This problem is RAMPANT in the DCUM crowd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:300 in DC is not much

Not this again. Yes, it is. By every measure it is.

It’s a ton of money. If you can’t figure life out in that budget you definitely have lost the plot.

It just isn’t.

You are wrong. It is a lot of money. Just because it doesn't buy you as much as you would like it to, it is still a lot of money. And you can buy quite a lot if you are willing to leave the most desirable locales. So, just because it doesn't buy you the house you want in the best part of town, does not mean it isn't a lot of money.

It buys you a small, dumpy house in a suburb that is close to the city so that you can actually spend time with your kids and spouse.
It buys you options but it doesn’t mean that you are rich.

Of course it means you're rich. If you are able to waltz on in and buy a house close to the city in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, you are rich.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t get it, this article probably won’t assist enlightenment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$600k house in good neighborhood in MoCo - paid off. Student loans paid off. Savings and retirement going. About to put 2nd of 3 kids into college (full pay, unfortunately - UMD encouraged.) If you can't make $300k work, you are trying to pretend you are richer than you are, or have seriously no money sense.

600K is a shitshack a nice part of MoCo or more likely nonexistent. but you probably have a poor person's idea of a "good neighborhood"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a bizarre essay. How do you get from West Coast rich kids bullying another rich kid to "When these kids grow up, they end up at conferences where everybody lifts their champagne glasses to speeches about how we all need to “tear down the Man!” How we need to usurp conventional power structures. "

+1 OP is nuts.

This problem is indeed RAMPANT in the DCUM crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:300 in DC is not much

Not this again. Yes, it is. By every measure it is.

It’s a ton of money. If you can’t figure life out in that budget you definitely have lost the plot.

It just isn’t.

$300K a year is alot of money even in DC. If you can't see that, you are seriously living in a bubble.

If you are living in one room, don’t have kids, or school debts, medical issues or any other expenses it’s a lot. With kids and those other it’s UMC in DC if that.

$300k is UMC, not poor in DC. $600k house in good neighborhood in MoCo - paid off. Student loans paid off. Savings and retirement going. About to put 2nd of 3 kids into college (full pay, unfortunately - UMD encouraged.) If you can't make $300k work, you are trying to pretend you are richer than you are, or have seriously no money sense.

Your kids are in college which means you bought back when “good homes in good neighborhoods” in moco cost $600K. Moco is also NOT in DC which is more expensive. Sure it’s plenty of money if you already paid everything off. Duh.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Many PP’s are just deny they are the problem and do exactly what essayist is critiquing.

You are quite literally proving her point.

It’s aaaalmost funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Many PP’s are just deny they are the problem and do exactly what essayist is critiquing.

You are quite literally proving her point.

It’s aaaalmost funny.

You write aaaaalmost as well as she does. I’m not sure which one of you should be more horrified by that.

[Anonymous]

The NY Times tried to answer this by pitting actual incomes against perceptions of "rich". $300,000 puts you in the top 10% of earners in the DC metro area.

Are You Rich? This Income-Rank Quiz Might Change How You See Yourself https://nyti.ms/2MxGUkG

[Anonymous]

I grew up what I'd consider lower middle class, as in, there was never a question of "what do you want for dinner tonight?" It was always leftovers or whatever was on sale that day at the supermarket. We were never hungry, though, so I wouldn't say I grew up poor.

DH and I bring in around $350K. We live in a 3 bedroom row house in Adams Morgan. I walk to work. We pay a nanny and have older kid in private half-day preschool. We travel to Canada and Europe at least once a year to see family and we take another vacation within driving distance. I shop at Nordstrom Rack and Trader Joe's and get all the "necessary ingredients" (bread, some produce, fish) at Whole Foods. We have pension funds and our house is almost paid off.

I feel very very rich on $350K. SURE, we're not raking in millions but we have options, we are safe, and we do feel responsibility to support others, including by donating to charities and being active volunteers in our community.

Anyone living on annual income on this order of magnitude should feel very lucky indeed.

As for the article, it misses the point entirely but I have a 3 month old who wants milk so can't type why at the moment...

[Anonymous]

LOL you live in a townhouse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:300 in DC is not much

Not this again. Yes, it is. By every measure it is.

+1

Our HHI is just about 300. It's plenty. Do we have everything we could possibly want? Of course not. Is our life with 3 kids, cars less than 4 years old, SFH on culdesac, and plenty of vacations nice AF? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up what I'd consider lower middle class, as in, there was never a question of "what do you want for dinner tonight?" It was always leftovers or whatever was on sale that day at the supermarket. We were never hungry, though, so I wouldn't say I grew up poor.

DH and I bring in around $350K. We live in a 3 bedroom row house in Adams Morgan. I walk to work. We pay a nanny and have older kid in private half-day preschool. We travel to Canada and Europe at least once a year to see family and we take another vacation within driving distance. I shop at Nordstrom Rack and Trader Joe's and get all the "necessary ingredients" (bread, some produce, fish) at Whole Foods. We have pension funds and our house is almost paid off.

I feel very very rich on $350K. SURE, we're not raking in millions but we have options, we are safe, and we do feel responsibility to support others, including by donating to charities and being active volunteers in our community.

Anyone living on annual income on this order of magnitude should feel very lucky indeed.

As for the article, it misses the point entirely but I have a 3 month old who wants milk so can't type why at the moment...

What??!!! You give your baby regular milk and not almond milk or soy milk!! What do you do with all of your extra MONEY!!

Rich people...

[Anonymous]

honestly even $500K isn't a lot in DC if your kids are in privates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:honestly even $500K isn't a lot in DC if your kids are in privates

Yeah, but the "If your kids are in privates" part means that you've chose an expensive privilege the rest of us really can't consider if we want to make ends meet.

That's your Porsche, your second home, all rolled up in one.

Face it, you're still rich. Even if you hang around with a lot of people who have the same amount of money. Your income is not average. Your money management skills may, however, be poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:300 in DC is not much

Not this again. Yes, it is. By every measure it is.

It’s a ton of money. If you can’t figure life out in that budget you definitely have lost the plot.

It just isn’t.

$300K a year is alot of money even in DC. If you can't see that, you are seriously living in a bubble.

If you are living in one room, don’t have kids, or school debts, medical issues or any other expenses it’s a lot. With kids and those other it’s UMC in DC if that.

$300k is UMC, not poor in DC. $600k house in good neighborhood in MoCo - paid off. Student loans paid off. Savings and retirement going. About to put 2nd of 3 kids into college (full pay, unfortunately - UMD encouraged.) If you can't make $300k work, you are trying to pretend you are richer than you are, or have seriously no money sense.

Your kids are in college which means you bought back when “good homes in good neighborhoods” in moco cost $600K. Moco is also NOT in DC which is more expensive. Sure it’s plenty of money if you already paid everything off. Duh.

Nice 2500sf townhomes in Kentlands/Lakelands (Gaithersburg) or Vienna are $600k. In good public school districts. SFH’s and short commutes are luxuries, not necessities. Or better yet, get jobs in Reston/Herndon/Fairfax/Chantilly and live in eastern Loudoun. SFH and nice commute with DC pay.