Home ec for young Trad Lads

Started by james03, June 15, 2014, 09:39:59 AM

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james03

I'm going over a mythical budget for a young trad lad who wants to get married and make a bunch of Trad Babies.  Admittedly these numbers are somewhat inflated because I want the shock value to wake men up.  BUT, keep in mind there are unexpected bills that I'm leaving out.

A Trad Catholic husband/father is making $100,000 per year, or $50/hour.

1.  Knock off 28% for tax theft: Federal, State, Local, Social Security, property taxes, etc...  That's $28,000.  We'll say you are left with $72,000, or $6,000 per month, after tax.  WOW!!  That's a nice bit of money, free-and-clear.
2.  You will need $600/month to tithe, and $1400 for a house, which includes the insurance.  Leaves you with $4000.
3.  Two car payments (wife needs a big van): $1,000.  Leaves you with $3,000.
4.  Food and utilities: $1,000.  Leaves you with $2,000.  If you have a bunch of kids, this might be light.
5.  Gas for two cars, medical insurance, car insurance, and car maintenance: $1,000.
6.  Retirement savings.  $1000/mo. 

Left over: $0.  What about taking the wife out on a date?  Family vacation?  Clothing for you and your family?  New hot water heater?  New roof for the house?  Braces for the kids?  Various school expenses, even if you homeschool?  Hobbies?  Savings for College for the kids, or weddings?

Like I said, admittedly my numbers are a little high.  You can buy a 30 yr. old house with small bedrooms, and use bunk beds for the kids.  You can buy used cars, but your maintenance goes way up.  If you have a large family, you get more deductions on your taxes.  But my numbers are ball park.  Even if we cut the $50/hr down to $35/hr, how many Trad Lads are set up to make this kind of money, or have even thought about it?  Keep in mind this is their FIRST responsibility after their spiritual requirements are met, because that is his state in life.

So take this lesson seriously and make sure you have a serious plan on how to accomplish your state in life.  Priests need to be preaching to young lads they need to be responsible.  We want huge Trad families.  That is the hope of the future.  And it is the young trad lads, their parents, and priests who need to make this happen.
"But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn 3:18)."

"All sorrow leads to the foot of the Cross.  Weep for your sins."

"Although He should kill me, I will trust in Him"

totiusque

Nice breakdown, and aside from being high on the car payments ($1000/mo will get you 2 awfully nice cars), the rest of it is spot on.  I do my best to track every penny I spend on an Excel spreadsheet, even if it's only $3 for lighting candles at church.  That way I know exactly where I'm spending my money each month, and I don't look back and wonder why I have nothing left over.

I break things down by category (Mortgage, Electric Bills, Food, Entertainment, etc.), and I have formulas to calculate my average monthly spending in each category.  Of course, looking at all that money disappearing can become quite depressing *sigh*.
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
—St John of the Cross

Arun

who the hell makes $100,000 a year? the highest wage i have ever been paid still worked out to only about $28,600 US.


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Quote from: St.Justin on September 25, 2015, 07:57:25 PM
Never lose Hope... Take a deep breath and have a beer.

Mother Aubert Pray For Us!



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MilesChristi

The middle class.

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The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
    It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
    It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
    And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
    And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
    There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
    Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
    World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Arun



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Quote from: St.Justin on September 25, 2015, 07:57:25 PM
Never lose Hope... Take a deep breath and have a beer.

Mother Aubert Pray For Us!



vsay ego sudba V rukah Gospodnih

Chestertonian

my wife makes more than that, we only have 1 car, 1 kid and a 2 BR home, and yet we still barely scrape by,
i think it depends on a lot of unique circumstances....

AND Aalso where you live I can't imagine what you'd get for $1400 month here as far as mortgage payments

if you live someplace like the midwest, living expenses must be lower but then, it might be hard to find jobs with that high of a salary
"I am not much of a Crusader, that is for sure, but at least I am not a Mohamedist!"

