Coming to US ( New jersy)..Please help (Trenton, Princeton: apartments, rent)

[wellwisherm2002]

Hi all ,
I am coming to US ( new jersy)..I have salry 5k per month..
Please let me know the detailed expenses and how much i can save per month
after tax decdution .. Please provide me the detail inofrmation..
shri

[CJ-FROM-NJ]

Go to www.paycheckcity.com select the state of NJ and plug in your numbers. It depends on how many dependents you have and how you file. I suggest talking to a tax advisor. What country are you coming from?

[wellwisherm2002]

Hi am coming from india and i am getting salary 5k so wanted to know whether how muhc i can save in a month. All detailed expenses..like rent , food, expenses.. if got car then i mean need full info..
I am married and having on kid 4 years old..please help me out..
shri

[NewHomeHappy]

Just one long question, sorry if this is too personal but I'll ask anyway....How are you coming to The United States of America from India without any detailed information beforehand?
I am not claiming to know the immigration laws but one would think that you have a "sponsor" that being a family member or a established American Citizen? From personal experience, when our family came to the USA many years ago, we had to prove that we had a Sponsor & a work Visa here in the States.

Finally, would the information you are requesting (which by the way is quite vague) be better answered by your family here in the USA?

[iriegirl]

Sorry to be a drag, but I don't think you can save anything on 5k a month, unless you can rent something inexpensive.
NJ has a very high cost of living, maybe you could find some other place with a lower rate?

[kylewilliam]

A gross salary of $60,000 is about $3,400 per month, net, for head of household with wife and kid. Or so I understand.

In my experience you can live with those money, renting a decent place.

He sure will not be saving but he can live in NJ. Then, of course, he does not say where in NJ and that is also a factor, isn't it ?

I also understand he has a job opportunity in NJ (the sponsor) so why tell him to go somewhere else ?

He sure needs to do some homework though.

[christina0001]

About 1/3 of your income will go towards taxes.
Your employer may also offer you and your family health benefits/medical insurance - if you accept this benefit (which is usually in your best interest), that's another deduction.
Expenses will vary based on where in NJ you live. If you post on what town you are going to work in, we can give you more detailed info.

I'll use myself as an example in the meantime:
I live in central NJ, between Trenton (ghetto) and Princeton (uber-expensive). The town I live in is very nice.
My rent: $855/month for a 2 bedroom apartment. Had to do a lot of searching to find one this cheap, but we did, and it's quite nice, in a very safe neighborhood. It's also in a very good school district.
Cost of water is included.
Electric: $50 - $100/month (cheaper in fall/spring as there's no need to use heat or air conditioning)
Cable TV + Cable internet: $94/month
Telephone: $75/month
Groceries + household shopping: $200-$250/month
Eating out: $250/month (we eat out 1-2x week)
Recreation: $75/month
Use of laundry machines: $20/month

We have no car payments; both cars are paid off. I would be concerned, for you, about the cost of car insurance. If you own a car, you must have car insurance in the state of NJ. If you drive a car but don't own one, you should have car insurance, although I don't think you have to have insurance. My husband and I pay $500 every 6 months for insurance. Being that you are from another country, I would be concerned they would charge you a lot more, but I really don't know how it works. Your other alternative is to live somewhere with good public transportation, and of course those areas will cost more to live in.

If you are thrifty, live cheap, you can certainly save money; my husband and I make a modest income + are paying on student loans, but we manage to save 25% of our after-tax income, plus put a bit more aside towards retirement savings.

[iriegirl]

'A gross salary of $60,000 is about $3,400 per month, net, for head of household with wife and kid. Or so I understand.

In my experience you can live with those money, renting a decent place.

He sure will not be saving but he can live in NJ. Then, of course, he does not say where in NJ and that is also a factor, isn't it ?

I also understand he has a job opportunity in NJ (the sponsor) so why tell him to go somewhere else ?

He sure needs to do some homework though.'



On $3400 /month,
lets say what Christina001 's expenses are:
855+100+95+75+200+250+75+25=1675 plus 85 auto ins=1760
but what about gas, tolls, or bus fare to work&back? gifts? doctors? dentists? prescriptions? NJNatural gas bill? birthdays? insurance? clothing? toiletries? holidays? haircuts? One good pediatric visit might set you back a couple of hundred including 'scripts.
I could go on & on, but I think I've made my point.

[jstar41]

it's doable but I doubt you'll be able to safe much money.. I work with many Indians that have the H1 visa..
anyways some have cars.. they live in small apartments.. some have roommates.. they don't eat out much as they bring their own food from home.. is your wife going to work??? if so then you should be alright.. are you in IT?

[govinda]

Hi
i am also coming to NJ from India (H1B, IT worker) and i will be working in Manalapan. After taxes my salary will be around $3200.

I am single and plan to stay like this for another 2 3 years.

Now i my life in India allows me to live in a decent area, hire a house maid (impossible for me in US i know that) to do chores,cooking,cleaning, laundry etc .
I eat out at least 2 3 times a week, and go to bars, party etc on week end.
i manage to spend on cloths, gifts etc and still save enough for emergency fund and retirement etc.

My question are

Given my salary am i moving towards good quality of life or bad.

How much a trip to bar would cost for a moderate drinker.

How much chances are there to meet Indian girls over there.

Should i expect racism, hate crimes.

Thanks in Advance
Govinda