It is so sad that The Simpsons lifestyle is now a luxury...

[Gizmo j]

I mean even this talking point is getting old right?

Single provider and stay at home mom + THREE KIDS + beautiful house + 2 cars.

You can't even buy a house today on a single income.

Homer was actually a nuclear engineer, that's a high paying job.

 

[Zeze]

Homer was actually a nuclear engineer, that's a high paying job.

He's a non-college grad union-secured nuclear technician making about $50-60k/yr at present dollar.

A household income of $60k/yr with 3 kids / 2 cars and stay at home mom = impossible today.

 

[Brainonska511]

It would help if we allowed more housing to be built in these areas people want to live in. It would lower housing costs for all, which is eating into everyone's income, and also allow more workers to move into an area to provide labor force for all those daycares which may not pay the best.

 

[IronWing]

ZDS is a real thing.

 

[KB]

He's a non-college grad union-secured nuclear technician making about $50-60k/yr at present dollar.

A household income of $60k/yr with 3 kids / 2 cars and stay at home mom = impossible today.

According to https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Nuclear-Technician-Salary--in-Kentucky the average for nuclear technician is 69k

In Springfield, KY you can find a decent size house around 200k https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/209-E-Virginia-Ave-Springfield-KY-40069/105966905_zpid/
which would be a mortgage payment of 1100/month, but assuming they bought it 30 years ago they likely have a very low mortgage payment.

The cars are cheap hoopties and the kids wear the same clothes everyday. They have never updated their furniture and don't have any of the latest gadgets or video game consoles. No cell phones or cable. I think it might actually be possible.

 

[Zeze]

According to https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Nuclear-Technician-Salary--in-Kentucky the average for nuclear technician is 69k

In Springfield, KY you can find a decent size house around 200k https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/209-E-Virginia-Ave-Springfield-KY-40069/105966905_zpid/
which would be a mortgage payment of 1100/month, but assuming they bought it 30 years ago they likely have a very low mortgage payment.

The cars are cheap hoopties and the kids wear the same clothes everyday. They have never updated their furniture and don't have any of the latest gadgets or video game consoles. No cell phones or cable. I think it might actually be possible.

I just don't see it happening. Springfield is definitely not out of nowhere like Springfield KY.

We can make a fun argument that they bought a house in 80s/90s so it's cheap.

Today, they are a 'young' family with two kids and I don't know such families in real life that has a magically grandfathered house from the 90s at 30 years ago.

And their house is much larger than that.

It's just a sad affair that Homer is not an every-day folks like us. He's got a pretty sweet life.

 

[nakedfrog]

 

[Red Squirrel]

The issue is not just the house, furniture etc but all the bills like hydro, heat, taxes, insurance etc those are reoccurring and go up every year by around 10%. I actually have a similar job as Homer but instead of nuclear stuff it's telecom and I'm making it, but no kids. It's very tight though. I suspect in 5-10 years from now I'll need to consider drastic changes as I will be priced out of my house. Once I have the wood stove going I'll save on gas a bit, and I plan to expand my solar setup, but that's only going to buy me a bit more time as the property taxes are the real killer. it's basically like having another mortgage except instead of eventually paying it off, the payment just increases every year forever.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

The issue is not just the house, furniture etc but all the bills like hydro, heat, taxes, insurance etc those are reoccurring and go up every year by around 10%. I actually have a similar job as Homer but instead of nuclear stuff it's telecom and I'm making it, but no kids. It's very tight though. I suspect in 5-10 years from now I'll need to consider drastic changes as I will be priced out of my house. Once I have the wood stove going I'll save on gas a bit, and I plan to expand my solar setup, but that's only going to buy me a bit more time as the property taxes are the real killer. it's basically like having another mortgage except instead of eventually paying it off, the payment just increases every year forever.

You get a wealth tax as a homeowner but god forbid billionaires ever have to pay one.

 

[Zeze]

Delete

you creep me out

oh yess let the flame war begin, just like 1999 when campus nerds actually knew of Anandtech Offtopic.

 

[Zeze]

The issue is not just the house, furniture etc but all the bills like hydro, heat, taxes, insurance etc those are reoccurring and go up every year by around 10%. I actually have a similar job as Homer but instead of nuclear stuff it's telecom and I'm making it, but no kids. It's very tight though. I suspect in 5-10 years from now I'll need to consider drastic changes as I will be priced out of my house. Once I have the wood stove going I'll save on gas a bit, and I plan to expand my solar setup, but that's only going to buy me a bit more time as the property taxes are the real killer. it's basically like having another mortgage except instead of eventually paying it off, the payment just increases every year forever.

That makes me mad. Effin corporates always want to marginalize their workers and maximize profit.

That's the whole point of my OP. We know need to have double income couple just to buy a house today or you gotta be making at least double median salary.

Screw the system.

 

[purbeast0]

According to https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Nuclear-Technician-Salary--in-Kentucky the average for nuclear technician is 69k

In Springfield, KY you can find a decent size house around 200k https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/209-E-Virginia-Ave-Springfield-KY-40069/105966905_zpid/
which would be a mortgage payment of 1100/month, but assuming they bought it 30 years ago they likely have a very low mortgage payment.

The cars are cheap hoopties and the kids wear the same clothes everyday. They have never updated their furniture and don't have any of the latest gadgets or video game consoles. No cell phones or cable. I think it might actually be possible.

Umm....

 

[KB]

Umm....

Hah that was a great episode. Didnt he get it from a vendor machine for a few bucks? Definitely didnt spend much on it

 

[nakedfrog]

Umm....

 

[VashHT]

Hah that was a great episode. Didnt he get it from a vendor machine for a few bucks? Definitely didnt spend much on it

Marge bought it for him for Christmas instead of bonestorm because the guy at the store told her it was the hot game.

 

[Zor Prime]

I grew up with spring water and an outhouse. Indoor plumbing / toilets are a luxury, man.

 

[Maxima1]

He's a non-college grad union-secured nuclear technician making about $50-60k/yr at present dollar.

A household income of $60k/yr with 3 kids / 2 cars and stay at home mom = impossible today.

Um no. Nuclear technicians mean or median is around ~$100K and operators is ~$120K. There are some associate programs, but typically a lot of the nuclear plant workers come from the Navy programs or engineering graduates. For the non-college bound, enlisted is over 100K.

Nuclear Technicians : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Nuclear technicians assist physicists, engineers, and other professionals in nuclear research and nuclear energy production.

www.bls.gov

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

www.bls.gov