• RBWells@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Household income not personal income? And gross not net, correct? After healthcare, taxes and retirement deductions my net is 50% of gross so let’s say that calculates to 6,250 a month. It is a lot of money! But for a household of 4, 2 paid off cars 3 drivers and one college student with no tuition costs, and one high schooler in a school that gives everyone lunch(so it could be much worse) here the average community monthly costs are:

    2.5k mortgage with the tax & insurance in there, make that 3k if you are renting.

    800/ month car insurance

    600/month electric, water, internet

    200/month family cell phone service

    50/month streaming and donations to community radio

    600/month average repair & maintenance on home and cars

    Leaving 1700 for food for 4, gas, vet bills, credit card payments (because if someone is making bank now, they got there by making less for years). It’s certainly reasonable but here it’s about the least you can make household - wise and be solid, so if you are making 50k, you need three people working not two. And I can see how a family could get behind. That 2.5k plus $600 housing cost can be much more if you bought a house in the last year or so, and car loan or tuition could also blow this up, as could a medical emergency.