bare minimum - how much do you need to survive?

LOL...

Yup, when you live in little old *insert city here*, home prices aren't that expensive.

Taxes, however, are a nightmare. I pay $3k in taxes on my house... and if my mortgage tells you anything, things are a little off. lol My parents' house is something like $275k, and they dish out over $8k in taxes.

 

Several years ago I spent some time living in a shack in southern Mexico, so I don't need much.

 

My taxes are high but, not that high. The $800.00 I pay includes my taxes and insurance which are escrowed into my payment so, my mortgage is actually lower but, I'm not sure if it's as low as yours.

That's the one thing about L.A. and NYC. I always thought they might be cool places to live but, it seems like you have to make a lot of money. There are people who work for the same company I work for doing it (living in those places) so I guess I would adjust to it. It just seems like it would be tough.

 

Los Angeles is not as bad as New York in terms of cost of living, but the housing market can be unforgiving for first-time buyers. Unlike NY, you wouldn't normally pay $1200-1500 to live in a closet. San Francisco seems to offer less opportunities for homebuyers than L.A., which might make it the most prohibitive market on the west coast.

 

I have calculated that I need a bare minimum to pay all my bills and mortgage taxes insurance - aprox $25-27,000 a year. (my car is paid off). Anything I earn over that I am good.

 

I never been to your city but I heard it's similar in many area's to mine. My mortgage to my first house was $429. lol taxes, I pay $729 a year for two properties.

I'm really jealous of ATLiens and Texans tho, you can basically buy a mini mansion there for $120,000.

To answer the OP, I could survive off of $6,000 a year being homeless.

 

Interesting question.

I am taking a year off work, maybe a little more. I was fortunate to save a nice sum of money over the past few years so I don't have to work.

I don't owe any money. No debt so I am free and clear.

I am going to try to get by on as little as possible this year. That way I can invest whatever I have left over. I have made a budget and I am going to stick to it.

I don't have a car and I picked an apartment in the middle of the city so I can walk anywhere I want or ride my bike. No car payment, no insurance, no petrol.

That being said I know myself well enough and by January I will be aching to get away on a vacation!

 

Word now please tell the airhead satyr that some people live good in Africa and have a meaningful life (now if only he can get his head out of his ass he might not be smelling shit )

 

Satyr is not saying Africa is a disease infested, famine stricken, dirt poor places. He said to you that you will kill to live in America. This is after you've taken a swipe on America about our unemployment and lack of economy growth. Satyr is an intelligent guy & I am pretty sure he knows Africa is not a shit place but you can't blame him for his patriotic answer. I have visted and stayed in Africa, & have lots African aquaintances from college, etc.... There are lots of rich privileged fuckers who drive nutin but imported grade A German cars, dress top of the line fashion cloth in Africa but that still does not negate the fact that millions kill to come to America by sea, air and by land everyday. Sure America is not doing well right now but we are not a shit bag place and Millions around the world love to emulate us.

 

Oh TDR you are going to get angry with me and so will a number of other folks but, there are many who have never wanted to emulate you and in the current situation those numbers are even less.

Health care -no
Free education-no
High unemployment-yes
Poor race relations-yes
High crime rate-yes
The opportunity of the AMERICAN dream- not so much

Wave your flags and chant USA all you want. It ain't the way is used to be.

 

So true

 

In my line of work I can live and work in any place in the world. i have never wanted to live in the USA. I have many American friends. I love the people but I dislike the politics. It goes against every bone in my body.

No offence folks.....just not my cup of tea

 

You're right. It's completely facist here. The democrats are spineless and the Republicans are short sighted idiots so there you have it we are so fucked. Well EVERY nation has gone through this and hopefully this will be our wake up call. We still have resources and produce goods and services with in our boarders.

 

You do indeed but sadly your government has priced them out of the realm of most nations. Every nation has gone through this. The USA will survive and prosper but I think its days of being the moral police of the world are over and for me that is a good thing.

As I say to anyone I know......Fix yourself before you try to fix anyone else

 

And yet, we are still the straw that stirs the drink...The world economy is down, not just the U.S. Globalization means that the problems of Europe affect the U.S. as well. Greece will not be able to pay its debts. Ireland and Spain may default of its loans. Germany is the only constant in Europe right now.

We still lead in so many ways and this too shall pass. I'm not happy with everything here, there's room for lots of improvement, but I don't see better alternatives either. People can come here, and by the sweat of their brow and ability rise in status and make their fortunes. The land of Nike, Apple, Microsoft and too many others to list is far from done. I don't think that I'm nationalist, just a world observer.

 

There's not an American alive who wouldn't be happy with that. Our former way of life is over but out of the ashes a new one will emerge and hopefully we'll better for it.
I just want us to hit bottom so we can rebuild.

 

Nike Apple and Microsoft all outsource. That should be Vietnam. Malyasia and the Phillipines! All at 2 bucks an hour

 

Yeah for manufactoring not design and marketing. There are still up sides to using American workers.

 

Oh I agree with that but out sourcing and out pricing have destroyed the global economy!

Call me a hippie or whatever you want but I dont shop at big box stores. I support local shops and yes I pay more but I sleep better.

I buy local food. I dont buy anything grown out of a 100 km radius of where I live.....where ever I am living.

Have I bought Nike shoes ...yes. Did I just but a pair yesterday..yes but I try to make my money speak and I think I do a good job at it. I have a weakness for Nike shoes as a runner. I have tried all others but they are the best. I have been to Nike factories in SE Asia and they are not what they were before the whistle was blown on then. Not great, but not as bad.

Does that make me a hypocrite? Maybe but I try to live a life that I am proud of that does no harm.


Walk towards the light people lol
HIPPIE AND PROUD!

 

Many Americans feel this way...we ask why do you police aka help other countries, take care of your own first....but when a country needs help, they come to us. And when disasters happen anywhere in this world, Americans dig deep into their own pockets more than any other citizens on this planet and give more money than any other citizens to help those less fortunate than us.
So our nature is such that even when we don't have our backyard straight, we will drop it to clean yours. (not u perse V2C, of course) I don't see that changing.