Relocating to DC as GS11-step 1; can I support a family of 4?

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   Your parents did it?  When did they buy their house? How much did they pay?

Again, pretty naiive to compare your parents' experience (people who probably bought a house long ago when  houses did not cost several times the average yearly salary) and what it would take to start off now in the DC area with a family of four.

Day care is subsidized for some lower-income people.

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1DCfed Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Advisor Joined: 05 Nov 2009 Location: DC Posts: 127	Post Options Post Reply Quote 1DCfed Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Relocating to DC as GS11-step 1; can I support a family of 4? Posted: 07 Nov 2009 at 8:40pm
	Your parents did it? When did they buy their house? How much did they pay? Again, pretty naiive to compare your parents' experience (people who probably bought a house long ago when houses did not cost several times the average yearly salary) and what it would take to start off now in the DC area with a family of four. Day care is subsidized for some lower-income people.

tmj4477 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Advisor Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 148	Post Options Post Reply Quote tmj4477 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Nov 2009 at 4:27am
	Moving anywhere there are a few items you should look at. Where are you finianically now. Basically if you are stuggling moving (im assuming a lower cost of living area) to DC metro might now be the smartest thing to do. Are your kids in school or do they need childcare? This is very important because daycare is very expensive! Do you have any debts already that will make moving a finanical burden? Is being a government employee something you want to do long term (e.g. retire)? Weigh the finanical advantages and disadvantages of living closer to where you work. You could rent closer in like Alexandria and metro in. I believe you will be able to do it but you definely wont be eating out a lot. Additionally, you and you family can have "blockbuster nights" at home via (Netflicks) or depending what goverment agency you work at you can get discounted movie and amusement park tickets (DOD is great with this) Dont be discouraged you can do it!!! Also think about it you can apply for a GS13 position in two years!

onthemove Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Posts: 8	Post Options Post Reply Quote onthemove Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Nov 2009 at 6:00pm
	Triangle, VA.

RadioactiveFlea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 25	Post Options Post Reply Quote RadioactiveFlea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 6:48pm
	I think this would be really hard to do. Sure, you can cut here and there but I still think it wouldn't be enough. I know 13's who can't afford to live in DC. It is just an expensive area. My sister lives in Florida and has twice the house as I do at half the price. And that's just housing. Everything here is more expensive. People who have lived here are use to it. You however will notice the difference right away. Do your research. A lot of research before you do this, and expect a long commute if you do.

tmj4477 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Advisor Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 148	Post Options Post Reply Quote tmj4477 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 3:31am
	If you are a GS 13 and cant afford to live in the DC metro area you do not know how to manage your money. A GS 13 at a minimum makes a little over 86K a year also the home you friend lives in may cost less but she also lives at a lower cost of living rate overall which impacts her salary. A GS 11 in Florida makes quite a bit less than one in DC. My advice is you will stuggle for a while there is no doubt about that, but it can be done. It's amazing how much money you can save by cutting out little luxuries (movies, fast food, resturants, unnessary clothing shopping). However, one thing rings true if you cant manage your money in a lower cost of living area how can you expect to do it in a higher cost of living area?

onthemove Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Posts: 8	Post Options Post Reply Quote onthemove Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 2009 at 7:20am
	You can do it, your key to survival will be your housing cost. If you cannot confirm rent for less than 1K per month, then you will struggle. Hopefully, your command will help with the VRE cost. To eventually find a house to buy, you will have to be 50 miles + out of the area. http://www.emailforeclosures.com/searchresults.cgi

Govthopeful Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 19 Aug 2009 Location: Southern Cal Posts: 213	Post Options Post Reply Quote Govthopeful Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 2009 at 9:43am
	I have friends who live in the Rockville MD area and take the metro to work. They like the place they live and the metro just becomes a part of your life. I would review all the benefits and all the negatives to your own world to determine if it would make sense. Remember since you are in the DC area, then you would be able to move around to a more senior job I would think rather easily.

ahales Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 212	Post Options Post Reply Quote ahales Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 2009 at 2:29pm
	If you live in the district and make between 30-70k (depending on # of kids), you can qualify for workforce housing (rental and owning). That is how I got my apartment. I have been living off of $35k for the past year. My rent is currently $915/month, after tax credits. A decent one bedroom apartment cost $1k, $850 at a minimum in DC.... I start my GS-9 job next week ($50k) and I am excited to get this pay raise but I will lose my tax credit so I will have to find a roommate in may or bite the bullet and pay $1100 a month.

RadioactiveFlea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 25	Post Options Post Reply Quote RadioactiveFlea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 06 Dec 2009 at 8:28pm
	Yeah, I agree with 1DCfed. And, I just hate the “live within your means” position from 25 year olds GS7’s who have roommates. Or the GS15 who bought his house in 1975. It’s not like this guy is going out and blowing all his money. People talk about being frugal and cheap. On a GS11, salary, you can’t even get to that point. Saving money on movies and restaurants is not in the slightest way going to make up for the major expense you will occur and the deficiencies in your low Government pay in this overprice area. The cost of living in DC with kids is far out of reach of a GS11 salary. Come on now, a GS11 brings home what, like $3700 a month. Rent, food and daycare and you are done. Got student loans? A car payment? Health insurance for four? Car insurance? Do you plan on paying your electric bill? You gonna put gas in that car? Buy those kids something nice? Got any credit cards? Save anything? Well you can forget about all that because you were broke at daycare. $1000 a month rent in a crappy small one bedroom apartment in a neighborhood that you really don’t feel safe in. That will be good for your kids. And by the way, I can assure you tmj4477 that the few thousand dollars less a GS11 makes in Florida vs D.C by no means equalizes the standard of living between the two. There is a substantial difference in costs between the two states; hence after your locality pay you would still be better off living in Florida, as well as most states when compared to the Washington D.C. Area.

Deano Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 Aug 2009 Posts: 24	Post Options Post Reply Quote Deano Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Dec 2009 at 5:38am
	Here's some food for thought: http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layouthtmls/coll_metrodetail_192.html#moving