Cost of Living

[Zardnaar]

The easiest way to get SMAC running is to spring a handful of dollars for the GoG version. Bringing the original disk versions into compatibility with operating systems more recent than Win98 is a battle. It runs on the CivII engine, and I think Firaxis had to "innovate" just to get it working on 98...and the residue of that innovation makes it hard to push it further. GoG version worked great straight from the box though, on every machine I've had since I bought it. Fingers crossed for my new Win10 rig, but I'm pretty confident.

I have the 2009 rerelease and it used to run fine on my old PC. I'll probably buy the GoG version.

 

[emzie]

My rent (C$900 or like ~US$700) includes parking and utilities. We're rent controlled, and the same unit now goes for $1,139. It's ~650sq ft in the poorest neighbourhood of the city. We've spent a couple thousand on upgrading our unit since moving into a comparable apartment anywhere else would be *at least* $600 / month more.

My mortgage payment is $750 a month; I have a 3,600 square foot house

Now I am envious.

 

[Zardnaar]

My rent (C$900 or like ~US$700) includes parking and utilities. We're rent controlled, and the same unit now goes for $1,139. It's ~650sq ft in the poorest neighbourhood of the city. We've spent a couple thousand on upgrading our unit since moving into a comparable apartment anywhere else would be *at least* $600 / month more.



Now I am envious.

That would be cheap here.

Only way you get cheap rent here is a pensioner, mates rates, or if you are a long term tenent with a nice land lord who's kept the rent down for a decade or more.

Rents paid weekly, 3 bedroom house expect to pay around $300 USD a week. Single rooms $100 to $200 a week.

Council just put up our rates as they revalued the house. Cost of housing has outstripped income so it might be hard for some.

Basically paid off mortage in ($2500 USD left approx)9 years, house had gone up in value 110%.

Gonna redo the weatherboards on one side, have repainted and recarpeted, probably renovate the kitchen and bathroom and move.

What's dumb with tax free capital gains and rent rates, the mortgage is half priced rent plus free house essentially.

Median house price $600k
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/prop...70-years-economist-says-baby-boomers-to-blame

Median wage Google tells me is 49k, average wage is $33 an hour (lol).

 

[civvver]

I live in Michigan too, suburbs, cost of living is really fine for any type of professional. If you don't have a good paying job, like say you are a waiter who averages $15 an hour, that's ok for a single person, kind of tough to raise a family. It's really all about discretionary spending. We kind of splurge on vacations and christmas gifts and stuff, so we feel money is a little tight depending on the time of the year, but I wouldn't say we are hurting by any means. I make a lot of money myself, 90th individual percentile, but my wife doesn't work so we actually are very average household income wise for my area. It's a little bit of a sacrifice some times but being able to devote that attention to your kids I think is worth it.

I think the one downside here is you definitely need to own a car. Not enough public transit options so that is always going to be an expense. But still cheaper that expensive urban apartments.

 

[Hygro]

I pay $400 for rent and food here. Back home you may multiply that number as high as you want.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

House paid for
Cars paid for
No kids
House expenses are about $750 CDN/month (Includes waaay overpriced internet)
Groceries are about $400 CDN/mo
I bank half of my income
I inherited a reasonably large amount of property in Dublin along with my cousins

The taxes are quite high here. I pay roughly $75k to $90k in taxes for the year depending on my deductions, but it's taken off my paycheque so I don't see it

I plan to retire when I'm 55

 

[Birdjaguar]

@Lemon Merchant Any plans to move back to the old country?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

@Lemon Merchant Any plans to move back to the old country?

Or, can I interest you in Belize? You'd make a really interesting neighbor!

 

[Lemon Merchant]

I've been giving it some thought for when I retire. A lot depends on whether or not I am still single then. If I'm single, I might just move home. I miss my mother tongue, as well as the green grass, the trees and good beer.

Or, can I interest you in Belize? You'd make a really interesting neighbor!

Hehe. You might not like me as a neighbor. I'm terrified of roaches and I would scream a lot.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Hehe. You might not like me as a neighbor. I'm terrified of roaches and I would scream a lot.

We are making a point of pushing the jungle back, and for the occasional invader that makes it through the defenses I would cheerfully rush to your assistance.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I've been giving it some thought for when I retire. A lot depends on whether or not I am still single then. If I'm single, I might just move home. I miss my mother tongue, as well as the green grass, the trees and good beer.



Hehe. You might not like me as a neighbor. I'm terrified of roaches and I would scream a lot.

And they have giant roaches in Belize!!!

 

[Timsup2nothin]

And they have giant roaches in Belize!!!

I'm suggesting a house, not a jungle tour.

 

[JPetroski]

I have a $2,000 USD mortgage for a 1900 square foot home on a half acre of land in CT. It came with an awesome barn though and is in a safe town with good schools and low (for the state) taxes. Also it is near the highway so my commute is short

Daycare costs us about $1500 a month which is tough but consider the "raise" we will get when the kids are grown.

No student loans to speak of. My wife didnt finish college and I found an extremely cheap path to a bachelor's degree (CLEP and DANTES ftw). We both have strong salaries (she is in sales where they could care less if you have a degree if you're good, and I got my foot in the door and climbed the ladder a bit).

Food is very expensive here. We probably spend about a grand a month on it for the family. Insurance is also costly as the kids are so young and we need a lot of life insurance etc.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I have a $2,000 USD mortgage for a 1900 square foot home on a half acre of land. It came with an awesome barn though and is in a safe town with good schools and low (for the state) taxes. Also it is near the highway so my commute is short

Daycare costs us about $1500 a month which is tough but consider the "raise" we will get when the kids are grown.

No student loans to speak of. My wife didnt finish college and I found an extremely cheap path to a bachelor's degree (CLEP and DANTES ftw). We both have strong salaries (she is in sales where they could care less if you have a degree if you're good, and I got my foot in the door and climbed the ladder a bit).

Food is very expensive here. We probably spend about a grand a month on it for the family. Insurance is also costly as the kids are so young and we need a lot of life insurance etc.

Where is "here"?

 

[JPetroski]

Where is "here"?

Sorry - CT. Edited the first post.

 

[Hygro]

Or, can I interest you in Belize? You'd make a really interesting neighbor!

I mean Nicaragua para mi, but I’m not quitting the US of A.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I mean Nicaragua para mi, but I’m not quitting the US of A.

I was pretty happy to see in another thread that you plan on coming back to the Bay eventually. I would like to meet you someday.

 

[Hygro]

I was pretty happy to see in another thread that you plan on coming back to the Bay eventually. I would like to meet you someday.

Same, amigo.

 

[Phrossack]

No car, no kids, no medications, so that keeps costs down. My part of town isn't all that cheap, but not all that expensive either. I'll probably rent my whole life, and I don't think I'll ever be able to afford retirement. The idea doesn't appeal to me all that much and I don't intend to live long enough to retire, anyway.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Same in Ohio. We gotta keep the cheapness of Midwest living a secret though before all those "coastals" start trying to move here and drive costs up.

There are upsides and downsides to rual living, sometimes I wish I could just escape the rat race
I was under the impression that most people move to Florida to retire (the retiree state)