<p>Child has gotten a job in San Diego after he graduates undergraduate school. He will be earning $40,000. </p>
<p>Is it possible to live on 40K in San Diego, with the California taxes and no major deductions? I think it isn’t. This is for one year only.</p>
<p>Just considering shelter, food, public transportation,
phone, entertainment, what do the locals think?</p>
<p>This is currently running on CL in the apt. section.</p>
<p>$767 Don’t Rent! Buy Your Own Place Instead… All Credit. It’s Easy! (San Diego</p>
<p>I think it’s possible - there are people who do it. With $40K in income they’ll be at the low end of the income tax scale. California income tax will be somewhere around $1500 - maybe less. There is no ‘local’ income tax.</p>
<p>Depending on the specific area where he wants to live a one bedroom apartment should be around $1000 per month plus/minus about $200 depending on specifics.</p>
<p>Depending on the specific area he might have access to the San Diego light rail transport and if not, he’ll have access to the bus system. Will he be a student while here? If so, he should get a discount on the public transport.</p>
<p>Unless he plans to keep a place for 3 to 5 years I don’t recommend buying. If he plans to stay that length of time then buying should generally be okay because this area is sure to be in demand but I’d be wary of ads like the one you posted.</p>
<p>PM me if you want more details about the San Diego area.</p>
<p>It can be done, but I would recommend sharing a place for awhile to get his feet wet. Craigslist.org (not .com) is a great resource for roommates. </p>
<p>To get a feel for what types of shared spaces are available, you can check here:
<a href=“http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/roo/[/url]”>http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/roo/</a></p>
<p>For an idea of what an apartment might cost (they’re not cheap) you can check this listing: <a href=“http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/apa/?SAB=csd[/url]”>http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/apa/?SAB=csd</a></p>
<p>Best to him.</p>
<p>I’m currently living in central London on a far smaller budget, and surprising my mother by doing just fine! For one thing, as a recent grad, I’m used to living on a low budget, so I’ve found that most cost estimates (food, going out, per dium, etc.) are higher than I actually need, and I don’t feel unreasonably limited in my spending. I also know a number of first-year grads who’ve taken low paying jobs (don’t know specific amounts) in SD and have been just fine (inasmuch as recent college grads are monetarily “fine” anywhere). If your son wants to do it and it has to be done, it’ll get done. He just needs to know upon entering the year that he’ll have to stay budget-conscious.</p>
<p>The numbers are grim, but I maintain that if your son wants this to work, and if he knows it’s only for one year, and if he’s someone who’s able to commit to making it work, he’ll really be fine. Living alone would be pretty ambitious, financially speaking, but remember that San Diego has a sizable student and recent grad population. Relatively affordable shared housing does exist. When looking on sites like Craigslist.org, also be sure to look in the “Shared” category. If your son likes to spend more freely, if over-extending his budget seems likely and would have serious repercussions, or if he really needs to spend the year saving, then this might not be an ideal option.</p>
<p>One thing to note is that it would not be ideal to live in most parts of SD without a car (and even if your son’s immediate area is pedestrian/public-transit friendly, SoCal in general is not). Being car-less as a student is one thing, but as a professional, even if do-able, could be quite limiting and challenging. This should be evaluated and taken into consideration.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your son :)</p>
<p>It’s been a long time since I was fresh out of college, but my daughter is currently living on about $10K/year in Portland (OR)–possibly less. She has a shared room in a house, rides her bike everywhere, buys food at the farmers market and eats pretty well (she loves to cook). I see no reason why $40K should be particularly onerous in the San Diego area, if your child is reasonably sensible. </p>
<p>And what’s the worst case? It doesn’t work and they move somewhere else? Or is your subtext that you don’t want your child to move to San Diego and you need ammunitionj?</p>
<p>dmd77: your post got me thinking. My D is living in NYC (also sharing an apartment with 4 others…has her own room), shops similarly to your D, buys a monthly metrocard (good for all trains and buses). Her yearly budget is just about $17k. So for sure it can be done.</p>
<p>The big issue in ALL of So Cal (and I live here) is lack of GOOD public transportation. Parts of SD have the light rail (downtown), and if it were me, and I didn’t have transportation (a car) I’d want to live near Gas Lamp District, Little Italy, and the area around Horton Plaza (whatever that is called), as they seem to be the most pedestrian friendly and “happening” spaces. I don’t know about the areas by the 2 major colleges. </p>
<p>Can the OP tell us what part of SD the job would be?</p>