Living Wage

Full tuition has a large range. Vacation costs probably do as well.

at least $200,000 which means mommy working as pharmacist and daddy in computers for example (because many guys like working with computers and girls as pharmacists) so that would give about at least $230,000 per year for the family then youve got tuition about $100,000 per year depending how many kids your sending usually a lot if its a frum family, then youve got to pay for the house i would assume at least $50,000 per year at least on the house, then youve got your car payments and your electricity bill and food bill with the rest of the $80,000 and maybe some people might need more even!!

Mashiach Agent – i agree it MAINLY has a LOT to do with the economy.

Chareidim need less than non-Chareidi Jews since chareidim minimize expenses, including not demanding a private prep school quality secular education.

Happygirlygirl – about the fact that these stem jobs make lots of money?

I read a frightening story of the Chofetz Chaim about a destitute man who tried to pray for more $$….

I do most of my work in front of a computer, but in one would be way to cramped and uncomfortable.

“but in one would be way to cramped and uncomfortable”

I agree, especially all these newfangled computers all the kids are using. They’re all so tiny. How do you even use such a thing?

Define comfortably. Some people would not be comfortable with a spacious home with a room for each child, central air conditioning, multiple cars, vacations, ability to pay full tuition for yeshiva and college, going out to restaurants, buying new clothes, etc.

Some people are quite comofortable with beds for each child, adequate access to transportation to get to school and work, ability to finance education even if it involves creative use of scholarships, enough food to eat, ability to afford respectable clothes even if some of them were bought second hand and have been patched.

Seventy-five years ago, most frum Jews would be comfortable with a roof over their head, enough food so they weren’t starving, and not having someone actively trying to kill them.

Of course religious fanatics hold by: “????? ???? ???? ?????”

Today people are living with 3 cars and3 vacations a year and then they approach me with budgeting issues and wonder why they are broke

GET WHAT YOU NEED NOT WHAT YOU WANT

Start preparing for next summer by only eating out once a week versus twice and only taking 1 vacation trip this year and all your children’s camps will be covered with no stress or worries

Are you taking Federal, State & Local Income Tax together with Social Security Tax which in NYC all together can run as high as 33% of gross income into consideration? Also let’s not forget health insurance cost and expenses ie co-pays.

You can eat out 10 times a week and take 30 vacations a year, if you can afford it (of course this includes discussing with ones Rav their tzadaka obligations and they meet those as well, all part of “afford it”). “Live comfortably means different things to different people. Nobody can answer that except you. Sit down with pen and paper, list all those things you believe are included in “comfortably” then we can discuss what your salary needs to be.

I know a family who moved to a new frum community from a different frum community. They moved 5 or more years ago but they are still living with the mentality and way of life of the former town they used to live in-game from where they currently live-and that way of life makes them look like they are living in denial cause where they live now there’s so much more but they choose to continue living simply in the style and ways of their former community.

Hope they wake up soon to reality