So I sat down to do a kind of budget forecast today.
I discovered that, assuming the inevitable over- and under- estimates balance each other out, it takes about ₪13,000 a month for a family such as mine (2 adults, two kids too young to go to school) to live relatively comfortably in Israel. This is without a car, and in an area such as Maaleh Adumim (read: not Yerushalayim proper, nor the coastal cities). I did not include Yamim Tovim, as they are not a recurring expense, nor some incidentals like date night or activities/Tiyulim to do with the kids.
₪13,000 a month. That's a lot for a social worker to be thinking about - I'd say the realistic average salary I can expect off the plane is about ₪5500-6500. Bit of a shortfall, there. There's also the pesky problem of actually finding a job, what with my horrific Hebrew speaking skills.
True, I am not going with the plan of creating a social work career, and am perfectly open to any other opportunities that may present themselves. In truth, this is so much the case that I am basically going with the degree as a backup option, a fallback plan, if you will.
There's also the startup costs (shipping, furniture to be bought, appliances, etc), which I think are going to be quite costly as well. Yes, sal klita does help, but we are going to have a whale of a time getting there...living, these days, is expensive anywhere I suppose, but there's a certain anxiety in moving to a country known for its haves and have nots financial structure when you are decidedly a have not.
But, still, it is nice to know we're not sailing blindly into the fog. Or not nearly as much, anyway. At least we have an idea of what we're shooting for budget wise. Here's to being able to make it :)
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