Life on AUSA Salary in NYC Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hi- this is for any NYC AUSAs out there. Assume you’re single and have no kids (and a bit saved from biglaw). Can you tell me what your lifestyle is like (or would be like), with a bit of specifics / how it changed from biglaw? I’m trying to gauge the tangible effects of the financial hit. Thanks all.

[Anonymous User]

Hi- this is for any NYC AUSAs out there. Assume you’re single and have no kids (and a bit saved from biglaw). Can you tell me what your lifestyle is like (or would be like), with a bit of specifics / how it changed from biglaw? I’m trying to gauge the tangible effects of the financial hit. Thanks all.

Not much changed for me, but that's probably because I don't have expensive tastes and deliberately put the majority of my biglaw paychecks immediately into savings. I stayed in the same one bedroom in Midtown that I had during biglaw (~$3,450 a month), have no student loans (paid them all off during biglaw), take one expensive vacation a year, and more or less go out with friends in the city as much as I used to (maybe more now because I have more time). My one vice is that I never cook and order in constantly, which I've continued to do with no real financial repercussions. The only real downside is that I can no longer put money into the brokerage account that I had set up to save for a down payment to buy an apartment in the city, so the money I have in there from biglaw will have to be enough.

[Anonymous User]

Hi- this is for any NYC AUSAs out there. Assume you’re single and have no kids (and a bit saved from biglaw). Can you tell me what your lifestyle is like (or would be like), with a bit of specifics / how it changed from biglaw? I’m trying to gauge the tangible effects of the financial hit. Thanks all.

Not much changed for me, but that's probably because I don't have expensive tastes and deliberately put the majority of my biglaw paychecks immediately into savings. I stayed in the same one bedroom in Midtown that I had during biglaw (~$3,450 a month), have no student loans (paid them all off during biglaw), take one expensive vacation a year, and more or less go out with friends in the city as much as I used to (maybe more now because I have more time). My one vice is that I never cook and order in constantly, which I've continued to do with no real financial repercussions. The only real downside is that I can no longer put money into the brokerage account that I had set up to save for a down payment to buy an apartment in the city, so the money I have in there from biglaw will have to be enough.

Are you doing automatic deductions pre paycheck to 401k still and living the same lifestyle minus brokerage cash?

[Anonymous User]

Hi- this is for any NYC AUSAs out there. Assume you’re single and have no kids (and a bit saved from biglaw). Can you tell me what your lifestyle is like (or would be like), with a bit of specifics / how it changed from biglaw? I’m trying to gauge the tangible effects of the financial hit. Thanks all.

Not much changed for me, but that's probably because I don't have expensive tastes and deliberately put the majority of my biglaw paychecks immediately into savings. I stayed in the same one bedroom in Midtown that I had during biglaw (~$3,450 a month), have no student loans (paid them all off during biglaw), take one expensive vacation a year, and more or less go out with friends in the city as much as I used to (maybe more now because I have more time). My one vice is that I never cook and order in constantly, which I've continued to do with no real financial repercussions. The only real downside is that I can no longer put money into the brokerage account that I had set up to save for a down payment to buy an apartment in the city, so the money I have in there from biglaw will have to be enough.

Are you doing automatic deductions pre paycheck to 401k still and living the same lifestyle minus brokerage cash?

Yes but the 401k deductions are significantly less than what I put away during biglaw (both smaller percentage of each paycheck and of course smaller absolute number).

[Anonymous User]

OP, did you recently get an offer at a NY USAO? I recently had a final round interview at one such office, and I'm wondering if offers have gone out.