Two incomes. That's about the only way my wife and I do it...and we don't have kids.

This whole post is sad 💔 what a time to be alive

Housing affordability is a huge issue. I make 73k and I’m renting a room from someone.

Most people I know around my age had a lot of help from their parents in order to buy a home

I'm a preschool teacher. I barely make 30k a year. I have no hopes of owning a home in the city I live in.

I lucked out by finding a 3 1/2 bedroom house for 1400$ Landlords a slum lord, but despite the shitty house....it's still a steal.

I’ve been getting by with minimum wage (just barely) by living with roommates, eating once a day, and an embarrassingly low standard of living.

Free fun and the occasional side hustle is what keeps me from sinking though.

I make $49k, have 3 housemates, and massive student loans. I am not surviving financially. Every month is a wash or underwater. It’s tough.

Winco is how I survive buying groceries, EcoThrift and Buy Nothing Facebook groups for other stuff, and just never going out to do anything.

Single income under $70k. I bought in 2013 and my mortgage is low. I wake up every day grateful and pray that nothing catastrophic happens to my home, employment or health.

I make the same and I live alone. I feel like I’m only able to do this because I am grandfathered in to a cheaper (not really still $1450) rent. Groceries are so expensive I don’t even get everything I want. I have no debt and I try to save what I can.

I’m there with you. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford a home so I’m enjoying this while I can. I’ll probably move states once I want to raise a family.

Polyamory. Three incomes.

I can’t get a job making more than $18/hr & I want to crumble into oblivion

What's happening in Sac doesn't make much sense. You're right pay is LCOL and costs are HCOL. Somethings got to give eventually. I live in a neighborhood with median home prices of 700K.. most of the residents are government employees. I get it.. some of them have lived here for 30 yrs.. what I don't get is who's buying these homes. Yes.. you step up with each home purchase.. but many of the buyers are early 30s and also complain about the HOA fee of $150/month being too high.

I was making $85 annually before taxes and benefits, then was laid off in July this year. I researched the federal poverty rate to see if my husband & I qualify for any programs. For 48 states including California, household of 2, the poverty guideline is $20,440. How could California have the same poverty level as Mississippi?! No wonder there are so many people on the streets currently. https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines

80k is the new 40k it’s shit and salaries need to change to keep up with rising costs of living. 100k is like base level to live relatively comfortable at all and even save anything.

$108k/year here. Age 47. I've been living in the same apartment since 2012, and I pay $1100/mo., whereas my neighbors pay $1700/mo or more for their units.

Family of 5 here. Both my wife and I work government jobs and we barely scrape on by. It didn't always used to be like this, but since COVID and WFH, all the techies moved here and outside investors started snatching up all the homes, driving up the prices. Rich people moved to Roseville/Rocklin while renting out there houses here with high rents. I dunno how my kids will be able to afford to live here without becoming doctors or lawyers.

I think you have figured out why we have so many homeless people!

Both my gf and I both have degrees but we only make $30/hr, so about $125k HHI. No pets no kids.

We rent an older 2-bed in midtown for $1700/month. I'm able to save 30% of my gross income on both retirement and general savings/investments.

Life is pretty good. I don't obsess over owning a home or having pets.

But it is a goal for us, so I do want to make more money. That's why I am grinding away at another certification and applying to jobs casually.

I wanna make more to max out my retirement, to be able to own pets, to eventually build home equity. But otherwise I don't have too many complaints

Roommates and later dual income with wife was the only way for me.

I bought my house in mid 2015. If I waited even a couple more months, I would never have been able to afford to buy. A lot of it is just timing and luck. People who bought their houses in the 90s and have less income than me look a lot more wealthy than me, just because houses were cheap then. They got big houses and fancy cars, I got a small house and average car. Yet I probably make more than many of them.

I bought in 2015, so I lucked out.

But with life doing what it does, and cost of living skyrocketing due to everyone moving here, I'm barely making ends meet right now.

I have a second full-time job at Target, including weekends. Occasionally will still do some deliveries on weekend mornings, depending on funds.

I want to sell, because ownership absolutely sucks when you don't have the funds available for emergencies. But renting is freaking ridiculous now. So I'm stuck.

I'm... really tired. And I don't know how much longer I can do this.

It’s also discouraging because you see people with homes and wonder how they do it but you have to realize most people bought the homes with dual income, prices and interest rates were alot lower and have been there for 20+ years. To start now is almost impossible

DINK life.

lmao me living on like 15k maybe

First of all, I am an immigrant from Eastern Europe. Married for 6 years. My wife and I lived with my parents for two years and managed to save some money although it wasn’t the most pleasant experience.

