Annual income?

This is the issue with people, when income goes up they don't keep the expenses the same as when the income was lower, the expenses rise. Bigger house, cars etc other stuff.

 

I've kinda been curious about this for some time, cuz it seems like the majority here gamble far more in terms of $$$ than I do.

 

Just put it in perspective. The Strip is San Francisco, and the local joints are Wisconsin.

 

The folks that do it right are the financial gurus that put in 10-12 hard years on Wall St or in the tech sector, working ungodly hours, living below their means, investing wisely and and living in a cramped apartment. They can escape NYC or Silicon Valley and retire young. A high school friend lives off of dividends in West Palm Beach. He was able to retire soon after 9/11 having invested 60% of his net pay from 1991 to 2002. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the beach and a sailboat, which serves as a cigar bar and coaster. I don't think he even knows how to sail! During his working years, I don't think he ever took a vacation and routinely put in 80 hour workweeks, but he's set for life at a very young age.

Nick

 

Left the Bay Area also in 2001, was sick of commuting & working 16hrs/day for a startup. I left behind an $1800/mon apartment in Newark- price was driven up so high due to the H1Bs

 

It's actually cheaper for me to stay in the hotel across the street from my office than to pay the monthly rent at my apartment complex...and I only have a one bedroom. And I don't earn status points staying at my house

 

The Bay Area IS nuts. We have friends/family on the peninsula, south, Marin and northward, and it simply is nuts. And of course not all salaries are commensurate with the inflated cost of living up there. We've looked into a couple opportunities and didn't get too far down the line owing to the nominal increase in pay, the phenomenal increase in costs, and the lifestyle jolt. Anyway, our weather is better.

 

I have to live 2 counties away from my job to afford
the townhouse we bought.
The greater NYC area........with nuke reactor in it's midst.

 

My wife and I get four checks a month direct deposited. We own a nice home in a nice community in Florida and don't owe anyone money (except credit cards until the bill comes in). We have no kids to put through school. The one is grown, married and out on her own. Our savings go up a minimum of $17,000 each year. Expenses per month are less than income.

Still, we don't gamble at the level of some here. I guess we would be considered low rollers even with a gambling BR of couple of grand for three night casino trips. Maybe when older we will risk more on the entertainment it provides.

 

Folks in NYC commuting from Middletown, NY and eastern Pennsylvania and in DC commuting from Harpers Ferry, WV. A crazy, crazy world.

Nick

 

I live in Southern Maryland, 65 miles south of D.C. and tons of people make that commute every day.

 

Mo Valley or the Pass to south Orange County?

Castaic to downtown?

Morgan Hill or Gilroy to the City?

Ouch.

I knew a guy who for $20,000 more took a job in Irvine. He went from a 10-minute drive to the office and the ability to lunch at home, get in nine in the evening, to two hours each way, had to buy a POS econo-box for the commute.

Ouch.

 

Seriously? You give the government a loan every year to get a refund?

I replied honestly to the poll. We are both retired and between SS, pensions and dividend income we are doing very well. 2015 had 6 trips to Vegas and one to Seattle and another to TX to visit my wife's sister.

Probably only doing three Vegas trips in 2016 because last week we signed the contracts to build a custom home on a lot we purchased. Yea, we're staying in Wisconsin, at least until our 12 year old dog passes away. We gave Vegas a try for two years and that didn't work so well, so I don't know, maybe a three month condo someplace, just to escape winter?

 

One of my customers lived in the Poconos, took a daily 2 hour + bus into the Port Authority terminal, then a subway. A couple years ago developers were advertising 4 bedroom, 2400 sq ft homes in Stroudsburg for $250k. I've read about folks living in Center City Philadelphia and taking the 1.5 hour Amtrak train to work in Manhattan.

 

I know people lie on polls, but why bother. This is anonymous, so no one will think how 'great' you are by enhancing your income.
Looks like we have a decent bell curve as one would expect.

 

Not everyone is good at saving, I used to do this too so I could take a vacation in the spring. There is no way to see that $$ until tax time. Obviously you make no interest on it but if it's the only sure way you aren't going to touch it then it's not a bad way to save for one year. I haven't had to do it for a long time but I can understand why some people do. Really what is the interest going to be anyways, hardly anything.

 

I know people who live in Albany and take the train to and from every day. The worst I've heard from someone I know was a daily commute from Saratoga Springs NY to the city every day. Currently, my boss commutes in from Providence RI. That said, some people do it to themselves. Meanwhile, I live 10 minutes form the office

 

I've known people who commuted between Boston & NYC. Or Richmond & DC. It's what can happen when you've got dual career relationships. I loved living in DC but left for different career opportunities because I knew I wouldn't be able to afford housing where I'd want to live. Now, my commute is 30 miles and takes the same amount of time that my commute in DC took (I lived on Capital Hill and commuted to Arlington- driving or metro, time was about the same).

But my mom moved here and couldn't handle that 30 mile commute. She HATED it. She went to work for a consulting firm instead and commuted all the heck over the country - somehow, flights on Monday and Thursday every week and living in a hotel room is better for her than 60 miles of back country roads a day. We all have different acceptability levels.....

 

Boston to NYC isn't bad given how comfortable the Acela is...but it's damn expensive.