How are you surviving financially?
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| Wed, 12-08-2004 - 1:11pm |
Hi everyone - I'm mostly a lurker, but I was wondering how you all are able to survive financially on one income. We live in a part of the country where a 2 bed townhouse goes for over half a million dollars, and we are barely surviving here. We bought it when it was cheaper, but we found out we are expecting again and need to find a bigger house and I don't know if we can afford to live here anymore without me working.
Our family is here, and I would like to stay, but I am so angry that we can't seem to afford a decent house in a family neighborhood here w/o me working. I think it's imperative that I stay home while our babies are young, but what do we do? Move to some other state away from family, have DH change jobs and do something he may not like, or stay here and have me work?? I am so angry because we have worked so hard to get all this education (we both have graduate degrees) and where we live that still doesn't cut it.
We could possibly make it if he worked even more than he does now - 12-14 hours per day and weekends. But then he would never see the kids. I just don't know what to think. This whole thing seems so unfair. :(
How do you do it? What should we do?????
-Melissa

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Adrienne,
Hey!
Hi I too am just a lurker but also live in the LA area and I am a Realtor. I am in Orange county in Anaheim Hills. Townhomes in our neighborhood are going for mid 300's Does he work in the city? Which suburb are you in? Would you be able to go to a different suburb that would still be close to family? I will be in a similar situation as you here soon as in a year we want to get out of the townhouse and into a real house with a yard. We are hoping we can spend less than 700k to get something real nice. Prices are projected to be normal this year at only a 10-14% increase so it might not get as crazy as the last couple of years.
Good luck!
Sarah and Maggie
Sarah
Hi Shannon,
We are west of the 5, but yep we're off of El Toro. They've completed a ton of the building over there and it's called Ladera Ranch. Very beautiful. A lot of our friends live there. I have to tell you it's going to be in the high 70's today, sunny and even up to 80 degrees in LA. I would've cried when we moved too. You are happy where you are now and that's what counts the most. It must have been quite a transition tho.
I'll tell the MV Mall you said hi next time I'm there!
Adrienne
Sarah - You're close to where we are. DH works in downtown LA and we are in north Orange County. We have talked about our options, and we want to cut down on the commute and still be in a nice kid-friendly area where I can remain a SAHM. We thought about moving closer to the station (expensive houses - 600K+ and we can only afford about 550K because that is what our townhouse will go for now). We also thought about moving up to the city into an apartment and either selling or probably renting this house out. I like that idea because DH is 5 mins from work and it will probably be only temporary (hopefully he'll find a new job outside the city when he's got more experience) so we won't be there forever. Also, with a newborn and a toddler, it would be a big help to have him gone only 10 hours a day instead of the 12 he is gone now. So we are thinking about that, and it would probably would be the same cost-wise.
I appreciate everyone's input on this whole issue. Being far away from work and in an area that has overly inflated housing costs, being able to survive financially a really tough issue for most young families in this area. It's good to get everyone's creative ideas...
-Melissa
Before having kids we saved and saved as much as possible. We have enough in our savings to allow me to stay home with the kids until my youngest is two and a half. At that point it's back to work for me. We're lucky b/c my mom will be helping me with child care then (AND she'll be working part-time to keep her insurance benefits b/c where my dad works there aren't any.) I'm truly cherishing my time at home.
--Christina
That's it, I'm jealous!
Where at in Southern In did you live? Just Curious--I live in Southern In. We relocated from Northern IN. We are in Posey County...
angela
If you guys do decided you want to sell and get something else you can always drop me a line thru my email in my profile and I would be more than happy to see what I can find for you.
Good luck. My dh commutes into Carson so yes the 12-14 hr days SUCK!
Sarah and Maggie
Let me guess are you in Yorba Linda?
Edited 12/10/2004 9:24 pm ET ET by jackice
Sarah
What part of N. Indiana are you from? I grew up in LaPorte, In I was there for 23 yrs.
Sarah and Maggie
Sarah
I know Laporte very well but haven't been there in awhile--I grew upin North Judson, and then moved to Culver after that. I have family in Knox and Plymouth.
Back in my WILD years-hee hee--I went to Purdue North Central for 1/2semster and dated a guy from Laporte so I spent time in Laporte.
angela
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