I used to think that my annual salary of $65,000 meant I was middle-class. I guess I was wrong. Maybe because I live in one of the boroughs of New York City, where the cost of living is so high, I dont know. But here I am, trying to make ends meet on my salary, and it's getting tougher and tougher. My basic debts and expenses are as follows:

$15k credit card debt, I pay $500 monthly
$1,600 monthly rent
$200 monthly phone/cable/internet
$800 monthly groceries
$350 monthly gas and car insurance

My net pay, (every 2 weeks) after federal, state, AND city taxes (plus FICA, etc.) are deducted amounts to $1,850, or $3,700 monthly. That leaves me with a whopping $250 left each month! I have nothing left to save, very little for clothes, entertainment, etc. It's getting hard for me to cope, especially since I know that in my career it will take another 10 years before I reach the top salary I can earn, which is a little over $100k.

With home prices astronomically high in the NY metro area, I don't know how I will ever be able to afford even a modest house. I feel like I'm trapped in the greatest city in the world with no money in my pocket to enjoy any of what NY has to offer. Sometimes I think I'd be better off somewhere in middle America, but I have no idea. Sorry about my venting here, I just would like to hear from some of you who are willing to share how much you make, and how on earth you were/are able to afford the so-called American dream.

why do you have a car in new york city

how did you amass that much credit card debt

$800 monthly in groceries? Are you buying for more than just yourself, or are you eating steak and lobster for dinner every night?

I have no advice regarding living in america, but dude you are paying 40% interest on your credit card loan? or are you saying you are paying $500 a month in an effort to pay it off?

How the **** do you spend 800 on groceries a month? You could EASILY cut 500 from that and still eat very well.

Also, if you insist on living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, you could at least get a roommate and slice some money off that rent.

how the **** do you spend 800/mo on groceries?

groceries

Well at least it makes sense why OPs GF is a fat swamp donkey...

OP meant to post a thinly veiled brag but he surrounded it with stupidity.

fwiw here are my bills:

450$ (4000 sq ft 4 bedroom I share with 3 other people, I pay 100$ more than them becuase I have my own floor w/ stand up shower and jacuzzi tub)

150$ (top of the line cable/internet- split 3 ways)

200$- monthly gorceries (50$/wk, for one person, but I shop at a sav a lot where you can get 5 big packages of meat for 20$, and the rest I buy cheap vegetables, oatmeal and diet soda)

600$ car (375$ payment, 125ish in gas, 100 insurance)

1500$ towards student loans (triple minimum payment on 60k)

I make a couple thousand less per year than you but I have an added 2000/mo or so that I make from poker, and contract work. I suggest you move to a new city if you can find a comparable pay rate, if not, figure out a way to make some extra cash, pay off your CC, and stop living beyond your means, I could live off 20k per year salary, and still be in a better situation than you are. How old are you, and what line of work are you in?

Ps- keep a monthly budget, make a game out of the cutting things out of your life that you dont need to waste money on, throw it at that CC payment. Once you get rid of that, and your ridiculous grocery budget, find some side job that pays 250$/wk all of a sudden you have an extra 1800-2000$/month.

I'm amazed at how much you spend on groceries.

by groceries, I gotta assume, he means, the total per week he spends in food (groceries, fast food, dinners out etc). if not...jesus..

So, to answer your question, $65k per year means you're poor if you live beyond your means.

Sell the car, move to a cheaper place, spend less on groceries and more on your credit card debt.

if you live in NYC yes, if you live most places no.

"New York City's the place where..." -Lou Reed



Or not.

do some kind of other work to make spending money

i easily make 5k+ a year officiating baseball and basketball, and that includes being at school still and probably only doing 1.5 seasons worth.

Get a roommate, a smaller place or move. Also, pay off your cc debt as fast as possible. 65k/yr is NOT poor, unless you choose to live in a place with one of the highest costs of living in the US.

Let me clarify a few things. I got into way more than $15k credit card debt 4 years ago, when I was making less money, and spending on everything from a wardrobe I needed for work, to expensive gifts for the gf, to buying furniture and assorted crap. Instead of filing for BK, I cut a deal last year with my creditor to pay $500/month for 3 years, no more interest.

What thinly veiled brag??? What do I have to brag about?

The $200 per week tab on groceries includes not only food, but all household essentials, like TP, toiletries, light bulbs, aspirin, vitamins, you name it. That may sound like a lot to many of you, but try shopping in NYC and see how expensive everything is. As far as actual food, there is no nighly steak and lobster. I pack my own lunches instead of eating out, and have dinner with the gf at home. Again, healthy food where I live is expensive.

You should be eating ramen and be having no extras in your life until you wise up and pay off that damn credit card debt that is sapping your extra money.

Then move somewhere where rent isn't 1600 a month ffs.

are you paying for all your GFs **** too?

if so, stop.

how do you spend 200$ on food and toiletries? Keep a shopping list, and learn to cook, I have posted a ton of things that you can make en masse and freeze, that come out to like 2-3$/meal that are super healthy, and taste good. Make a game out of cutting things out of your life. Post a list of groceries and prices, I will help you cut needless **** out.

No it isnt...you just suck at it. There is no place on earth that brown rice, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, milk, potatoes..ex..are expensive.

Edit: On the same notion. It tilts the hell out of me that so many people think eating healthy and well is more expensive then fast food. This is soo far from the actual truth. Off season, I can eat 5k cal/day for 400$ a month.

10:1 health for him is organic flax seed bread, morning star chicken soy nuggets, and a bunch of ******ed stuff, that really arent healthy for you but are marketed well to women, and effeminate males.

yeah, this is super easy to do w minimal effort and cooking skill

We're loooking for a roommate in Kensington. $500/month, utilities included. Huge living room, big porch.

It's well worth spending $800 a month on food in NYC though, IMO. There's just so much good food to try...gotta do it before you're 45 and doc tells you to cut back on the salt and saturated fat.

But I dunno, I SUCK at money.

You've got to get rid of that credit card debt. I'd cut everything down to the bone in order to do it: Get rid of the car and you've simply got to be able to lower that food bill if you're feeding only yourself. Take in a roommate if you can.

guids' advice about moving to a less expensive location is solid advice also if you can find a similar job even if it pays a bit less. NYC is horribly expensive in every way and what use is it to live there hand-to-mouth? You're one paycheck away from disaster. The taxes alone are insane. When I moved to Arizona my property/school tax went from $13,000 to $2,000. It was like getting a brand new house for free.