $2500 in the winter months to keep our house at an average of 10 degrees Celsius (but can only get it to 5 degrees inside at -40 degrees). I believe 10 C is about 50 F for reference.
No longer going to complain about my natural gas bill at $250-300 in the winters!! And that's only for about 4 months then it goes back down to about $20.
I also live in ID, most people outside the city or small towns have to use oil to hear their house if they don't have a wood or pellet stove and I know that can get very spendy. I also understand the previous poster with fuel cost. I used to drive 80miles round trip for work, nearest grocery store was 60 miles round trip, in most parts of ID outside the city you need a truck. My monthly gas for vehicles was around $600-800 a month. So glad to be a SAHM now!! Gas bill is about $100 now!
A sandwich in my area with a pop and chips is about $10-12
------ Spendy! A totally Idaho word.
I miss my time there! So beautiful. I'll actually be driving through in a few weeks!
It is beautiful!! I live about an hour from Boise, love the country and wouldn't change the cost of living for anything. I am sure "city folk" would say the same thing. Only thing that sucks is it takes 45 min to get to where we are having our baby! But of corse when my husband is driving and I am in full blown labor that becomes about 25-30 min :x
It is beautiful!! I live about an hour from Boise, love the country and wouldn't change the cost of living for anything. I am sure "city folk" would say the same thing. Only thing that sucks is it takes 45 min to get to where we are having our baby! But of corse when my husband is driving and I am in full blown labor that becomes about 25-30 min :x
That would be scary. I lived in Idaho Falls so I never worried about that.
I live in coastal Georgia. A sandwich from a local shop (We don't have deli's in my area.) is about $10 - $12. Add a drink and you're at about $15 for the meal. We also have many of the typical chain places too which are cheaper and typically terrible quality.
It is beautiful!! I live about an hour from Boise, love the country and wouldn't change the cost of living for anything. I am sure "city folk" would say the same thing. Only thing that sucks is it takes 45 min to get to where we are having our baby! But of corse when my husband is driving and I am in full blown labor that becomes about 25-30 min :x
I grew up in a small town about an hour from Boise, my parents still live there.
Formerly known as Kate08young August '18 Siggy April Showers:
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It is beautiful!! I live about an hour from Boise, love the country and wouldn't change the cost of living for anything. I am sure "city folk" would say the same thing. Only thing that sucks is it takes 45 min to get to where we are having our baby! But of corse when my husband is driving and I am in full blown labor that becomes about 25-30 min :x
That would be scary. I lived in Idaho Falls so I never worried about that.
My last son came in 3 hours. (First 2 were 6hrs) I was at my birthing center for 45 min before he came. So afraid of having this one in the SUV, they will actually send us home with a kit just in case....
East coast of Canada here. Can't really relate to a lot to the OP as me and DH almost clear 60k together (he works for provincial gov't).
Either way the sandwich game comes in at $10.
A break down of our costs of living
Mortgage - $480/month ( 60 year old house, 1200 sq/ft and 3 bedrooms) Phones - $120 Internet - $50 Netflix - $8 Power - $150 average (we have a wood stove so no big increase in winter, but approx $400 for the 2 loads of wood we burn) Water $25 (only have to pay sewer technically as we are on a well Student loan - $202 Insurances $225 Vehicles - $1100 ( we have 2 brand new vehicle because we can afford it, we bought the second when I was 8 months pregnant)
Not sure if I'm missing anything.. grocery and gas vary.. I formula feed.
It's all about budgeting.. cause we still can set money aside for saving, contribute to rrsps resp's, vacation.
Oh and heat is insane. It costs an average of $2500 in the winter months to keep our house at an average of 10 degrees Celsius (but can only get it to 5 degrees inside at -40 degrees). I believe 10 C is about 50 F for reference.
No longer going to complain about my natural gas bill at $250-300 in the winters!! And that's only for about 4 months then it goes back down to about $20.
