Making $500k and not feeling wealthy in NW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are completely out of touch with reality, OP.

This is my reality. I relate to people in my social and income class. It sucks that my house is probably half the size of my BIL because they live in Houston, and that private school there costs about 1/3 of what we pay here. Sure it's griping, but you work so hard and think you've finally reach a pinnacle and then realize you have to wait another 30 plus years to enjoy any of it. Oh and by the way the guys on Wall Street make 10x more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have leased cars or car payments? If so, this and the private school are the culprits. Not a couple of computers.

How would car payments explain OP's issue? We have $260/month in car loan for a car we bought new. Even if OP had 1k a month in monthly car payments, that still wouldn't explain the thousands that are being wasted every month and tens of thousands each year.

I'm betting OP drives a luxury brand. If she has a payment, it is not $260.

We do drive luxury brands but they were used and a model year older than the current year at that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are completely out of touch with reality, OP.

This is my reality. I relate to people in my social and income class. It sucks that my house is probably half the size of my BIL because they live in Houston, and that private school there costs about 1/3 of what we pay here. Sure it's griping, but you work so hard and think you've finally reach a pinnacle and then realize you have to wait another 30 plus years to enjoy any of it. Oh and by the way the guys on Wall Street make 10x more.

But OP, you're perfectly illustrating the point. There's always someone making more than you, with more than you, better off than you in some measurable way.

Live your life. Be content with what you have. Instead of jealously looking at people with more, look at people with less and feel gratitude and also help them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand op. my situation is somewhat different. I sah and have 2 young children. We live in the burbs and my 4 yr old thinks that we are poor because we don't live in a 10 million dollar mansion. We are by no means poor and our house is worth about 2 million but to my 4 yr old it isn't good enough. Only going to disney world once in his short life is not good enough. Private pre school I think is to blame and I am seriously considering public school for kindergarten.He told me my car which is a Honda pilot is not good enough and he feels embarrassed. I grew up middle class and never felt embarrassed or ashamed of my parents. And what baffles me the most is we are upper middle class for this area.

Wow. You have your work cut out for you with your 4 year old. If I were you, that would be keeping me up at night, literally.

We have four grown kids and one still at home. As a parent, I would feel like a complete failure if any of my kids had that kind of attitude.

Wait you mean the post about the 4 year old wasn't a joke?

No it's not a joke. This attitude just started about 2 months ago. After a few play dates with a very wealthy classmate. Thanks for making me feel more like a failure. I am a modest person. My kids don't get everything they want. But they have way more then they need. I think the kids at school are causing this insecurity in my ds. Dh and I don't know where else it could be coming from. We are financially very secure and live a great life. Ds just turned 4 and doesn't have friends that are "poor" he has no concept of that.

[Anonymous]

Soooo... move to Houston, problem solved. You'll feel rich!

I have so little sympathy for this poster. I confess to occasionally feeling envious of law school classmates who now make much more than I and take fabulous vacations. But then I realize there are people in our community who don't have a place to live, can't pay their bills, can't feed their kids. Your problem is your distorted perspective, OP. Get out of your bubble and do some volunteer work, and you will see that you are lucky, lucky, LUCKY beyond belief. God help you that you don't have to learn that the hard way.

[Anonymous]

Hm. I live in an unfashionable, working class 'burb in PG county and I feel wealthy every day at a HHI of $150. Why? My neighbors have much less, my friends are down to earth, my kid's private school is not a rat race kind of place, and I don't give a fig about cars, clothes, or the Jones. OP, you are doing life wrong and making yourself unhappy. It doesn't have to be that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand op. my situation is somewhat different. I sah and have 2 young children. We live in the burbs and my 4 yr old thinks that we are poor because we don't live in a 10 million dollar mansion. We are by no means poor and our house is worth about 2 million but to my 4 yr old it isn't good enough. Only going to disney world once in his short life is not good enough. Private pre school I think is to blame and I am seriously considering public school for kindergarten.He told me my car which is a Honda pilot is not good enough and he feels embarrassed. I grew up middle class and never felt embarrassed or ashamed of my parents. And what baffles me the most is we are upper middle class for this area.

Wow. You have your work cut out for you with your 4 year old. If I were you, that would be keeping me up at night, literally.

We have four grown kids and one still at home. As a parent, I would feel like a complete failure if any of my kids had that kind of attitude.

Wait you mean the post about the 4 year old wasn't a joke?

No it's not a joke. This attitude just started about 2 months ago. After a few play dates with a very wealthy classmate. Thanks for making me feel more like a failure. I am a modest person. My kids don't get everything they want. But they have way more then they need. I think the kids at school are causing this insecurity in my ds. Dh and I don't know where else it could be coming from. We are financially very secure and live a great life. Ds just turned 4 and doesn't have friends that are "poor" he has no concept of that.

Yes you seriously might want to consider public school. Also do you have friends of varying incomes? That can be helpful. We are on the "poorer" side for DC - so I like to point out to my kid that some of her friends live in townhouses too - even though other friends live in big single family homes.

