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Financial irrationality on the bump

http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/41778010/ShowThread.aspx#41778010

Why would you give up the higher of your two incomes, to scrape by on $35K/yr?

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Mucho likes purple nails and purple cupcakes

Re: Financial irrationality on the bump

  • Well hmmm. I would not quit to scrape by on 35k.  But if they are paying daycare and she wants to stay home and he doesn't it might make sense for them. I also wonder how much more than him she makes. I bet not a ton.
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  • We don't have kids and have a very low COL and I couldn't even imagine doing it.  I find it carazy and couldn't imagine not being able to put anything into savings.  The chick that listed her budget mentioned nothing of savings...
  • I'm impressed that you used the word "agita" in your response.
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  • Well right there she's WAY above the recommended spending no more than 1/3rd of your monthly income on housing ...
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    Husbands should be like Kleenex: Soft, strong, and disposable.
  • Who pays $1k a month on rent in Utah?  Well, I'm sure someone does, but I bet they make more than $35k a year.

    Yeah, I just searched all of Salt Lake City and the vicinity for a minimum rent of a thousand dollars and even those results top out in the low thousand range.  Clearly there must be plenty of cheaper housing: http://www.apartments.com/Results.aspx?page=results&area4=y&state=ut&rgn1=70&helicon=1&subarea1=y&subarea2=y&subarea3=y&subarea4=y&subarea5=y&subarea6=y&subarea7=y&prvpg=5&Rent_Minimum=1000&Rent_Maximum=99999 

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    "As of page 2 this might be the most boring argument ever. It's making me long for Rape Day." - Mouse
  • Some people will just do anything to SAH. That budget would be seriously tight and not one I would be comfortable with with only 3 months worth of savings. Yikes.
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  • If the COL is low, daycare costs are probably pretty low too?

    I understand women who value staying home with a kid over fancier lifestyles and fun money. I just don't get women who are willing to put their family into financial ruin, or place tons of stress and pressure on the working spouse to stretch every last penny to the max so that they don't have to work. And making 35k, I just can't imagine the situation being a "Just giving up luxury and fun money" kind of situation.

  • If I were in that situation, I would probably never sleep again because I'd be constantly freaked out about finances.  One big unanticipated cost and you're fuucked.

    image Mabel the Loser.
  • Maybe she can start a blog. The next generation of $1000 a month chick.
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  • imagejens_a_ten:

    If the COL is low, daycare costs are probably pretty low too?

    I understand women who value staying home with a kid over fancier lifestyles and fun money. I just don't get women who are willing to put their family into financial ruin, or place tons of stress and pressure on the working spouse to stretch every last penny to the max so that they don't have to work. And making 35k, I just can't imagine the situation being a "Just giving up luxury and fun money" kind of situation.

    Exactly.  If you can actually afford it and its a priority for you, great.  But if you have to essentially mortgage your future to do it, because there's nothing leftover to put away for retirement, college funds, etc. how is that better for your family?

    Mod, even if she only makes a little bit more than him, it's still an irrational decision to give up her income.  When you're talking $35K, every little bit matters.  (Caveats:  unless his long term earning power is greater than hers, and/or his benefits are a lot better.)

    HT, a couple of friends at work use agita and I've decided to steal it because it makes me sound way smarter.

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  • Yeah, their rent is more than our mortgage and the thought of living on $2200 a month makes me itchy.  I mean, we literally couldn't do it, even if we cut out all of our non-essentials.

    Especially with so little savings and not putting anything in, I can't imagine it.  I happened to have a crappier than normal month with my health this month and I've spent about $400 on co-pays and prescriptions.  It's not a problem, but that's WHY you have to have a cushion, especially when you have a baby.  I assume those sorts of things will happen more often with kids.


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    The nerve!
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  • At first glance my reaction is the same as most of yours, but hey, my dad raised a family of 3 as a single parent on 35k/year.  I never thought we were exceptionally poor or anything growing up.  
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  • imagewendyld:
    At first glance my reaction is the same as most of yours, but hey, my dad raised a family of 3 as a single parent on 35k/year.  I never thought we were exceptionally poor or anything growing up.  

    I think $35k was a different amount back then, though, right?  My dad was making about that much when we moved to Houston and we weren't struggling.

    It's not the 35k that bothers me.  It's the 2200 a months and the like 1700 in expenses before taking even groceries into account.


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    The nerve!
    House | Blog
  • Oh I definitely get the bills/income ratio being a big problem,  but 35k is what my dad made 6 years ago when he died, so it wasn't all that long ago. Honestly, I guess that means he was making even less probably when we were still living at home.
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  • I think I'm with Wendy. I think we think we NEED more than we do. They need to move to a cheaper apartment though. As to giving up the higher salary, there are a lot a considerations that go into that other than comparing salary x to salary y. Otherwise, I'd still be miserable at my imploding Chicago firm. Sometimes happiness and career satisfaction trumps long term earning potential.
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  • imageFallinAgain:
    I think I'm with Wendy. I think we think we NEED more than we do.

    Absolutely.  The person who stays at home on that amount with $325 rent?  More power to her.

    I think it's possible to SAH on that amount, but not with those expenses.  No way.


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    The nerve!
    House | Blog
  • imageSarahBethBR:

    imageFallinAgain:
    I think I'm with Wendy. I think we think we NEED more than we do.

    Absolutely.  The person who stays at home on that amount with $325 rent?  More power to her.

    I think it's possible to SAH on that amount, but not with those expenses.  No way.

    Agreed.  My dad's mortgage was in the $400/mo range (which still buys a decent house in BFE) and he never had a car payment because he saved money and bought with cash, etc. so 35k went much farther that way.  My point was we never went without anything we needed and even as a bratty teenager I wasn't all 'woah is me, we're so poor.'  

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  • Ok, are taxes super low there? I thought 1/3 was pretty standard federally. Because 1/3 of 35,500 is 10,650, which would give a take home of 24,850. Which is 2070 a month, and doesn't account for SS and health insurance.

    Am I tripping?

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    For less then ten cents a day, you can feed a hungry child.
  • imageAngieP900:

    Ok, are taxes super low there? I thought 1/3 was pretty standard federally. Because 1/3 of 35,500 is 10,650, which would give a take home of 24,850. Which is 2070 a month, and doesn't account for SS and health insurance.

    Am I tripping?

    Maybe the $35k is his takehome and she's already taken taxes into account.

    I think Lindsey's whole point was that there's no way they can keep that lifestyle, which the OP seems to be asking if they can, and pull in $35k/year, not if it's at all doable if you change x, y, and z expenses.

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    Husbands should be like Kleenex: Soft, strong, and disposable.
  • I'm most surprised by the person who lives in Sacramento and is living off the same budget.  Whoa.

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    "That chick wins at Penises, for sure." -- Fenton
  • In CA, gas alone could cost you $35K a year.

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    11/11/11 = 5 years. Woah!
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