Ok can we stop saying $300k is "rich" in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

Troll? Maybe. I'm not 100% sure. I hope this is a troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

This is a joke, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

LOL. I have a Bachelors and am a VP. I make about $200k a year, single earner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

Wow. For someone earning so much money, you are pretty dumb. You're wondering how a couple with graduate degrees manage to pull in only (gasp) $500,000 a year? Are you crazy?

(...and are you lawyers? They are notoriously overpaid.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I earn a little less than 200k together and we are rich. We save about 60k for retirement every year, and can cover all of our expenses, like private school for our kids, and a lot of what we want, even in this area. No, we don't live in a prestigious zip code, and my commute is about 45 minutes, but that's because of choices that we made.

Damn. I'd love to see your budget.

Not seeing how the math works on this. After saving 60k and paying taxes you are spending in the low 100s, and covering more than one private school tuition, and all other expenses, comfortably?

Our housing costs are minimal, the private school is inexpensive, and our retirement contributions are pre-tax because of a 457b contribution. And we are not spenders. We probably spend less than 1k on clothes and eating out over the course of the year, and some years we don't bother with a full vacation other than visiting family. It's just the way we are but it's our choice, we don't think about money.

But you don't live IN DC. You have low housing costs and low private school costs. So your budget is about as relevant to someone who lives in Upper NW DC as someone who lives in Kansas or Idaho. That's the point. $300k in upper NW provides a stable lifestyle with occasional niceities, but when you factor in the high cost of living you are far from rich.

Do you realize what a nitwit you sound like? The luxury your income is paying for is living in Upper Northwest and paying for private school. Do you not see that many many people with incomes lower than yours cannot afford those?

Just because you choose to spend your money on different things doesn't make the money not exist. Where you live and where your kids go to school is in fact a luxury. Even if you're not wiping your bum with hundred dollar bills.

+ 1 It's like a couple who CHOOSES to live in Bevery Hills, in an expensive house and sending their kids to private school, and then complaining "but $1 million income in Bevery Hills isn't rich."

For the most part, the only people who can afford to live in DC are wealthy people with upper-class incomes (top 5%) or the people on government assistance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

LOL. I have a Bachelors and am a VP. I make about $200k a year, single earner.

Director-level, and $115k. One level down, senior manager, I was at $96k. These are typical - and good - salaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

I agree. 2 million in DC is middle class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

I agree. 2 million in DC is middle class

....ok, now I know the poster is a troll. And a sock puppeteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

LOL. I have a Bachelors and am a VP. I make about $200k a year, single earner.

Director-level, and $115k. One level down, senior manager, I was at $96k. These are typical - and good - salaries.

...and by the way, that $115k makes me affluent. Live in the NoVa suburbs near a metro, in an upscale townhouse. You people who are complaining that $300k isn't rich could move a few stops into the suburbs, and live extremely well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

Troll? Maybe. I'm not 100% sure. I hope this is a troll.

...and everyone has graduate degrees? Bubble much? Only half even have a bachelor's degree, and only 25% have grad degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

Wow. For someone earning so much money, you are pretty dumb. You're wondering how a couple with graduate degrees manage to pull in only (gasp) $500,000 a year? Are you crazy?

(...and are you lawyers? They are notoriously overpaid.)

I'm reasonably sure this is a parody of the previous 12 pages of conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I earn a little less than 200k together and we are rich. We save about 60k for retirement every year, and can cover all of our expenses, like private school for our kids, and a lot of what we want, even in this area. No, we don't live in a prestigious zip code, and my commute is about 45 minutes, but that's because of choices that we made.

Damn. I'd love to see your budget.

Not seeing how the math works on this. After saving 60k and paying taxes you are spending in the low 100s, and covering more than one private school tuition, and all other expenses, comfortably?

Our housing costs are minimal, the private school is inexpensive, and our retirement contributions are pre-tax because of a 457b contribution. And we are not spenders. We probably spend less than 1k on clothes and eating out over the course of the year, and some years we don't bother with a full vacation other than visiting family. It's just the way we are but it's our choice, we don't think about money.

But you don't live IN DC. You have low housing costs and low private school costs. So your budget is about as relevant to someone who lives in Upper NW DC as someone who lives in Kansas or Idaho. That's the point. $300k in upper NW provides a stable lifestyle with occasional niceities, but when you factor in the high cost of living you are far from rich.

So do tell -- why live in NW then? And I do know someone who lives in Brightwood whose mortgage is about 1400 a month so there are choices even within DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I earn a little less than 200k together and we are rich. We save about 60k for retirement every year, and can cover all of our expenses, like private school for our kids, and a lot of what we want, even in this area. No, we don't live in a prestigious zip code, and my commute is about 45 minutes, but that's because of choices that we made.

