How do you stretch the dollar?

ectomorph

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 7:12 pm

amother wrote:

Also, after reading the book my husband and I came to the conclusion that there's no magic money! When you look around you at people blowing money, either:
1. They can afford it
2. They are getting financial help
3. Credit cards!!!!!!!!!!

this. A lot of people are getting help from family. I Know someone who is sahm and husband in kollel... They inherited 💰. No magic money

33055

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 7:50 pm

pesek zman wrote:

That's all fine and well. But 300k take home is a very nice living. BH

Why do you think it is take home?

amother

Lemon

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 7:52 pm

Hi,

Spending brachos that you earn more.

Tips-
Try to use the car less if possible - like walking or car pooling

If you are not already -
use led lights.
Take off lights in room when not using. Unplug all appliances when not in use, where applicable.
Don't have the hot water urn on all week, only for Shabbos and yomim Tovim

Hatzlacha

amother wrote:

I would be extremely sad to stop at 3 kids...
I feel like there is something that I dont know about
I see pple like me with 7 kids and seems like they manage fine

our expenses are roughly

$2000 rent
$2000 tution
$400 cars gas/insurance/tolls
$400 food
$400 utilites

cant think of anything else and we both earn about $5000 /month!

zaq

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 9:48 pm

Squishy wrote:

Why do you think it is take home?

Who says she does? To most people, 300k is a very nice gross.

pesek zman

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 9:55 pm

Squishy wrote:

Why do you think it is take home?

I just do. Most people know their yearly salaries as pre-tax, but monthly as take-home. She referred to 25k/month

amother

Apricot

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:00 am

How we manage?

We live in a basement apt way to small for our family size (2 bedroom apt for a family of 8 ka'h). Rent is only $800 which includes utilities.

Cell phone is on my parents family plan so it's $10 a month. Hubby has an Obama phone. No home phone.

Internet access is free WiFi from my landlord, which I use extensively for work.

Vast majority of clothing is hand-me-downs from the local gemach or friends. Often my mom will buy my children 1 or 2 nice outfits each for yom tov so if you see my girls wearing matching dresses on Pesach - they are from Bubby. (And they aren't expensive items, this year we got dresses for $15 each. Still, if you are buying for several girls it certainly adds up fast.

I buy very few accessories, such as headbands and stuff. I actually make headbands for my girls from materials I find at the dollar store. Socks and tights all come from the clearance rack at the hoseiry store only. (And a lot of that we can also get as hand-me-downs.)

I won't spend more than $20 - $25 on a pair of shoes, and often I am lucky and find free nice pairs at the gemach.

I buy produce that is 'going' and therefore much cheaper and base my meals around this. Almost all my food is made from scratch. We never get takeout and never go out to eat, even for a pizza, unless my in-laws come to visit and take us out.

I shop at thrift shops. Got tons of toys, games, books, baby equipment from there.

The only toys or books I will buy full price is if my children have birthday money to spend.

Same with baby equipment - I didn't buy anything full price ever for my babies, except for our high chair which I bought with gift card money. Everything else is second hand - strollers, car seats, swing, cribs, everything.

Just about all my furniture is second hand - mostly acquired for free.

Insurance is Medicaid so that's free BH, though I am having a hard time lately finding quality Drs.

Etc etc. In general I have a very frugal mindset. If I get a gift of money, say for Chanuka, or a bonus from work, I don't think what I should spend it on. I just put it into the bank and use it for regular expenses.

Rereading this post it makes my life sound awful. But it's totally not! My family and I are very happy BH bl'ah! Also we live this way by choice. My husband chose to go to kollel and then into kiruv and make a very small income. And I actually have a very high earning power. I have a good degree and when I worked full time I made good money which put us through 10 years in kollel. But once my husband started bringing in some money I chose to drastically cut my hours and work very part time from home so that I could be much more involved with raising my children.
And I'd hate to have to reduce my family size due to money issues. I love kids and I'm willing to live as simply as possible and work as hard as possible to be able to afford as many children as I am blessed with. I'd way prefer more children and a less comfortable life than fewer children and more comfort. But that's just me.

princessleah

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 1:44 pm

OP, $400/month on utilities sounds like a lot!!! What kind of utilities are these? My electric bill is rarely over $100/month

amother

Burgundy

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:07 pm

Apricot I'm impressed

How do your children deal with the image? peer pressure?

amother

Mistyrose

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:15 pm

princessleah wrote:

OP, $400/month on utilities sounds like a lot!!! What kind of utilities are these? My electric bill is rarely over $100/month

I included phones, electric, gas , water,
so maybe its $300 sorry ..

amother

Saddlebrown

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:22 pm

amother wrote:

My heart bleeds for them. Not.

