$200K. What is your lifestyle like?
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Anonymous
+1 We were at $280k last year with two teens in public school. Two FT jobs. That $280k number reflects a significant salary increase last year -- we were on the low end of that $200-$250k range for a number of years. Similar to PP above, and can certainly identify with trying to make up for years spent stretching to afford childcare on under $150k/year. Townhouse in NoVA, focusing on retirement and college savings. We had help with college savings, and can send kids to in-state VA schools (or equivalent) without loans. We drive used cars that are paid off, and don't eat out much at all. |
Anonymous
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We are about $225k which feels unbelievable to us. We feel like we have a pretty quintessential middle class life like I grew up having.
House, two kids, a dog, two nice (used) cars. Kid 1 goes to a more expensive preschool because we like it. When kid 2 starts it will make things much tighter budget wise. We fund retirement, 529s, have life insurance, car payments, mortgage, and we tithe to our church. We don’t do expensive vacations, last year we did a few days in Maine for under $1,000 and that was the nicest we’ve done in years. We don’t eat out (because kids, really) and occasionally do take out (max 1x a week). Obviously we have dreams and fantasies of what we could spend more money on, but we live totally comfortable and without worry. |
Anonymous
| Income varies but in the 200k range. One working and one SAHP. 3 kids. 2 in college and 1 in public school. All kids have MD prepaid accounts and will not have any loans if in-state. Our only debt is a low-interest mortgage which would be considered low for this area. We live in an excellent school district in a great neighborhood but our house is small. We drive Hondas, so no luxury, but we are happy with them. We only travel domestically but we could probably afford an international trip annually. DH just hates travel. The only thing I feel unhappy about is our house. I am grateful for the school/location but it’s been a sacrifice as it’s tight and has an awkward floor plan. I’d have rather moved 10 minutes down the road and gained an extra bedroom and a more functional kitchen but we chose schools. Unfortunately money feels tighter now than before 2020 due to inflation and no pay raise but we can’t complain. |
Anonymous
Frugal but comfortable, own a decent home. I don't see how more money would improve happiness but probably take away ever lingering anxiety of possible poverty after retirement due to some random adversity. |
Anonymous
One income Almost empty nesters SFH in McLean - 2cars Several vacations each year I feel we can afford everything we want. We have paid for college and retirement is in great shape. |
Anonymous
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$225 in Rockville. Single mom by choice. 2 kids in public. Mortgage is $2500 for SFH in RM zone. Car is 6 yrs old and will be buying something for the kids this year.
Max out 401K and 529s each have about $200 in them. Kids know that the OOP budget for college is $50K/yr and anything over that they need merit aid. We travel a lot. This year we're going to Dominica for spring break, europe in the summer for 10 days, and I'm looking at a cruise for next winter break. Kids are now 16 and 13. Both kids will be taking classes this summer and hanging with friends at the pool or in our basement. My financial goal this year is to start putting money away in my companys back door Roth. |
Anonymous
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I think we made around 220k last year. DH works FT and I work PT/consult so my income fluctuates (~50-60k for me).
2 kids in elementary, SFH in the suburbs that was bought when the market crashed (we realize we are very lucky here). It's tighter than I would like which seems crazy to me based on our income, but our kids' activities are very costly. We bought a new car last year and have a commuter car purchased in 2019 that has mainly sat in our garage due to WFH which we just paid off that will be our oldest's car down the line. We were very aggressive in terms of retirement savings in our 20s/early 30s so are way ahead there and DH will receive a fed pension upon retirement. We try to take one big vacation per year and do some weekend trips here and there. We have done some major house projects over the last few years which we paid cash so would like to focus on building this back up some. We will cover 4 years of in-state for both kids, but not planning on anything outside of that. |
Anonymous
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Mine is a bit high - in the 300K range.
