[Roaddog53]

Here is a simple breakdown of some numbers pre-owned home and an estimate on some expenses that would/could occur per month. I do/did this a lot for people to help them with an idea on budgeting. You can put your numbers in on your spending. IF you buy a pre-owned home with houses running about $100k and put 20% down for 30 years, your payment at 4% would be about $382 per month excluding any mortgage insurance. The bond would be less or $0, taxes would less. You would have to have your auto paid off. Medical insurance/doctors is a key factor. This also does not account for "unexpected" expenses so you should bank at least 5% of your income, or have 4-6 months in savings available.
Just a start Hope it helps:

AVG MONTHLY BUDGET Monthly Annually
GROSS INCOME 2158.33 25900.00
Monthly Wage 12.02 2083.33 25000.00
Other - OT 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other 0.00 75.00 900.00 Income Tax Return

NET PAY 1854.17 22250.00
Income less Taxes89% 1854.17 22250.00
OT after taxes 0.00 0.00
OTHER 75.00 900.00
Other 75.00 900.00
NET INCOME 1929.17 23150.00

TOTAL EXPENSE 1927.00 23124.00
FIXED 1007.00 12084.00
House - Mrtg 382.00 4584.00 $100k Home w/ 20% down
House - Tax 140.00 1680.00
House - Insurance 60.00 720.00
Bond 0.00 0.00
Amenity Fee 145.00 1740.00
Auto Lease/Loan 0.00 0.00 No payment
Auto - Insurance 80.00 960.00
Medical Insurance 200.00 2400.00
FIXED VARIABLE 635.00 7620.00
House - Utility 135.00 1620.00
House - S/W/T 85.00 1020.00
House - Int/Cbl 75.00 900.00
Cell Phone 65.00 780.00
Auto - Gas 75.00 900.00
Groceries 200.00 2400.00
VARIABLE 140.00 1680.00
Entertainment 20.00 240.00
Meals Out 10.00 120.00
Cash 60.00 720.00
Doctor/Dentist/Prescrip 50.00 600.00
DISCRETIONARY 145.00 1740.00
Clothes 20.00 240.00
Hair/Nails 10.00 120.00
Personal Items 10.00 120.00
House - Expense 25.00 300.00
Classes, Fees 40.00 480.00
Vacation 0.00 0.00
Christmas 20.00 240.00
Gifts 10.00 120.00
Misc. 10.00 120.00

NET SAVINGS 2.17 26.00
% AVG SAVINGS 0.1%

[MLBellis]

you can get a room mate or room in with someone. Some people find a mate & live together... someone's posted earlier about a car, you can get a golf cart (do not need to reg. it) You can go anywhere in TV with it. Or there are some places just outside of TV that are nice. you can still go to the squares and enjoy the entertainment & go to the resturants.... so if you really want to you can. I live just outside TV in an apt. I love it, I do not have to pay all the extras, and I still can use TV entertainment! I know you can not use the pools, I have one at my apt complex... and you can not join the clubs, but I am sure you are not currently in clubs like here anyhow. (what you do not have you will not miss) Come on down and see for your self, there are many options! The weather is great... who knows you may meet someone too!!

[sueandskip]

Stay debt free and you will be fine....I know people here that live and manage just fine on S.S. and a little savings....They play golf 3 times a week , go to the pool everyday , go to the square every night to dance, and eat out 2 to 3 times a week with friends and they are in there 70's and they are just fine....

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by sueandskip

Stay debt free and you will be fine....I know people here that live and manage just fine on S.S. and a little savings....They play golf 3 times a week , go to the pool everyday , go to the square every night to dance, and eat out 2 to 3 times a week with friends and they are in there 70's and they are just fine....

Herein lies the key to your question. You can SURVIVE many places on $25k, however the villages is one of the few places where you could live a full, exciting, active, and stimulating lifestyle on that income.

[The Flash]

Originally Posted by LynnDeb

Wondering if 1 person can afford to live in TV on $25,000 a year?

Your husband know you are wondering this?

[delima2000]

Don't forget the other costs there are pest control, weed control,termite inspections, lawn mowing,trash pick up,insurance on golf cart, then you have to learn how to say no to people wanting to test your water,trim your trees,weed your lawn,they do come around ringing your doorbell. If you are coming from the north at least you don't have high heating bills in the winter, we didn't think we could do it but after much home work and budgeting we did it and it was the best decision that we ever made. Love the lifestyle. We are so happy here.

[Debfrommaine]

Originally Posted by NotGolfer

Groceries are a bit high...but probably are all over the country these days. We watch the ads for specials (milk etc. can be bought at Aldi, Walgreens, CVS and others on sale for less). Publix and others will have bogo items so buy your items then and use coupons. I think you can do this as the other posters indicated.

As you mention, Aldi is very good for alot of items, my main store to shop at now.

[LynnDeb]

Originally Posted by The Flash

Your husband know you are wondering this?

Yes I talked to him about this before I posted this....We never owned a home where we needed to maintain palm trees, etc.