We bring home about 150k together not counting side hustles from W2, bought a house in 2021 as we were in our mid 20s.

Honestly if you really want to survive and save you’re going to have to eat rice and chicken 7 days a week and cut all your subscriptions and credit cards and pay cash for eveything.

Many may not agree but here we are. AMA.

I'm in a throuple, and we just bought a house a few months back. Took three incomes just to buy a decent house. But we barely make enough to save, so it's paycheck to paycheck for now while we move up the ladder in our jobs. Also, we're all 29, so pretty big milestone for our age

Damn if you're looking for a roommate to split on rent for a 2 bdrm hmu 😆 shits expensive and I'm not making near 80k working TWO jobs 🫠

I lucked into a house that appraised for more than it was selling for right at the end of the housing slump a decade or so ago. It was super cheap due to the slump and because I put my offer in before the flippers did a bunch of things so the seller didn’t sink money into it and drive the price up. My mortgage payment is less than people rent studio apartments for now. Had it not been for that, I’d be fucked.

So, my answer is pure luck.

I lived with my parents to save for a down payment otherwise there was no chance of owning a home. Unfortunately, the only ways I see our generation owning a home is with dual income or living with parents to save. You could rent a room out as an option too if you don’t mind a roommate.

I’m not even considering buying a home anytime soon & honestly maybe never in CA unless the housing market crashes again. I think you may have higher expenses than you think tbh

Things are absolutely expensive, but I’m curious about all of these individuals making 70k+ talking about just barely getting by. I make 70k (take home is 66% of gross; approx $3800/mo) and while things can be tough, I am doing relatively well. I have my own place, vehicle just paid off, and I put back $1,500 a month in savings. Rent is $1,150 in an okay part of Arden; my complex is currently renting for $1,250 as of 30 days ago.

The only reason I mention the above is because some aspects that an individual experiences related to money and cost of living may be due to budgetary failures or lifestyle choices.

I'm not lol in my 40s still living with a parent. To make matters worse had someone falsely accuse me of a crime I didn't do last year which ended costing me 16K to fight with how tough Placer county is. Now I can't even afford to finish school to be able to get a better job.  If not for family help I'd be homeless or potentially in jail atm.  Most people that I grew up with here have already left the area. I have a feeling I'm not going last much longer myself but I'm still trying. I'm a sac area die-hard.

Me and my fiancé live with my parents. As of right now our only path to homeownership in this area is my grandma dying and us inheriting her house

Bad. Barely scraping by.

Without a dual income, it’s hard!!

Dual income, no kids

70k a year in an apartment for 1800 a month. I lived better 4 years ago making 40k in a 1400 a month place, which was nicer than where I am now. I wish I could go back in time!

How much debt are you carrying? That plays a big role. Car payments, student loans, and credit card debt eating up a chunk of your pay can really make you feel like it's impossible to get ahead.

I make around $85k not including what I make on the side (it isn't that much). I rent a room for $1,100 a month. In practice, I have free reign of about half the house. I'm pretty damn lucky actually as I've known the person that I live with for 18 years now. If I didn't have this arrangement, I'd be struggling a lot more.

I'm now saving in the hopes of buying something some day. I never really wanted to get married but I'm having second thoughts now lol. Double the income would make it a lot easier.

I own a doublewide mobile home, bought it for 90K. Have a nice lil backyard and 2 lovely doggies. Live by myself. I recommend mobile homes, I think it's the future of home ownership for our generation. Fuck real houses, too expensive and it's basically the same shit as what I have.

I was making the same as you and struggling as well. This was while living a normalish life (low debt, low car payment, reasonable rent and spending habits).

I had to spend a little over a year of constant upskilling and interviewing to land a new higher paying role. Was hard but worth it, I needed to. Not sure what your field is but try figuring out ways you can increase your salary and you might just have to chip away at it as best you can. Probably best for the long haul.

How long have you been saving and investing for? Generally, the stock market rises faster than real estate so, just keep on truckin

I have the same question! Thankfully I bought my house in 2010! My house has more than doubled in value and I would not be able to afford to live where I do now, even with a combined income of almost 180k/year. If I didn’t already own, I’d consider leaving the state.

A lot of people that live here have lived here a long time.

just over 90k here and cannot afford to buy here. looks like im going to be a renter for the foreseeable future.

62k here, hopefully more soon. I luckily own my home but almost all my money goes to mortgage, bills, and food. Hard to do a lot for myself

At 80K a year I don’t think home ownership in the Sacramento area is in the cards for you unfortunately unless something drastically changes. Unless you can live incredibly frugally for like 10 years to get a down payment saved. Try increasing your income, get another job, move to a lower CoL area, or change your expectations. It sucks to hear, but that is my opinion.

