That's right, you young profligates, Team Married is here to save the heck out of its money. That flushing sound you hear? It's your vaunted disposable income.
"the typical 26- to 35-year-old single female and single male earning between $40,000 and $50,000 in New York City spent a combined average of $5,255 a month, not including rent or mortgage"
Um, WHAT? Assuming "earning" means pre-tax income, you're seeing between 2.5 to 3 grand a month after taxes. Pay rent in New York City. How do you possibly have enough money left over to spend, per person, $2,600 a month on anything!? Are you all just wallowing in credit card debt up there?
It looks like they combined the amount spent by a single man and a single woman to get at a number comparable to what married couples spend, since the paragraph goes on: "If they got married and combined their incomes, our data shows that they would have spent $4,079 within the same time period."
Which still means that people earning 2.5-3K a month are spending 2.6K not including rent, so either their rents average $400/mo, or credit cards/mom and dad/student loans/inheritance are fucking the numbers.
Well, the piece says "according to Bundle data," which might mean "a dozen random people I talked to at a bar on the LES last night." Certainly there are a lot of singles in that age group who (still) are spending way beyond their earned means, but at least some of them are burning through savings, trust funds, or a parent's credit card. (If they're really spending $800 a month on restaurants and bars, that money has to be coming from somewhere.)
Of course, as you point out, there are also perhaps some dimwits who are running up an additional couple of thousand dollars in credit card debt every month, but attrition will remove them from the dating pool quickly enough.
Well, if they\'re taking home (say) $45K a year on about a $75K gross, that\'s $3,750 a month. Putting $2,600 of that into \"other\" leaves about $1,150 for rent or mortgage, which is plausible with a roommate or two. That\'s not counting payback on student loans, health care or savings, but it is just doable.
Of course, this brings into question the author\'s definition of a \"typical\" 25 to 35 year old in New York who\'s currently earning $75K…
Since much of the money single people spend is directly or indirectly in pursuit of sex partners, it make sense that married people stay at home boning each other rather than dressing up and hitting the bars.
So what the hell do these marrieds do for fun?
From what they tell me, they aren't having sex.
Maybe they sit around in front of a TV blaring basic cable and count the money they aren't spending on shampoo and takeout.
At least one reason marrieds spend less on eating out: splitting two apps, an entree and dessert is a hell of a lot less expensive than buying all of that shit for yourself.
I spend MUCH LESS money now that I'm divorced (and not because I have to.) Could be the timing. I spend like a person who could lose her job at any time. On the bright side, I am being more creative with my spending or lack-there-of. I have decided to make it fun.
Whatever Choire says about us marrieds being boring and cheap, I promise that if there's another Boston Bawl, I'll buy at least one round and promise not to talk too much about my kid or my dog.
Here's a tip, singletons.
If you HAVE to hang out with marrieds, look for the pagan/heathens/non-super religious types.
That way, you can still hear swears, have access to decent booze (and possibly drugs, depending on how paganish) and talk about current events without eliciting a blank look. Sometimes, I am told we can also be fun "for married people."
You may also mock our children because that's what we do all day long while we're being poorly dressed, not eating out and not having sex.
I think we are looking over the important point that people just suck, in general. Like, those bumper stickers in the 90s only had it half right, because nice people suck too. Often worse.
How do unmarried but live-together-y people fit into this? I have noticed that I don't spend *less* money on groceries, but most everything actually gets eaten. The only thing that is allowed to moulder if I don't eat it is lettuce. GOD WOMEN AND THEIR BABY GREENS AMIRITE?
So, if we let the gays marry, that will be the nail in the coffin for the economy? By the way, I don't give much significance to "without children" qualification as most of them are probably saving for the kids they are planning to have. I know a couple of married couples with no plans for kids, and if those people are not out and about the town, they are on a trip to Europe or South America at any given random time of the year. Those who are planning kids are barricading themselves in their homes hunched over the computers and calculators.
That's right, you young profligates, Team Married is here to save the heck out of its money. That flushing sound you hear? It's your vaunted disposable income.
Also, which of these columns includes things you buy at the Apple Store?
I don't spend money on clothes and shoes because I prefer to be naked.
Me too.
I note "personal care" is very low, presumably because once you have acquired a mate you no longer need to groom yourself with any regularity.
"the typical 26- to 35-year-old single female and single male earning between $40,000 and $50,000 in New York City spent a combined average of $5,255 a month, not including rent or mortgage"
Um, WHAT? Assuming "earning" means pre-tax income, you're seeing between 2.5 to 3 grand a month after taxes. Pay rent in New York City. How do you possibly have enough money left over to spend, per person, $2,600 a month on anything!? Are you all just wallowing in credit card debt up there?
It looks like they combined the amount spent by a single man and a single woman to get at a number comparable to what married couples spend, since the paragraph goes on: "If they got married and combined their incomes, our data shows that they would have spent $4,079 within the same time period."
Which still means that people earning 2.5-3K a month are spending 2.6K not including rent, so either their rents average $400/mo, or credit cards/mom and dad/student loans/inheritance are fucking the numbers.
that gave me a huge pause too. what the hell guys?