Damn. I'd love to see your budget.

Not seeing how the math works on this. After saving 60k and paying taxes you are spending in the low 100s, and covering more than one private school tuition, and all other expenses, comfortably?

Our housing costs are minimal, the private school is inexpensive, and our retirement contributions are pre-tax because of a 457b contribution. And we are not spenders. We probably spend less than 1k on clothes and eating out over the course of the year, and some years we don't bother with a full vacation other than visiting family. It's just the way we are but it's our choice, we don't think about money.

But you don't live IN DC. You have low housing costs and low private school costs. So your budget is about as relevant to someone who lives in Upper NW DC as someone who lives in Kansas or Idaho. That's the point. $300k in upper NW provides a stable lifestyle with occasional niceities, but when you factor in the high cost of living you are far from rich.

Do you realize what a nitwit you sound like? The luxury your income is paying for is living in Upper Northwest and paying for private school. Do you not see that many many people with incomes lower than yours cannot afford those?

Just because you choose to spend your money on different things doesn't make the money not exist. Where you live and where your kids go to school is in fact a luxury. Even if you're not wiping your bum with hundred dollar bills.

Absolutely agree -- if you can afford a nice home in NW -- you are rich in my book. The middle class can't afford that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I earn a little less than 200k together and we are rich. We save about 60k for retirement every year, and can cover all of our expenses, like private school for our kids, and a lot of what we want, even in this area. No, we don't live in a prestigious zip code, and my commute is about 45 minutes, but that's because of choices that we made.

Damn. I'd love to see your budget.

Not seeing how the math works on this. After saving 60k and paying taxes you are spending in the low 100s, and covering more than one private school tuition, and all other expenses, comfortably?

Our housing costs are minimal, the private school is inexpensive, and our retirement contributions are pre-tax because of a 457b contribution. And we are not spenders. We probably spend less than 1k on clothes and eating out over the course of the year, and some years we don't bother with a full vacation other than visiting family. It's just the way we are but it's our choice, we don't think about money.

But you don't live IN DC. You have low housing costs and low private school costs. So your budget is about as relevant to someone who lives in Upper NW DC as someone who lives in Kansas or Idaho. That's the point. $300k in upper NW provides a stable lifestyle with occasional niceities, but when you factor in the high cost of living you are far from rich.

Do you realize what a nitwit you sound like? The luxury your income is paying for is living in Upper Northwest and paying for private school. Do you not see that many many people with incomes lower than yours cannot afford those?

Just because you choose to spend your money on different things doesn't make the money not exist. Where you live and where your kids go to school is in fact a luxury. Even if you're not wiping your bum with hundred dollar bills.

This was exactly my thought: nobody held a gun to your head and told you to live in NW DC. The rest of the region does exist. You can drive to work from other locations.

Like the earlier poster, I am paying out about 40k for two children's tuitions or daycare and have an income around 200k. We don't buy many extras, besides the school tuition, and I drive an hour to work.

You may not be willing to drive an hour to work, or live in my little house, or make other trade-offs I make. And that's perfectly fine. However, what that means is that you are choosing to pay out more of your earnings to obtain a nicer house, a shorter commute, and so on. That is not income you absolutely *have* to spend. It is income you *want* to spend. The same thing holds true for me, with my older child's school tuition: this is a descretionary purchase. I may feel very strongly that this purchase is a high priority for me. But I could pull out tomorrow, use public school, and we'd still having health insurance, a house, and food.

First world problems, upper class choices.

Everyone is writing as if they must be middle class, so long as they can find a way to spend all the money they have.

If you want to, you will *always* be able to spend all the money you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HHI is $2 million. We are mid 40's. Both work full time. I think of us as middle class- couple kids in private, live in NW. We both have graduate degrees, but everyone in DC has graduate degrees and is highly intelligent and ambitious. I just figured everyone had seven figure HHI. How can a 40's plus couple, both working full time, both smart and ambitious with graduate degrees have a $300k HHI or a $500k HHI? I bet the stats people are quoting here are from single earner households and many dont have college degrees.

LOL. I have a Bachelors and am a VP. I make about $200k a year, single earner.

Director-level, and $115k. One level down, senior manager, I was at $96k. These are typical - and good - salaries.

...and by the way, that $115k makes me affluent. Live in the NoVa suburbs near a metro, in an upscale townhouse. You people who are complaining that $300k isn't rich could move a few stops into the suburbs, and live extremely well.

Did you read the title of the post? We are talking about "in" DC. Not Reston. Not Falls Church. Not Chantilly.