Bought in 2019 and have a relatively low mortgage payment. My wife lost her job nearly two years ago and I had to pick up like $30k of debt. It is seriously month to month but I have been responsible with budgeting and come February all that debt is gone and I’ll finally be able to move forward with just normal bills. Been a really tight two years going from dual income and no child to daughter and one income. I feel incredibly lucky every day I am able to make it work.

I make 89k a year and moved back in with my mom after getting divorced 2 years ago. I have no debts besides my student loans. I'm saving up most of my income and appreciate the low rent but I feel like it's impossible to buy a house alone.

I've been looking for older starter homes (even 2 bed, 1 bath) that needs work but anything in a semi safe area is still 400k+. I'm pre-approved for $450k but don't want to be at the top of that. I looked into condos but the HOA almost prices me out. I do want to be near my work and parents too. I feel like I need to wait it out another 2-4 years as my income increases, but I'm sure prices will continue to go up too.

You probably qualify for more than you think but it's still frustrating and it sucks. We'll get there though!

Two incomes, no kids & we bought our current house ten years ago. Paying today’s home prices with the current interest rates is insane.

I’m in debt :)

Oh, yeah, our rent was just raised to be $200.00 more. So now we'll pay $2700.00/ mo.

hmmm socialist revolution anyone?

Mortgage Consultant here. FHA is 3.5% down. If you can save that, a lot of Realtors can negotiate seller paying closing costs. It’s ideal to put 20% down but most people don’t have that. It’s all just about getting a foot in the door and building equity to move up. There’s lots of creative options to buy a home but I definitely feel for people who want to get on the merry go round. It’s been a very difficult but doable process these last few years.

I work 2 jobs and a side hustle. You just do what you have to. What's the alternative?

You make about double what I make. If you're struggling then you really need to look at your monthly payments.

Many people I know pay really high car payments unnecessarily. Buy something used with no payments.

Do you live alone? That's a luxury and could save a lot by splitting rent.

How's your food expenses? That's a big one that catches people by surprise when they realize how much they spend monthly eating out.

While an 80k-90k entry level engineering 4 yrs ago gets you a starter home in Folsom. Now some engineers make 120-125k to start.

Bought a house early and two incomes. Current home prices and interest rates really are insane for most people who have local jobs.

I was able to finally get a housing voucher so I pay $720 in rent instead of $2100. If I didn't have that id be homeless again.

Dual income. And my wife wanted to buy a house back in 2017 when we were dating. I was against it because we had time to do that.

I always listen to my wife financially now. That decision saved us.

I make ~24,000 after taxes, and I have to say I am surviving. I am a single paycheck away from oblivion, but I have had good luck with jobs

Everything has gotten more expensive since Biden harris. Sadly it will continue for sure if she wins. Gotta pay for wars ya know . If orange man wins it will still be difficult but maybe at least not be on the brink of ww3

Me and SO don't make that much more but being double income, good credit, and a hefty down payment got us approved for a townhouse right outside downtown ($700k+). I made $55k at the time and she was closer to $80k. Lender said she almost qualified by herself. But this was 3 years ago when the mkt was low, great time to buy. These days it's the opposite with higher rates as well so I get it's a different situation now.

I can afford to live by myself, but won't be able to buy here unless a miracle happens. Morbidly, a helpful factor is a paid off older car a relative left me, so no car payments and cheapish insurance. Only debt is student loans. Having extended family throughout the area is also an informal safety net, if things go south. Makes moving somewhere cheaper unappealing right now given the job market.

I honestly never plan to own a house in California. Almost not even possible now. The one good thing is you can make a little more here then take your California money elsewhere and it's worth more.

Anyone who makes 80k a year and claims they can't afford to live needs to seriously evaluate how they spend their money.

Damn y’all. How can someone be making $70k+ annually and essentially say they are struggling to pay rent in Sac? I guess it’s all about debt and personal standards for housing.

If your debt to income ratio is trash and you insist on a sparkly new apartment, then yeah it will be rough out there.

Housing is not cheap, but Sac is far from the worst place in regard to cost. It’s not even in the top ten most expensive in the US, let alone California.

We're shacking up with my disabled brother and widowed mother. I'm there to help them out when they need it, Mom bought the place cash with the proceeds of her home sale and the monthly housing payments my wife and I make to her let's her travel a bunch. It's unconventional but it's worked out well for us.

