Cost of Living Too High?
April 25th, 2005
Apparently the cost of living now outweighs the benefits.
To arrive at their conclusions, study directors first identified the average yearly costs and benefits of life. Tangible benefits such as median income ($43,000) were weighed against such tangible costs as home-ownership ($18,000). Next, scientists assigned a financial value to intangibles such as finding inner peace ($15,000), establishing emotional closeness with family members ($3,000), and brief moments of joy ($5 each). Taken together, the study results indicate that “it is unwise to go on living.”
Hmmm. I wonder how I measure up…
Anna’s Monthly Cost of Living
Costs
Monthly rent - $700
Utilities - $200
Debt payments (credit cards, student loans) - $450
Food - $400
Booze - $350
Random Shopping Trips (ex. Target, malls, Borders) - $500
Fear of how screwed up our government/environment/social policy is becoming - $500
Total - $3100
Benefits
Monthly salary, after taxes - $2300
Brief moments of joy (est. 3 per day, at $5 each) - $450
Inner peace (I think I’m totally innerly peaceful, so $15,000/12) - $1250
Emotional closeness with family members (Maybe not as close I could be, so let’s say $2,000 per year, which is…) - $166.67
Total - $4166.67
Woohoo! I can go on living for now….
yeah cost of living in boston is expensive. new york is just as bad and I make just as little as you do so I feel your pain, anna. but isn’t great?! you are doing all of it on your own. yr doing fine.
Thanks Yummi! I feel much better.