[ccm6gt]

My numbers almost match perfectly with yours except I didn't think NY tax would be as high as 40%. My minimum goal would be to save 1K a month to start and after calculating all my expenses that doesn't seem possible unless I ask for more money in the range of 60K. Thanks for the tips!

http://bit.ly/10ubdGY

[michaelpinto]

Keep in mind that you've got: Fed + State + City. Now if you are in Jersey your taxes will be lower, but I'm not sure how much lower they might be.

But here's some wisdom from my old professor back in art school in the 1980s:

Julie: Kids do you know how you get raise?

Kids: Work hard?

Julie: Nope: You quit your job and get a new one!

...this shocked me when I heard it, but it's true. So you may want to think about taking that job, waiting a year, getting the most valuable skills you can market, and finding a new job.

Yes of course ask for more! But keep in mind that the company may be cheap, although that's just a guess...

[michaelpinto]

PS $200 for food in NYC is not realistic unless you are just eating ramen!!!!

[ccm6gt]

$200 is pretty low for food, the host family told me that they will have dinner prepared almost every night which was included in my $400 rent so I lowered it from my original $350. I hope to freelance and make my skills more valuable while working here in my free time as well. Thanks a lot for your advice, I really appreciate it!