How much do u earn? How much does dh?

amother

Red

Tue, May 31 2016, 8:05 pm

Wow! These salaries amaze me. I make around 25k and husband around 30k. We live pay check to pay check, spend minimally and watch budget very closely. Try not to use credit cards so we can ensure we have $ and not going into debt. We dont have health insurance because we can't afford it and whatever we need medically, isn't covered by insurance. Our rent is $1400 a month. No luxurious expenses here

amother

Indigo

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 12:55 pm

amother wrote:

The taxes on a single modest income when you have 2 or 3 kids are really not much. When you add another income and tuitions, the taxes and tuition eat people alive.

True, but I don't take any programs, pay for everything out of pocket including insurance. My thought process is that when DH graduates and our income more than doubles I'll have lots of breathing room. Is that just a pipe dream? Looks like it by the responses in seeing here...

mazal555

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:02 pm

See I think that this is why we need to have more Jewish communities in affordable places. The average American household has an income of about $53k. If they are all managing on that, why are so many people here unable to manage on $70k and up? Its time to start communities in Oklahoma or other low COL areas. And yes, we have to pay tuition but so do Catholics.

tichellady

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:08 pm

mazal555 wrote:

First of all the church highly subsidizes catholic school and nuns and priests don't need real salaries ( no families to support plus bow of property). Also frum life is more expensive= kosher good, Shabbat entertaining, all the holidays, Shabbat and yomtov clothing, average number of children, etc

mazal555

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:28 pm

tichellady wrote:

Do you think kosher food and Shabbat clothes cost an extra $20k per year? Its not unusual for Americans to have 3 children. If a frum family with 2 little kids is barely making it on $70k I think that's a problem. How are Jews supposed to out-earn the average as a whole?

suremom

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:32 pm

mazal555 wrote:

When you say 53k do those parents send to private schools?

amother

Puce

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 2:10 pm

mazal555 wrote:

.

You do not need to go as far out as Oklahoma. Pennsylvania will do just as well.

tichellady

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 2:22 pm

mazal555 wrote:

I think clothing and Shabbat plus tuition costs more than $20k a year. I know Catholics who pay $3k per child for tuition at good schools - have not heard of an equivalent in the Jewish community. Not blaming anyone here- it's just reality. And 1.87 is the average fertility rate in the US, not 3 children.

myym

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 2:25 pm

It's not only the necessary expenses like a jewish education. we also pay much more for clothing. And I am not even talking about the high end ridiculous prices that some ppl pay. I mean in general our shabbas and yom tov clothes, and even everyday outfits cost much more than non jews pay in cheaper stores. Same with shoes and hair bows and carriages and all societies pressures. Not that I am one to capitulate, I just mention this in terms of why Jewish ppl cant afford life on budgets way higher than non jews. 'Though we certainly have many more kids than them too..

The Happy Wife

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 2:45 pm

myym wrote:

I'll let you in on a little secret. You can go to non Jewish stores for clothes and pay the same prices they do for clothes. Even for Shabbos clothes. You can buy the same shoes and strollers and hair bows at cheaper prices, too. I guarantee if you go to Marshalls or Target or Burlington you won't be charged more for being Jewish.

amother

Saddlebrown

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 3:45 pm

I'm baffled by reading all these. My husband makes roughly $60,000 at a full time job and then does freelance on the side that we do need to live. I currently don't work. We own a house and have three kids. B"h we're doing okay. Never taken a vacation before but we've come a long way in the past few years. What do people's husbands do that they make so much? At first I can't believe people struggle on 6 figures but then I realize that the more you make, the more tuition you have to pay. It's a catch 22 like you work harder to make more and provide for your family better but the more you make the less you can afford

tichellady

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 4:00 pm

amother wrote:

I'm happy you are doing fine. Where I live, you cannot buy a house for under $1 million so $60k a year does not go far. My husband and I make much more than your husband and we would not be able to pay a mortgage on our salary. Not complaining- just explaining.
Salaries are often higher in big cities. There are many Jobs that make more $ than $60k- doctor, nurse ( in many cities), lawyer, psychologist, teacher ( I knew teachers who make $100k), dentist, engineer, consultant, business, finance etc.

You realize that someone needs to pay tuition- so it's not like making less and paying less means the tuition is actually less. Private school is expensive for a reason, because it actually costs a lot of money to educate children!

amother

Saddlebrown

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 4:17 pm

I don't live "in town" but I do live in a "city." You don't get much for your money here but housing is around $300-$400k for a decent house. May I ask where you live that housing is that expensive!?! How big are the houses? And it looks like salaries are much higher where you live too.

mille

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 4:33 pm

I already said in the other thread, but what the heck, I'll post here too. I make 40k+20k in fringe benefits and my husband makes 80k+bonus (varies).

edit: I am in organizational development and my husband does supply chain management.

Last edited by mille on Wed, Jun 01 2016, 4:37 pm; edited 1 time in total

mazal555

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 4:35 pm

myym wrote:

So why can't you buy those outfits at Wal-Mart or target like everyone else?

Personally, my kosher, gluten free, legume free grocery bill is exactly the average for my family size, kosher or not.

I think it comes down to housing in expensive areas, unreasonable tuition (are Jewish teachers really being paid more than the Catholic teachers? The teachers are being paid less per hour than plumbers) and possibly unreasonable expectations of traveling, expensive clothes, cleaning help etc