6 ms·

Sorry, I live here. I have an average salary for my experience. I can barely save $20k/yr. My rent+util is about $2000/month. I live in a very /cheap/ 1-bedroo

by bradlys 10y ago

Sorry, I live here. I have an average salary for my experience. I can barely save $20k/yr. My rent+util is about $2000/month. I live in a very /cheap/ 1-bedroom with creaky carpet floors, no insulation, and near train tracks that's far outside SF. (Belmont) Altogether I spend close to $4000/month if I don't do anything special. /Everything/ is more expensive in this region. Food is expensive for no apparent reason other than to gouge customers. ($6 for a few sticks of butter? When I was in Seattle, it was $2-3.) I eat less fruits here because the prices are high year round. My job doesn't provide lunches, so I have to eat out everyday I'm at work. I mean, even cars cost more here just on Craigslist. In the same way there's an Apple tax, there's definitely a Bay Area tax. I cannot possibly save $50k/yr for a house. Oh and $150k/yr is not $110k/yr after taxes. It's more like $94k. I'm saving maybe $20k/yr right now. Ain't even contributing to retirement. Just trying to save for who knows what until I can get a job that pays 50% more.

bcheung 10y ago
It's cheaper to live in a larger place with roommates. You pay a premium for single bedroom and living by yourself. I lived in a warehouse with 5 other people for a while to save money.
- paganel 10y ago
  From a certain point in life living at your own place (no matter if rented or not) with no room-mates is non-negotiable, given the financial means to do so. I'd rather live in a studio apartment at the edge of the city (been there, done that) rather than sharing a villa in a beautiful neighborhood with 5 other strangers. If it matters I'm in my mid-30s now, but started feeling that way immediately after I broke up with my wife 5 years ago.
rconti 10y ago
Huh. We just moved out of a 2/1 in Belmont, 1 block off El Camino next to the Safeway, where we were paying $2050. Sure, once you add utils in it's more, but not a lot more. Splitting the rent with my wife, my share was basically what I was paying in rent for a 'fancy' apartment I shared with a roommate in Santa Clara 10 years ago. Granted, the house was a good deal, but should be able to swing a 2/1 for 2500 or so.
eitally 10y ago
Cook your own food, shop at cheaper places. Big fan of http://www.imperfectproduce.com/ http://www.imperfectproduce.com/ You don't have to spend $6/lb of butter, but if you buy it at Whole Foods (or similar), you do.
- bradlys 10y ago
  I'm quoting Safeway prices...
crdoconnor 10y ago
>Food is expensive for no apparent reason other than to gouge customers. You're not the only one paying extra rent to rentiers. So are retailers and restaurants.
seanmcdirmid 10y ago
Uhm, Belmont isn't exactly a ghetto.
morgante 10y ago
You don't have an average salary for your experience. $4,000 * 12 is $48,000. Plus your $20k in purported savings is only $68k. That's only $100k in gross pay, which is the bare minimum for a developer in SV. Most new grads make more than that.
- ryandrake 10y ago
  According to PayScale[1] and Glassdoor[2], average/median salary for software engineer in the Bay Area is around $110K, so it's tough to believe $100K is "the bare minimum". 1: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary/a5e48575/San-Francisco-CA http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Sa... 2: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-francisco-software-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IM759_KO14,31.htm https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-francisco-software-en...
  - morgante 10y ago
    That's salary alone, not total comp.
    - ryandrake 10y ago
      Your post only mentioned salary. EDIT: And to add more to the conversation than that curt response: When I compare take-home pay among various jobs I tend to ignore bonuses (because they're subject to your employer's whim--you don't necessarily get them) and I tend to ignore equity (because it's typically temporary--once you vest it no longer adds to your yearly take-home). To compare apples with apples you can only really compare base salary.
      - morgante 10y ago
        I think it makes sense to discount those factors, but ignoring them entirely is disingenuous. A company offering $100k in salary + $20k in bonuses and $80k in RSUs is paying significantly more than one offering $120k in salary with no bonus or RSUs. Also, Glassdoor tends to skew low. Here's a more reasonable database of new grad offers which average $109k base for public tech companies. [0] [0] http://newgradsalaries.com/ http://newgradsalaries.com/
driverdan 10y ago
> Altogether I spend close to $4000/month if I don't do anything special. That's including rent right? If so that's not too bad. > Food is expensive for no apparent reason other than to gouge customers. Stop shopping at overpriced pseudoscience stores (eg Whole Foods). Regular grocery stores are not that expensive. Or buy in bulk at Costco. > My job doesn't provide lunches, so I have to eat out everyday I'm at work. Bring food from home and stop wasting money on buying lunch.

