Down and Out on $250K/year....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To say $250K a year anywhere is rich is ridiculous. It's upper middle class salary, not wealth, not rich. DH and I make this now living in DC. With private school tuition plus nanny plus mortgage and insurances plus healthcare there isn't much left.

So why aren't you in an area with decent public schools?

[Anonymous]

Rich means not having to worry about money. No one I know is rich. Some are high income.

[Anonymous]

DH and I make this now living in DC. With private school tuition plus nanny plus mortgage and insurances plus healthcare there isn't much left.


So why aren't you in an area with decent public schools?

I'm not that PP, but, where we live is very important to me and DH. the suburbs aren't it for us. We'd rather stay in the city and pay for private than have a lot left over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

DH and I make this now living in DC. With private school tuition plus nanny plus mortgage and insurances plus healthcare there isn't much left.


So why aren't you in an area with decent public schools?

I'm not that PP, but, where we live is very important to me and DH. the suburbs aren't it for us. We'd rather stay in the city and pay for private than have a lot left over.

But Washington DC has so many wealthy, well-educated, and liberal thinking people living there. Why doesn't everyone support the public schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get. We make 160K combined. We have a decent house in Vienna, two nice cars, a boat.

We pay for preschool, eat out a few times a week, have a decent wardrobe, some nice things.

I feel pretty "rich." Can't see how I would be complaining at all at the 250K level.

Wow.

If you are maxing out your retirement, are adequately insured with life and long-term disability, and are contributing the max for college expenses, and have a emergency fund of a years salary, then yes, Wow, you guys are doing great.

College is the only we fail there. We only put 100 into the 529 each month. But 401ks and life insurance and savings are all taken care of. Student loans were paid off awhile ago. We do have a small debt from from shelling out a lot of money to sell a house we went upside down on, but we manage to pay that each month and still have some leftover. That debt is almost negligible and the only time we have had to take on a debt like that.

So no, we are not perfectly debt free. But one car is paid off and we pay our bills each month and still live rather well. Money management, good credit, and wise choices help out when you get into hard times like we did with the last house.

I will say our saving grace is preschool costs are cheap, as it is only part time; I work mostly nights so we don't need full time care. But we would funnel resources from somewhere else, say, make the boat go away, and we would still be living comfortably. It is beyond ridiculous to say that 250K is not rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But those folks making 30-40K wealthy, too, don't you see? Because to the people who live in Haiti, whose average annual salary is $772, they are way beyond rich. So maybe those making 30K don't FEEL rich because their perspective is skewed b/c of where they live and who they associate with and the degree of wealth they come in contact with on a daily basis. Those people in Haiti dream of the life of those making 30K.

BTW, 49K is the average US salary. So those making 49K should not be *struggling* to support their families, b/c they are, after all the living definition of "middle class".

This is the first time I've done this: THIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

DH and I make this now living in DC. With private school tuition plus nanny plus mortgage and insurances plus healthcare there isn't much left.


So why aren't you in an area with decent public schools?

I'm not that PP, but, where we live is very important to me and DH. the suburbs aren't it for us. We'd rather stay in the city and pay for private than have a lot left over.

So you chose use some of the money you have "left over" after necessary expenses to pay for private school, at thousands of dollars a year, because you prefer that lifestyle.

Translation - you have the ability to make very expensive lifestyle choices.

I suppose if your definition of rich is gold-plated toilets and multiple servants, then you're not. But really, having the discretionary income to pay tens of thousands of dollars for private school, not because you have to, but because you want to, sure says rich to me.

[Anonymous]

This thread is depressing.

Signed,

Living on $40K/yr.

[Anonymous]

Having thoughts of belonging to the middle class while you afford a nanny, a near million dollar mortgage, and private school is clearly a symptom of delusional rich people's disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having thoughts of belonging to the middle class while you afford a nanny, a near million dollar mortgage, and private school is clearly a symptom of delusional rich people's disorder.

abso-freakin-lutely

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having thoughts of belonging to the middle class while you afford a nanny, a near million dollar mortgage, and private school is clearly a symptom of delusional rich people's disorder.

amen and amen.

The total self absorption and delusion of people on this thread that think they're not wealthy while they manage to pay thousands (in fact more than the average American takes home in a YEAR!) for private school, etc is downright depressing. Is this who I live around in DC?

[Anonymous]

http://playspent.org/

OK, I know I have it good. At the same time, $250K sounds like it should be buying gold-plated toilet seats, and it doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Agreed, even more evidence that the private-school-mentality in DC has warped peoples' perceptions. So many seem to think that a private $35k/year education is a "need" rather than a "want." That may be the definition of crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having thoughts of belonging to the middle class while you afford a nanny, a near million dollar mortgage, and private school is clearly a symptom of delusional rich people's disorder.

amen and amen.

The total self absorption and delusion of people on this thread that think they're not wealthy while they manage to pay thousands (in fact more than the average American takes home in a YEAR!) for private school, etc is downright depressing. Is this who I live around in DC?

Less than 10% of the population suffers this disorder, although they seem to flock to DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://playspent.org/

OK, I know I have it good. At the same time, $250K sounds like it should be buying gold-plated toilet seats, and it doesn't.

Interesting link and really helps to put things in prospective.