2 incomes and still not making it

amother

Crimson

Fri, Aug 07 2015, 5:18 pm

amother wrote:

I'm having a hard time understanding OP. Dh and I both work also, and make similar amount. We have four kids in Jewish school, two kids get a tuition break b/c of our income (not an MO school). We keep Chalav Yisrael which adds up. Cleaning help once in a while, no vacations, no nails done, no new clothes for me etc. Yet it wouldn't occur to me to stop having kids purely for financial reasons (of course if a working mother couldn't handle it that makes a lot of sense). After all, we do have food on our table, and can afford gas for our cars, and cheap health insurance. We are living tightly, so if one thing goes wrong, everything will snap - so I'm not saying to just have more kids. But we get through the day, week, month. This is not CH"v meant to be judgemental, but rather I am just scratching my head. How is it that I'm "making it" through the month and OP is not?

my kids are in daycare and Bais Yaakov and no we really are not making it through the month. I don't see how we can make it when 30% of our income goes to tuition and childcare.

How do you pay 4 tuitions and earn only 90K?

amother

Saddlebrown

Fri, Aug 07 2015, 6:59 pm

amother wrote:

I'm op and wondering same thing. 25% of my income goes to 10 month daycare. We pay for camp for both kids so we can work. I basically have about $300 left over at the end of every month.
I am sorry if ppl think my priorities are out of whack but if we work completely full time and have $300 left at the end of the month, to me, that is barely making it. I am glad for those who feel differently.

5mom

Sat, Aug 08 2015, 2:50 pm

If the heat bill is a problem, going to Florida for pesach is not a realistic goal anytime soon.

Getting an MO education is expensive everywhere except Israel. When you have 2 kids in high school, even if tuition stays the same (and it won't), you're looking at 50k of after tax money in tuition. Even if your income doubles, things will be tight.

As far as I can tell, the options are earn more, go to public school, or make aliya.

JoyInTheMorning

Mon, Aug 10 2015, 12:21 pm

Here's an article about people who switched careers and are now earning over $100K: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07......html . The article says that most people are in their 20s and 30s (which you are), but that people can make the career change at any time.

The median household income in the U.S. is $52K, but the median rent is less than $1000. So the median household is making 61% of what you are making, but paying only 40% of what you are paying for rent. The median household probably also has a lower grocery budget, because the Chicago, IL area is relatively expensive. I'm not sure the median household takes trips or has ever taken one trip to Disney World.

Realistically, you need $150K to live in an urban area or nice suburban area (and those are the areas where you'll find shuls) and afford good quality day care for even one child and afford some luxuries like annual vacations. You need to earn well over $200K to also afford to send your kids to Jewish day schools.

You can't afford to do what you like to do. You have to do what brings in enough money to support your family.