View source for Living Expenses

'''10 fb/yr:''' You can live in a hovel. Running water is a no-no. You live like a poor medieval peasant. Food is generally vegetables and things you have scrounged. 

'''20 fb/yr:''' Typical peasant living. A cottage, perhaps near a river or well for water. You have hay mattresses, and eat meat perhaps once a week. Poor city conditions- a shared one bedroom apartment overlooking an alley. Worn out mattress. No electricity. 

'''50 fb/yr:''' A decent rural home, with actual floors and a stove- mayor's house. Easy access to water. Meat is occasional at meals. Mediocre city living- A one bedroom apartment. Indoor plumbing and electric lighting/stove possible but gas and electricity is spotty at best. 

'''100 fb/yr:''' A rural townhouse or farmhouse, with floors, chimney and stove. Easy access to water, and meat is common at most meals, perhaps thanks to a chicken coop or sheep pen. One or two luxuries such as a few gas-powered tools or perhaps books. Medium city living- a two bedroom apartment, with gas and electricity. Some luxuries such as an electric TV or perhaps a few books aren't uncommon. 

'''150 fb/yr:''' A well-to-do rural home with indoor plumbing or electricity with several bedrooms. Near a river or well and with attached farms. Meat is common at most meals, thanks to livestock farming. A few hired hands to aid with the work and help around the house. A small library isn't uncommon, or perhaps a set of gas-powered tools. Some occasional expenditures on luxuries like art or fine meals are not uncommon. City living is either a multi-bedroom apartment, or medium condo or small home in the suburbs. Electricity and plumbing is regular, and meals are purchased occasionally from the nicer restaurants. 

'''200 fb/yr:''' A household knight whose lodging is provided by his lord might spend this much yearly on occaisonal expenses -- a few sets of nice clothing or art and jewelry, some personal electronic toys and regular meals at restaurants of a medium quality. He maintains perhaps a one or two servants, such as a squire and a valet or lady's maid.

'''300 fb/yr:''' Noble rural townhouse, meant for a knight and perhaps a half dozen servants for himself and his family. An additional dozen or so hired hands to tend to the associated lands. Electricity is spotty, but indoor plumbing is common. Meals are rustic but well-prepared, with feasts occurring perhaps once a month. Several exotic luxury items, such as pieces of art or fine clothing are purchased every year but only on special occasions. City-dwellings consist of luxury condos or two-three bedroom townhouses with two or three servants. Dining is usually at decent restaurants or home-cooked using excellent ingredients, and personal collections of books and a modest collection of electronic toys and distractions are common. A few expenditures a year on nice clothing or art/jewelry are allowed. A household knight at this level has a collection of electronic toys and eats regularly at fine restaurants. He may hire a coach to get around town, and can afford clothes and several lavish expenses a year.

'''500 fb/yr:''' A fine rural townhouse for a wealthy tenant knight. Electricity and plumbing are maintained, and a staff of a dozen servants man the estate, along with twice as many or more slaves/serfs/peasants working the land. Usually between 2-5 guards are present at all times. Meals are fine, usually importing spices and exotic flavors from any nearby market, and feasts occur roughly twice a month to celebrate certain events. Libraries or art collections containing 'common' pieces are expected, and there is a wardrobe budget that allows for regular purchases. A lavish purchase, such as a dress made by a famous offworld tailor, a well-bred horse, or an expensive and exotic liquor are usually made once or twice a year. City-dwellers usually enjoy large luxury apartments at this level, or four-five bedroom homes on the fringes of town. Electronics are more prevalent and more commonly collected, including entertainment systems, exotic holodisks, and the like. It is common to eat out at fine restaurants, or have a staff of five or six servants prepare meals. A hired coach is common as a means of transportation. Like above, there is a budget for wardrobe and one or two lavish expenses a year is common. Few household knights live at this level, choosing instead to furnish a small manor near that of their lord, but those that do still rely upon their liege's largesse can routinely purchase objects d'art and expensive clothes. They may have a motor vehicle of their own for transportation, though the cost of maintenance means it is used rarely.

'''750 fb/yr:''' An estate befitting a minor baronet. Usually a two or occasionally three story estate house, with ten bedrooms, often a stable for a few horses, and a staff of twenty or so servants. Electricity is common, as is plumbing, and electronics are rare but present in the form of perhaps an electric gate and intercom system and refrigeration of food. Dozens of serfs/slaves/peasants work the associated lands, and a dozen guards live on the grounds. Every meal is prepared by a chef or team of chefs and once or twice a week exotic meals using expensive ingredients are used. Collections of expensive books, works of art and sculptures, fine wines or other exotic luxury items are expected, as well as fine furniture. Lavish purchases are made several times a year. City living is usually in an expensive four-five bedroom condo downtown or a large mansion in the suburbs. As above, and occasionally a motorized vehicle is used for transportation but is used uncommonly due to cost of maintenance. 

'''1000 fb/yr:''' An estate befitting a baronet. Usually a large estate house, with over ten bedrooms and a detached servants house. A stable with a half-dozen horses and a stable yard is usually detached, along with well kept fields as part of the estate. Two or three dozen servants walk the grounds, and a dozen guards are always present and live on the grounds. TL 4 commodities are common, including electricity, plumbing, refrigeration, and entertainment tools. A number of tools used by the groundskeepers are gas or electric powered, and meals are usually very rich. The luxuries purchased by the estate are much as above, and much of that money is dedicated to hosting parties and dedicated to fine clothing, wines, and meals. City living is much as the previous level, with generally finer clothing being purchased and more servants maintained. The location of the condo or mansion is usually more preferable, with a pleasant view or in a nice neighborhood.

