Utilities for a single family home?

[kymom99]

If you've worked for over 30 years and you're still only making less than $40,000 in annual salary, you're doing something wrong.

That’s about what my take home pay was as a teacher at the end of my career

 

[mjkacmom]

That’s about what my take home pay was as a teacher at the end of my career

Wow, I just checked teacher salaries here, the lowest is $53,000 with 1 year in and no MA. Those with 4 years are at $59,000. Many are over $100,000, my kids’ kindergarten teacher is at $135,000.

 

[kymom99]

Wow, I just checked teacher salaries here, the lowest is $53,000 with 1 year in and no MA. Those with 4 years are at $59,000. Many are over $100,000, my kids’ kindergarten teacher is at $135,000.

That was after taxes and deductions for health insurance and retirement. My last year i made 70,000 gross with a rank I which is basically a second masters degree.

 

[tvguy]

If you've worked for over 30 years and you're still only making less than $40,000 in annual salary, you're doing something wrong.

Yup. Should have taken a public sector job. But that is take home, not gross.

 

[tvguy]

That’s about what my take home pay was as a teacher at the end of my career

Teacher salaries vary wildly across the U.S. as I have learned on these boards. In the district I live in, pay is good. After 20 years you would be at just under $100,000, and you can retire after 30 years with a pension that is 60% of your final year's salary.

 

[stephk1981]

We live in southeast GA our water/ sewage is $40 a month. Our electric bill is $420 9 months of the year, $250 the other3 months. Our house is 2300 squ. Ft.

 

[kymom99]

Teacher salaries vary wildly across the U.S. as I have learned on these boards. In the district I live in, pay is good. After 20 years you would be at just under $100,000, and you can retire after 30 years with a pension that is 60% of your final year's salary.

yes they do. Kentucky is one of the lowest paying states. So our relatively lower cost of living doesn't necessarily mean we all can live high on the hog here.

 

[RamblingMad]

Wow, $20k for a $450,000 home? That would be the retail value of my home, and $20k would be over half my annual take home pay.

Crazy. Buying a new house, property taxes are $2200 a year. That’s down from $4500 on my previous home. I hate paying high property taxes.

 

[RamblingMad]

We live in southeast GA our water/ sewage is $40 a month. Our electric bill is $420 9 months of the year, $250 the other3 months. Our house is 2300 squ. Ft.

Something must be off. I lived in GA and paid around $200 in the summer and less than half that for electricity the rest of year. My home was 2700 sqft.

 

[stephk1981]

Something must be off. I lived in GA and paid around $200 in the summer and less than half that for electricity the rest of year. My home was 2700 sqft.

We live near Brunswick, not sure what is off? We have been in this house for 5 years, minus a year away living in Orlando for DH job. We keep the A/C at 70 during the summer during the day, but 67 at night because both children and DH get hot and can't sleep. Winter is much less expensive normally only have to use heat at night and intermittently.

 

[RamblingMad]

We live near Brunswick, not sure what is off? We have been in this house for 5 years, minus a year away living in Orlando for DH job. We keep the A/C at 70 during the summer during the day, but 67 at night because both children and DH get hot and can't sleep. Winter is much less expensive normally only have to use heat at night and intermittently.

I kept my temps at 75 degrees year round. I never changed them throughout the day. I learned this the hard way back west to keep them the same.

Their electric bill seems way too high, so something should be changeable to bring it down.

 

[ErinsMommy]

estimate for your monthly utilities? Utilities being electric/gas/water/sewage/trash.

Keeping in mind we live in Bergen County, NJ where real estate taxes alone are ridiculously high (approximately $10K a year), our electric/gas runs about $150-$300/month (depending on how cold the winters get/hot the summers get), water, sewer and trash are included in our taxes. That's for a 4 bedroom/3 full bath/2 story home + full and finished basement.

 

[stephk1981]

I kept my temps at 75 degrees year round. I never changed them throughout the day. I learned this the hard way back west to keep them the same.

Their electric bill seems way too high, so something should be changeable to bring it down.

I never thought it was that expensive, my DH always pays the bills. I will tell him it may be pricey for our area, but he hates the heat....so getting him to up the temperature won't happen. I do cook a lot every day, so the heat from the oven/ stove probably doesn't help. On a positive note, our property taxes are only 2200 a year.

 

[RamblingMad]

I never thought it was that expensive, my DH always pays the bills. I will tell him it may be pricey for our area, but he hates the heat....so getting him to up the temperature won't happen. I do cook a lot every day, so the heat from the oven/ stove probably doesn't help. On a positive note, our property taxes are only 2200 a year.

I wonder if your ACs or heater need maintenance or replacement. Also, you should save money by setting your house to one temperature and not changing it. Finally, you can replace your lights with LEDs and check your home’s installation.

What I’m saying is that it shouldn’t be that high. You have some opportunities to bring it down.

 

[stephk1981]

I wonder if your ACs or heater need maintenance or replacement. Also, you should save money by setting your house to one temperature and not changing it. Finally, you can replace your lights with LEDs and check your home’s installation.

What I’m saying is that it shouldn’t be that high. You have some opportunities to bring it down.

I agree! Those are definitely great tips that would help. We do have the heater and HVAC serviced twice a year. The original is still here....we have not replaced it. The house was built in 2013. I guess we will ask when the service comes for the heater to be cleaned this year. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Sun_soakin]

It all depends where you live... we have a small, efficient coastal California home w/o AC and rarely use the heat (no need). Our utilities (elec, gas, trash, water) is around $500/mo

 

[MillauFr]

Teacher salaries vary wildly across the U.S. as I have learned on these boards. In the district I live in, pay is good. After 20 years you would be at just under $100,000, and you can retire after 30 years with a pension that is 60% of your final year's salary.

Which makes you wonder why people don't move more to increase their salary?

 

[MillauFr]

Wow. You ARE mean. Forcing seniors from their homes? So where are they going to live after they sell their $2 million home since they are going to need to buy another place at current market value? Their fixed income hasn't changed.

Would they really have a problem finding a place to live after getting a $2m tax free windfall?

 

[barkley]

Which makes you wonder why people don't move more to increase their salary?

it's a balancing act. better salaries can be offset by higher cost of living such that you end up ahead of the game being paid less in a much lower cost of living state.

we left california in 2007 and moved to washington-despite owning a home that's assessed value is higher than what the california property tax rules used for our prior home's calculation we still pay less than we did almost 13 years ago, we use utilities much more and pay lower yearly totals than we did there, our car registration fees on even newer models is less than i paid in the 80's on older cars, auto and home insurance are lower. top that off with no state income tax and it makes a huge difference.

i look at what my former career currently pays in california vs. here, what dh's comps out to-it would be very appealing to someone unfamiliar with the cost of living differences but the reality is it comes out to a net loss.

 

[_19disnA]

I thought the OP was asking about costs for PA. Not sure random figures from all over the country will do them much good. As an earlier poster mentioned, age/size/condition of house, type of heat/AC, quality of windows and insulation are the biggest factors in monthly bills. Two houses next door to each other could vary quite a bit just due to those factors. Someone living in the northern parts of the US will spend far more on heating then someone living in the south where electric bills for AC will be higher.