Author Topic: Family of 3 survives on $54K per year! (Read 1121 times)

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** September 17, 2009, 01:27:54 PM »

$54K is more than I make (we're a one income household as well) and we have THREE children, not just one.

And we spend much of my monthly income on the 15-year mortgage on our house with 5 acres. Who knows, maybe this family spends just as much to live near Chicago. Wouldn't that be stupid.

In other words, they ain't NOTHIN' when it comes to being frugal. They're moving in the right direction, yes...

"Come on, come on, you can do it!"

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #2 on:** September 17, 2009, 02:53:17 PM »

If my uncle could raise four of my cousins AND take care of my grandma on $20,000 a year as a landscape worker, then ANYBODY can do it.

Jehanne · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2009, 08:52:46 AM »

Quote from: Catholic Samurai

If my uncle could raise four of my cousins AND take care of my grandma on $20,000 a year as a landscape worker, then ANYBODY can do it.

I make $75K, and with four children (I was going to say "kids"), things are real struggle. Brethren, I am not joking! In Iowa, I think that 55K is the cut-off for the poverty line for a six-member household. Times are tough!

sedetrad · « **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2009, 09:24:28 AM »

The taxes in Chicago are high.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2009, 10:27:50 AM »

Quote from: Catholic Samurai

If my uncle could raise four of my cousins AND take care of my grandma on $20,000 a year as a landscape worker, then ANYBODY can do it.

May God bless him!!!

Jehanne · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2009, 10:33:49 AM »

Quote from: sedetrad

The taxes in Chicago are high.

So is everything else.

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2009, 05:06:36 PM »

Quote from: Jehanne

Quote from: Catholic Samurai
If my uncle could raise four of my cousins AND take care of my grandma on $20,000 a year as a landscape worker, then ANYBODY can do it.

I make $75K, and with four children (I was going to say "kids"), things are real struggle. Brethren, I am not joking! In Iowa, I think that 55K is the cut-off for the poverty line for a six-member household. Times are tough!

I dont doubt that. Though, because of inflation, living expenses are going up really quick, you can make $20K stretch pretty far (with effort) down here in the South. Now Im not saying that people over here have it good down here, all Im saying is that people manage to make ends meet on $20K per year. On the other hand, I wonder how many of those people are receiving benefits from the goverment?

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #8 on:** September 19, 2009, 05:10:15 PM »

One of the reasons that prices are lower in the South is because we are right on the coast, and that is where the ports are, so there isnt any major shipping involved, and thus no extra cost.

Jehanne · « **Reply #9 on:** September 19, 2009, 06:39:35 PM »

Quote from: Catholic Samurai

Quote from: Jehanne
Quote from: Catholic Samurai
If my uncle could raise four of my cousins AND take care of my grandma on $20,000 a year as a landscape worker, then ANYBODY can do it.

I make $75K, and with four children (I was going to say "kids"), things are real struggle. Brethren, I am not joking! In Iowa, I think that 55K is the cut-off for the poverty line for a six-member household. Times are tough!

I dont doubt that. Though, because of inflation, living expenses are going up really quick, you can make $20K stretch pretty far (with effort) down here in the South. Now Im not saying that people over here have it good down here, all Im saying is that people manage to make ends meet on $20K per year. On the other hand, I wonder how many of those people are receiving benefits from the goverment?

We only have one car (a V6 SUV) and rarely take vacations, although, we did go to Adventureland in Des Moines for one day in August, our first vacation in several years. I live in an old home, which is a money pit, and I am looking at 10 K in repairs to the roof and ceiling here in the next several years. Taxes are starting to go through the roof as where I live (Cedar Rapids) there was a major flood in 2008. To top it all off, my employer has announced layoffs.

alemany · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2009, 06:54:47 PM »

No one said it was going to be easy, and it tough for you have it the greater the blessing. I lived in the middle of nowhere meet my wife and six children in a house that was partially built that means it only had a few walls, inside of a metal building. I had a beat up 1986 4 x 4 suburban 20 miles away from the nearest town. I got sick and my wife had to take a job at eight dollars an hour. No benefits times of bills from the hospitals.

We lived on spaghetti and beans, and government subsidized milk in the box

If I had that much money back then which is only a few years ago I would've been rich but we weren't dirt poor broke yet most of my car was held together with wire from hangers, and it had so many holes from salt that the snow would come through the car, and the heater didn't work. And in the middle of Kansas in the winter we froze and lived on a wood burning stove for heat!

I had to cut my own wood, and split it by hand! I know what it is to have it tough and so to my children. Now everything's different that notion to the family that prays together stays together is a bunch of bunk. Because when I got sick and couldn't work the good priest from the fraternity of St. Peter told my wife it was okay to leave me and she did!

To this day you ask my children where they want to live it back in that old shack in the middle of nowhere Kansas they love those memories and we were dirt poor.

Yeah so you might have to be living kind of lean but it's okay it builds character, which are grateful for every little thing you get, so I suggest get a grip live in the now grateful that everybody's healthy if they are, but I'm sorry it rips me to hear people complain when I hear those types of numbers not trying to be a hard, but I've been there so you're not alone keep on trudging buddy and most importantly don't complain!