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thesilversverker t1_ja81rdz wrote

Reply to comment by mymaineaccount46 in Maine Child Care Subsidy by Dry-Date-6730

> My mortgage was $1500 a month

I agree with your overall point, this number suggests you found a house extremely cheap. Even with PMI, it's something like a 180k house with good credit. Renting or buying, you're paying 2k-2500 for housing if you are a household of 3.

$400 for food a month is doable, but tight. 3 years ago, it would have been luxurious. Say goodbye to fresh fruits for the kids!

Utilities will average out around $6-800 a month for that household.

Transport with a paid off car will be $3-400 a month as well - to get that low $2k housing you will be doing significantly more travel.

So of your $1700, we ate $1200 to simply not freeze, and travel to/from work.

Now add in: professional development/education costs, home maintenance (2-4k/year), any pets, any medical costs (your costs indicated a low-premium plan), haircuts & clothing...

Can it be done? Totally.

But people like mr "need 150k" arent wrong that to do it requires sacrifice. A $100k family in 2005 would get to take vacations, go skiing, go to camp in the summer - not so much now.

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mymaineaccount46 t1_ja92tmj wrote

I think you're numbers remain high. I take vacations, I have savings and the house that I had that mortgage at was a 3 bedroom near a Public transit line (not in Maine.) It was on the smaller end but still in a major metro area.

Also at 400 a month food we eat almost exclusively fresh fruits veg's and meat. I won't buy processed nonsense.

Sure if you want a McMansion you need more money but this has been doable as recently as the past few years. You just have to fight lifestyle creep and actually set a budget. You don't need an over 6 figure household income to be perfectly comfortable, and able to take vacations, with kids.

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thesilversverker t1_ja9c65j wrote

400 a month fresh fruits, veg and meat for 3? That's impressive, and I dont know that would be possible most places. Certainly not in southern maine/portland area.

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