Well, the piece says "according to Bundle data," which might mean "a dozen random people I talked to at a bar on the LES last night." Certainly there are a lot of singles in that age group who (still) are spending way beyond their earned means, but at least some of them are burning through savings, trust funds, or a parent's credit card. (If they're really spending $800 a month on restaurants and bars, that money has to be coming from somewhere.)
Of course, as you point out, there are also perhaps some dimwits who are running up an additional couple of thousand dollars in credit card debt every month, but attrition will remove them from the dating pool quickly enough.
My thought was 40-50k after taxes .. and then I thought, 'how nice would it be to make 40-50k before or after taxes.'
Well, if they\'re taking home (say) $45K a year on about a $75K gross, that\'s $3,750 a month. Putting $2,600 of that into \"other\" leaves about $1,150 for rent or mortgage, which is plausible with a roommate or two. That\'s not counting payback on student loans, health care or savings, but it is just doable.
Of course, this brings into question the author\'s definition of a \"typical\" 25 to 35 year old in New York who\'s currently earning $75K…
Since much of the money single people spend is directly or indirectly in pursuit of sex partners, it make sense that married people stay at home boning each other rather than dressing up and hitting the bars.
Hmm, maybe marriage is for me after all? I have a sneaking suspicion the difference in petty cash goes toward couples counseling, though.
Married people may stay home, but they're not boning each other.
So what the hell do these marrieds do for fun?
From what they tell me, they aren't having sex.
Maybe they sit around in front of a TV blaring basic cable and count the money they aren't spending on shampoo and takeout.
Netflix On Demand
^ yup.
yup. i think i've watched every season of "the first 48" this month alone.
The marrieds extra money could be going toward IRAs/401Ks and such?
Or kids, they're a money black hole.
Add a dog with the kids and watch that black hole expand.
Saving? What is thing you call saving?
or the roof. or the HVAC. or lawncare. or pest control. or the cars. or the;LKASJD;FLKJASD;FAS.
guys, please. i come to the internet to forget about my real life problems. also, porn.
gah, sorry for all the whineshares, dude. shall i blind-link some dirty stuff for us?
At least one reason marrieds spend less on eating out: splitting two apps, an entree and dessert is a hell of a lot less expensive than buying all of that shit for yourself.
Great. I'm as miserly and sexless as a married.
Ah, bullshit. My marriage is a spending arms race. And ice hockey at Chelsea Piers is a nuclear bomb.
I dispute the groceries data.
Also PLEASE STOP MAKING ME LOG IN ALL THE TIME.
Yeah. Do you guys have a hate on for Firefox or something?
AGREEANCE
You need to go back to the wp-login page and click the "Remember me" box.
Also: you can't Febreeze the rank stench of children off them
I think the "dining out" numbers reflect what a pain in the ass it is to cook for one.
I spend MUCH LESS money now that I'm divorced (and not because I have to.) Could be the timing. I spend like a person who could lose her job at any time. On the bright side, I am being more creative with my spending or lack-there-of. I have decided to make it fun.
Whatever Choire says about us marrieds being boring and cheap, I promise that if there's another Boston Bawl, I'll buy at least one round and promise not to talk too much about my kid or my dog.
Hey, I'm a Married and I went out last night and had three whole cocktails, thus stimulating the New York economy and surely skewing this charticle!
Disclaimer:The cocktails were free. And my husband was away on a work trip.
*Sighs, puts on stained tracksuit and goes back to thrifty married life.*
Here's a tip, singletons.
If you HAVE to hang out with marrieds, look for the pagan/heathens/non-super religious types.
That way, you can still hear swears, have access to decent booze (and possibly drugs, depending on how paganish) and talk about current events without eliciting a blank look. Sometimes, I am told we can also be fun "for married people."
You may also mock our children because that's what we do all day long while we're being poorly dressed, not eating out and not having sex.
Tips for "The Singles"
I think we are looking over the important point that people just suck, in general. Like, those bumper stickers in the 90s only had it half right, because nice people suck too. Often worse.
can we get a room and talk about those family-of-flip-flops car-window stickers and how much I want to run the people that display them off the road?
Also: Singles spend more on groceries? How much could that wizened lemon and the half-eaten container of Activa in the fridge possibly cost?
How do unmarried but live-together-y people fit into this? I have noticed that I don't spend *less* money on groceries, but most everything actually gets eaten. The only thing that is allowed to moulder if I don't eat it is lettuce. GOD WOMEN AND THEIR BABY GREENS AMIRITE?
So, if we let the gays marry, that will be the nail in the coffin for the economy? By the way, I don't give much significance to "without children" qualification as most of them are probably saving for the kids they are planning to have. I know a couple of married couples with no plans for kids, and if those people are not out and about the town, they are on a trip to Europe or South America at any given random time of the year. Those who are planning kids are barricading themselves in their homes hunched over the computers and calculators.
You could look at it that way…
or
Maybe single narcissistic self-involved douchebags spend too much money on themselves and axe body spray.
PS. we're not the ones desperately looking for validation, so shun away.