Minivans there are unfortunately not too many options. Hondas reliable but I remember the minivan lacking some features. There’s the Kia carnival, it’s a very handsome car but it’s a Kia and they don’t have a great track record on reliability. Your final option is the chrysler Pacifica, which I’ve heard good things about. Might be the best option.

Regular recycling isn’t even an option where I live. You can literally only get a regular trash container. Sticks/leaves etc they’ll take if you bring it to a center but there’s no collection for that either.

We’re about to be on the market for a new thermostat so this post is just in time. My husband got us a nest and apparently after 10 years they just nope out. Not because it breaks per say but because after 10 years it just shuts down no matter what “expires”. Might consider the honeywell

There are cost of living calculators that give very basic averages of areas. I can tell when I lived in NC I paid about 30$ for car insurance. But when I lived in Detroit MI I payed about 300$. Monthly. That was about 7-8 years ago. Apartments in my small little town in PA are going for about 1500-1800$ for a 1 bedroom apartment. For healthcare I pay about 200$ a week. That’s for a family of 3.

That’s a large portion of it yes. Don’t forget that 150k salary is before taxes. The cost of food has sky rocketed lately. Don’t forget transportation. If you live in a big city you might take a bus or Metro, but for most Americans there isn’t a good network so add gas, car insurance, and possibly a car payment if you don’t own. And if you have kids get ready for child care expenses, unless you have a stay at home parent… But then you only have one income. Rent, utilities, little glasses for Timmy, cell phone bills and those TV subscriptions you’re slowly sailing the high seas on as they nickel and dime you. It all adds up.