Question about money...

I know this is a general question and probably hard to answer, but if you have a ball park idea, it would help.

I am trying to look into different careers, because it is time for me to focus on what i want to study for in college, and plan for etc...

One thing that keeps coming up when i look at each of the different careers is the salary. So, what i need to know, is about how much should one earn a year to be able to live comfortably?

Say a single guy, who doesn't need to be bill gates, but would still like to be able to afford the occational luxary here and there.

I really have no idea about this, what are we talking, $30,000? $40,000? $100,000?

you can live comfortably on about $25K if you don't need more than 2 bedrooms.

30-35K is a lot more fun. Anything more than that means cool, expensive toys. :)

cool, thats what i wanted to hear.

I am interested in becoming an engineer, and a pamphlet i was reading from some college said average starting salary for an engineer was about $46,000.

that means lots of toys :cool:

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Originally posted by sail3005

that means lots of toys :cool:

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Only if you don't get someone pregnant. :)

becoz when u get somewun pregnant u hav to shayr all teh toiz with ur stooopid childs, and their alweys screeming and shouting andaar gh!!

yeah, that would suck, big time

and wen you make all the monie you will be rich and all the chiks will com to you but you hav to be cayrful becaus they'll be afetr ur monie and only true chik is the best man! Good luck to yoo becoz I am also engineyr soon and i will also be rihc jess like yo and i will have lots of tois. :)

ok, jeff_k :p

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Originally posted by cafeenman

Only if you don't get someone pregnant. :)

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Because then someone else gets all the toys?

:D

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Originally posted by cafeenman

Only if you don't get someone pregnant. :)

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Don't worry - from my observations engineers don't get much chance of that anyway - thats why they need the toys :p

One note to living comfortably on $46000,
Location matters a big deal on this one.
46k is much different (much less) in Chicago than it is, say out in Elgin or Aruora.
And starting salary doesn't change much over location.
However, the top end for larger cities tends to be much higher than for smaller towns.

and even those two towns are still "chicagoland area"
Milwaukee Wi is a different pay scale/cost of living entirely.

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Originally posted by cafeenman
you can live comfortably on about $25K if you don't need more than 2 bedrooms.

30-35K is a lot more fun. Anything more than that means cool, expensive toys. :)

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LOL I love the way you put.
So simple and to the point :)

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Originally posted by Kzin


Because then someone else gets all the toys?

:D

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Yep and the guy's "toy" money goes for things like diapers, cribs and daycare. That's all cool if it's what you want. But if you want to be a happy "single" guy, having kids seriously diminshes the "happiness" aspect from lack of singularity.

come live in florida! a house in california (in some crappy neighborhood with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom) is $half a million. In florida, its < $30,000

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Originally posted by markman
come live in florida! a house in california (in some crappy neighborhood with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom) is $half a million. In florida, its < $30,000

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You have no idea what you are talking about.

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Originally posted by barrk


You have no idea what you are talking about.

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At least he has no idea what housing costs around here. $60K will get you a run down 2 bedroom in crack town in Gainesville.

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Originally posted by barrk


You have no idea what you are talking about.

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Katie, he is close depending on where in California we are talking about. I'm just outside Ventura which is about two hours north of Los Angeles. two bedroom, 1 bath crackerbox with no yard is $300k. Renting that same house is $1200 - $1400 a month. Victorville / Lancaster is starting to look pretty damn good.

Valencia is very nice. You can get a three bedroom house in a very nice area for 250K....or rent for 1000-1500/mo.

I have a neighborhood near here, <30,000* and they are NOT trailer homes. Id guess 2 bedrooms 1 bath. Then I have seen (Santabarbara) a house the same $510,000

Im not making this up

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$60K will get you a run down 2 bedroom in crack town in Gainesville.

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In Gainesville. Im talking about HERE. MY city











*other houses in that area are ~$72K :p

Santa Barbara or Ventura or anyplace on the coast is going to be higher than inland.....but that hardly means that you can't find anywhere in California that you can live comfortably for under a half a million.

I was showing the extremes. Sure I live in a big house, and there are probably less expensive ones in California.

Just making an example
:)