An interesting calculator...

[Sirc]

...showing the difference in cost of living of any two areas of the US. Now I understand why BIGG bitches so much. :)

I make roughly $65K a year in SW Ohio. I have a three bedroom ranch with a basement on 3/4 acres. In a middle income area with good schools. This is (barely) affordable for me.

If I lived in Manhattan (I know BIGG lives on Long Island but wasn't sure what county), even if my salary were increased for cost of living, I would barely be able to live in an efficiency apartment. This is the flaw behind "taxing the rich". Being "rich" is relative. Making $250K a year is friggin rich in some places but only barely comfortable in others.

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html

So roughly, at $65K a year in SW Ohio, this is what I would be making in Manhattan. No 3 bedroom ranch for me. $153K would not nearly cover a 458% increase in my mortgage. And food, and utilities. Sheesh.

[Bingo]

Huh. That's pretty interesting. I'd be interested in seeing some of the math behind it to help get a better idea of what's going on. Regardless, it does make you think!

[ME BIGGD01]

Sirc, I live on Long Island NY in Suffolk County. While I won't discuss finances, I will tell you we have the most highest paid Teachers that are unionized along with Suffolk County Police which are one of the top paid in the country. An average home needs to bring in close to 150,000-200,000 a year to live here. Now there are people living here already earning less but this is where the problem lies. Before I say this, I will suggest this is a huge issue acroos our wonderful nation regardless who is paying more. I will speak for NY at this time because I am familiar with what goes on here.

Ok so for those not making up to at least 150,000 a year (Household), they are living in debt and off their credit cards or not paying all of their bills.

I will give you a summary of the average household regardless if they don't agree. This is the norm from my eyes of a Long Island home.

Mortgage 3500.00 (Thats kinda low)
Average tax rate across Long Island for their Property is 10,000. Some areas Like where I use to live are up to 25,000 or more a year.
Everyone has a cell Phone so we will do an average of 3 Phones per house at 250.00 a month.
Food is expensive so lets say 200.00 a wekk and that's buying basically crap. (I enjoy good food)
Cable,pHone and Internet is average 200 a month combined.
2 cars minumum for a house hold fuel cost per Month(LIE sucks)550.00
Oil or Gas to heat your home 5 months out of the year 3500.0
Electric from LIPA Avg will be 320 per Month (You don't want to know what I pay per month).
Water per month is like 35 Bucks

Ok Add those up and you come around 71,960. Now if you see the taxes that get taken out of your pay check of lets say 150,000 a yr, you are probably around 95,000. Add all other expenses such as health insurance, car payments, Maintenance or even if you smoke which is a costly expense living in NY at 11.20 a pack on the island and up to 15 in the city.

This is what I live with daily and maybe why I bitch about it so much. Sure I can move but does it honestly get better? I don't think so unless you are retiring with a good pension. I do regret not moving out of NY when my Wife passed but I kinda got stuck here and bought a house for close to 500,000 and put another 200,000 in it to live in for my daughter and I. (Yes I didn't need a big house but I wanted something special for my daughter to grow up in so I built her dream). Of course since the economy continues to fall far worst than even I predicted at the time, my house dropped another 100,000 in value in just 3 years of buying it.

Now What if you are a senior living on SS? How do you live?

With all that, I agree with your post Sirc as the dollar value compared to where you live is adjusted around the same. My question is how the **** can this country be broke with all of the tax money they take from us? It's a farce and part of the agenda.

[ME BIGGD01]

I forgot to add a few things such as auto insurance, house/property insurance (a must by law). tack on about 4000 per year for 2 cars and house. Thats on the cheap side along with a good driving record.

[Nitro]

___