Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

We have 2 kids that play competitive soccer...age 8 and 10, uniform $300, fees $3000 a year :eek: and a tournament entry averages at $50

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Crazy grocery prices being quoted here. We shop at Wegmans where a gallon of milk is currently $2.49 and you can get a large basic loaf of white bread for $0.99. When we lived in California grocery prices were much higher, with milk being close if not slightly over $4/gallon. Groceries in the north east by California standards are much cheaper.

Wegmans is far from being a 'budget' grocery store either.

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

On the tea front you can get an 80 count box of Tetleys British Blend for $3.48 also at Wegmans. Not a fan of Yorkshire tea, that stuff strips your stomach lining lol :)

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Wegmans is great...there's a couple in MA, but there aren't any in the rest of New England.

The bread ain't bad though and the milk is one of the cheapest around, but it's not as cheap as yours. The non-grocery stuff is a bit off the charts expensive though such as cleaning products, so you're having to head to far more places to find the bargains and in Dover, NH there's really not that much choice, though there is a Trader Joes past the Fox Run Mall that's between Dover and Portsmouth, small one but it's pretty decent.

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Notes are definitely taken, thanks all for great feedback BTW.

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Understood, I think I'll be looking for modern condo likely within "some" city boundaries for the start ...

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

So whats your take on it (family of 5 - albeit with two early - primary school children)

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Anything on the normal school spendings books, notes, fund raising events, ... and this kind of stuff.

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

This may help show you where you fit in.
https://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/researc...ilyIncome.html

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Quick summary, I did some research on the medical insurance bills I "estimated"
$500 for monthly premium (assuming employers contribution for the remaining
part) and another $500 for average monthly deductibles, this is assuming normal
spending for healthy family including money on seasonal related infections possibly
a visit to GP ....

Summary:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- $ 900 groceries (possibly in a range of $600 to 900)
- $ 300 car insurance - 2 cars
- $ 20 Umbrella Insurance
- $ 120 internet, phone, TV
- $ 200 propane based heating / air conditioning (avg) 3 bedroom (~2000 sq./ft.)
{oil based NE - might be as much as about $600-800 per month from November-March, overall yearly 6K - 3,000 sq ft.}
- $ 150 electricity (avg / month) 5 people - 3 bedroom house (up to $200 - 250 month)
- $ ___ extra school spendings (in school and after school activities including sport related)
- $ 150 3 cell plans
- $ 250 (70c / litre / on avg 3050 km shared by 2 cars per month with avg 10l / 100km)
- $ ___ water (n/a if renting ? - avg / month)
- $2000 rent - 3 bedroom (~200 sq./ft.)
- $1000 medical insurance - ($300 to $1500) family of 5 depending on work based benefits (if any) and an income
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GT: $5090

Pointers:
- get a job with medical insurance included,
- rent a house, with efficient / modern heating system preferably propane based - condo?,
- rent a house within (even small) city area, it would lower gas costs, sort out winters


Now, based on your estimates, it looks like family of 5 needs NET income of $60 000 dollars just to get going,
it will be probably 75K before tax. Since there will be very little difference for family of 5 and not that much
difference for family of 3 (again, I'm talking about basic spendings) I'm not sure how you guys coupe, because
you might need much more than that once Perks are included, probably 100 to 125K. Which means both parents
needs a quite decent wage in order to deliver.

So I'm asking what's happend to that beautiful country, how low income family can even
survive? -> just a rhetorical question ...

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Thanks I was trying to look at it however this page doesn't open for me also I'm not that in to statistics,
as per statistical meaning you can drown in 5 inch deep water ...

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

We have an old saying on BE, my friend: "Same shit different bucket ."

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

OP- your figures don't include 401k contributions and although it wouldn't be immediate, funding college for three children is going to be very expensive and you would probably need to have some sort of college savings fund in place.

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Or he could look at it this way...

Do you really want to leave the fairly comfortable life you have now with the security of medical treatment and other benefits to start somewhere new knowing you will struggle for a while??

It is do-able but it can be stressful, frightening and sometimes down right scary.
If you want to take a chance, with hard work and some luck you will get there. Just don't expect an easy ride.

Re: How much is enough – Northeast
 

Meant to add, school supplies for our 13 year old came to around $200 dollars. Luckily she's not remotely interested in any type of sports, so we don't have any huge costs there. I tend to ignore all of the cake/plant/fundraiser stuff and just make a contribution to the school at the end of the year.

Trying to fill the 11 week summer holiday can prove to be very expensive. The cheapest day camp type thing is with the YMCA which came in at $550 per week. Daughter's friend went on a 3 week sleep away camp with the YMCA which cost around $1100 per week. Most of my daughter's friends go off to a camp for part of the summer break followed by a family holiday.