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Old 07-01-2019, 09:25 PM   #81
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Lately I have had trouble reading much on this site. Perhaps it should be retitled-"Virtue Signalling Has Finally Been Perfected, and Here is How"

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Old 07-02-2019, 12:20 AM   #82
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Alameda County must be more expensive than Diablo Valley. I'm more than fine. But then I have HC @ 280 month, paid off house, and thrive on my pension (net 2535.78 month after taxes / HC) with 3 trips abroad per year.

We spend more, but other than housing our expenses don't seem to be too different than average across the U.S. based on the Consumer Expenditure Survey. For us, some things are even cheaper, like groceries (as long as we shop at the ethnic markets and discount stores), entertainment (lots of free and cheap things to do), and with the ACA our health care expenses were $24 last year (plus eye exams and dental checkups).
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Old 07-02-2019, 12:37 AM   #83
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Farmer, I would love to see a breakdown of expenses on how you do all that on 20k. I am guessing free medical with Tricare.
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Old 07-02-2019, 03:43 PM   #84
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We've lived in Hawaii since 1991, & don't spend nearly the average the article states. Little frugality on our part since retirement, either, but we spend on average just $63,333 annually.

Wonder where they get those figures?
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Old 07-02-2019, 05:52 PM   #85
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Northern CA (suburbs east of sacramento). Assuming 2k/mo for health care and paid off house, cars and college, 7k/mo is what we would be comfortable at.
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Old 07-02-2019, 06:29 PM   #86
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Farmer, I would love to see a breakdown of expenses on how you do all that on 20k. I am guessing free medical with Tricare.
Yes, exactly. US Navy provides my healthcare via Tricare.

Our property taxes for a 2400 sq ft house on 150 acres of river frontage land is ~ $800/year. Our annual fuel for heating is $700/year.
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Old 07-02-2019, 06:29 PM   #87
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according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average over-65 household will spend nearly $50,000 a year
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Mississippi is the cheapest place to retire comfortably at about $53,000 a year
So the average over-65 household cannot live comfortably anywhere? Click bait!
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Old 07-02-2019, 06:34 PM   #88
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So the average over-65 household cannot live comfortably anywhere? Click bait!
I know a lot of retirees who are over-65. The only thing I can think of that might cost more is the healthcare.

I turned 60 a few months ago. So the thinking is that when I reach 65 my expenses will triple suddenly?
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Old 07-02-2019, 07:32 PM   #89
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Farmer, I am super curious what you spend eating out and traveling per year. If travel is cheap you will have to share the secret). I don’t doubt you but love learning.
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Old 07-02-2019, 08:18 PM   #90
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Farmer, I am super curious what you spend eating out and traveling per year. If travel is cheap you will have to share the secret). I don’t doubt you but love learning.
We generally eat out twice a week.

My wife likes to drive down to DC to visit her sister twice a year.

We drive out to Kentucky to visit our youngest son and his wife once a year, then on to Kansas to visit our eldest son and his wife.

Once a year my wife's sister goes on a trip somewhere paid for by her company and she brings my wife as her plus-one. Last year they spent 2 weeks in Finland.
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Old 07-02-2019, 08:21 PM   #91
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Okay I appreciate the response.
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Old 07-03-2019, 06:22 AM   #92
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Travel does not always mean going overseas.
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Old 07-03-2019, 06:55 AM   #93
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Your relative has enjoyed one of the great privileges of upper middle class life - the ability to be mentally lazy about money. He doesn't know how much he spends or where he spends it because there has always been enough to make that effort unnecessary. By contrast, if you are dirt poor and sweating out the last few days until the SNAP benefits hit your EBT card, you know exactly how much money you spend and where you spend it.

From my long observation, most people are mentally lazy about most things, not just money. Not incapable by any means, but totally unwilling to make an effort unless forced by circumstances to do so.
Well said. I would have to agree.

I ( quite cynically ) had concluded that most people were just cognitively challenged in some way regarding money. Or possibly, that I reside in a different Time-Space-Logic Continuum.


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Old 07-03-2019, 08:43 AM   #94
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Live abroad

I lived in Thailand for 5 years. 2000 a month, you can live comfortably
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Old 07-05-2019, 08:18 AM   #95
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From my long observation, most people are mentally lazy about most things, not just money. Not incapable by any means, but totally unwilling to make an effort unless forced by circumstances to do so.
Nothing political here, but IMO our country was built on the original immigrants who worked their tails off, never lazy about anything. We are lazy built on the success of our forebearers.
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Old 07-10-2019, 09:06 AM   #96
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Here is an article that I find most interesting, about how much salary is needed to live comfortably in 50 major cities.

https://www.gobankingrates.com/makin...est-cities-us/

The main take away that the median income of the city is way less than what is needed to live comfortably when owning or renting a home.
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Old 07-10-2019, 09:16 AM   #97
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^^^^ Soooooo… According to this, no one with a median income can afford to live anywhere if they own a home?
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Old 07-10-2019, 09:34 AM   #98
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Here is an article that I find most interesting, about how much salary is needed to live comfortably in 50 major cities.
.
My anecdotal observations have caused me to believe wages are better in cities, and the Cost-of-living is higher.

Many of these articles are written comparing cities.

But the lower Cost-of-living regions are found 50-miles outside of the city.
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Old 07-10-2019, 09:59 AM   #99
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Living in SF Bay Area (Castro Valley, Alameda Co.) with no mortgage and subsidized medical insurance:

One Person:
Property tax, home ins, HOA, nominal maintenance, utilities, food, medical/dental, car ins, car maint/repairs, and gas = $29,000/yr

Add in second person: food, medical/dental and transportation = $13,000/yr

Total Essentials = $42,000/yr

Add routine spending (travel, entertainment, recreation, gifts, clothes ect.) and non-routine spending (replacing items like cars, appliances, major home repairs ect.. and buying new stuff) = $50,000/yr

Total standard of living = $92,000/yr (Very comfortable, but frugal. Can reduce spending if needed)

The CA average of $86K comes close to us.
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Old 07-10-2019, 10:42 AM   #100
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^^^^ Soooooo… According to this, no one with a median income can afford to live anywhere if they own a home?

And not if they rent either.

If this were true, then there are many, many city dwellers living a less-than "comfortable" life. I hardly doubt that. I wonder if it takes into account "household" income or "individual" income?
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