I can tell you that my mother-in-law has been pivotal in providing childcare for my toddler son. Daycare can cost north of $2000/mo. And if I don’t want to burn a vacation day staying home to care for him when he’s sick, I’m going out $200+/day for a nanny. But grandma can take over for the cost of lunch. And that’s for someone with kids. You don’t need childcare if you’re childless.
This kind sounds like the $33k is about right then, it’s just that the value is provided by family (which is great don’t get me wrong). You can’t make these calculations on the assumption of these factors. What if you suddenly didn’t have free childcare? Would you be unable to then make rent?
And what if your work moved somewhere where you had to then drive?
How close are you to financial collapse if something bad happened?
There should probably be a different number for a single person, but then there’s less sharing in other ways as well.
it’s just that the value is provided by family (which is great don’t get me wrong)
The value provided by grandparents, plus the overhead of real estate and administration and profit. If you’ve ever actually talked with a daycare worker, you might be surprised to note that they can care for anywhere from four to twelve kids each. However, they aren’t seeing anything close to the $100/day each child yields in revenue. The primary cost of operating a daycare is typically the cost of the location - either explicit rents by the building owner or interest on debt borrowed to purchase the property.
And what if your work moved somewhere where you had to then drive?
What’s kinda ironic about Houston is that we’ve got these big commercial bus services positioned all through the suburban neighborhoods. I live to close in to take advantage of any of them. One of my bigger regrets in living where I do is that I didn’t get to take advantage of the two rail lines the city operates. We’ve been promised bus rapid transit or rail extension for over a decade, but it has never materialized. The bike trail is actually the closest thing to urban transit I’ve seen built since I moved in back in 2014.
How close are you to financial collapse if something bad happened?
Really depends on how it manifests. O&G has historically been pretty recession proof. But there are exceptions. The 80s boom years were terrible for Houston, because they rode in on the back of cheap energy. The Enron Scandal of '01 hit smack into the center of downtown. And the COVID shock gave us -$43/bbl gasoline, which sent local businesses into a free fall.
There should probably be a different number for a single person, but then there’s less sharing in other ways as well.
Living with roommates / a spouse brings down cost of living in a whole host of ways, no doubt. Just on its face, you only need one kitchen per household and kitchens can get very expensive.
It’s hard to get by without driving in Houston. Even if you considered it safe to bike (which it isn’t, the dedicated bike lanes are pretty limited), it’s impossible to avoid the weather. Do you just carry a change of clothes?
I actually used to live in Houston too and had a half mile commute (either bike or run), but still had to drive fairly often. And I consider that a luxury for the city. Otherwise you’re living in the suburbs and commuting for two hours everyday.
I’ve known only a handful of people who’ve tried doing carless in Houston and only one of them long term. And he lived in a co-op so most needs were met in other ways.
Even if you considered it safe to bike (which it isn’t, the dedicated bike lanes are pretty limited), it’s impossible to avoid the weather.
The MKT gets you all the way from 610 to downtown with virtually no interaction with cars until you’re actually in the city proper.
I’ll spot you weather, but I’ve biked in the rain before. A poncho is all you really need shy of severe weather. And if I’m taking an Uber to and from work once or twice a month, that’s far cheaper than owning a car.
I’ve known only a handful of people who’ve tried doing carless in Houston and only one of them long term
I think “carless” is much more difficult. But “one car house” is very possible. You don’t need a vehicle for every member of the family.
This kind sounds like the $33k is about right then, it’s just that the value is provided by family (which is great don’t get me wrong). You can’t make these calculations on the assumption of these factors. What if you suddenly didn’t have free childcare? Would you be unable to then make rent?
And what if your work moved somewhere where you had to then drive?
How close are you to financial collapse if something bad happened?
There should probably be a different number for a single person, but then there’s less sharing in other ways as well.
The value provided by grandparents, plus the overhead of real estate and administration and profit. If you’ve ever actually talked with a daycare worker, you might be surprised to note that they can care for anywhere from four to twelve kids each. However, they aren’t seeing anything close to the $100/day each child yields in revenue. The primary cost of operating a daycare is typically the cost of the location - either explicit rents by the building owner or interest on debt borrowed to purchase the property.
What’s kinda ironic about Houston is that we’ve got these big commercial bus services positioned all through the suburban neighborhoods. I live to close in to take advantage of any of them. One of my bigger regrets in living where I do is that I didn’t get to take advantage of the two rail lines the city operates. We’ve been promised bus rapid transit or rail extension for over a decade, but it has never materialized. The bike trail is actually the closest thing to urban transit I’ve seen built since I moved in back in 2014.
Really depends on how it manifests. O&G has historically been pretty recession proof. But there are exceptions. The 80s boom years were terrible for Houston, because they rode in on the back of cheap energy. The Enron Scandal of '01 hit smack into the center of downtown. And the COVID shock gave us -$43/bbl gasoline, which sent local businesses into a free fall.
Living with roommates / a spouse brings down cost of living in a whole host of ways, no doubt. Just on its face, you only need one kitchen per household and kitchens can get very expensive.
It’s hard to get by without driving in Houston. Even if you considered it safe to bike (which it isn’t, the dedicated bike lanes are pretty limited), it’s impossible to avoid the weather. Do you just carry a change of clothes?
I actually used to live in Houston too and had a half mile commute (either bike or run), but still had to drive fairly often. And I consider that a luxury for the city. Otherwise you’re living in the suburbs and commuting for two hours everyday.
I’ve known only a handful of people who’ve tried doing carless in Houston and only one of them long term. And he lived in a co-op so most needs were met in other ways.
The MKT gets you all the way from 610 to downtown with virtually no interaction with cars until you’re actually in the city proper.
I’ll spot you weather, but I’ve biked in the rain before. A poncho is all you really need shy of severe weather. And if I’m taking an Uber to and from work once or twice a month, that’s far cheaper than owning a car.
I think “carless” is much more difficult. But “one car house” is very possible. You don’t need a vehicle for every member of the family.