What's the bare bones minimum per mo for Lakewood?

imasinger

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 2:51 pm

I hope the title is self-explanatory. If you or your children are newlyweds living in Lakewood, how much does one need to live on? How much is rent? Food? Car insurance? Other incidentals I may not be thinking of?

I've been hearing figures all over the map, and am trying to decipher what is real.

amother

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 4:38 pm

My father gave $1500/month. Our rent was $850. I still needed to work to cover our monthly budget but I wasn't stressed out to find a high paying job.

sky

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 4:38 pm

don't forget health insuranace - its expensive.

For rent - it can be all over the map.

Would you rather a basement or apartment. Washer and dryer in the apartment or just in the building. Number of bedrooms. Within walking distance to yeshiva or the other side of town. If its a basement then within a development or in a stand alone house. There are different price ranges between the options so that is maybe why your numbers are all over the map.

Faigy86

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 4:49 pm

I'll try for bare bones ball-park estimates:
rent+utilities - 8-9, but that is assuming most probably a development, which means that one car is a stretch - not impossible, and you can find closer to the center for around that price also.
food + household expenses - being careful and budgeting, 3-400 can work, but that is probably a low end estimate.
car insurance - depending on the model of the car and how old the drivers are and what sort of record they have - 6-700 anually could work.
health insurance - are they getting through their parents? if they need their own plan count another 5-700 a month.
What else am I forgetting?

faigyl

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 4:52 pm

There's no way you can get by with $300-$400 month on food, gas, and the little things that will ALWAYS crop up. It costs me $50 alone for each Shabbos- even when I'm trying to be cheap.

Faigy86

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 4:55 pm

faigyl wrote:

There's no way you can get by with $300-$400 month on food, gas, and the little things that will ALWAYS crop up. It costs me $50 alone for each Shabbos- even when I'm trying to be cheap.

you are right - I forgot about gas. that is another big expense. I definitely don't spend 50 on shabbos though. gas would be another 50-75 a month near to the center without a big commute, I don't know the numbers for further out or if someone is commuting.

chocolate chips

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 5:06 pm

amother wrote:

My father gave $1500/month. Our rent was $850. I still needed to work to cover our monthly budget but I wasn't stressed out to find a high paying job.

WOW! I shouldn't really live in BP.

When I was newly wed we paid $900 for a tiny 1 bedroom inc. utilities. Our weekly foods and other stuff (shampoo, tissues etc) was $50-$100. We didn't have a car. We both had to work to cover expenses (me f/t and dh p/t)

Now $1500 is not even our rent!!!! (3bdrm) we still utilities, expenses (+baby stuff) we still don't have a car and I don't work.
Our friends in lakewood told us for what we pay for our apartment here in BP, we could have a 5bdrm house in Lakewood shock

lkwdmommy

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 5:11 pm

These days rent is way down. You can find a decent apt. close to center of Lkwd for under 800; even cheaper if you go way out.

To add to the budget, if your family lives in NY, add about $50/trip each time you go in for Shabbos or a Simcha.

Utilities, cell phone?

amother

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 5:48 pm

lkwdmommy wrote:

That's true. $850 was when I got married 4 years ago for a 3 bedroom basement apartment. Today I live in a 5 bedroom townhouse that goes for $1400/month. Utilities not included in either.

Fabulous

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 8:12 pm

small bean wrote:

I say around $2000 total a month...

sounds about right. For bare bones and with NO health insurance.

Tova

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 8:19 pm

Re: health insurance - note that under the new healthcare act, you can be covered UP TO AGE 26 under your parents' policies, even if married. This can be HUGE for NJ priced insurance.

Tova

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 8:21 pm

And wow have rents gone down. When I got married in 2001 we paid $700/month for a one bedroom basement apartment (14th street area, not too far from yeshiva - we managed on one car and my husband walked to yeshiva). There was a huge supply-demand issue then, as less couples were going to E"Y due to the situation at that time, and all apartment openings had large waiting lists.

mom2be1

Wed, Jan 18 2012, 9:19 pm

I would say 2500 bec were paying 1000 for rent. Remeber its also possible to be eligible for programs-WIC, Jersey Care, Heap, HUD...

Faigy86

Thu, Jan 19 2012, 9:59 am

I just looked at my real numbers, and we are very careful - I would say 1800 is the barest bare bones (almost no extras - ie, I do my own sheitels etc. but I do pay a bit more in rent) and that isn't including health insurance.