I also live in ID, most people outside the city or small towns have to use oil to heat their house if they don't have a wood or pellet stove and I know that can get very spendy. I also understand the previous poster with fuel cost. I used to drive 80miles round trip for work, nearest grocery store was 60 miles round trip, in most parts of ID outside the city you need a truck, monthly gas for vehicles was around $600-800 a month. So glad to be a SAHM now!! Gas bill is about $100 now!
A sandwich in my area with a pop and chips is about $10-12
Natural gas heat is what my parents have. Average about $400 a month in winter. We hope to only do 1-2 more winters here.
That's AFTER your rent and insurance?? Yeah, You're doing it wrong. JUST after taxes and rent in NYC making 40k, my MONTHLY left in my pocket was 1250. Before car anything, phone, eating. - that's a rough estimate from quick calculation. The last people you can pull "standard of living" arguments with are city dwellers.
I didn't do anything wrong. It was 100+ miles round trip to the grocery store, so once a month shopping, and I had to drive 45 miles round trip to work. With gas being over 3.50 at the time, I had a $400 gas bill each month. Plus water, electric, and gas are also pretty expensive in backwoods Idaho.
That's AFTER your rent and insurance?? Yeah, You're doing it wrong. JUST after taxes and rent in NYC making 40k, my MONTHLY left in my pocket was 1250. Before car anything, phone, eating. - that's a rough estimate from quick calculation. The last people you can pull "standard of living" arguments with are city dwellers.
I didn't do anything wrong. It was 100+ miles round trip to the grocery store, so once a month shopping, and I had to drive 45 miles round trip to work. With gas being over 3.50 at the time, I had a $400 gas bill each month. Plus water, electric, and gas are also pretty expensive in backwoods Idaho.
100+ miles!!! Do you live in the Bush??
Yes in a little barely there town called Riddle. Autocorrect marked it as reading earlier. Nearest town was Grassmere, but really it's Bruneau. Bruneau didn't have anything besides a basic conscience store, so actual shopping had to be done in Mountain Home.
Formerly known as Kate08young August '18 Siggy April Showers:
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That's AFTER your rent and insurance?? Yeah, You're doing it wrong. JUST after taxes and rent in NYC making 40k, my MONTHLY left in my pocket was 1250. Before car anything, phone, eating. - that's a rough estimate from quick calculation. The last people you can pull "standard of living" arguments with are city dwellers.
I didn't do anything wrong. It was 100+ miles round trip to the grocery store, so once a month shopping, and I had to drive 45 miles round trip to work. With gas being over 3.50 at the time, I had a $400 gas bill each month. Plus water, electric, and gas are also pretty expensive in backwoods Idaho.
100+ miles!!! Do you live in the Bush??
Yes in a little barely there town called Riddle. Autocorrect marked it as reading earlier. Nearest town was Grassmere, but really it's Bruneau. Bruneau didn't have anything besides a basic conscience store, so actual shopping had to be done in Mountain Home.
Eeek! Stranger Danger! If the town you're living in is as small as you say it is you are very easily found. Most of us moms on here are wonderful people and you have nothing to fear from us, but we're not the only ones here. These boards are 100% public.
That's AFTER your rent and insurance?? Yeah, You're doing it wrong. JUST after taxes and rent in NYC making 40k, my MONTHLY left in my pocket was 1250. Before car anything, phone, eating. - that's a rough estimate from quick calculation. The last people you can pull "standard of living" arguments with are city dwellers.
I didn't do anything wrong. It was 100+ miles round trip to the grocery store, so once a month shopping, and I had to drive 45 miles round trip to work. With gas being over 3.50 at the time, I had a $400 gas bill each month. Plus water, electric, and gas are also pretty expensive in backwoods Idaho.
100+ miles!!! Do you live in the Bush??
Yes in a little barely there town called Riddle. Autocorrect marked it as reading earlier. Nearest town was Grassmere, but really it's Bruneau. Bruneau didn't have anything besides a basic conscience store, so actual shopping had to be done in Mountain Home.
Eeek! Stranger Danger! If the town you're living in is as small as you say it is you are very easily found. Most of us moms on here are wonderful people and you have nothing to fear from us, but we're not the only ones here. These boards are 100% public.
