<p>Someone asked about the costs for living in NYC for a new graduate. My D graduated a year ago with a musical theatre degree and has been supporting herself for the past year. She is still on our insurance and our family cellphone plan so she doesn’t have these expenses. She lives on the upper upper west side and is only 2 blocks from the subway. The neighborhood she lives in is mostly working class families and a lot of students and new grads in theatre or the arts. </p>
<p>Her rent is $850 a month and she shares a two bedroom with a friend in a 5 floor walkup. My D is a nanny for a family with 2 school aged children on the UWS. She also does babysitting for a toddler in the West Village. D’s share for electric is about $40 a month, but going up to around $60 in the summer when they run the air. Internet is expensive and I think her share is $20 or more per month. They have a tv with an antenna, no cable as this is not something D or her roommate can afford. Monthly subway pass is $112. D is a vegetarian (sometimes vegan) so grocerices which are lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, etc run $50-$60 per week. Personal items (shampoo, cleaning supplies, paper products, etc) I think run about $40 or more per month. This adds up to $1,300, but does not include eating out or money for entertainment. My D does like to eat out occasionally and go out with friends so I would probably add another $40 per week for that as well as doing “pay what you can” yoga 4 times a week which costs another $40 per month. I would add in an additional $100 per month to cover laundry and replacing clothes/shoes only as needed. So I think this all comes to $1,600 per month. I would say this is really the minimum needed to survive. If your kids are willing to share rooms after graduation D has friends that pay rents of $500 or less per month and are living with 4 or more people in 2 bedroom apartments!</p>
<p>My D makes enough to support herself and has even been able to save a bit since she graduated. My D’s afternoon nanny job starts at 3 so she is able to audition some days. D grocery shops and prepares dinner for the kids each evening and tutors the elementary and middle school aged kids. The family that hired her wanted a college graduate that could look after the kids and take them to afterschool activities, run errands, cook, tutor and drive!</p>