Money Money Money, or a lack thereof...A Beautiful Rant About the Cost of Living Here
I am trying to figure out what makes Minneapolis so great that people would pay 500,000 for a 1000 sq foot 1 bedroom house and 300.00 to register your car for one year and 2000.00 per month for childcare. Plus 7% state income tax, plus taxes on stuff you buy...I think I'm turning Republican! The longer I am here, the more it seems like the most expensive and "too-trendy" place to be (my apologies to all of you Minnesota lovers...I too loved you, Minnesota, until about a month ago). If we were transfered anywhere else life would be so much easier! The only thing that makes me want to stay is my church family. Can't they move somewhere more logical? How do people survive? Luke and I think we make a pretty okay living- or it would be considered good in Texas...and our goals in life are not to be rich...but to survive comfortably...that doesn't seem to be an option here.
I am just at a loss...we've been looking for childcare for about a month now and have not found anything for less than 265.00 PER WEEK!!!!! My sister pays 350.00 per month for Montessori School. PER MONTH. What do people do here that allows them to afford these things? And food and cars and homes...? I know my boss works more than 80 hours a week to do so...Is everyone that crazy? The last place we visited was 1899.00 per month for full time - part time was 1400.00 per month, and they had a WAITING LIST! They taught the 6 week olds Spanish! I was tempted to ask if they taught them to speak English first...The "teachers" for infants all had college degrees in child care/child psychology, etc... Honestly, do people really buy into this? I'll be lucky if my 6 week old does more than sleep, eat, poop and cry - does this require a college degree? Maybe I just haven't learned all I need to learn about babies, but this seems completely rediculous.
At this point, it looks like I am going to have to stay home, breastfeed through the high school years...and we are going to have to sell our car and our plasma and live in boxes on the street! I just don't understand how expensive life is up here, and I'm ready to move to a more sane place. GRRRRR.
And so, if anyone reading this has information about affordable, dependable, certifiable childcare in south minneapolis/edina/richfield/bloomington that offers part time or half days, please please please let me know. Or, if anyone wants to sponsor us, that would be great too...or just volunteer for free? That would be super duper nice!
I am just at a loss...we've been looking for childcare for about a month now and have not found anything for less than 265.00 PER WEEK!!!!! My sister pays 350.00 per month for Montessori School. PER MONTH. What do people do here that allows them to afford these things? And food and cars and homes...? I know my boss works more than 80 hours a week to do so...Is everyone that crazy? The last place we visited was 1899.00 per month for full time - part time was 1400.00 per month, and they had a WAITING LIST! They taught the 6 week olds Spanish! I was tempted to ask if they taught them to speak English first...The "teachers" for infants all had college degrees in child care/child psychology, etc... Honestly, do people really buy into this? I'll be lucky if my 6 week old does more than sleep, eat, poop and cry - does this require a college degree? Maybe I just haven't learned all I need to learn about babies, but this seems completely rediculous.
At this point, it looks like I am going to have to stay home, breastfeed through the high school years...and we are going to have to sell our car and our plasma and live in boxes on the street! I just don't understand how expensive life is up here, and I'm ready to move to a more sane place. GRRRRR.
And so, if anyone reading this has information about affordable, dependable, certifiable childcare in south minneapolis/edina/richfield/bloomington that offers part time or half days, please please please let me know. Or, if anyone wants to sponsor us, that would be great too...or just volunteer for free? That would be super duper nice!
posted by KariBryant @ 2:36 PM
2 Comments:
At 7:53 PM,
KariBryant said…
I like those rates by city...unfortunately even when I use the greater mpls daycare assn webpage ($25.00) I did not see anything in that price range in this area...forgive my bad attitude, I am trying to get over it, it just seems to take longer these days...
And thanks for the info. I did find some who had openings - still looking at around $200 for 3 days/wk...it's about 65.00 cheaper though! Maybe it's just this area...I sent the GMDA an e-mail and asked them where the centers/homes are around here that gave them those figures. Maybe they will have some more ideas. I did find this one lady who was perfect and down the street and a lot cheaper, but she is full until the year 2007....no wonder! Maybe I should start a daycare?
Maybe God is just trying to tell me to chill out and trust Him when all the odds seem stacked the other way....and I think that your whole life should not be rearranged when you are so full of hormones!
At 12:06 PM,
Amy said…
Kari, I am still waiting to hear back from my friend Becky. She may have replied to my e-mail while I was gone this past week. I'll let you know if I find anything out.
I like the new look!
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