I have since married, changed both first and last name, and moved. I am not in the same area of Idaho, and haven't been for about a year now. Thank you for the concern though.
Formerly known as Kate08young August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Me: 28 H: 24 Married: 7/22/14 Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017. Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
Re: Question about Wic and Gov't Assistance...
Ermahgerd!! 350/mo??? I just died. I'm dead. When I moved to NYC, my rent was 1210... This is a studio apt. In Queens. By the time I left 3 years later, it had gone up to 1500. At that point, I moved in with Fiancé (Now DH), and since we didn't merge finances until he put the second ring on it, I paid him $1200/a mo (which seemed like SO cheap after 1500) that he put directly towards paying down the principal on his mortgage for the year we were engaged.. I could have spent that money on luxuries, since he could obviously afford his place himself. It Has helped us big time in the long run of real estate. Smart money decisions, people. Love them. Live them. Have more $ down the road.
************
When it's over $150 a month just to run the stove, fridge, and keep it at 50 inside, it is different. I'm not talking Boise ID I'm talking Reading ID. There is a single gas station that gets gas brought in once a year. The nearest town is over 75 miles each way. There is a serious difference is standard of living.
Formerly known as Kate08young
August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Married: 7/22/14
Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms
Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms
TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017.
Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
****** Girl, that is not a big utility bill. I have oil heat in the northeast. Try over a thousand for the winter. Just for heat. ETA: we could go back and forth playing pain Olympics. But you clearly have no grasp on the cost of living in major cities.
Rent is beyond question more expensive in a major international city, but there are trade offs such as utilities costing around the national average, availability of public transport and close availability of goods and services to offset it that someone in an extremely rural setting may not have access to.
Budgets are hard and money is always tight (No matter how much you make as shown by psychological/sociological research.) We all do the best we can and some struggle with it more than others. I think moving forward everyone here is probably more budget conscious than they were in the past. God knows I'd love to have some of the money I blew on stupid shit while I was in high school.
******
Girl, that is not a big utility bill. I have oil heat in the northeast. Try over a thousand for the winter. Just for heat.
But you don't have to drive as far. There are trade offs for each location. I'm just trying to show that numbers are not always equal depending on location.
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August '18 Siggy April Showers:
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Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms
TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017.
Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
-------------------------------------------------------------
You sound ridiculous. Living in the city absolutely means its more expensive than somewhere else. That's a fact.
Edit: quote fail
************
Ooh ooh I will play. In the South is say $6-$9, average
Tennessee City: around 7$
Full disclosure, I had to google the price online, because it's really been THAT long since I've eaten lunch out...
******
Girl, that is not a big utility bill. I have oil heat in the northeast. Try over a thousand for the winter. Just for heat.
But you don't have to drive as far. There are trade offs for each location. I'm just trying to show that numbers are not always equal depending on location.
--------------------------
I would take your rent and utilities ANY DAY!
I live in central Indiana it is nothing for me to have electric bills that are 250-300 in the winter. Really $100 is the cheapest the bill ever gets and that 1 or 2 months a year. Rent has never been cheaper than $1000 ( I have a strict no ghetto policy lol)
I believe 10 C is about 50 F for reference.
So right about 10 when from a gas station.
If you want an actual restaurant like local McDonald's, yet mom and pop store:
Sandwich 6" $9, chips/fries/tots $4, drink $2.99
So $16 if it's not gas station stuff.
Formerly known as Kate08young
August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Married: 7/22/14
Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms
Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms
TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017.
Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
My husband had a sub sandwich a few weeks ago at the only deli we have which is inside a grocery store. It was just ham and cheddar cheese and lettuce and bun. I told him it is cheaper to drive home and drive back than $30. So now he mostly eats at home unless his boss is splurging on pizza or something.
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I would take your rent and utilities ANY DAY!
I live in central Indiana it is nothing for me to have electric bills that are 250-300 in the winter. Really $100 is the cheapest the bill ever gets and that 1 or 2 months a year. Rent has never been cheaper than $1000 ( I have a strict no ghetto policy lol)
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This for Michigan too.
