$1,600 per month income

[haikuman]

I am living in the Philippines.
Two bedroom Apt $100 per/Month/ Clean/ Freshly painted /secure
Internet $20 per/Month
Cable TV $10 per/Month
Electricity $20-$40 per/Month
Laundry $20 per/Month
Food varies Monthly/$300 +
Transportation$100 per/Month high estimate

Recreation varies *(:>* Mostly never enuff *(:>*


With $1600 Monthly you can live quite well.

[MikeF]

There are apartments around here (So Cal) you can rent for about $1100 a month... So, yeah, I think it would be possible depending on transportation, insurance, etc.

[kap]

Due to the dire housing situation, one could find a good deal in apartments in a good neighborhood. It's a competition among homeowners and apartment owners. A co-worker found a 3 bedroom and 2-2/5 bath house with hardwood floor, central air, a pool next to a hiking trail for a mere $1700 in Pico Rivera, CA.

[Kate]

Are the Slabs considered southern California?

Kate

[thermarest]

WHiiP wrote:
IF your humble abode is paid for and your food and taxes (property tax in particular) are covered in the $1600, as is your health insurance (or Medicare), utilities, haircuts, cable, internet, cell-phone, etc.

Sure.

Right, because cable, internet and cell phones are essential to live.

[Lee3]

Not if you have to pay rent.

[WHiiP]

kap wrote:
Due to the dire housing situation, one could find a good deal in apartments in a good neighborhood. It's a competition among homeowners and apartment owners. A co-worker found a 3 bedroom and 2-2/5 bath house with hardwood floor, central air, a pool next to a hiking trail for a mere $1700 in Pico Rivera, CA.

You are now $100 dollars O V E R your budget and you have N O T H I N G left for A N Y T H I N G else.

NOT a good plan, my man!

You will NEVER get ahead this way!

[kap]

WHiiP wrote:
[quote=kap]
Due to the dire housing situation, one could find a good deal in apartments in a good neighborhood. It's a competition among homeowners and apartment owners. A co-worker found a 3 bedroom and 2-2/5 bath house with hardwood floor, central air, a pool next to a hiking trail for a mere $1700 in Pico Rivera, CA.

You are now $100 dollars O V E R your budget and you have N O T H I N G left for A N Y T H I N G else.

NOT a good plan, my man!

You will NEVER get ahead this way!
I was answering to one of the posters' suggestion about having roommates

One could find a $700 per month studio includes a 3/4 bath and a kitchenette in a decent neighbor. Also, there are so many illegal garage converted room now. 5 years ago, I lived on a lesser budget and still had some money left for a small saving. Of course, I had a small TV and dial-up account while everyone else was already into big screen TVs and DSL.

[davester]

To give you an idea, that income is about midway between the poverty thresholds for 3 and 4 person families for the LA area http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/pip/califpip.pdf . I'm not sure if living on that much in LA would be what I'd call "living". I lived in LA for 6 years with a much higher income than that and it was tough. I found it a lot cheaper to live in northern California (excepting the city of San Francisco itself).