the real cost of living calculator

[crunchtastic]

We get into a lot of discussions about housing prices, low income housing, the homeless situation, etc., but what we usually don't talk about is the real cost of living.

This is a useful website. It takes a lot of money to be self sufficient. Much more money than many jobs pay. And that's assuming full time work. Much of the fallout of the economic crisis is hitting people who live in areas where wages and jobs are out of line with the cost of housing. In Texas, we've escaped the worst of that, but it's still an eye opener:

http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu/counties/48201

[Highway6]

We get into a lot of discussions about housing prices, low income housing, the homeless situation, etc., but what we usually don't talk about is the real cost of living.

This is a useful website. It takes a lot of money to be self sufficient. Much more money than many jobs pay. And that's assuming full time work. Much of the fallout of the economic crisis is hitting people who live in areas where wages and jobs are out of line with the cost of housing. In Texas, we've escaped the worst of that, but it's still an eye opener:

http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu/counties/48201

$702 for housing two adults per month ? I live pretty cheap but that seems pretty unrealistic if that doesnt include utilities

[editor]

It's not a great calculator because it only breaks things down to the county level. The cost of living in downtown Houston is very different than the cost of living in a more rural part of the county.

ZIP Codes would be better.

Over the weekend my wife was looking at cost-of-living calculators comparing different cities trying to figure out where we should live next. Every calculator provided different results. If anyone knows of one that does a pretty accurate job, let me know.

[RedScare]

This calculator reminded me of a discussion I had a year or two ago with a buddy about moving to some "low cost" country and living cheaply. Our discussion mostly revolved around Belize and Costa Rica. We both did a little research, and yes, there are savings to be had. But, then it occurred to me that much of the savings came from not "living like an American". What I mean by that is that in many of these places, the attraction is that you live more simply. You get rid of the cell phone and the cable TV. Perhaps the home is not air conditioned. You don't need a new car every two years, and it doesn't have to be a Lexus. You don't eat out every night.

Well, why can't you do that here? Mostly, it is because of the "keep up with the Jones" mentality. One could live in an adjoining county like Galveston, Brazoria or Montgomery, on a piece of land with a small house, drive a used car, give up the cell phone and cable, and live pretty damned cheaply. It is only the draw of the consumer mentality that makes it so much more expensive to live in the states. Sure, living in town costs more, but what really drives it up is the insistence on a bigger residence and all of the conveniences. During this recession, where extravagance has lost some of its allure, I am constantly amazed at how little I spend, as well as how expensive some of the former 'necessities' cost. I am also amazed at the feeling of freedom I get from NOT spending money on those 'necessities' that I used to think gave me freedom.

[TheNiche]

This calculator reminded me of a discussion I had a year or two ago with a buddy about moving to some "low cost" country and living cheaply. Our discussion mostly revolved around Belize and Costa Rica. We both did a little research, and yes, there are savings to be had. But, then it occurred to me that much of the savings came from not "living like an American". What I mean by that is that in many of these places, the attraction is that you live more simply. You get rid of the cell phone and the cable TV. Perhaps the home is not air conditioned. You don't need a new car every two years, and it doesn't have to be a Lexus. You don't eat out every night.

Well, why can't you do that here? Mostly, it is because of the "keep up with the Jones" mentality. One could live in an adjoining county like Galveston, Brazoria or Montgomery, on a piece of land with a small house, drive a used car, give up the cell phone and cable, and live pretty damned cheaply. It is only the draw of the consumer mentality that makes it so much more expensive to live in the states. Sure, living in town costs more, but what really drives it up is the insistence on a bigger residence and all of the conveniences.

Your criticism is precisely correct. These cost of living calculators do not make an apples-to-apples comparison of different lifestyles, nor can they.

During this recession, where extravagance has lost some of its allure, I am constantly amazed at how little I spend, as well as how expensive some of the former 'necessities' cost. I am also amazed at the feeling of freedom I get from NOT spending money on those 'necessities' that I used to think gave me freedom.

That's an interesting paradox about cash. It only represents freedom when you refrain from spending it, but if you aren't spending it, then what's the value in having it? Reminds me of a scene from Office Space.

Peter Gibbons: "What would you do if you had a million dollars?"

Lawrence: "I'd tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.

Peter Gibbonsr: [chuckles] "That's it...if you had a million dollars you'd do two chicks at the same time?"

Lawrence: "Damn straight, I've always wanted to do that, man. And if I were a millionaire I'd think I could hook that up, too, because chicks dig dudes with money."

Peter Gibbons: "Well not all chicks."

Lawrence: "Well the kind of chicks that'd double up on a guy like me do."

Peter Gibbons: "Good point."

Lawrence: "Well what about you, now, what would you do?"

Peter Gibbons: "Besides two chicks at the same time?"

Lawrence: "Well, yeah."

Peter Gibbons: "Nothing."

Lawrence: "Nothing, huh."

Peter Gibbons: "I would relax, I would sit on my ass all day, I would do nothing."

Lawrence: "Well you don't need a million dollars to do nothing, man. Take a look at my cousin. He's broke."

[RedScare]

I want to compliment you on a masterful guiding of a thread about cost of living into a thread about menage-a-trois. So smooth. So seamless. Almost as if it BELONGS in this thread.

[TheNiche]

I want to compliment you on a masterful guiding of a thread about cost of living into a thread about menage-a-trois. So smooth. So seamless. Almost as if it BELONGS in this thread.

Perhaps I should've just used an ellipses for the tangential lines in the middle of the dialogue. ...but if you insist upon its brilliance, who am I to argue?