my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film-Yak   » Cost Of Living Expenses (Page 2)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Cost Of Living Expenses Tristan Lane Master Film Handler Posts: 444 From: Nampa, Idaho Registered: Feb 2002 posted 04-05-2003 08:29 PM                     I guess Spokane isn't a bad place after all. A nice 3bd 2ba apartment will run you about $700.00 a month. You can a build a new 3bd 2ba house in sub-developmentville for less than 100K and taking into considerations the current interest rate, the mortgage would be around $570.00 month. Sales tax is a hair over 8% but utilities are realatively low. As Paul stated, auto insurance is nice and low.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-05-2003 08:42 PM                     Heck, in Salt Lake City 300k a year will get you a deluxe 10 bdrm home above the capitol building so you can spit right down onto the politicians heads Mark  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 04-05-2003 08:50 PM                  Here in L.A., there are many "good" and desirable places that have much lower expenses. I know, I did it for many years while "working-my-way-up" and then while being raped for what I was paying for child-support! Even making $90-100k/yr, you're lucky to keep 15-20k/yr after taxes by the time the courts get through with you! Thank God, that's all been behind me for several years now. Again, EVERYONE is free to live where they prefer and feel the most grounded. One man's "heaven" is another's armpit. ...I know several people that are N2 armpits...Oh, wait! That's a different thread! >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Don Bruechert Mmmmmmmmm, bird! Posts: 340 From: Manitowoc, WI, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 04-06-2003 01:53 PM                        Paul, Bit of news from the home front: Mirro will be out of here by end of Summer, putting about 900 people out of work. They are taking their operation to Mexico, where I guess it is much cheaper to produce cookware. For this post in general: It is a LOT cheaper to live over here in Podunk!! My current fixed expenses are probably around $600 per month, and I probably spend another $600 on "optional extras" that I could dump if a crisis approached. Working 3 jobs (2 of them for fun money) my approximate take home pay after taxes is about $3000 a month. This is with vehicle paid off and includes rent, insurances and phone. The optional extras include a cellphone, satellite TV, 2nd phone line, enhanced DSL, gas for me to drive places just because I feel like driving, and eating out a couple times a week (plus breakfast and lunch from cafeteria at work - weekdays). In return for this cost savings, I live in a town that doesn't have a whole helluva lot to do in it and you typically have to drive an hour to find any serious culture.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-06-2003 02:03 PM                     "I live in a town that doesn't have a whole helluva lot to do in it and you typically have to drive an hour to find any serious culture." Don, Nothing to do??? You practically have a direct pipeline to all the brewries in the state! Then, we have brewries here too...sorta . Mark  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-06-2003 03:12 PM                     Don, yes. I heard Mirro was closing. It was a major employer in Manitowoc besides Manitowoc Equipment Works and the Manitowoc Ship Yards. Manitowoc was a stagnitated town even when I graduated from Lincoln in 1958. There was nothing there then, and there is really nothing there now. Mark, Wisconsin has been known to be a leading state in making beer, toilet paper, cheese and ice machines. Hell, when I lived there, just about every corner on the street had the same thing: A bar, a gasoline station, a church, and a grocery store. Back in my day, it you could see over the top of the bar, you were old enough to buy a beer. Entertainment at its best. The biggest lawyer firm was "Muschin, Muschin, Muschin, Muschin, and Muschin". (maybe it was Mushin)- whatever it was, it was known as "Mooshkins" They also ran the leading junk yard. However, it was a beautiful town. But it had no future. One-half of the graduating class of 1958 at Lincoln High left town to pursue a meaningful career. In 1958, the population was about 27,598. In 2002, the population was about 34,053. That's a 6,455 increase over 44 years. Not too good.....as compared to other towns. But, maybe slow growth is a good thing after all, depending how you want to look at it. At least, people making a meager wage can still live rather than exist in Manitowoc.  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-06-2003 04:18 PM                     Cost of living question: Is it better to stretch and purchase the most house you can get for your money? This means not funding your retirement, putting off vacations, driving a used car, having no savings and worrying about your cash flow. Or is it better to buy a much less expensive home that is well within your comfort level and fund retirement, savings and possibly investments? The reason I ask is that so far in my lifetime, a house purchase has out performed all other investments. Possibly not including owning a movie theatre. Time will tell. I am about to purchase a house that will be at the absolute limit of my cash flow. It is making me nervous to say the least. I may have to get a roommate.