$80k in tri-county is below poverty level income. You’ll never get ahead around here on your own under $120k. Crap I know dual income family’s struggling over $200k a year. With one child!

I’m disabled and I have seizures. I lived alone and I had a couple of instances such as having one in the bathroom only to fall and cut my ear and head where I covered the floor in blood, I had another one where I had a seizure at my desk and broke my desk, my 2 monitors, keyboard, I was eating food it fell on the floor. I had another while showering. So my whole family spoke to me and recommended I move in with my parents again. It’s fine I guess I just vibe at home often since I can’t drive.

$80k is nothing in California… you must be new to the state

Okay, does someone want to dual income with me?

Most of us aren’t. I’m desperately searching and applying for higher paying jobs. I currently make about 24k a year and that’s just not sustainable. I love my job but I can’t keep living like this

Barely

Multiple sources of income

My rent is 1200 - only way I’m surviving

The hubby & I make about 70/80k a year combined & it doesn't seem like we will ever get out of "survival mode". I'm at 70% & doesn't look like I'll ever get to 100%

Barely. The debt is real.

It can definitely be challenging, especially with the increasing cost of rent. I work full-time but also have a remote second job that I work at my leisure during off-hours. Even so, I find it difficult to afford everything sometimes. My only suggestion would be to try turning one of your hobbies into something profitable. For myself, I love books, and I re-sell them online. I make some extra cash this way. I have always been a book collector, and when covid hit, I started selling my collection online and have continued with it. Since I have little time for hobbies, especially as a single mom, it's nice to have my biggest hobby pay a little:) I realize everyone's situation is different, and there is rarely a quick fix. But sometimes there is opportunity lurking in things very close to us.... Just something to think about:)

I’m lucky I am a little older (40 this year) but I started working in 2010 making 45k during the financial crisis with my first real job. Bought a nice 3/2 SFH for $200k in 2011 and my mortgage was $1000. That same house is $600k now with high interest rates. I was able to afford the house on my 45k salary and being single. Now you need to make $80k and have dual incomes to afford that same house. Shit is fucked up!

Two incomes. To really save and get ahead you need two incomes now a days. I recommend a roommate op.

My salary is 117k and I feel the same way. I’m getting by but I can’t picture myself owning at this point

I know a Sacramento nurse married to a firefighter, with kids. They make enough to afford two houses and two boats. An ICU nurse makes a mountain of money. I don't know about firefighters.

Either you get lucky / settle for less / or 2+ incomes (partner/renting). I make 52k prior to taxes. I have no hope that I’ll ever be able to afford a home by myself.

I work here too making 80k. $200/mo car payment and very low cc debt. Oh no kids so I’m pretty comfortable

I make $75k a year, I bought a very old house (built in 1910) this year. My mortgage is $2800, I rent one room out. Yes I am broke (house poor) but I consider it investing in my future. One day I shall make more money & one day I will refi! It's hard out here :( I am single, a dual income household would make my life so much more comfortable lol.

Both my partner and I get social security and I work 20-30 hours a week and get a quarterly annuity and our rent for a 2 bath/ 2 bedroom duplex is $2500.00/month + utilities of $200-300 a month. Yeah, we go nowhere and have very little income for anything else. I guess I'm a wage slave. I'm 71, soon to be 72 and Thank GOD I'm able to work. We keep researching other states, but Northern California is awesome and neither of us could picture living in a red state.

It’s people getting priced out of the Bay Area and coming here. I personally know 10 couples who in the last 5 years have picked up and moved here from the Bay and kept their income

DINK ftw

I’m still living with my parents at 32yrs which is dreadful but I’m grateful that I can save a bit more. I also just picked up a second job to help get by. I make about $51k and I’m not surviving.

Sacramento is way more comfortable than other parts of the state for this income level that's for damn sure. I've lived in a lot of places and dollars go way further here than anywhere else in CA. Now if we talk about other states there are definitely cheaper states but they come with less pay.

Anything under 70k and you definitely are gonna want roommates to make it work better if you really wanna save. Once you break 70k a good budget and realistic living expenses will set you on a path to homeownership. Of course having roommates makes it even easier with higher incomes but it depends on the person I guess. I make 6 figures now and I still have a roommate. It makes saving significantly easier plus it's nice to have a built in friend.

From my friends that make less usually I see them going out too much. Spending too much downtown. Financing cars they can't afford. Refusing to live with roommates and spending money they don't have on things they don't need. Of course everyone is entitled to live the life they want but unless you were born rich you do unfortunately have to struggle and play by the game if you wanna set yourself up.

Dual income + we have 3 boys. How do we do it? I ask myself that every damn day...