Allow me to speak from experience. Before departing San Diego, I was making exactly 90k and owned a home with exactly a 400k mortgage. Here’s how we lived:
Yearly Costs
-$37,200 – 7yr., IO Loan, Mello Roos, HOA, Taxes, (3,100/Mo)
-$25,000 – 28% deducted for taxes, soc.sec., Medicare etc.
-$9,000 – Groceries/Dining, Family of four
-$4,000 – Gas
-$4,500 – 5% 401k investment
-$500 – Auto repair, oil change etc.
-$2,000 – Home/Auto/Life insurance
-$1,000 – Yearly vacation, travel costs
-$500 – Gifts
-$4,000 – Utilities
-$750 – Clothing
-$1,500 – Household stuff (yard, plants, trash bags etc.)
——–
$89,950
Savings = 25 cents/Month
Note: I had no debt other than the home, no ccard balances, no student loans, no car pmts.