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-06-2003 06:10 PM                     Ian, I think it should be a modest dwelling, clean and comfortable and in good condition so you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to maintain it. Personally, I would never over-buy on a house. I would base my purchase on "what if"....it may sound paranoid, but it works. Mine is paid for, and so is my property. All I have to contend with is property tax, and that's about it. It is better off to buy (in my opinion) than to make mortgage payments. At least that way an equity can be built up that might save the owner's butt, especially during hard times. For those who make a living on 10 bucks an hour (and we will see more and more of this) may not be considered a "qualified buyer" especially if their credit card balances and other bills are high. Only downside I know of about owning your own dwelling is property taxes. They are constantly going up, and in some locations, they are already out of sight!  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-06-2003 06:29 PM                        Ian At least, You don't need to spend money on a bed. -You can always sleep on a platter p  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 04-06-2003 08:00 PM                  For me, I much rather take "educated" risks. I have always bought houses that were a stretch of what I could afford at that particular time. I may have given up a new car or that tricked-out audio/video thingy for awhile, but I never denied my family the "comforts" of life. I guess I'm a positive-thinker and always had a sense of "things-will-always-be-better-in-the-future." I have always felt if you buy a house that's ***temporarily*** "over-your-head", within the year, my income will increase, the value of the house will increase, and the value of the $ will go down. So, what you spend today will catch up with you tomorrow and you'll be much further ahead. Sorta like a leap-frog game. There is no question that it is better to own your own house rather than pay rent. Investment aside, property taxes will always increase no matter if you own or rent. The difference being is that if you rent, YOU still pay the taxes ...only the LANDLORD gets the write-off! All the landlord's expenses are "hidden" in the rent. To me, it is ALWAYS better to have the biggest mortgage you can reasonably afford and get the benefit of the tax write-offs for the interest. After paying the interest and taxes and other write-offs allowed by owning your own house, my tax bracket typically falls to 12-15% instead of the "F*CK-THE-SINGLE-GUY" bracket! And "IF" everything turns to shit, you can always scale-back and re-group. I've done that too. But in the long run, I feel I'm much better off than if I took the "conservative" route. As the physical labor of building construction is great therapy for me, I often bought "fixers" that required some work. Nothing too radical, just things to make it "my" place. I found that when it came time to re-sell, I would make a handsome profit that I applied to the next house up my ladder. I've done this about 5 times. I consider my current house, my "dream" and "final" house as it is the one I have always wanted. It is also the most ambitious remodeling project I have undertaken. Out of 1900 sq ft, I removed all the interior walls and stripped the inside all back to the bare studs on the outside walls and ceilings in about 1200 sq ft. I did all the framing of new rooms, plumbing, wiring, drywall, finish carpentry, etc. I really find the remodeling and sense-of-accomplishment to be very rewarding. Just my personal opinion… >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-06-2003 09:23 PM                     Yes, Phil. It is sometimes a calculated risk. But for many, it is a very risky, indeed. They can backfire, and some have. I still like the paranoid approach. My income hovers around $33,000 and I don't like to take unnecessary chances.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 04-06-2003 10:07 PM                     I think many people in this country take emotional, impulsive risks rather than anything "educated." That's one of the reasons why the debt load in this country is so great. People buy houses, cars, clothes, furniture, vacations and lots of other stuff they cannot afford. Of my friends uses the term "getting your dick stretched out." People push that debt until the damned thing snaps and breaks off. The massive interest rate cuts are supposed to give everyone more breathing to pay down debt and live a little less imprisoned. But there is potential many will use that extra slack to spend even deeper into debt. One of the reasons I live in Lawton, OK of all places is having a somewhat nice financial balance. I have a good job. I'm not living paycheck to paycheck and am able to actually save up a growing amount of money. Not a lot, but enough to be secure. Cost of living here is dirt cheap compared to most places. And it is in the warm sun belt. There is some nice scenery here. Yes, we actually do have