Things which are pleasantly surprising

[owlectomy]

It is apparently not all that hard to get a job at the New York Public Library. In fact, they're apparently a bit desperate.

Of course, they're desperate because they don't pay a living wage. Eh. I can eat rice and beans, and Harlem seems like a nice enough place to me.

...Yes, perhaps my main criteria for a job location IS that it's close to Kinokuniya.

(So why not go to Japan? The size 12 feet, for one thing, not to mention that I'm a XXL in clothing there. And lots of other things. Japan doesn't have a lot for me that I can't mail-order in, which isn't true of North America).

Comments

Yay Emawee!

[meaghanchan.livejournal.com]

move to New York!! It is awesome here... What is your definition of a 'living wage' though? You do need *some* money to live here, even if you don't need a car.

Re: Yay Emawee!

[takumashii.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure--their web site doesn't give salary info (gee, I wonder why...) but I heard that it was in the 30-40K range. (That's typical for an entry-level librarian position, but in cities that are cheaper...)

I think I could probably squeak by even at the low end of that. Maybe no more trips to Kino, though.

[meaghanchan.livejournal.com]

You know... I made in that range this year. Living in NYC. And it's subject to a 15% self-employment tax, which you wouldn't be subject to. And still, I:

Ate out way more than I should
Took people out for dinners and karaoke
Bought people gifts
Bought myself a G5
While incurring no credit card debt
and saving 3 months' worth of living expenses in a savings account
and starting an IRA for myself.

Not bragging. It's just that (as, I know, I tell you and everyone else, constantly) people need to challenge their preconceptions of what living in NYC costs.

[takumashii.livejournal.com]

Rock.

It's just, I hear about all these people who are making $50-60K in NY and think that they are barely scraping by.

I think I would probably pay more in rent than you're paying, because I don't know where I'd find three awesome roommates, but still. I could make it.

[meaghanchan.livejournal.com]

These people (I'm not kidding, OK?)

Think that past 10:00 at night means it's all scary out and they need to take cabs to get 5 blocks
Need to take cabs when it's raining
so that their $80 haircuts don't get ruined
Need to live in Manhattan, without roommates
Need to go grocery shopping at Whole Foods, buying organic fruits and vegetables and a bunch of prepackaged foods
Need to eat lunch out every day and order in takeout every night (I seriously have a friend who is constantly complaining about his money situation; he orders takeout at least 3 times a week)
Need to go shopping at "nice" stores for designer shoes, purses, and clothes
Need to get manicures every 2 weeks, and pedicures that often in the summer
Have a "why do it myself, when I can pay to get it done for me?" attitude to the normal chores and errands of everyday life: Groceries, laundry, etc.
Need to have a membership at the health club (public gym membership, BTW: $75/year)

It is, admittedly, hard for those people to get by, with so many financial obligations they need to meet.

I think for most people there's a definite 'your costs rise to meet your means' situation going on. There's so many people in NYC not only living, but raising children on $40K a year...

The one caveat to all these "NYC is so cheap!!!" posts:
I am sure that the cost of living goes up exponentially if one has children. Not that that's something to worry about at this point, but I just wanted to add it as a caveat to anyone who's not you or I who may be reading this post.

Even if you were paying $800 for a studio apartment (roughly $200 more than what I pay for my share), you'd be able to put money into savings every month on $30-$40K. I can almost guarantee it.