How is NY affordable?

amother

Khaki

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 11:41 am

I live in cincinnati. I asked my dh what he thought about this thread's question. He's the type with the excel spreadsheets of our finances Wink

He said salaries are higher in NY so its hard to make a blanket statement, would have to look at all the variables. He thinks that usually there is less of a commute out of town which makes a big difference. He went from a minimum of 2 hr commute a day to 1/2 hr commute. His first job here had a long commute though so its not guaranteed but it is more typical. He feels like the quality of life is better here. He said if he wanted to work way more hours he could and earn a lot more but it's not worth it to us, we wanted the quality of life of having the parents be around for the kids. I remember someone who lived in NYC commenting about how he wished he had been around more when his kids were growing up.

In terms of high school class about this I actually did hear of a school who did this, just can't remember which one.

Petra

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 12:22 pm

This has been an enlightening thread.

As an OOT'er, I value my space but we don't have a lot of "Jewish" amenities. One choice of school, higher kosher food prices. My kids have only a few choices in friends (our community isn't large). My commute is zilch though and I am home from work usually before kids are home from school. Have to work though to afford the tuition but we do have extras like vacation, music lessons, summer camp, college funds, IRA, etc. Taxes are okay. Health insurance is okay.

Sure does make it extra nice when we can go to Israel and even NY to appreciate the conveniences.

I don't know what it's like to have choices and convenience at my fingertips. Guessing that's the way it's going to stay.

seeker

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 12:46 pm

Just want to point out that income concerns are not only about salaries being lower out of town (in that sense lower COL helps offset it) but also about job availability. My current niche only exists in NY (contracting with government which only here is generous with education services.) Sure I could make a career shift but that's already much more complicated than simply moving and having a lower salary for the same job. Likewise a small community can probably support only one sheitel macher, limited Judaic teachers, there are a number of jobs that are just not so portable.

Of course it can be done, I'm just saying it's not only about the math of salary vs COL

Amelia Bedelia

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 1:38 pm

amother wrote:

Also keep in mind that many many people in NY, especially in Brooklyn have food stamps, Medicaid, section 8, headstart, vouchers...even though they're not legally eligible.

I've said it once here on a thread, and I will say it again: you do not necessarily need to be low income to qualify for headstart.

amother

Seafoam

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 1:44 pm

gold21 wrote:

So... That is very cool and I think it's amazing that you are so focused and have a great work ethic and have made good financial decisions. Kol Hakovod.

With that said, two points:

1. Many people don't receive a down payment from parents.

2. Many people davka don't want to be part of the rat race, where both parents are always working. They want a slower pace of life. That's part of the appeal of out-of-town.

Thank u!
I agree with the two points. When we lived in Iowa for 4 months I loved it. Low key as you can get. But my husband hated it. He said he can’t handle meeting the same ppl at shul, work, grocery or anywhere we go. He needed the verity. I would go back in a second but I know it’s not an option.

Just one more point, for my family, oot would mean flying pretty often which is an added expense. Just saying.

ra_mom

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 2:04 pm

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

I've said it once here on a thread, and I will say it again: you do not necessarily need to be low income to qualify for headstart.

You don't have to be at poverty level but you do have to be low income in comparison to the number of dependants. I know this for a fact.

dancingqueen

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 2:05 pm

amother wrote:

Quote:

Many non sheitel wearers order tichela from Ali for $2/each. What people spend on a wash and set, I spend on 15 tichels. Like everything else, this is a choice.

I think she was referring to people that don't cover their hair at all...Comparing frum lifestyle to non-Jewish lifestyle

Right.

Amelia Bedelia

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 2:32 pm

ra_mom wrote:

You don't have to be at poverty level but you do have to be low income in comparison to the number of dependants. I know this for a fact.

10% of the children can qualify if they get services. And another 10% are allowed to be higher income, but it usually ends up going to families with protektzia.

amother

Peach

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 2:39 pm

amother wrote:

I live in cincinnati. I asked my dh what he thought about this thread's question. He's the type with the excel spreadsheets of our finances Wink

But not everyone works in a field where you have a choice to work more and get paid more. Most ppl are working long hrs and work a second job bec. Its not a choice, and some ppl work long hrs and don't get paid more for overtime but we must work until we finish the work project.

All this talk in this thread about affordability but some ppl have jobs that will earn more wherever they go while others dont have that option or have not been successful in finding jobs out of town. Everyone works in different fields which is why some ppl buy houses and others can't.

amother

Khaki

Fri, Apr 05 2019, 2:51 pm

my dh was just saying that he felt like in the ny area people were expected to put in more time either at work itself and/or in commute. He wasn't disagreeing with your point just saying that that should be considered when comparing salaries.

I have friends who cincinnati didn't work for, more then one family. Their reasons were things like- requiring schooling and services that they just couldn't get here, having trouble finding jobs here... these are real issues. There's no community that's perfect and just because it gives one family a better quality of life doesn't mean it'll be work for a different one.

amother

Taupe

Sun, Apr 07 2019, 8:36 am

I used to live in Brooklyn and now I moved to Long Island. Our expenses did not go down at all but we now live in a house with a yard so that’s a huge plus in quality of life. Food is definitely more. My kids were in yeshivish schools in Brooklyn,Chaim berlin and Bya and they are in yeshivish schools here too. Tuition is very comparable. From my research I found that with the exception of lakewood the typical BY elementary charges 10-13k pretty much across the US.

ra_mom

Sun, Apr 07 2019, 8:39 am

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

10% of the children can qualify if they get services. And another 10% are allowed to be higher income, but it usually ends up going to families with protektzia.

That's just for a place like Yeled Vyalda. They can accept anyone. But they reserve their slots.
In a school setting that has a head start program that is not possible. There are specific income guideline charts.

amother

Blonde

Sun, Apr 07 2019, 8:46 am

ra_mom wrote:

What Amelia bedilia said holds true in the headscarf I’m familiar with ( monsey Belz). My first son went because he qualified for many services, then I was able to sort of push my other boys in because the teachers knew me etc. (my other sons do not get services Bh)

We were not income eligible.

amother

Taupe

Sun, Apr 07 2019, 9:25 am

amother wrote:

Head start is regulated by the government. Yes there are a few slots that you don’t need to be income eligible for, I don’t know the percentage but it is almost all. Google headstart and it will right away mention income eligible. I looked into it because so many people I know had kids in headstart and dh was in kollel at the time so I was sure I would qualify too but its income eligibility like foodstamps and Bh I didn’t qualify.

cnc

Sun, Apr 07 2019, 10:23 am

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

10% of the children can qualify if they get services. And another 10% are allowed to be higher income, but it usually ends up going to families with protektzia.

This.
My child was placed in a head start class in a mainstream school based on the fact that the child receives lots of services, and there were some empty slots. The director told me the same thing about the ten percent allowance for these categories.

I have a relative that is the head start director in a school and she gives ten percent of the slots to her family and friends that would not otherwise qualify.(I'm not getting into the ethical part over here...but legally it's perfectly okay.)

cnc

Sun, Apr 07 2019, 10:24 am

amother wrote:

It is technically a program based on income eligibility, but there are people in the program legally that are not income eligible.

Ema of 5

Sun, Apr 07 2019, 10:32 pm

amother wrote:

You traded income tax (NYC) for property tax (Nassau county) which may or may not be comparable.