Can a registered nurse live comfortably with their salary?

Nursing Students ADN/BSN Nursing Q/A

I live in California. I'm not talking mansion with nice cars and buying anything I want. Just some middle class apartment and a car like a mini cooper or something. I'm just wondering. I'm working to get my BSN right now, and I know I shouldn't be thinking too far into the future, but I just want to know that when/if I eventually get a job, will I be able to live comfortably? I'm single, no kids, just me and a friend being room mates. (she's also working towards her BSN). We wouldn't care for vacations or anything like that, just hanging out around the city is all I can think of as relaxing. Nothing big.

What constitutes as "living comfortably" varies greatly from person to person. I think it depends mostly on how you where brought up. I grew up in a very poor neighborhood, so I consider having plenty of food, a working car and not living in a dangerous ghetto as "comfortable". I've noticed friends of mine who grew up in the suburbs or in upper middle class have much higher expectations. They consider big houses, new cars, in-ground pools and a nice vacation every year as necessary for a "comfortable" life. It's almost like some people feel like their lives are inadequate unless they have such things. So, in my opinion, yes a RN (or LPN for that matter) can live very comfortably indeed.

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

My husband's base salary is about the same as a new grad RN in our area. If I can budget our family of five on that salary to live comfortably, I'm 100% sure you can do great as a single person.

I don't know what kind of Mini Coopers other PPs have been looking at, but they are certainly not considered "pricey" cars, and buying used is extremely affordable. I think that should be well within your reach.

The key is, as always, to watch your debt. When my husband and I were younger we had twice as much money and twice as much debt. Sure, we had nicer cars and tons of junk, but we lived paycheck to paycheck thanks to all of it. There's no excuse for that when bringing home 100k+. Also, single new grads sometimes forget that they may not be single for long. That 6 year car note may last you well into marriage and children, unexpected job loss, divorce, etc.

I don't think it's a matter of living within your means as much as living BELOW your means. I could afford a new car, but my 2007 Charger is paid off, runs great, and still fits our family, so why bother? That money saved is paying for childcare so I can attend nursing school so I can have a secondary income that will be all fun and retirement money, instead of student loan repayment money.

Debt can be a lot like C-diff. Pretty easy to contract, hard to eradicate, painful and debilitating while you have it.

Obviously, many young people who get out of school today have piles of debt. (The education establishment should have much to answer for, but that's a topic for another place or time.)

Be as smartly frugal as you can and pay off the debt as fast as you can. Then avoid borrowing except in a dire emergency and put something into savings every paycheck.

Don't leave money on the table. Take full advantage of your employer's 401 K match.

Omg yes you can live well. I grew up lower to lower middle class and I have everything I realistically want right now. A new car, a nice place to live, clothes, handbags, shoes etc. I could go on vacations too. If you won't have much in school loans and you are single with no kids you can live pretty well as an RN. (but i guess people's opinions on that varies)

I didn't have loans, paid off school as I went with scholarships and money from jobs. I like nicer cars, I prefer to and do lease and still have plenty to save. I do a ton of overtime if I get up the motivation. For a young person without loans or kids $40,000-50,000 is a great salary.

Specializes in Oncology.

I am middle class. I can't afford expensive vacations but we do have a new car (not a fancy car, just a car, nothing to write home about.) We live in a decent neighborhood. We have food to eat. We can buy ourselves things once in a while if we want. We are not rich. We aren't living a luxury life. We get by. I am an RN and my SO makes a decent living in another job. We will never be wealthy. Not even a little bit. We aren't poor though.

There was a pretty large thread like this recently. And it all comes down to what you mean by living comfortably/luxurious etc. For me having enough to pay my bills, drive a car that works, not live in a ghetto/high crime area, buy any kind of food I want, buy nice clothes( nOT $1,000 shirts and $4,500 shoes) is living a life a lot more luxurious than most people I know in real life .

Who said it had to be a new Mini Cooper? Hello, there is a thing called "buying used"! Besides, Mini Coopers aren't any more expensive than a nicely equipped Toyota Camry. You don't see people in a huff over a nice Camry; they just accept it.

Other than that, I cosign with everything else that the others have posted above.

Specializes in ICU.

All my single RN friends live comfortably and drive nice cars. I OTOH, live OK as a single mom. My daughter does not go without, has very nice things, we rent a decent apartment and the car is fine. I paid a lot for her preschool likewise (could have been driving a mini for that money, plus the car I have now!) I enjoy some things myself, and pay my bills. I don't have much by the way of savings, but one one income in NJ (the next most expensive state after CA I think) I don't do so bad.

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I'm living paycheck to paycheck in California, but I also have a husband who has been unemployed since 2008, and not making progress in school because of the budget cuts. A toddler and a ton of student loans. We do make it by, but barely. Just try to be conscious of your future, finding a significant other can happen....and things change. But in the event you are single and are careful about loans, you will be fine.

Specializes in Neuro ICU/Trauma/Emergency.

In California, which I assume is comparable to the cost of living in NY, you can live a comfortable lifestyle. Me on the other hand, I am addicted to all things luxury...So, I often juggle 3 positions at once & can be found dabbling into other endeavors during the holidays to maximize my lifestyle. It's really dependent on what you deem comfortable. For the lifestyle you have described, of course a nurses salary is enough.

Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
Who said it had to be a new Mini Cooper? Hello, there is a thing called "buying used"! Besides, Mini Coopers aren't any more expensive than a nicely equipped Toyota Camry. You don't see people in a huff over a nice Camry; they just accept it.

I'm not honestly seeing anyone in a "huff" on this thread...and perhaps even a "nicely equipped Toyota Camry" is out of reach initially.

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