High in winter and summer for heat and air.
My rent has been cheaper and my mortgage is less than $700 for a 4 bed, 2 bath house... but houses on this side of the state are crazy cheap.
I would say $8 to $12 at a local place.
•If you're not locked into a cell phone contract consider doing a prepaid plan. I reactivated my cell phone when we got back to the states and through US Cellular my bill is 50 a month plus tax compared to my husband's over 100 bill each month because he needed a new phone.
• My hometown has a dented can store. The cans are dented so they end up there and it costs a lot less! Maybe your area has something like that? Just make sure the seal isn't broken.
•You can use less meat in some dishes by bulking it up with things such as black beans, other veggies, etc. When I make some texmex dishes instead of using as much ground turkey, I bulk it up by adding black beans, corn, and salsa. Also, since it's just the two of us I only use half a can and put the rest of the can in a container and put it in the fridge for later in the week.
•When baby is here, of course, it's your choice and preference, but breastfeeding is free :-) formula can add up pretty fast.
•You could get rid of cable. You can rent movies from the local library for free. Books are also great too! You can rent them for free as well.
•Eat leftovers! That can save so much! If you don't feel like having them the next day, freeze them for later. It's a quick grab and bring to work for lunch!
•Coupons! They might not seem like much at the time, but it really adds up!
•Need new clothes? Maybe your friend would like to trade clothes! Or maybe she just had a baby and would be willing to let you borrow her maternity clothes, or even have them!
After budget cutting, if you're still having trouble making ends meet, you could check at your church to see if they have something in place to help a bit. Also, in your area maybe they have a crossings facility to help moms that are having a difficult time. They sometimes help with diapers, blankets, etc. when baby comes.
Good luck and keep working hard! :-)
I also live in ID, most people outside the city or small towns have to use oil to heat their house if they don't have a wood or pellet stove and I know that can get very spendy. I also understand the previous poster with fuel cost. I used to drive 80miles round trip for work, nearest grocery store was 60 miles round trip, in most parts of ID outside the city you need a truck, monthly gas for vehicles was around $600-800 a month.
So glad to be a SAHM now!! Gas bill is about $100 now!
A sandwich in my area with a pop and chips is about $10-12
Spendy! A totally Idaho word.
I miss my time there! So beautiful.
I'll actually be driving through in a few weeks!
Formerly known as Kate08young
August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Married: 7/22/14
Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms
Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms
TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017.
Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
Either way the sandwich game comes in at $10.
A break down of our costs of living
Mortgage - $480/month ( 60 year old house, 1200 sq/ft and 3 bedrooms)
Phones - $120
Internet - $50
Netflix - $8
Power - $150 average (we have a wood stove so no big increase in winter, but approx $400 for the 2 loads of wood we burn)
Water $25 (only have to pay sewer technically as we are on a well
Student loan - $202
Insurances $225
Vehicles - $1100 ( we have 2 brand new vehicle because we can afford it, we bought the second when I was 8 months pregnant)
Not sure if I'm missing anything.. grocery and gas vary.. I formula feed.
It's all about budgeting.. cause we still can set money aside for saving, contribute to rrsps resp's, vacation.
Drinks are about 1.50-3
chips are about 60-1.50
sandwiches average 5-10
6-15 on average not to bad here
Actually looked at a map and I am probably wrong. Oops. lol.
100+ miles!!! Do you live in the Bush??
100+ miles!!! Do you live in the Bush??
Yes in a little barely there town called Riddle. Autocorrect marked it as reading earlier. Nearest town was Grassmere, but really it's Bruneau. Bruneau didn't have anything besides a basic conscience store, so actual shopping had to be done in Mountain Home.
Formerly known as Kate08young
August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Married: 7/22/14
Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms
Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms
TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017.
Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
Eeek! Stranger Danger! If the town you're living in is as small as you say it is you are very easily found. Most of us moms on here are wonderful people and you have nothing to fear from us, but we're not the only ones here. These boards are 100% public.
Formerly known as Kate08young
August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Married: 7/22/14
Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms
Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms
TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017.
Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.