Those numbers make it seem like OP is doing well but don't account for the fact that many low income families live in housing projects or rent controlled apartments that have been in their families for 20/30+ years. There are also a lot of poor elderly and baby boomers aged people who own their houses or apartment outright and don't have to deal with the astronomical housing costs.

Um, 65k/year is very high salary, isn't it?

Well I guess this explains the grocery bill: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/62...weight-741411/

and this probably doesn't help your situation either:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/32...-poker-718515/

One of my best friends and his g/f lived in Queens for 2 years while they went to college full time. They both had ****ty waiting jobs at night. Neither drove a car, had TV or cable and didn't go out at night to eat. They both drank and smoked pot every night though. So it's not like they were living like monks. They just didn't waste money on a car in NYC.

Combined, they made less than $50K a year and they still had enough money saved up after 2 years to go to Madagascar for 2 months after graduating.

OP, you really suck at budgets and knowing when not to indulge yourself.

Not sure how old OP is but I am in my early 30's, married, 1 kid and we live in NYC. Combined income about 9k a month after taxes, insurance, 401k. Your problem is you cant say NO when it comes to spending, I know because I was the same way before I got married. I had expensive hobbies and somewhat expensive taste when it came to cars and other worthless crap that you can impress someone with for a minute.
Let me break this down, I drive to work everyday because believe it or not its cheaper for two people to commute than Public Transportation (of course depends on where you work). Car+insurance+gas+tools=$1000 a month, Housing=$1200, Food and essentials(Costco, BJ, going out once a month) around $500 a month (3 people). We buy clothes at outlets, Kmart, Century 21. If i have to spend more than $50 for shoes I don't get them period. Debt which includes Apt. renovation, furniture around $30k which adds to about $2k a month (double or triple the minimum payment), babysitter $1300 a month. Rest goes to bills and left overs go toward debt repayment or cheap entertainment. I leave myself about $250 a month for lunch, coffee and whatever I might need, my wife gets little more because I don't want to argue with her.
What I am trying to say is that NYC is expensive as hell and its tough to live comfortably, I don't think 65k a year salary is poor, I know people who live with a much smaller salary and they live very well and still have money left over, it all depends how you manage it. You need to change your lifestyle and stop complaining about not having money its not going to get any easier any time soon. Good luck.

don't really want to derail thread or anything, but if you are the sole holder of the mortgage and you are making the gf split the mortgage with you, that's pretty murky stuff. in effect she's buying you equity in a house. it's not the same as if you were renting together, since at the end (if there's an end), you own the place and she gets nothing. i'm guessing that probably what's happening is that she's paying <1/2 of total expenses, and it just works out that she's paying some of the mortgage and that's how you put it, but if you're splitting everything 50/50 and she has not equity in the mortgage, it's pretty screwed up.

OP,

Until you get rid of that credit card debt, you should be living like a miser.

Ditch the car, switch to cheap food, drink less, and start paying down that damn card.

I don't know what you're current interest rate is, but assuming 12%, and paying $500 a month, it's going to take you 36 months - that's 3 damn years - to get rid of the CC debt.

Try to get that CC payment to $1000 and you can have it paid off in a year and a half.

LOL. So solid. So umm.. ya OP... might want to stop blowing money at the casinos.

A lot of people have given good advice in this thread on how to spend less money on groceries.

But I also think that if someone thinks spending $800 on groceries in a month is outrageous, that buying in bulk is necessary, that fresh fish is a big treat, etc....they are thinking like a poor person.

Yet the posters saying that in this thread seem like pretty normal middle-class folks.

Maybe it is becoming normal in America for middle-class people to think like poor people.

gf is also on the mortgage (which I'm sure probably leads to other murky stuff)

i think there's a segment of people who could not stand to be in credit card debt, and that they would scrimp on everything until they got out of it. (these people would be unlikely to get in that debt in the first place).

$800 a month for a family is nothing. $800 for 1 guy that likes to spend $250 a month on colonge, alcohol, and grooming is just stupidity.

I suggest you follow your same plan from the "my gf gained 50 pounds" - and have your GF read this thread.


Also - why did you not mention any gambling income or loss in your OP here??

Well at least we now know who's been chugging the olive oil.

u win the prize bro!

800 holy crap, I buy for 3 people one being a kid with diapers and formual I think I might spend 800.
You have a car, drive to LI, NJ or CT and hit up a cosco and a walbulms

Clearly because the advice in the other thread cured his gambling addiction.

Most people have been giving OP a pass on the rent because it's NYC, but I think he's paying too much. Yes, if you want to live in Midtown or something you're gonna pay that kind of money for a studio. Probably parts of downtown Manhattan are even more expensive.

But what good is living at the center of it all if the rent leaves you with no money to enjoy it. The trains to Brooklyn run all night. It takes me half an hour to get from the LES to my 3 bedroom in Kensington, for which my gf, our roommate, and I each pay $500/month.

We are two blocks away from the F and G trains, two of the most modernized lines in the subway system. One of these two lines will take you basically anywhere in NY you might want to go with one or no transfers.

Within a ten minute walk of my house, there a 24-hour grocery store, a full/self service laundromat/dry cleaner's, a gym, a park, a community garden, a coffee shop that's great for kids, a wide variety of cheap and good restaurants (thai, indian, russian, polish, italian, mexican, chinese, middle eastern. when i say cheap, many of these places will sell you a $4-7 plate of delicious food that will last you for two meals. yes it is cheaper to cook, but for going out, that's pretty cheap).

Yes there are no bars/clubs in the immediate vicinity. But it's a half-hour walk to Park Slope (trendy bars, decent movie theater), or a twenty minute ride to Carroll Gardens (bars, restaurants with outside seating, shopping, good bookstore). And as I mentioned earlier Manhattan also feels close thanks to the F train.

Of course it also helps that my gf pays her full share of the rent and expenses. In fact she's the more financially responsible one of the two of us.

this thread makes me realize that i've never done out a "budget" and that i probably should. i've tried halfheartedly before but it just never happens. i haven't had a steady income in almost a year though, but even when i did, i just bought whatever and made whatever and still managed to be stacking up a bit.

I think it's a disagreement about what it means to be middle class. I think frugality and saving is one of the defining characteristics of the middle class. The difference is that middle class people can amass a decent amount of savings, where this is typically just beyond the poor.

wait wtf did drsavage change his username?

UES probably the best bang for your buck 1600 studio is about right , he can maybe get it down to 1400 in a place like forrest hills or astoria for a studio but not much less. Unless he wanted to lengthen his commute and go to like morris park in the bronx (nice area just a trek) it only be about 1100-1200 for a basement apt

it's nyc

you forgot the self tanner, the ed hardy tees, and he prob uses a thing of hair gel a day

you must be thinking of the cocksmoking **** from philly


(Now get out of this thread)

Yes.