Talk:European History Jobs, 2010-11

RE: Living on $53k in Berkeley:


 * Enjoy your commute. Or your roommates. Many people would find it difficult to live on $53,200 in the Bay Area. (I'm not bitter. Just depressed.)
 * I don't find comments like the previous ("Enjoy your commute..") very helpful and hope people will refrain from posting similar. This is supposed to keep everyone informed, not act as a forum for bitterness. If you want to complain, there is a venting page.


 * I heartily second the comment above. As a grad student at Berkeley for the past few years I've lived by myself in a very comfortable apartment close to campus making much less than $53,200 annually. Hopefully future posters will stick to useful facts. I'd strongly encourage anyone interested in the job not to be put off by these negative comments. It's one of the best and most collegial departments around, full of great people, and one of the best places to live in the world.

I intended no offense, and my comment had nothing at all to do with the collegiality of the department or the quality of life in that region. But unless that collegiality extends to pitching in for rent and groceries, I stand by my point. While $53,000 may seem like a lot to a grad student (I know it did when I was in school), in many parts of the country, it seems like a lot less when you hit your 40s, and have a family. (How much do you pay for insurance? I'm at $300 per month, and the coverage stinks.) As a thought experiment, imagine yourself in your apartment with two kids and one income. After insurance and taxes, your take-home will be about $2400 per month. With that you need to find a palce with at least two bedrooms in a safe neigborhood with good public schools. Then go buy your kids the books, clothes, toys and food that they'll need. Daycare will set you back a bit. And you'll want to put away a good chunk of your income for retirement. Oh, and be sure to save a few hundred a month in case your kids want to go to college. You will qualify for the Earned Income Tax credit, which is good because you need the money, but it's bad because it means you're poor.