[SunRescue] Monthly living expenses Was OT: natural gas prices

[Jonathan Katz]

Hi!

I have to add my two cents, because when I tell people I moved *back*
to Indianapolis from San Jose they think I'm nuts. They think I'm even
crazier when I told them I took a 50% pay cut. Let's break out the
numbers:

Monthly Budget Comparison
	SJC	 IND
Rent:  1500	 500   [ I actually bought a condo in Indy and have
                         mortgage, but comparable apartments, etc. A
                         similar swank pad in the valley would be around
                         $3000/mo mortgage... property tax is included! ]
Own:   3000      725
Cars:  1150	1150   [ Hey, I like my 'vettes :) ]
Phone:   40	  22   [ Although Ameritech sucks... ]
CarIns: 300      180
Power: 180-385 60-80   [ PG&E did gas and power on the same bill ]
Heat: (inc.)      18   [ $18-$20 is typical for Indy w/ this year being weird ]
Water: 25-50      15   [ have to round it out-- H2O is included w/ rent most
                         places ]
Food:   400      250   [ guestimates ]
Health: 180       20
Gas:    100       80   [ $25/tank each week vs. $20/tank each week
                         I don't account for less gas used/less time
                         stuck in traffic in Indy, too. ]
======
Totals  Monthly        Yearly  Profit
------  ------  ----   ------  ------
Own:	5605		67260    4740   SJC
		2540	30480   10020   IND  <-- winner
-------------------------------------------
Rent:	4105		49260   22470   SJC  <-- winner
		2315    27780	12720   IND

When I left Cali I was making $62.50/hr, approximately $72,000 after
taxes (approx 40%). I moved to Indy for a job which was $60,000/yr,
approximately $40,500 after taxes (approx 33%). (FYI, I have a
different job now and make a bit more.... makes the numbers look
really rosey for the IND side of the euqation.)

The highest bills I saw for either electricity and/or gas was $385
when I lived out in SJC. Substitue $600 for that number (to get some
of the list member's current bills) and you add ~$300/mo to the Cali
side of the equation. That's $3600 less per year in profit for the
SJC numbers. Cali taxes are closer to 50% and the mortgage should
probably be closer to $3500 for out there.

Most of these figures haven't changed too much in the past 2 years.
I moved back to Indy about this time two years ago. I occasionally
crunch numbers to see if I should move elsewhere for a better deal.

A decent tool is the 'salary calculator' at homefair.com -- it isn't
a be-all and end-all, but it helps.
http://www.homefair.com/calc/salcalc.html
I told it I want to rent, made $120k/yr and was moving from Menlo Park
to Indy.... it said $79,310 was comperable. 

*shrug*

-Jon