I have friends who need to earn that much pre-tax in order to pay tuition alone, before getting to living expenses. They're not living high on the hog (or chag).

pesek zman

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:28 pm

amother wrote:

I have friends who need to earn that much pre-tax in order to pay tuition alone, before getting to living expenses. They're not living high on the hog (or chag).

How many children does your friend have ?

300k pretax should be more than enough to pay for tuition for many kids, even if their take home is 175k.

Something doesn't sound right

amother

Saddlebrown

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:38 pm

pesek zman wrote:

How many children does your friend have ?

300k pretax should be more than enough to pay for tuition for many kids, even if their take home is 175k.

Something doesn't sound right

5 kids.

High school tuition is about $33,000 a year. 3 in high school, one in a slightly less expensive elementary school. One in a private college, which is a lot more.

amother

Royalblue

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:41 pm

pesek zman wrote:

How many children does your friend have ?

300k pretax should be more than enough to pay for tuition for many kids, even if their take home is 175k.

Something doesn't sound right

In New York and la (some of the cities where professionals take home big salaries) tuition per child can be $40k

amother

Chocolate

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:42 pm

pesek zman wrote:

How many children does your friend have ?

300k pretax should be more than enough to pay for tuition for many kids, even if their take home is 175k.

Something doesn't sound right

You can easily pay 100k in tuition with five kids in MO schools. High schoolers need more food and clothing than babies do.

Even if housing is 2k a month (unlikely) you've spent $124, leaving 50 for all other expenses, including savings. You're not starving, for sure, but there's not much room when you add in braces and car insurance etc.

amother

Mint

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:50 pm

amother wrote:

I also wondered how people with many kids manage with all their kids dressed in nice clothing and the father in kollel

Kollel wife here. I buy $10-$15 shabbos dresses for the kids on target, children's place, etc. Bh they look good.

amother

Apricot

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 5:48 pm

amother wrote:

Apricot I'm impressed

How do your children deal with the image? peer pressure?

They don't seem to be suffering BH, my girls are actually pretty popular. It helps that we live in a neighborhood with a lot of similar minded people (though I don't know anyone else living in a similar sized apartment.)

Wearing school uniforms definitely helps with peer pressure. For Shabbos clothing I mentioned that my mother often buys them a new outfit or two per yom tov so they look nice that way. And the gemach clothing we get is actually very nice as well, some of it is hand-me-downs from wealthy families so we can often find name brand clothing in good condition.

The hardest part is having friends over. I must say that my kids much more often go to their friend's homes than bring friends over. That is something I wish I could change, for their sake, but as of now we are staying put.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 6:35 pm

Apricot if youre happy good for you
All ill say is that every single person I ever met in Lakewood. Who talks like this haa children otd or children who plan to have no more than 2 children and are very money driven

cnc

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 6:40 pm

amother wrote:

Your comment was totally out of place.

amother

Apricot

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 8:05 pm

amother wrote:

I can't argue or agree because I don't know every single person you've ever met in Lakewood. All I can say is that I don't live in Lakewood, haven't ever lived there and don't plan on it. We live OOT and it is a very different attitude here. People in general are simpler, dress much simpler, have simpler Simchas etc. I can get away with it here and still have a happy family.
I actually grew up very similar to the way I am raising my children and no one in my family is OTD bH or has the hang ups you mentioned.

amother

Tangerine

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 8:27 pm

amother wrote:

So would you keep having children while living in your 2 bedroom apartment? As it is where do they all sleep? Would you pick up more hours at work to be able to afford more appropriate living conditions?