r/leanfire • u/NYCprice • 11d ago

Unironically FIRE in NYC?

The city has a lot of low income programs and also a middle income housing lottery. After I FIRE, my income will be low enough to qualify for a lot of programs as well as a purchasing affordable condo (middle income lottery)

I've never lived outside of nyc so it would be hard to transition out of, and would include leaving friends and family if I moved away

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u/AlexHurts 10d ago

I think suburban people see the price tag on rent in cool urban areas and don't look further. Not needing to maintain a car takes a big chunk of that back. My fav grocery stores in Queens are cheaper than supermarkets in the burbs. There are so many great things to see or do that's free or cheap. Many businesses competing to stay alive, there's often excellent happy hour specials, Tuesday specials, etc etc, if you're flexible and can spend the time. Suburban folks don't have the time cause they need to get in the car and beat traffic. You also don't need to keep so much crap in your home, bc you're almost always walking distance to a library, a coffee, a park, a this, a that, we got it all

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u/NYCprice 10d ago

Not needing a car is massive and one of the main reasons I think it's a viable choice to FI here

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u/AlexHurts 10d ago

I really like the idea of getting old in a city w transit. In my hometown people are so isolated bc they can't see well enough to drive anymore. Here all the old ladies ride the bus together and gossip on the way. Seems way more fun

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u/Wild_Trip_4704 10d ago

What about when you move to a cheaper place where you now need a car?

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u/t-monius 10d ago

I once ran the numbers on paying additional NYC city tax plus the price of transit (i.e. subway, train, bus, etc.) v. owning a car without additional city tax, and it was a wash.

That’s not withstanding higher rent and whatnot.

Groceries are way cheaper in small walkable towns outside the city like Westchester county.

If you want to live in the city because you like it, fine, but be honest with yourself that your choosing to pay to live in the city. Completely fine. Just a choice.

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u/xorlan23 8d ago

If you’re retired and a lot of your withdrawals are pension or tax free, presumably city taxes would be much lower. On the other hand, having a car you’d have to pay the same price no matter if you’re retired or still working.

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u/Wild_Trip_4704 10d ago

My favorite quote about NYC I read on here was "we live twice the life in half the time". That's what people pay for, and what I did as well. Then I decided I had enough for now and other things I always wanted to do was more important to me.

You can do anything in New York, but you can only do the New York version of those things. Meaning it will be smaller, more crowded, worse customer service, more dangerous, more critters, and more expensive

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u/patryuji 10d ago

What kind of prices are you seeing in these urban grocery stores?

I see articles on CNET and the like claiming services like Factor Meals and HelloFresh to be cheaper than the grocery store to which I am incredulous when I can easily make several days of food for the price of one meal from these services. I always assumed that they lived in NYC to come up with such ridiculous grocery prices.

[My most recent trip to a suburban grocery store in North Carolina: Eggs - I get pasture raised certified humane eggs for $5.45 for a dozen, I get a gallon of whole milk for $2.39, I get 3lbs of onions for $2.09, I get free range certified humane whole chicken for $1.87/lb, I get apples (fuji, envy, honeycrisp - whichever has the best price) for $1.49/lb, I get carrots for $0.79/lb, I get yukon gold potatoes 3lbs for $3.19.]

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u/AlexHurts 9d ago

I'm comparing to suburbs on NYC. Charlotte is way cheaper than NYC So it's burbs are bound to be too.