by bradlys 10y ago

bcheung 10y ago

It's cheaper to live in a larger place with roommates. You pay a premium for single bedroom and living by yourself. I lived in a warehouse with 5 other people for a while to save money.

paganel 10y ago
From a certain point in life living at your own place (no matter if rented or not) with no room-mates is non-negotiable, given the financial means to do so. I'd rather live in a studio apartment at the edge of the city (been there, done that) rather than sharing a villa in a beautiful neighborhood with 5 other strangers. If it matters I'm in my mid-30s now, but started feeling that way immediately after I broke up with my wife 5 years ago.

rconti 10y ago

Huh. We just moved out of a 2/1 in Belmont, 1 block off El Camino next to the Safeway, where we were paying $2050. Sure, once you add utils in it's more, but not a lot more. Splitting the rent with my wife, my share was basically what I was paying in rent for a 'fancy' apartment I shared with a roommate in Santa Clara 10 years ago. Granted, the house was a good deal, but should be able to swing a 2/1 for 2500 or so.

eitally 10y ago

Cook your own food, shop at cheaper places. Big fan of http://www.imperfectproduce.com/ http://www.imperfectproduce.com/ You don't have to spend $6/lb of butter, but if you buy it at Whole Foods (or similar), you do.

bradlys 10y ago
I'm quoting Safeway prices...

crdoconnor 10y ago

>Food is expensive for no apparent reason other than to gouge customers. You're not the only one paying extra rent to rentiers. So are retailers and restaurants.

seanmcdirmid 10y ago

Uhm, Belmont isn't exactly a ghetto.

morgante 10y ago

You don't have an average salary for your experience. $4,000 * 12 is $48,000. Plus your $20k in purported savings is only $68k. That's only $100k in gross pay, which is the bare minimum for a developer in SV. Most new grads make more than that.

ryandrake 10y ago
According to PayScale[1] and Glassdoor[2], average/median salary for software engineer in the Bay Area is around $110K, so it's tough to believe $100K is "the bare minimum". 1: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary/a5e48575/San-Francisco-CA http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Sa... 2: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-francisco-software-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IM759_KO14,31.htm https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-francisco-software-en...
- morgante 10y ago
  That's salary alone, not total comp.
  - ryandrake 10y ago
    Your post only mentioned salary. EDIT: And to add more to the conversation than that curt response: When I compare take-home pay among various jobs I tend to ignore bonuses (because they're subject to your employer's whim--you don't necessarily get them) and I tend to ignore equity (because it's typically temporary--once you vest it no longer adds to your yearly take-home). To compare apples with apples you can only really compare base salary.
    - morgante 10y ago
      I think it makes sense to discount those factors, but ignoring them entirely is disingenuous. A company offering $100k in salary + $20k in bonuses and $80k in RSUs is paying significantly more than one offering $120k in salary with no bonus or RSUs. Also, Glassdoor tends to skew low. Here's a more reasonable database of new grad offers which average $109k base for public tech companies. [0] [0] http://newgradsalaries.com/ http://newgradsalaries.com/

driverdan 10y ago

> Altogether I spend close to $4000/month if I don't do anything special. That's including rent right? If so that's not too bad. > Food is expensive for no apparent reason other than to gouge customers. Stop shopping at overpriced pseudoscience stores (eg Whole Foods). Regular grocery stores are not that expensive. Or buy in bulk at Costco. > My job doesn't provide lunches, so I have to eat out everyday I'm at work. Bring food from home and stop wasting money on buying lunch.