some mountains in Oklahoma. It's not all flat boring plains. My water, gas, electricity and phone bill combined rarely rise above $150 per month (and I have DSL at that). One of the tradeoffs is I live in a pretty modest little 2 bedroom house in a decent part of town and my house payment is around $350 per month. Lawton does have its drawbacks. It sure isn't Hollywood. There's not a great deal of exciting social life here (unless you think the divorce notices in the paper are exciting), but there are some good recreational and nature type features here (the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, lakes, etc). I halfway expect Lawton to be spotlighted in the upcoming HBO America Undercover special on crystal methamphetamine use in rural America (Oklahoma is #1 in crank, and Comanche County has among the highest meth abuse rates in the state). This area is also #1 in divorce. But I think that is only because there's not enough people of my peer group living and working here (college educated professionals in their thirties). Out of my own selfish concern I want more of those kinds of people moving here so I can make more REAL friends and better my chances of meeting a decent lady. Things on Lawton's side: low cost of doing business, central location in US, low cost of living. You can build a really nice house here for under $200,000 whereas in many cities you would pay well over $1 million for it. I'm just hoping enough progressive business people will have the guts to take a chance on this place and help improve what could possibly become a really nice city. Across the country, there needs to be added incentive to improve things. So much of business these days revolves around financial cons and dodges. Some jerk in his glass tower thinks he's great for making $100 million before he is thirty. We'll put him on the cover of a magazine but not mention all the people he screwed to make that fortune. Little things like eliminating full time workers, benefits and bonuses are items which create bean counter assholes like that. I don't have a glamorous job, but I actually create a tangible product for a living. There is evidence of what I do standing across this region and I am proud of my work. People who actually create something or provide a real service rather than just do clever paper shuffling should be proud of themselves. They do more to keep this economy running than the finance scam artists who threaten to bring down the whole thing.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 04-07-2003 12:07 AM                  Paul, I agree, it is a calculated risk...and I am not knocking your philosophy. But I believe in the saying "nothing ventured, nothing gained." Also, one has to be savvy about things and make the best decisions they can at that particular time. That not only applies to housing, investments, business, personal relationships, but to life in general. I FIRMLY believe in that. And, as I mentioned, one can always cut-back and regroup IF things get financially bad. Even now, I am very fortunate that if everything should turn to shit, I can get rid of my house, take my profit, and move to a place less-expensive and purchase a house out-right...and still have plenty left over to live on until I croak! If I live to be over 120, then my kids will get NOTHING...It'll be all used up! HAhahahahahah I do not think income level has anything to do with clear-thinking decisions and the desire to improve one's position. I have made much less than you stated for many years while honing my talents and gaining experience. While my main goal was NOT money-orientated, I did enjoy the benefits that came along with my pursuit of knowledge and a better life. Don't get me wrong, I'm am not "well-off" so to speak, but over the years I have worked very hard and have expanded and taken advantage of my God-given talents and I have planned well for the future. I know my philosophy is not for everyone, but it has worked for me. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Lionel Fouillen Expert Film Handler Posts: 230 From: Belgium Registered: Nov 2002 posted 04-07-2003 10:35 AM                     Around here, real estate is cheap. It's the cars, phone, TV and things like that which cost a lot. Income taxes are very high as well: it starts at 25% but many people are paying 30-35%. As a freelance IT consultant, I pay 45% income tax and some people pay over 50%. Taxes like VAT are also high: 21% on all goods and services!!! On the other hand, I only pay 500€/month (1€ = 1US$) to rent a flat in a nice area, with 1 bedroom + secured car park. My car insurance is also killing me: 2,000€/year for "total" protection, because I'm a "risky" person: young, living downtown, and freelance (hence using my car all day long for professional reasons). And I'm NOT driving what you may call a "big" car, I only have a "normal" car. Examples of prices in Belgium(1€ = 1US$): (including 21% tax) - TV tax + cable susbscription: 28€/month - Phone: 25€/month subscription, plus communications! - Internet DSL connection: 18€/month - Movie ticket: 4€ (art house) - 6€ (multiplex) - Car gas: 1€/L (my car uses so-called Diesel: 0.75€/L) - 1 McDonald's menu: 5€  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.