[Anonymous]

Envy is such an ugly emotion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand op. my situation is somewhat different. I sah and have 2 young children. We live in the burbs and my 4 yr old thinks that we are poor because we don't live in a 10 million dollar mansion. We are by no means poor and our house is worth about 2 million but to my 4 yr old it isn't good enough. Only going to disney world once in his short life is not good enough. Private pre school I think is to blame and I am seriously considering public school for kindergarten.He told me my car which is a Honda pilot is not good enough and he feels embarrassed. I grew up middle class and never felt embarrassed or ashamed of my parents. And what baffles me the most is we are upper middle class for this area.

Omg, you are raising a horrible, entitled brat. Drop that kid into public or he will be unbearable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand op. my situation is somewhat different. I sah and have 2 young children. We live in the burbs and my 4 yr old thinks that we are poor because we don't live in a 10 million dollar mansion. We are by no means poor and our house is worth about 2 million but to my 4 yr old it isn't good enough. Only going to disney world once in his short life is not good enough. Private pre school I think is to blame and I am seriously considering public school for kindergarten.He told me my car which is a Honda pilot is not good enough and he feels embarrassed. I grew up middle class and never felt embarrassed or ashamed of my parents. And what baffles me the most is we are upper middle class for this area.

Wow. You have your work cut out for you with your 4 year old. If I were you, that would be keeping me up at night, literally.

We have four grown kids and one still at home. As a parent, I would feel like a complete failure if any of my kids had that kind of attitude.

Wait you mean the post about the 4 year old wasn't a joke?

No it's not a joke. This attitude just started about 2 months ago. After a few play dates with a very wealthy classmate. Thanks for making me feel more like a failure. I am a modest person. My kids don't get everything they want. But they have way more then they need. I think the kids at school are causing this insecurity in my ds. Dh and I don't know where else it could be coming from. We are financially very secure and live a great life. Ds just turned 4 and doesn't have friends that are "poor" he has no concept of that.

Yes you seriously might want to consider public school. Also do you have friends of varying incomes? That can be helpful. We are on the "poorer" side for DC - so I like to point out to my kid that some of her friends live in townhouses too - even though other friends live in big single family homes.

We do have a few friends who live in town homes but most of then seem to want to do play dates at the park or meet somewhere else since their homes are smaller. Ds is having a really hard time with this friend who of course is his best friend. He will say why do we only have 2 cars "tommy" has 8 cars. The first time the boy came to our house he commented on how small it is. Our house is 8,000 square feet. I try to explain to ds most children don't live like " Tommy" but he is jealous. I'm hoping this phase passes soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It's a mindset and this area breeds it. I never thought at this level of income I'd want more, but as your income rises the expectations grow exponentially as well.

No,, "this area" doesn't breed it. Surrounding yourself with people who are even richer than you does.

X1000

[Anonymous]

You need to make at least $617k to feel wealthy in DC.

If you want to feel wealthy move to VA or MD
Maryland had the fifth-highest threshold, almost $477,000. And Virginia’s was eighth highest, at more than $427,000.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/what-it-takes-to-be-a-1-percenter-in-the-washington-area/2012/02/01/gIQA571JiQ_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are completely out of touch with reality, OP.

This is my reality. I relate to people in my social and income class. It sucks that my house is probably half the size of my BIL because they live in Houston, and that private school there costs about 1/3 of what we pay here. Sure it's griping, but you work so hard and think you've finally reach a pinnacle and then realize you have to wait another 30 plus years to enjoy any of it. Oh and by the way the guys on Wall Street make 10x more.

you mean DH does?
you're so, so vile and the saddest part is you don't even realize it.
here's a solution - move to houston! we won't miss you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We do have a few friends who live in town homes but most of then seem to want to do play dates at the park or meet somewhere else since their homes are smaller. Ds is having a really hard time with this friend who of course is his best friend. He will say why do we only have 2 cars "tommy" has 8 cars. The first time the boy came to our house he commented on how small it is. Our house is 8,000 square feet. I try to explain to ds most children don't live like " Tommy" but he is jealous. I'm hoping this phase passes soon.

Come on now. You must be joking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are completely out of touch with reality, OP.

This is my reality. I relate to people in my social and income class. It sucks that my house is probably half the size of my BIL because they live in Houston, and that private school there costs about 1/3 of what we pay here. Sure it's griping, but you work so hard and think you've finally reach a pinnacle and then realize you have to wait another 30 plus years to enjoy any of it. Oh and by the way the guys on Wall Street make 10x more.

You are crazy. I live in a very expensive area. Several of my neighbors are CEOs of large public companies and their total comp is in excess of $30M most years. I live near a very wealthy ex-Vice President. When we hit $500k/income, I still felt rich. I don't understand what you are doing with your money if you don't feel that way. Something wrong for sure. You don't sound very bright. I would probably start working on that.