Two working parents, 3 kids. We own a house in the 'burbs - West Springfield/Burke/Fairfax area. We don't care to drive fancy cars - kids in sports / we travel. We can't do everything but we pick and choose our priorities. We are not house poor, so that helps. YNAB and Ramit Sethi - I will teach you to be rich have really helped me with finances in the past year. |
Anonymous
| A little over $200K HHI. 90% income from one spouse with the other staying at home until kids left elementary. 2 Kids who are now in HS, one about to graduate. Live in exurbs in a big, new house we bought a few years ago. Have enough 529 savings to pay for instate college (tuition, fees, room and board) for both. We get fast food/take out a lot. Take advantage of travel/credit card rewards to minimize costs for a decent vacation each year. Younger HS kid does a travel sport, which is $$$. 3 cars (1 paid off) and car insurance is crazy and about to be more crazy with soon to be 4 drivers. We both do about 10% in retirement savings, save about $700 a month for college, but besides that we are treading water (savings account isn't increasing or decreasing). Money seems tightest it has ever been since we first got married at 22/23 years old, but if we had to have some things we could cut. |
Anonymous
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- 2-income HHI $200k
- 1 child (8 yrs old) in DCPS - own rowhouse in DC but we bought 10 years ago. Have maybe a $300k mortgage - max retirement - 2-3 international vacations, but on points, annual travel budget is under $10k - 1 car, paid off We are not struggling but our house is affordable, we have no childcare costs, no car payments, no tuition, etc. |
Anonymous
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240k - 2 working parents income
2 kids 4 and 8 in mcps sfh home in md burbs 529 and 401k- 100k each no student loans, besides mortgage 3 cars not flashy but paid off (1 really old Honda from my college that still works) It's going to be my pride to get it up to 350k father in law lives with us and help with child care and pulls his weight, we get along great. lots of mini road trips, and big major vacations in the summer - europe, asia, and cruises we live modestly and dont buy flashy things, but spend a lot of disposable income on experiences. kids are in a lot of activities we are blessed with how comfortable we have it and do not struggle. |
Anonymous
I don't get with this means- even clothes from Target are labelled with a brand. Do you mean no designer clothes? |
Anonymous
| $240k this year on two incomes. One kid in public school (although we still pay for after care and summer camps) and one in last year of daycare. Honestly I feel a bit lucky that we bought our house ~10 years ago, even though our incomes were lower then, because we have a very reasonable PITI ($2k) that leaves plenty of room for other stuff. Being able to save for college, let the kids do activities, and an occasional nice vacation is way more than my parents could afford when I was a kid. |
Anonymous
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I wouldn't know what to do with this much money. I make $100k as a single parent and we live very nicely. HHI would be about $200k with a partner. Taxes would be higher, more money wold go into retirement, we would live in a bigger condo, would eat out more, would pay more for insurances, shop more, change out extra car.
Huh, easier to make $100k and live alone with one kid. My HHI and NW went up the minute I got rid of ex. It should have been the other way around as we shared expenses. |
Anonymous
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approaching $200k, one FT person and one very PT. Live in the city.
Two kids, both in DCPS elementary school. Title 1 in a gentrifying area, so lots of free extras (free after care, free breakfast and lunch and supper). The school is also quite good. Spent $5,000 per year on childcare -- i did most of it from 0-3 for both kids, but kept a PT babysitter (usually 10 hours per week) so that I could work PT. We do pay for a bunch of activities: piano lessons, martial arts, art classes, sports. I am hesistant to do the math on all of these, it's painful, but I'm sure its a few thousand per year. Gym memberships for the parents, pool memberships for the family. One 2005 Toyota, totally paid off for the last decade, that we use once or twice a week (bike/walk commute to work and school). Have the funds to buy another car when this one breaks, but it keeps lasting, and we don't have to prioritize cars living in the city. No student loans (grad school funded, undergrad (one very cheap state school, one expensive T10 school) covered by parents) Home cost very managable. currently $2000 PITI on a 4-bedroom house. (We bought before gentrification + got a steal from an old lady who just wanted to unload it + renter covered the mortgage for almost a decade). Love our house. Buying was one of the best decisions we have made. Used to travel internationally annually, but stopped during the pandemic and haven't restarted for a variety of non-cost related reasons. Eat out a couple times a week? Travel domestically probably once a season. College accounts funded by grandparents, but I also think we might be able to get need-based aid if we can stay well below $200k. I feel like we are doing pretty well! |