Just some food for thought about those cost-of-living calculators. >From my take, I get the feeling that those cost-of-living calculators, while useful, really don't capture the complete picture. While certainly it is important to factor in the extra cost of living to, say, live in Silicon Valley, you shouldn't go overboard with it either.
Let me explain. Let's say that location A has twice the living costs (using those calculators) compared to location B. So you might draw the conclusion that you must necessarily earn twice as much to live in A. Well, not exactly. For example, I think of a lot of those living costs calculators are predicated on somebody renting. However, if you can figure out a way to buy, then that reduces the impact of the higher cost of living, because part of what you're paying for the mortgage goes to building home equity (this does leave the problem of trying to come up with enough money for a down payment, but that's a whole new discussion). So if you can figure out a way to own, you have somewhat mitigated the impact of the higher cost of living. Similarly, although I admit this only grudgingly, higher taxes usually do mean better services. Now, I don't think the relationship is one-to-one, but in general it is the case that if you are in a higher-tax state, you get better services. For example, the state of California has used part of its high taxes (very high taxes) to build a public higher-education system that is quite simply awesome - the University of California system really does represent a killer financial deal for California college students. So if you have family members who want to attend school, this could be a consideration for you. The same thing is true for things like parks, recreational areas, mass-transit systems, police/fire departments, or any other government services. - the more taxes you pay, the more you get. Now don't get me wrong, from a philosophical point of view, I still believe in low taxes. But what I'm saying is that you do get back some of the tax component that is a part of higher living costs, so that also somewhat mitigates the higher living costs. Obviously these factors don't completely mitigate the higher cost of living in location A. But some mitigation does take place - and how much mitigation depends on whether you can own vs. rent, and how many of those extra government services you take advantage of. And it is also true that places that have an expensive cost of living are usually expensive for a good reason. Whether it has to do with a historically good job market, or good weather, or exciting night-life, or whatever, there's a reason why certain places are more expensive than others. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not telling everybody to just pick up and move to Silicon Valley, or Manhattan, or San Diego, or whatever. I'm just saying that you shouldn't rely dogmatically on those cost-of-living calculators to determine whether you should move or not. ""Larry Letterman"" wrote in message [EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... > working for a living and paying high rent/mortgage payments if you > want to work in San Jose Tech market...if your like me and only got here > in the last 2 years....The only saving grace is that my wife can work and > make > the same if not better income...and that the salary base is 2X what I was > making > in texas. > > Larry Letterman > Cisco Systems > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "adam lee" > To: "Larry Letterman" ; > Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2002 10:54 PM > Subject: RE: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary [7:42111] > > > > I've heard so many stories about that. I wondering where that leaves the > > rest of us? > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Larry Letterman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2002 10:17 PM > > To: adam lee; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary [7:42111] > > > > > > I agree...if one has a good deal of home equity here in the SV, you could > > pay cash for a house elsewhere and work cheaper and not have to worry > about > > it... > > > > Larry Letterman > > Cisco Systems > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "adam lee" > > To: > > Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2002 9:30 PM > > Subject: RE: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary [7:42111] > > > > > > > It's all relative. Some folks here have been cashing out and moving to > > Sac > > > cause it's cheaper. Can't say that I blame them. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > > > Larry Letterman > > > Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2002 5:42 PM > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: Re: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary [7:42111] > > > > > > > > > Housing is cheaper, so are the salaries... > > > > > > Larry Letterman > > > Cisco Systems > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Howard C. Berkowitz" > > > To: > > > Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 8:01 PM > > > Subject: Re: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary [7:42111] > > > > > > > > > > The new direction of this thread may bring new significance to "have > > > > a cow, man." > > > > > > > > > > > > >Hey, we pay about the same price for milk in the Raleigh area. > Housing > > > is > > > > >much cheaper, though. :-) > > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > > > >From: "Manny Gonzalez" > > > > >To: "Brian Dennis" > > > > >Cc: "'Ccielab (E-mail)'" > > > > >Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 10:20 PM > > > > >Subject: Re: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> Sorry Brian, we New Yorkers got you beat... A studio in a decent > > part > > > of > > > > >> Manhattan either sells for $1,000,000 or rents for at least > > > $2500/month. > > > > >> That is the lower end of the spectrum. Around the Battery Park > City > > > area > > > > >> (one block from the former World Trade Center site) there are > > > [bargains] > > > > >> now they say for $3500 a month :-) > > > > >> > > > > >> In the outskirts, a DECENT house (not a real big or super nice > one) > > > can > > > > >> easily go for $400,000 and 90% of the time there is a fight and > ends > > > up > > > > >> going for a lot more. > > > > >> > > > > >> The 1, 2, 3, 4 million dollar homes are actually more abundant in > > the > > > > >> real estate listings than lesser priced homes. > > > > >> > > > > >> However, my usual gauge for cost of living ANYWHERE is the price > of > > a > > > > >> standard gallon of milk. In my neighborhood, it is $3.25 a > gallon... > > > > >> _______________________________________________ > > > > >> Manny Gonzalez ..................... CCIE# 9013 > > > > >> CORE Resources ....... NY Presbyterian Hospital > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> Brian Dennis wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Here in the San Jose area you can forget about living on $65k a > > > year. > > > > >> > There are mobile homes that cost over $200k out here. > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Brian Dennis, CCIE #2210 (R&S/ISP Dial) > > > > >> > > > > > >> > -----Original Message----- > > > > >> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On > > Behalf > > > Of > > > > >> > Scott Morris > > > > >> > Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 1:35 PM > > > > >> > To: 'Matheus, Joshua'; 'Dennis'; 'Ccielab (E-mail)' > > > > >> > Subject: RE: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Isn't $65k poverty level in New York? > > > > >> > > > > > >> > -----Original Message----- > > > > >> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > > Behalf > > > Of > > > > >> > Matheus, Joshua > > > > >> > Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 3:50 PM > > > > >> > To: 'Dennis'; Ccielab (E-mail) > > > > >> > Subject: RE: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary > > > > >> > > > > > >> > In New York the range can go from 65K to 250K. This is for a > > > technical > > > > >> > person not a "manager type". Right now I would say that 4 > numbers > > > > >> > without a > > > > >> > good Science/Engineering Bachelors and 4 - 7 years of > prestigious > > > > >> > enterprise > > > > >> > experience will lead to the 0$ figure very quickly. It makes you > > > ponder > > > > >> > the > > > > >> > old days (2 years ago) when you were worth your weight in > > platinum! > > > > >> > > > > > >> > -----Original Message----- > > > > >> > From: Dennis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > >> > Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 11:01 AM > > > > >> > To: Ccielab (E-mail) > > > > >> > Subject: Way OT: RE: CCIE Salary > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Well, I can tell you the lowest... it's what I've been making in > > the > > > > >> > last > > > > >> > two months... $0 > > > > >> > > > > > >> > -----Original Message----- > > > > >> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > > Behalf > > > Of > > > > >> > Diehm, Brian > > > > >> > Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 10:27 AM > > > > >> > To: Ccielab (E-mail) > > > > >> > Subject: OT: CCIE Salary > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Was looking at the topic of "what did your employer pay" and it > > got > > > me > > > > >> > to > > > > >> > wondering. What is the Lowest and Highest salary you have ever > > > known a > > > > >> > CCIE > > > > >> > to make? > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Brian D > > > > >> > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> -- > > > > >> _________________________________________________________________ > > > > >> Commercial lab list: > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/commercial.html > > > > >> Please discuss commercial lab solutions on this list. > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > > > > >Commercial lab list: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/commercial.html > > > > >Please discuss commercial lab solutions on this list. Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=42254&t=42111 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
