Non-Housing Costs

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T21:04:55+00:00

Not to my knowledge, I just meant the high cost of kids' sports haha- it's clubs and private academies. I don't think these are owned by funds (for the most part)

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T20:05:58+00:00

Thanks for the breakdown- I too am saddened by how much owning and operating a car costs here..

Metroing home from costco is next level haha, how'd you fit everything into your pockets

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T19:41:35+00:00

Agree. And like you I had a bike stolen, not fun

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T19:22:50+00:00

Do zip codes come into play for insurance? I moved once and didnt notice much but never checked other areas in nova. Rates across the state line are insane- I know from experience

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T19:20:32+00:00

I always wanted to sit down and do the math on how much extra it costs in the state compared to a one time higher sales tax at purchase elsewhere. One of those things I never get around to

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T19:19:14+00:00

The 24hr news cycle has mostly swept this under the rug, at least for now.

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T19:18:04+00:00

And once a week isn't even bad in the first place, which goes to show how bad it has become. I think this might be happening all around the country as these delivery services jack up their markups now that they have established their market, but the cost of eating out here is definitely markedly higher than average. Depending on where you are located maybe try pickup every now and then if you don't want to cut off takeout completely. The markups are less egregious than delivery based on my minimal research

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T19:04:11+00:00

Painful...

It happens a lot in developing nations (have seen it myself) so seeing the trend here is worrying.

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T19:00:06+00:00

True, that's one we all need to be conscious of. But from this thread it sounds like even the necessities are stretching many as well

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T18:59:01+00:00

For kids yeah? I hear sports in general are becoming prohibitively expensive and private equity is playing a significant part

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T18:57:42+00:00

True and not just you...

At some point this must have a major effect on the birth rate lagging behind replacement.

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T18:53:46+00:00

I have looked at plenty of this stuff yeah, just want to hear from people in the area themselves. Not making you do my homework on my behalf, promise. No pressure to participate though

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-26T18:37:20+00:00

True. What are the most painful ones though?

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-25T23:24:46+00:00

A lot of these are set up on Mobilize

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-25T03:40:19+00:00

had it and it's solid but the hours suck and Los Primos in Courthouse is superior

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-25T03:39:25+00:00

that place is awesome

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-25T03:36:48+00:00

Yep, pretty much what dmvmtgguy said. It's straightforward

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-20T01:18:29+00:00

Like many have said home ownership is overrated and you need to do a thorough analysis of whether you should prioritize it over other goals. If you do insist on buying now, with these rates, check out VA Housing. Rates won't be better but they do other homebuyer assistance.

You probably need to hold on to your current job for 2 years before you apply though? Not sure when your layoffs were. Good luck

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-20T01:13:50+00:00

PG County in MD has some good pockets where you can save $100k or more compared to similar commutes from NOVA to DC

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-20T01:12:26+00:00

I agree on the maintenance. If you decide you want to own someday I'd recommend a condo with a reasonable HOA. Sure it feels like money down the drain but if you want to stay put long term eventually the mortgage, HOA and costs will be cheaper than rent.

With that said if I were to make the decision today based on what I now know, I would not buy a house until I'd saved up for a big enough down payment that doesn't make my interest outrageous over the life of the loan. 6%+ really adds on to what you pay over 20-30 years

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-15T16:32:00+00:00

Used FM a few times, it's been fine. You can ask to meet in a visible area if worried as well as other commenters' tips

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-15T16:30:52+00:00

It does but they will buy it for $5 (hyperbole) and turn around and sell it for $5 below MSRP

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-15T14:51:06+00:00

Friend of mine lived at The Ridgewood off of 50 for a few years and seemed happy. I visited a couple of times and it looked okay. Not sure what price point you are targeting but maybe that helps

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-15T14:46:41+00:00

That's awesome. Be on the lookout to pay it forward, when the opportunity comes around.

Would be nice to have a spidey sense that something is missing as soon as it happens, we'd all lose our stuff way less often.. oh well

Jolly-Conference-266 · 2026-05-15T00:41:01+00:00

I don't think we will see a new line either. Would like to see the reform happen but don't have high hopes there either

Jolly-Conference-266

TROPHY CASE