What's your household income?

[Jenn_M]

I made it a poll so you don't have to give the amount...

Is it enough?

What is the least amount you could live on?

[texmati]

I feel that we make enough. I think that the least that we could live on would be 70-80k, and still maintain the same lifestyle and still accomplish our savings/retirement goals.

[MamaChel]

We don't make enough. The least we could survive on is about 30K, if we figure in DH's student loans bump it up to 40k. That would make us able to pay the bills on a regular basis. We make no where near that now.

[notwonamesalike]

We actually make way more money than we need given our frugal lifestyle.

If I add in our mortgage and student loans, we could live on $40,000 comfortably.

Now we're just socking it away for retirement and spend like we live on 30-40K

[tayndrewsmama]

We make enough. I am sure we could live on less, but I honestly don't know how little. I have never figured it out based on necessities. It would probably be a good idea to know that number for future reference.

[hollianna]

We aren't currently making enough. My husband is a PhD student, and I am currently working from home, building my business from the ground. So our income is very, very low.

It's a temporary situation, but it's a hard one! I am always looking for ways to be more frugal and also to earn more money to get us by.

[sallyg6]

It's enough.

We recently moved and DH changed jobs. Our income doubled. Our expenses didn't quite double, but close, so it's not like we're saving all of that extra income (we're in a far more expensive area of teh country).

But still, it's more than plenty. We don't go on lavish vacations or own new cars, but other than that we live pretty well, we save a lot, though we're always trying to save a little more.

Staying in this very expensive house and not saving, we could get by on about $45,000/yr. If we didn't have this house, probably $30,000 or less. We don't have to worry about health insurance and some other things most people need to take into account. I'm also really comforted knowing that DH gets a pension (and if he dies I get a portion of it) and we could live just on that if we had to (though, again, not in this house).

Sara

[lunar forest]

seriously? Me and my two kids have lived on $360.00 a week and did fine. very little going into savings, no credit cards, relatively low rent, tiny car payment, etc. We did ok. it was tight, but we still ate well and had the things we need. I'm amazing, is all.... I'm convinced that's how it worked.

[3babesunder3]

We definitely dont make enough. DH quit his job over a month ago so still no income. The pantry is bare but we switched to cloth diapers so that's saving us a lot since 2 are still full time diapers and 1 is at night.

We have gone from both working full-time, to 1 full-time, 1 part-time (I worked for the NHL during the lockout), and then I was pregnant and it was the NHL strike so I stayed home full time, so down to 1 full-time, then when I was preg with my middle baby we moved and dh took a big pay cut. But we managed to get all our debt paid off through all that....too bad its adding back up now with no income


I think we need at least $60,000/yr to live comfortably and we live in a really cheap small town. It would have to be lots more if we moved to the city.

[lunar forest]

**

[Llyra]

We pay too much in rent, and because we have three kids we can't get a smaller apartment because we run into square-footage-per-person laws, and we have to live in this area so DH can bike to his job since we only have one car. Plus we're tied to a lease. We only have income for ten months a year, too. What we make now is pretty much the bare minimum we can get by on. I'd prefer not to say how much.

We could live on less if we moved down into the city, but we'd be living in squalid conditions in neighborhoods with no place for my kids to play and too much street noise and chaos and crime. Not for us.

[sadean]

We make enough.

The least amount I could see us making and maintaining some semblance of balance is about $45,000 for a family of 5. We have lived on as little as $22,000 for a family of 3, but it was difficult and resulted in credit card debt that took 10 years to get out from under.

[Sharlla]

We made about 30 k last year. We could live off of 12 k but w. would have to be on a strict budget.

[CarrieMF]

It's enough. If we were to stay in this house we could easily live on less, but we're selling it next year & will have a higher mortgage payment. We will need a bit more, not much though. It depends on what the houses do in the next year.

[CaliMommie]

I included financial aid, which is mostly loans. Without it, though we wouldn't make enough. Even with DH working overtime. We live in a high cost of living college town.

[~Megan~]

To live comfortably in this area we need another $10-15K. I don't see that happening any time soon though.

This is the only area I've heard of in which housing costs are still going up.

[mom0810]

We make enough, well dh does. So far, it's okay but i worry about gas prices and food prices all the time. I think the LEAST we could live on would be $50,000. We have a pretty good savings and I am trying to be more frugal. We also have no credit card debt, which helps.

[velochic]

Nevermind... moot point. I didn't read thoroughly.

[asianyoushi]

onces credit debt and car debt goes away we will be okay with the income my dh is bringing home

[justmama]

less than $15K for one adult and 3 little ones. some months it's barely enough, most months it's not enough. but there's a roof over our heads and food in our mouths. I feel blessed.