Arun

this is why i rent; $600 a month for a 3 bedroom place right by the beach, big yard and lots of space.


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Quote from: St.Justin on September 25, 2015, 07:57:25 PM
Never lose Hope... Take a deep breath and have a beer.

Mother Aubert Pray For Us!



vsay ego sudba V rukah Gospodnih

Chestertonian

wish i could move to new zealand, that sounds lovely
"I am not much of a Crusader, that is for sure, but at least I am not a Mohamedist!"

ResRev

That's about what ours looks like, James. Except no car payment, that goes for medical bills instead, we drive cars into the ground not buy new ones, and we live in the DC metro area, so double that house payment. We've also got two kids in college, so no retirement...
"You shall seek me, and shall find me: when you shall seek me with all your heart." Jeremias 29:13

The Harlequin King

Quote from: Arun on June 15, 2014, 06:46:55 PM
who the hell makes $100,000 a year? the highest wage i have ever been paid still worked out to only about $28,600 US.

Smarter folks than us.

Gardener

Looks like the Houston area is a good place to go.

My brother mentioned he needs IT guys in a bad way, and his guys start at 40-60k per year. So I looked on Zillow and there are some NICE places going for 60-100k. I'd be unable to get a place like the link below in my area for any less than 160k.

FSSP is there and building a new parish.

Check this one out: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/23218-Dew-Wood-Ln-Spring-TX-77373/28258990_zpid/

A lot more like it.

"If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother." - St. Maximilian Kolbe

Chestertonian

Doesn't Texas have zero property tax?
"I am not much of a Crusader, that is for sure, but at least I am not a Mohamedist!"

Gardener

Quote from: Chestertonian on June 15, 2014, 11:38:18 PM
Doesn't Texas have zero property tax?

Income tax is 0, but they make it up in property tax, similar to Florida.

"If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother." - St. Maximilian Kolbe

Chestertonian

ah I see

1000 for food & utilities.... i think we spend maybe 300 on utilities here.  i'd say $700 on food is pretty intense though.  although i suppose if you have like 6 sons maybe.
"I am not much of a Crusader, that is for sure, but at least I am not a Mohamedist!"

moneil

Good post and a very timely topic james03 (we need a thumbs up emticon!).

I would add two thoughts ...

Pre matirmony, learn how to cook (mom's should teach sons this, or they take boys home ec in HS, or just experiment).  I'm not too smart but ONE thing I've learned in my nearly 63 years is that one of the fastest and easiest ways to put more $ in my pocket is to buy "real food" (minimal processing ... as direct from nature as possible, though I am a big proponent of pasturization of dairy products, and I work in the dairy industry, so I know why), minimal packaging is good too (I love the bulk bins at food co-op's and warehouse supermarkts, as well as buying in season produce directly from growers at farmers markets), and cook / prep it yourself at home, even for take to work lunches.  Prolly big health bennies here to, but having somebody else process, package, cook your food is just an expensive extravagence.  I only go to resturants for special occasions, or if traveling.  Even while traveling I like to bring along some of my own food.

Ideally one wanting to have a large family will find an acerage to live one, mom will not work oustide of the home (as this acerage will require some attending to), they will have a large garden, have chickens (eggs, meat, fertilizer), maybe a fish pond, and will can / freeze / dry the garden's produce.  There could be fruit trees, though I'm not a big fruit eater so I don't naturally think of that, lol.  Even if the family lives in town they can likely still have a garden plot, and maybe even chickens (more and more municipalities are amending their zoning codes to allow "urban poultry").  I recently watched a film on urban agriculture (can't remember the name, it was part of my local food co-op's monthly film series, but this is a huge trend, including roof top gardens in New York City.  http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-community/urban-agriculture.  "Edible Landscapes" is another big trend, and several local ones are very attractive (i.e., with a casual view one wouldn't guess that is food growing there).  Also, may towns have community gardens where a family can rent a plot at very low cost, and tools, compost, and irrigation are provided.