$82,000/year to live comfortably in Denver.

[Dave_L]

According to a new "study":

http://m.bizjournals.com/denver/morn...es.html?r=full

It doesn't say what "comfortably" means but Im curious as to your thoughts on what it takes? Is this just more media push to encourage minimum wage increase, wealth gap, etc? To me, $82,000 sounds a bit high depending on how we're defining comfortable but I also don't have a family yet. Just the wife and 2 dogs.

I define comfortable as a roof over your head, food on the table, bills paid and putting some into savings each month. It doesn't mean fully loaded cable tv, the newest tv/phones/cars/clothes/etc.

[Dave]

In other articles I have seen they put it at 75k as a nationwide average for a family of 4 to live as middle class. The parameters usually set for that is food, car, utilities, bills all payable each month and have extra for savings, dining out a few times and a vacation each year. They usually assume you're eating better than ramen and mac and cheese 3 meals a day every day, not driving a 1984 Ford Escort and living in a neighborhood that is middle class and not in a van down by the river.

[hurley842002]

I don't know about this particular study, but every time I see a "study" on cost of living, cost of rent, etc. they are pulling their stats from folks living right in or near downtown, of course you'd need $82k a year to live there. How about we include stats from the DIA area where more "normal" people live.

[Batteriesnare]

Sounds about right to me, especially with how debt laden and broke everybody is. If you have:

$1500 housing payment (rent/mortgage assuming $250k property - this is probably low for "comfortable" in Denver)
$500 health insurance (using my wife and I as examples - mid 20s - thanks BHO and obviously much higher if you have kids)
$400 car payment 1
$300 car payment 2
$350 student loan payment (I realize not everyone has this, but most folks my age making 82K gross probably do)
$300 food budget
$300 gas budget
$300 credit card payment (assuming 12K balance, decent interest rate)
$150 utilities (gas, water, electric, trash)
$150 insurance premiums (house, possessions)
$120 cell phone bill
$50 internet service (no cable/house phone)
$4420 total expenses.


Leaves you just under $1000/month out of $5400 after tax, and I didn't include any $ for kid expenses, eating out more than 1x/week, recreation (ammo, golf, gym membership - whatever) which is atypical etc. I'd also assume that the debt load for this house hold is higher than what I have listed, which eats away at availability for saving extra - also didn't budget any retirement savings above.

I agree with you that there is a different definition of comfortable for most on this board vs average joe in Denver, but then again they didn't survey us!

[MrPrena]

Yeah, sounds about right. I wanna see if my budget is similar here.

Figures are approx (minimal):
$1500 housing payment
$0 health insurance (Will be $250 after June)
$380 car payment 1
$0 car payment 2
$0 car payment 3
$0 student loan payment
$500 food budget (For family of 3)
$150 gas/fuel budget ($300 @ $3/gal)
$300 credit card payments
$250 utilities (gas, water, electric, trash)
$200 Auto insurance premiums (Paid 6mo full)
$75 cell phone bill (For 2 pre-paid)
$50 internet service (no cable/no house phone)
$50 HOA
$450 personal spending (husband, wife , kid, incl school supplies)

$3905 total expenses. (upto $4305)

This figure above will be without any savings, extra costs, emergency spending, nor vacations. Oh, and no gun purchase.

Sounds about right to me, especially with how debt laden and broke everybody is. If you have:

$1500 housing payment (rent/mortgage assuming $250k property - this is probably low for "comfortable" in Denver)
$500 health insurance (using my wife and I as examples - mid 20s - thanks BHO and obviously much higher if you have kids)
$400 car payment 1
$300 car payment 2
$350 student loan payment (I realize not everyone has this, but most folks my age making 82K gross probably do)
$300 food budget
$300 gas budget
$300 credit card payment (assuming 12K balance, decent interest rate)
$150 utilities (gas, water, electric, trash)
$150 insurance premiums (house, possessions)
$120 cell phone bill
$50 internet service (no cable/house phone)
$4420 total expenses.

[tmckay2]

eh, stuff like that is always difficult to estimate. i guess if thats the average, but you can get by on a lot less if needed.

[Firehaus]

When I moved here 10 years ago it was the same. Wage calculator stated that $50k/year in Kansas was like $80k/year here if you bought a home. If you rented it was around $60k/ year. I doubt that is the same with rents skyrocketing. Which is great if your a landlord.


Sent from my iPhone

[StagLefty]

You guys would have a coronary if you knew what I lived on per year now that I'm retired. Hint-only source of income is SS.

[SamuraiCO]

Obvious they did not include reloading/shooting supplies in this budget

[Irving]

My wife would quit in a heart beat if I made that much money on my own.