Getting too expensive to live here in San Diego

[Bill in SD, CA]

You don't want to live here!!

From today's Union Tribune"

If you're a single head of household with two kids and making minimum wage, all you'll need to get by in San Diego County is a job, a second job and a third job.

And maybe some part-time work on top of that.

In fact, even tripling California's minimum wage leaves that single wage earner short of covering what a local think tank calculates is a basic-needs budget in San Diego.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/u..._1b10cost.html

By the way, min wage here is $6.75 @ hour. Not included on the web page in the paper is a table breakdown of costs:

Monthly budget to support a family of 2 parents and 2 children:

Food - $594.50, housing & utilities - 1,408.00, child care - 741.52, health care - 213.70, transportation - 409.27, phone - 98.82, household - 170.93, clothing and personal care - 133.13, and taxes - 485.43.

Total monthly expenses add up to $4,255.29
Total yearly expenses add up to $51.063.48
Average wage needed for 2 working parents = $12.27 @ hr.
Average wage needed for single parent to raise 2 children = $22.15 @ hr.

Housing costs here are outrageous. I have a 1600 sq ft. home and it just appraised 3 months ago for $425,000 and gaining on a yearly basis from 15 to 25%. Gas still at $2.15 @ gal. My utilities last month were $435.00.

Sign me,

Bill , (maybe not much longer) in SD, CA

[daveleau]

At least the value of your house is going way up. When you decide to leave, you can buy a proverbial mansion for $425k.

[Mike]

That's true dave, but if he wants to move anywhere else in California he'll just get shafted again.
The house we live in here is almost 3 times smaller then the one we lived in Michigan, but this one costs an extra $20K.

[vass0922]

heh.. he'll be able to buy a single family home in DC

They scream at ya with signs like they're doing you a favor "Townhomes LOW 200k!!!"
thanks.. no yard, literally attached to the neighbor and HOA to make sure you don't even add a door knocker to your door without permission... great!

[Mike]

That's the way it is here vass.
I've had the TV on to the point where I went outside and the neighbors hear it just as well as I do.
Our yard? You can walk from one end of the back yard to the other end in about 10 steps or so.

Bah hate this damn house!

[j.m@talk21]

Come & live in the UK "Er after a thought no don't"

Love to have ya but Phewwwwwww Pricey

[Bushmaster]

Hey Bill, I used to live in lemon grove and left back in 91 because of the sunshine wages. Auto insurance was off the wall, allthough rent wasnt bad, me and a buddy shared a 2 bedroom duplex for 600 inc. utilities.
NOw I live about 5 miles from the original woodstock site and a 5 bedroom home on about 5-10 acres here goes for about $125k on the average.
But bubba, I tell ya. Things are tuff all over. even the grass is greener theory doesnt apply anymore cause this countries all overgrown with weeds now.

[ablang]

Actually, I'm starting to think that way about living in California period. Gas costs more here than anywhere else. Housing is ridiculous. I could have a mini-mansion anywhere else. And worst of all, the taxes are eating into any leftover money I have. I'm basically treading water here. If I could get a job in Nevada, that's where I'd buy a home.

[j.m@talk21]

Originally posted by ablang
Gas costs more here than anywhere else.

Umm ya Reckon?

[osprey4]

Originally posted by Bill in SD, CA
Gas still at $2.15 @ gal.

Bill, feel free to stop by my neighborhood for gas, $1.45/gal.

Seriously, though, that is outrageous. I thought NJ was expensive.

But we still find lots to complain about. Real estate taxes and auto insurance, in particular, tend to be pretty expensive here.