[mainlander]

Originally Posted by Roaddog53

Here is a simple breakdown of some numbers pre-owned home and an estimate on some expenses that would/could occur per month. I do/did this a lot for people to help them with an idea on budgeting. You can put your numbers in on your spending. IF you buy a pre-owned home with houses running about $100k and put 20% down for 30 years, your payment at 4% would be about $382 per month excluding any mortgage insurance. The bond would be less or $0, taxes would less. You would have to have your auto paid off. Medical insurance/doctors is a key factor. This also does not account for "unexpected" expenses so you should bank at least 5% of your income, or have 4-6 months in savings available.
Just a start Hope it helps:

AVG MONTHLY BUDGET Monthly Annually
GROSS INCOME 2158.33 25900.00
Monthly Wage 12.02 2083.33 25000.00
Other - OT 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other 0.00 75.00 900.00 Income Tax Return

NET PAY 1854.17 22250.00
Income less Taxes89% 1854.17 22250.00
OT after taxes 0.00 0.00
OTHER 75.00 900.00
Other 75.00 900.00
NET INCOME 1929.17 23150.00

TOTAL EXPENSE 1927.00 23124.00
FIXED 1007.00 12084.00
House - Mrtg 382.00 4584.00 $100k Home w/ 20% down
House - Tax 140.00 1680.00
House - Insurance 60.00 720.00
Bond 0.00 0.00
Amenity Fee 145.00 1740.00
Auto Lease/Loan 0.00 0.00 No payment
Auto - Insurance 80.00 960.00
Medical Insurance 200.00 2400.00
FIXED VARIABLE 635.00 7620.00
House - Utility 135.00 1620.00
House - S/W/T 85.00 1020.00
House - Int/Cbl 75.00 900.00
Cell Phone 65.00 780.00
Auto - Gas 75.00 900.00
Groceries 200.00 2400.00
VARIABLE 140.00 1680.00
Entertainment 20.00 240.00
Meals Out 10.00 120.00
Cash 60.00 720.00
Doctor/Dentist/Prescrip 50.00 600.00
DISCRETIONARY 145.00 1740.00
Clothes 20.00 240.00
Hair/Nails 10.00 120.00
Personal Items 10.00 120.00
House - Expense 25.00 300.00
Classes, Fees 40.00 480.00
Vacation 0.00 0.00
Christmas 20.00 240.00
Gifts 10.00 120.00
Misc. 10.00 120.00

NET SAVINGS 2.17 26.00
% AVG SAVINGS 0.1%

Great stuff "Roaddog", very useful. As your expense check list indicates there are a lot of variables to consider in answering the origional question,, perhaps if the "OP" would detail specific scenarios q post like yours would be more helpful,, is the hiome the principle residence in The Villages (or do they maintain another out-of-state), is there a mortgage involved, what are some "musts" (eating out, etc.), anything to reduce the cash requirements would help. Also don't forget lawn, bug, tree, propert maintenance items. Thanks "Roaddog".

[gustavo]

Originally Posted by LynnDeb

Wondering if 1 person can afford to live in TV on $25,000 a year?

Yes

[obxgal]

Originally Posted by LynnDeb

Wondering if 1 person can afford to live in TV on $25,000 a year?

Yes as long as your pretty much debt free and don't eat out all the time.
Forgot to mention we do have a car payment of $232 and are still doing it.
But we did pay off our bond 7 years ago when we bought.

[glgene]

Several responders to this thread have said that living on a $25,000 budget is doable...if you have, for example, no car payment. On first blush, that seems like good advice.

But a car doesn't last forever without repairs or eventual replacement. If you're making TV work for you with a very tight budget and you have provided no budget allowance for car repairs or replacement fund, what would you do when the day of reckoning finally happens and car expense $ finally happens?

My question assumes you want/need a car (I realize that having only a golf cart is an option).

Gene

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by glgene

Several responders to this thread have said that living on a $25,000 budget is doable...if you have, for example, no car payment. On first blush, that seems like good advice.

But a car doesn't last forever without repairs or eventual replacement. If you're making TV work for you with a very tight budget and you have provided no budget allowance for car repairs or replacement fund, what would you do when the day of reckoning finally happens and car expense $ finally happens?

My question assumes you want/need a car (I realize that having only a golf cart is an option).

Gene

buying new car the year we retire...pay cash....with the small amount of miles you will need very little maintance....

[Virtual Geezer]

Originally Posted by LynnDeb

Wondering if 1 person can afford to live in TV on $25,000 a year?

The thing to do right now is set up a basic spreadsheet and enter in every penny you spend today. And I mean every penny. Now keep this ongoing and you will have a very clear picture what all your expenses currently are. After a period of time you will have a very good picture just where you stand and can plan for the future.

You will also have to plan on how your lifestyle in TV will compare to your current lifestyle and what things will change and what will stay the same. For example eating out, will it be about the same as today or will it be eating out 4 or 5 nights a week?

From looking at the expense spreadsheet you will also be able to spot things you may otherwise have forgotten. You can also spot things that will not be needed or may be cheaper in TV.

One thing not to over look are the two biggest unknown expenses that you will run across and that is food and medical. Quite a few years ago I attended a retirement planning program given by on of the major financial firms to the employees of the company I was working for. In the presentation it was stated that food and not medical will be your largest expense after retirement. I think everyone in the room would have bet on medical as being tops.

In your planning don't forget to add in an extra contingency to cover unforeseen expenses. If the contingency is not used one year that money can be placed into savings. The key is to continue to set it aside every month and used in later years for say the big ticket items like replacing the car.

Living in TV at that level of income can be done but it just takes some planning. It also helps if home and car are paid for.

Good luck

VG

[gomoho]

Okay I'm confused - you ask about coming here as a single person, but from your posts you are married. If this is too personal a question I understand - otherwise can you clear this up?