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[Reudh]

Yep. My aforementioned 'murrican friend whose mother earns $20-25k/a bought a house for $200k which from pictures has triple the space of my family's one, which cost $390k. (combined, my parents earn $100-110k/a)

If I am using student accomodation (vastly cheaper rent, services included in rent), then MINIMUM to survive I need to earn $20k/a. That's basically living off bread and rice and counting out cents.

[SalmonGod]

$28k is not terribly great. It's enough to pay the bills, even live comfortably if you're smart with your money, but it's not really all that much.

It's plenty for a person.  Just enough to get by with a family.  Over half my salary goes to rent.  We would be in pretty sorry shape without regular boosts from my wife's student loans and large tax returns.  Doesn't help that she spent most of her childhood with her grandparents, eating multiple course home cooked meals every day... and when she wasn't, she was neglected and starving... so food is a big deal to her.  She's really picky and doesn't like to eat cheap.  We're very cheap on everything else, though.  I have nice gadgets, but that's because I abuse the hell out of warranties (thing with warranty breaks when store no longer carries it = free credit towards whatever), convince my family to save gift money to buy me something nice once every year or two instead of minor things at every birthday or holiday, and don't spend my own money on much of anything else.

[Reudh]

Salmon, how many are you supporting on $28k?

Here in Aus if I wanted to live on a knife edge in student housing (~$150AUD/week for rent, gas, electricity, water, internet) I'd as I said need MINIMUM $20k.

[Max White]

Although Melbourne is some what pricey, but yea, no way you could support a family here on $28K.

[Reudh]

Although Melbourne is some what pricey, but yea, no way you could support a family here on $28K.

some what

Lolyep. At least our public transport is cheaper than Sydney's.

[Max White]

Yea but at least there you can walk the streets without being mugged by hipsters.

[Blargityblarg]

Just mugged regular-style.

[Reudh]

*cough* FRANKSTON *cough* NOBLE PARK *cough* SUNSHINE *cough* DANDENONG.

[Blargityblarg]

*cough* MAROUBRA

[Reudh]

Where the dickens is that? I've never heard of it.

[Max White]

Just mugged regular-style.

For once, the hipsters weren't doing it first!

*cough* FRANKSTON *cough* NOBLE PARK *cough* SUNSHINE *cough* DANDENONG.

All full of conformists.
Also, I see you are still typing in the default forum colour, you sheep.

[Blargityblarg]

Yeah, I've not actually met many hipsters, despite having lived here thirteen years.

[Reudh]

You're from that place that isn't hipsterish though.

Same with me. It's all the innercity kids that are hipsterish.

I have been mugged in Frankston before. Thankfully I was able to fight the mugger off without him taking anything. This was late 2010, walking along a suburban street. i reported it, never heard back.

 I *hate* it there.

[SalmonGod]

Salmon, how many are you supporting on $28k?

Supporting wife and two kids on just my income and student loans... and we eat supper at my parent's house three nights a week, so that saves a bit, too.  The only government assistance we get is the kids are on Medicaid.

Though that's kind of up in the air right now.  Work eliminated the employee + spouse option for health insurance coverage this year, forcing us to choose the family plan, which is much more expensive and endangers the kid's Medicaid eligibility.  So not only is the plan itself more expensive, but we never had to pay co-pays with Medicaid.  If we lose that, we'll have to pay co-pays on all of my diabetic kid's medical costs, which will add up a ton.  On top of that, my wife threw her back out to the point of being paralyzed for a week and then had a series of migraines almost as debilitating which caused me to miss over a week of work non-paid, and this happened at the same time as we were supposed to renew their Medicaid coverage, causing us to miss the deadline... so now Hiro has enough medication to last a month, as we're attempting to re-apply...

It's all very fucked up and the near future is somewhat intimidating... but we should pull through...

Also, keep in mind that $28k USD is about $26K AUD.

[Reudh]

I want to live in America now. Melbourne is too fucking expensive to live.

My family live comfortably but not very well, ie. we don't have holidays but we always have meat to eat on $110k a year. There's 5 of us.