Jennifer's Big Decision: Can we afford to stay in San Francisco?

My husband and I sometimes think about moving to Southern California because San Francisco is so expensive. We probably won’t be able to afford a decent home for a family of four in this city without having to work four jobs. To buy anything close to what we have now, we’d have to move to the suburbs, and we don’t want to do that.

Paul and I both grew up in the suburbs in the Midwest, but we love the buzz of city living. Right now we rent an affordable two-bedroom apartment in a wonderful neighborhood that’s close to my work and within walking distance of the beach, the park, restaurants, and the grocery store. We have access to museums, cultural and music festivals, theaters, and shopping. We rarely drive our car except to make big grocery-shopping trips and to visit our friends outside the city. Between my husband’s income and mine, we have a comfortable but not extravagant lifestyle in San Francisco and we’re happy. But I still wonder if we should make a move.

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