'''1500 fb/yr:''' An opulent Baronet or poor Baron might maintain this level of living. It is usually the case that a noble at this level maintains both estates in a nearby city as well as a rural estate, usually with one at the 1000 level and one at the 750 level. It is largely expected at this level that two households be kept. For Guilders at this level city living is usually in an opulent mansion, close but not in the heart of the city. A staff sees to the day to day running of the mansion, and usually two to four muster guards handle security. Electronics at a TL 4 level are common in the home, with some TL 5 pieces of arcane tech, usually used to impress guests, present. A morotized vehicle is maintained and kept for special occasions, and one or two personal bodyguards are usually kept at all times. 

'''2000 fb/yr:''' A typical Baron lives at this level. He is expected to maintain two estates, either two at the 1000 level or one estate at the 750 level and a second estate at the 1500 level. If in the city, use above. If rural, the estate is more palacial, looking often like a well-kept plantation with a staff of 50ish servants and two dozen guards on the premise at all times. The grounds, usually several acres of hedges and gardens, are kept by dozens of servants or slaves. Meals are often exotic, either prepared from expensive ingredients or prepared by trained and expert chefs. The house is often solidly TL 4 or extremely well-kept TL 3, and is often built of rare woods or construction materials reflecting the expense of construction. Lavish purchases occur several times a year, and depending on the lord or lady's personal choice these often include rare artwork, exotic slaves, or ancient religious relics. More than a few barons have small musuems and the like at their estates, reflecting part of their wealth. 

'''2500 fb/yr:''' A wealthy Baron or poor Viscount. He is expected to maintain two, possible three estates- two rural estates are not uncommon, one being a hunting lodge or retreat at the 750 level, and the other being a plantation as mentioned above. A city dwelling is usually maintained at the 750 level, with the rural estate being the main home of the Baron, maintained at the 2000 level. Rarely is the lord without at least a few personal aides and two or three honor guards. Guilders at this level are usually retired, and tend to retire to the countryside or, if their preference is for more city living, head offworld to Criticorum, Byzantium Secondus, or Leagueheim. Frankly, Vargo isn't a place where guilders at this wealth level with no ties to the community would choose to live.

'''3500 fb/yr:''' A Viscount is expected to maintain multiple homes, usually a palatial estate in his home town or city that serves as both the municipal government building and his home, as well as estates in the capitol and one or two hunting/vacation lodges. His city estates usually kept at the 1000 level, and his rural hunting lodges at the 750 level. The viscount's home in his lands is usually a structure, either a palace or a keep (depending on the Lord's preference and the architecture of the city), that usually commands the best view of the town and surrounding area. It has a staff of servants and slaves numbering around a hundred, and two to three dozen guards at all times, with more available from the town. Lavish purchases usually consist of things such as prize warhorses, one-of-a-kind pieces of art, and commissioned statues. Jewely and fine offworld clothing are regularly purchased by the Lady of the estate, and the furniture is either of the highest local quality or imported from offworld. The lord of the estate is expected to host numerous parties and therefore keeps a staff of chefs, bakers, and other culinary experts on staff should a liege visit and demand hospitality or should the Viscount wish to host one of the many feast days observed by the Church. Truly opulent purchases, such as prized breeding horses, or exotic pets, are made occasionally but rarely). The Viscount usually maintains a flitter on the premises for transport between the city and the Capitol, though maintenance costs prevent the frivolous use of this machine, and several motorized vehicles are maintained for travelling about the city or to rural towns. The lord rarely travels without a trail of aides and bodyguards following him. Different nobles have different tastes with regards to technology present- as a general rule, TL 4 is accepted as the standard, with House Li Halan preferring (not universally, mind you) TL 4 and a staff of servants to pick up the slack, with House al-Malik preferring TL 5 exotics such as Moving Landscape art and perhaps a think-machine or two. TL 4 with touches of 5 are common among the other houses (roughly 20th century level). 

'''4500 fb/yr:''' A wealthy Viscount is much as above, but generally enjoys a higher quality of life. The flitter maintained on the grounds is used to travel back and forth from various estates, and usually the residence in the capitol is at the 1500 range. Opulant purchases are made two to three times a year, while lavish goods are purchased at least once a month if not once a week. 

'''6000 fb/yr:''' A Count's estate. Usually much as above, though greater in every degree. Several flitters are maintained, usually one at each one of the two or three 1250-2000 rural lodges, with perhaps one at the 2001-2500 level. The County Palace usually maintains a staff of two hundred or so, with a hundred guards nearby and usually a municipal police/military force stationed nearby. Typical features of County palaces include, depending on the nature of the particular noble, menageries of exotic animals, Hallucination Rooms, vast libraries of rare books, Sculpture gardens or gardens of exotic plants and flowers, private music halls, personal museums, or other distractions. It is expected at both this level and the previous that the palaces be largely open to visiting dignitaries, and so guest estates are usually set aside on the grounds. Opulent purchases, such as Second Republic relics, Church relics and the like are made usually several times a year, and what were previously lavish goods are purchased as the whim and opportunity presents itself. 

'''6000+ fb/yr:''' You're rich. At this level you don't need anyone to tell you so.

[[Category:MUSH Economy]]