Final 2022 Cost of Living - Total Household Expenses (Not Including Travel)

[skyking1]

^ I hear that!
My older brother lives in Seattle proper, and they can walk to about 20 different places to eat within 5~8 blocks. They can also walk to 3 different grocers in the same or less.
She is a great cook and loves to do it, but they are getting meals out a whole lot more than they used to.

 

[NW-Bound]

For entertainment, we both watch some YouTube videos on cooking. And we take turn trying the new dishes that we saw. That makes meal preparation more fun.

At times when we want to eat out, I search the Web looking at restaurants, reading the reviews, and looking at photos of the dishes people post on Google and Yelp reviews. I don't often find food that turns me on.

 

[Alex The Great]

I spent around $39K on everything in 2022 including $14K of property tax. But health insurance is not included, since I'm still employed.

 

[dm]

I don’t track much anymore, retired in 2007 and pretty much just keep a eye on net worth. That said we spent about $120,000.

Around $10,000 was boat expense, and $17,000 was health insurance. I did turn 65 in May so health insurance cost went down some.

 

[Dtail]

Some of y'all are big spenders. I mean around $100K or close to it, and that's without a mortgage, nor big purchases.

I don't have a mortgage either, and even counting almost $30K in tax withholding for Roth conversion, I do not get to that level. And I have 2 homes to pay expenses on. And I spent some money to do 4 weeks of Europe trekking.

The composite total spend is higher than the numbers given, as many responses are not all in costs.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

Some of us have cooked all our adulthood and are just tired of it.

I always cooked (LBYM baby!) and enjoyed it when not rushed. Now that I'm FIREd and have time to do it when I want to, I really enjoy it... I'd call it a hobby and have way too much food in the house for a bachelor. This month I'm trying to eat down some inventory so I can fix more. That said; and using up some ingredients, cooking cabbage and sausage and making peanut butter icecream today, and tomorrow will bake whole wheat banana bread while sauerkraut ferments downstairs (friend found 50lbs of free cabbage so I took two huge heads and need to use them up). I'm on a baking kick too perfecting pizza dough but put limits on that for health reasons.

 

[pacergal]

Three hundred thousand dollars.

Good for you RobbieB--if you got it, enjoy it!

I don't track down to the dollar, just check what goes in and out of our checking and visas. If it was just our spend, it would be much less, but we gift our kids every year, and we still save some every month from pensions. Stay pretty consistent at around 100-125. Lots of wiggle room if needed.

 

[Sue J]

On our normal monthly living expenses we spent $36,085. That's less that DH's pension so WE WIN!!

My SS goes to our savings and my part-time income goes into my Roth IRA. This year some of that went to cover medical/dental/vision expenses $736, travel $1,160, a wedding gift and our grandsons 529 contributions $3,000, and home repair $3,729 for a total of $8,625.

Total expenses for everything for the year $36,085 + $8,625 = $44,710.

I'm still amazed that we can still save money. We live in a fairly low cost of living area. No mortgage, no debt. Neither of us is interested in travel. The one trip we took was to a family wedding.

Inflation is showing up in groceries, gas, utilities, etc. We still have enough and most months we have PLENTY and that's a nice place to be!

 

[Koolau]

Good for you RobbieB--if you got it, enjoy it!

I don't track down to the dollar, just check what goes in and out of our checking and visas. If it was just our spend, it would be much less, but we gift our kids every year, and we still save some every month from pensions. Stay pretty consistent at around 100-125. Lots of wiggle room if needed.

Yes! RobbieB has always been my BTD hero.

I think we have a fairly "high-normal" spend rate but when we add in gifts to kids (big this year - early to late 30's ages is a big-spend time) plus our favorite charities, we're getting into the upper end of the scale (if there is a scale). We decided that most of our left-overs will go to our charities - so why wait. We're also giving our kids their inheritance NOW while we're alive. So it adds up. Not in the RobbieB category, but getting there. The good news? Our stash has back-filled most of our spending - even THIS year if you can believe your eyes and ears. YMMV

 

[jollystomper]

W2R, we have lots of good restaurants around here but we're also good cooks. Why pay $100 for a meal we can make for $20?

Also, what Terry said, at home we can control the fat and salt along with all the other ingredients.

One thing to add about cooking - for just the two of us, we cook, but we do not have to cook every day. We cook enough to last 2-3 meals. With occasional take out That means slaving over the stove/oven/air fryer on average only a couple of times a week . Plus, when warm weather comes, I have never seen outdoor grilling as work .

We have access to a variety of restaurants, but we would have to drive at least a couple of miles to any of them, and we do not find that convenient to do on a regular basis. We are not being *that* frugal, DW has a set of brands and places to shop (especially for meat) and they are not the cheapest places .

 

[NW-Bound]

The composite total spend is higher than the numbers given, as many responses are not all in costs.

That makes it even more impressive spending.

FIRECalc says I can spend $200K+, and that's over 30 years and it's a miracle if both of us live that long.

I guess we have simple tastes and needs, and if we spend that much, would get very marginal increase in happiness.

I am afraid having more stuff would cause me more grief than joy. Two households full of "stuff" already.

