family of four trying to live in NYC on 400k

Move to a city with a lower cost of living.

NYC is an overpriced, third-world s**thole. If you really cared about your wife and kids you'd move them the heck outta there.

Dirty air, dirty people, crime, terrorism, gang violence, bed bugs, angry New Yorkers, ridiculous prices for everything, no chirping birds, nowhere to park, terrible for exercising.

I'd hang myself within minutes if I had to live there.

Personal Problem wrote:

NYC is an overpriced, third-world s**thole. If you really cared about your wife and kids you'd move them the heck outta there.

Dirty air, dirty people, crime, terrorism, gang violence, bed bugs, angry New Yorkers, ridiculous prices for everything, no chirping birds, nowhere to park, terrible for exercising.

I'd hang myself within minutes if I had to live there.

Third World? Crime? NYC is one of the safest cities in America, and if you just look at Manhattan you won't find another big city with as low of a violent crime rate.

Not even going to engage you on the other points. Go back to Kansas and fry some baloney.

asians are awesome wrote:

Personal Problem wrote:

NYC is an overpriced, third-world s**thole. If you really cared about your wife and kids you'd move them the heck outta there.

Dirty air, dirty people, crime, terrorism, gang violence, bed bugs, angry New Yorkers, ridiculous prices for everything, no chirping birds, nowhere to park, terrible for exercising.

I'd hang myself within minutes if I had to live there.

Third World? Crime? NYC is one of the safest cities in America, and if you just look at Manhattan you won't find another big city with as low of a violent crime rate.

Not even going to engage you on the other points. Go back to Kansas and fry some baloney.

Gladly. Enjoy the urine-scented subways and soul-crushing congestion.

Are you bragging or whining?

Pay off your own student loans before sending your kids to private schools. Also, if you're paying $4000 a month to live in a "nice area", then why would the public schools there be a "nightmare"?

Move to SF. I heard everything there is cheaper...

fat but fit wrote:

Move to a city with a lower cost of living.

Then you no longer make 400k because that job either doesn't exist or pays a fraction of what it does in NYC.

Sounds like OP's lifestyle wasn't prepared to support the kids he decided to have. I'd say you're left with either downsizing expenses in some way or selling a child or two.

I live in a low cost rust belt city and have always said that I would want $750k minimum to live in NYC and feel like it was "comparable" (obviously you can live on so much less). While I recognize that NYC has restaurants, culture, shopping, sports, etc. I discount that in light of congestion, commute, high cost, etc. While I don't sympathize with the OP, I accept that the amount of income to live comfortably in NYC is wildly different than most other small cities.

just defending the OP for a sec wrote:

fat but fit wrote:

Move to a city with a lower cost of living.

Then you no longer make 400k because that job either doesn't exist or pays a fraction of what it does in NYC.

I guess I could elaborate a bit more. Given his income, I'm assuming the OP has a good job that is in demand is smaller cities. He'd almost certainly be paid less in smaller cities, but I'm willing to bet he could slash of a significant amount of his living expenses as well, which would increase his take home pay. He said daycare and private school are expensive, so maybe he could find a city with good public schools so he doesn't need to pay for private. And just about any city has cheaper housing costs than NYC so he'd save money there too.

Move to Jersey

I went to Hunter, my brother went to Stuy. Sorry all that money couldn't buy you smarter kids.

This bit has been done to death, by better trolls than you.

asfasdfadsfs wrote:

I went to Hunter, my brother went to Stuy. Sorry all that money couldn't buy you smarter kids.

Did you run for Mendes?

The best solution is to live in Fairfield or Westchester County. I wouldn't subject my wife and kids to NYC living. It's an absolute zoo.

Move to Jersey?

My wife and I make $365K. We live in NH. No sales tax, no income tax. We save nearly 100K per year, send our kids to eye wateringly expensive but really good private schools and we live in a 2500 Sq foot $500K house with a 150 K mortgage that we pay $1045 a month on. Our property taxes are 6K per year.

Why the f would anyone want to live in NYC?

I'm raising two sons on a teacher's salary. My wife stayed at home until my younger son was 5 and will work part time for another year. We are able to save and invest. Live within your means. There are cheap safe areas with decent schools 25 minutes out of mid Manhattan.