so who actually shops at Bloomingdales? Stays at 4/5 star resorts for $1000/night?

[Anonymous]

Regarding expensive hotel rooms: our traveling lives changed when we discovered the concierge level of good hotels that provide round the clock food and beverages (including adult beverages). We rarely planned meals around it (except often times we'd eat breakfast there). It was just always just a better way to go for our family of 5. I've never cooked on vacation. And no one's ever gone hungry or thirsty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regarding expensive hotel rooms: our traveling lives changed when we discovered the concierge level of good hotels that provide round the clock food and beverages (including adult beverages). We rarely planned meals around it (except often times we'd eat breakfast there). It was just always just a better way to go for our family of 5. I've never cooked on vacation. And no one's ever gone hungry or thirsty.

Concierge as in help you buy food and beverages or recommend them? Certainly it can't be included...

Seems a lot to pay just for some food/beverage recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always wonder this.
We have a HHI of close to $400K. So by just about any standard we are doing well. Even in NW DC we're in the top 2%. I know we're not middle class.
But after we pay our mortgage, save for retirement (2 401ks), save a bit for college (3 kids), pay for our kids' extracurriculars, pay for home repairs and improvements as they come up, etc
we live a pretty simple life.
We buy clothing at the Gap on sale and only when things wear out, dinners out are at Nando Peri Peri (and maybe twice a year at someplace decent downtown).
We can afford to fly to Europe (5 tickets) every other year or so (but we watch fare sales for weeks and we scour the Airbnb listings to find a nice but cheap rental).
So while we live a very nice life we're also watching our spending at every turn so that we can afford things like international tickets every year or so.

If $400k gets you this, who can afford all those luxuries that surround us here in DC? I sometimes wonder. Are there that many people who just make an infinite amount of money?

You are middle class, get over it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regarding expensive hotel rooms: our traveling lives changed when we discovered the concierge level of good hotels that provide round the clock food and beverages (including adult beverages). We rarely planned meals around it (except often times we'd eat breakfast there). It was just always just a better way to go for our family of 5. I've never cooked on vacation. And no one's ever gone hungry or thirsty.

Concierge as in help you buy food and beverages or recommend them? Certainly it can't be included...

Seems a lot to pay just for some food/beverage recommendations.

A concierge level is a floor of the hotel that gives you access to a room that is stocked with drinks and snacks, and will usually have hot breakfast items and hot appetizers. Some are better than others, but you can basically eat full dinners at a Ritz concierge lounge b/c it's serious heavy appetizers, fruit and cheese platters, dessert, etc... Or you can just stop in for a cup of coffee and an apple. For a family of 5 it might make it worth it to skip a $40/head breakfast buffet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always wonder this.
We have a HHI of close to $400K. So by just about any standard we are doing well. Even in NW DC we're in the top 2%. I know we're not middle class.
But after we pay our mortgage, save for retirement (2 401ks), save a bit for college (3 kids), pay for our kids' extracurriculars, pay for home repairs and improvements as they come up, etc
we live a pretty simple life.
We buy clothing at the Gap on sale and only when things wear out, dinners out are at Nando Peri Peri (and maybe twice a year at someplace decent downtown).
We can afford to fly to Europe (5 tickets) every other year or so (but we watch fare sales for weeks and we scour the Airbnb listings to find a nice but cheap rental).
So while we live a very nice life we're also watching our spending at every turn so that we can afford things like international tickets every year or so.

If $400k gets you this, who can afford all those luxuries that surround us here in DC? I sometimes wonder. Are there that many people who just make an infinite amount of money?

You are middle class, get over it

Right? People don't get it. Maybe these people are still stuck in the good ol days when you were considered rich because you made 6 figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always wonder this.
We have a HHI of close to $400K. So by just about any standard we are doing well. Even in NW DC we're in the top 2%. I know we're not middle class.
But after we pay our mortgage, save for retirement (2 401ks), save a bit for college (3 kids), pay for our kids' extracurriculars, pay for home repairs and improvements as they come up, etc
we live a pretty simple life.
We buy clothing at the Gap on sale and only when things wear out, dinners out are at Nando Peri Peri (and maybe twice a year at someplace decent downtown).
We can afford to fly to Europe (5 tickets) every other year or so (but we watch fare sales for weeks and we scour the Airbnb listings to find a nice but cheap rental).
So while we live a very nice life we're also watching our spending at every turn so that we can afford things like international tickets every year or so.