 

[NW-Bound]

Speaking of finding restaurant food that turns me on, yesterday my wife was surfin' the Web, and stumbled on a review of this Korean BBQ place which looked really good.

Too bad it's in Tustin, CA: ZIP Korean BBQ (https://zipkoreanbbq.com/).

 

[RobbieB]

Korean BBQ is very good, been enjoying now at a half dozen places for over 20 years.

There must be a place in Phoenix.

 

[NW-Bound]

There are a few Korean BBQ places in Phoenix, but none look as good as that one. Due to the higher Asian population in the LA area, there are better Asian restaurants there.

When I visited Houston last year, found some good and inexpensive buffet places. None in Phoenix come close.

 

[RobbieB]

So what?

Go have some Korean in Phoenix. At least get a reference point eh?

I agree, Houston has some of the best oysters I ever ate. So fresh (right on the gulf) that you don't even need to give them a "sniff" test before eating. That doesn't mean I don't eat half shell oysters anywhere else eh?

 

[NW-Bound]

So what?

Go have some Korean in Phoenix. At least get a reference point eh?

Thinking about it. Looks like the next place for a family eat-out.

However, the best rated one in Phoenix is maybe 20 miles from my home, and perhaps 40 miles from my daughter.

Still, I don't want to try a lesser place and ruin the experience.

PS. Been planning for the next European trip. And it looks like I will have to fly to LAX to catch a non-stop flight to where I want to go. May make a longer layover to try the restaurants there.

On 2nd thought, the drive from LAX to Tustin may be hellish with the freeways there. Oh well.

 

[ncbill]

Thinking about it. Looks like the next place for a family eat-out.

However, the best rated one in Phoenix is maybe 20 miles from my home, and perhaps 40 miles from my daughter.

Still, I don't want to try a lesser place and ruin the experience.

PS. Been planning for the next European trip. And it looks like I will have to fly to LAX to catch a non-stop flight to where I want to go. May make a longer layover to try the restaurants there.

On 2nd thought, the drive from LAX to Tustin may be hellish with the freeways there. Oh well.

"Perfect is the enemy of good."

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

2 of us in the home, DW still w*rking but saving nearly all her money. No kids, one dog (had two for about 3/4 of the year). No debt, no mortgage.

All in (less travel) --> 54,855.74
Home maintenance/repairs were the BIG category this year at 16,635.25.

 

[skyking1]

"Perfect is the enemy of good."

One of my favorite expressions and sentiments. I can do some really precise joinery if needed. I adjust my fine efforts according to the job at hand, and that goes all the way down to cutting big timbers with a chainsaw.
My DB can get hung up on the precision and he is who that phrase is all about.

 

[flyingaway]

Korean BBQ is very good, been enjoying now at a half dozen places for over 20 years.

There must be a place in Phoenix.

Korean BBQs are usually all you can eat. It is easy to eat too much.

 

[NW-Bound]

"Perfect is the enemy of good."

Dunno about perfect, but driving 20 miles to that best rated place may be worthwhile, compared to trying a lesser place and not wanting to do it again.

Just looked it up. It's 27 miles from home to be exact. And 36 miles for my daughter. And 35 miles for my son.

Will ask if they mind driving that far for a family night out.

Korean BBQs are usually all you can eat. It is easy to eat too much.

If it's AYCE, more the reason to go to the best place.


PS. I have had Mongolian BBQ, but Korean BBQ I have not tried.

 

[Koolau]

Korean BBQ is very good, been enjoying now at a half dozen places for over 20 years.

There must be a place in Phoenix.

I never knew about Korean BBQ until I moved to the Islands. Generally, very inexpensive. Very tasty and a good value. What's not to love?

 

[11522914]

I never knew about Korean BBQ until I moved to the Islands. Generally, very inexpensive. Very tasty and a good value. What's not to love?

Never had Korean BBQ. My kids always get a night out at any restaurant for their birthday.

My daughter wants to go to a Korean BBQ restaurant. I was like a what? Never heard of it.

Yes, I live in a cave.

Needless to say, next week I'll be experiencing my first Korean BBQ.

 

[Dash man]

Never had Korean BBQ. My kids always get a night out at any restaurant for their birthday.

My daughter wants to go to a Korean BBQ restaurant. I was like a what? Never heard of it.

Yes, I live in a cave.

Needless to say, next week I'll be experiencing my first Korean BBQ.

You will LOVE IT!!!!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

On our normal monthly living expenses we spent $36,085. That's less that DH's pension so WE WIN!!

My SS goes to our savings and my part-time income goes into my Roth IRA. This year some of that went to cover medical/dental/vision expenses $736, travel $1,160, a wedding gift and our grandsons 529 contributions $3,000, and home repair $3,729 for a total of $8,625.

Total expenses for everything for the year $36,085 + $8,625 = $44,710.

I'm still amazed that we can still save money. We live in a fairly low cost of living area. No mortgage, no debt. Neither of us is interested in travel. The one trip we took was to a family wedding.

Inflation is showing up in groceries, gas, utilities, etc. We still have enough and most months we have PLENTY and that's a nice place to be!

That is great. I've got a long list of "live better for less" ways to get our expenses below our SS and pensions. I hope to implement many of them this year.