I live in the American Southeast. I know people living with less than that. Your results in SFO/NYC may vary. --- Here's a rough breakdown for a single income

I live in the American Southeast. I know people living with less than that. Your results in SFO/NYC may vary. --- Here's a rough breakdown for a single income family of four. Starting: $2,000 month Income tax: zero or negative ( kids + EIC credits) Health Insurance: $50/mo Obamacare. Medicaid will take care of kids healthcare. Housing: 1000sqft mobile home $500/mo Utilities: $100/mo Cell phones: $100/mo for two android smartphones Car: $150/mo for ten year old car on the edge of reliability. Includes gas and liability insurance and maintenance. Food: $450/mo. This requires cooking your own family's food, but still isn't eating as cheaply as possible. So this still leaves $650/mo for hobbies, saving, and giving.