If $400k gets you this, who can afford all those luxuries that surround us here in DC? I sometimes wonder. Are there that many people who just make an infinite amount of money?

You are middle class, get over it

400k isn't middle class, dumbass. The problem is that ridiculously expensive resort suites should only be indulged in by the truly rich like Beyoncé, some of the Housewives (although not Potomac, most of them are poorz), etc. Upper middle class (like our 400k poster) seem to think they should be able to stay in places like this but really should stick to standard hotels. We've been bombarded by social media and the Kardashians that living like this is the norm, but it simply isn't. Not on 400k or even 800k. To live (and vacation) like the truly rich you need a whole lot more.


Right? People don't get it. Maybe these people are still stuck in the good ol days when you were considered rich because you made 6 figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always wonder this.
We have a HHI of close to $400K. So by just about any standard we are doing well. Even in NW DC we're in the top 2%. I know we're not middle class.
But after we pay our mortgage, save for retirement (2 401ks), save a bit for college (3 kids), pay for our kids' extracurriculars, pay for home repairs and improvements as they come up, etc
we live a pretty simple life.
We buy clothing at the Gap on sale and only when things wear out, dinners out are at Nando Peri Peri (and maybe twice a year at someplace decent downtown).
We can afford to fly to Europe (5 tickets) every other year or so (but we watch fare sales for weeks and we scour the Airbnb listings to find a nice but cheap rental).
So while we live a very nice life we're also watching our spending at every turn so that we can afford things like international tickets every year or so.

If $400k gets you this, who can afford all those luxuries that surround us here in DC? I sometimes wonder. Are there that many people who just make an infinite amount of money?

You are middle class, get over it

SEE NOW DO YOU GET IT?????? Yes 400k in this area is middle class because with the big mortgage and (probably) student loans to pay off, you can afford nice hotels or airfare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always wonder this.
We have a HHI of close to $400K. So by just about any standard we are doing well. Even in NW DC we're in the top 2%. I know we're not middle class.
But after we pay our mortgage, save for retirement (2 401ks), save a bit for college (3 kids), pay for our kids' extracurriculars, pay for home repairs and improvements as they come up, etc
we live a pretty simple life.
We buy clothing at the Gap on sale and only when things wear out, dinners out are at Nando Peri Peri (and maybe twice a year at someplace decent downtown).
We can afford to fly to Europe (5 tickets) every other year or so (but we watch fare sales for weeks and we scour the Airbnb listings to find a nice but cheap rental).
So while we live a very nice life we're also watching our spending at every turn so that we can afford things like international tickets every year or so.

If $400k gets you this, who can afford all those luxuries that surround us here in DC? I sometimes wonder. Are there that many people who just make an infinite amount of money?

You are middle class, get over it

SEE NOW DO YOU GET IT?????? Yes 400k in this area is middle class because with the big mortgage and (probably) student loans to pay off, you can afford nice hotels or airfare.

Nope. I can't figure out how all these dumbasses figure out how to even use the Internet to post here. 400k is not middle class no matter where you live. It's simply not. You don't get to rewrite the rules because you bought too much house and went to fancyass academy and majored in international studies. However, 400k ain't jetsetter money so you can't expect to roll like the Vanderpumps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always wonder this.
We have a HHI of close to $400K. So by just about any standard we are doing well. Even in NW DC we're in the top 2%. I know we're not middle class.
But after we pay our mortgage, save for retirement (2 401ks), save a bit for college (3 kids), pay for our kids' extracurriculars, pay for home repairs and improvements as they come up, etc
we live a pretty simple life.
We buy clothing at the Gap on sale and only when things wear out, dinners out are at Nando Peri Peri (and maybe twice a year at someplace decent downtown).
We can afford to fly to Europe (5 tickets) every other year or so (but we watch fare sales for weeks and we scour the Airbnb listings to find a nice but cheap rental).
So while we live a very nice life we're also watching our spending at every turn so that we can afford things like international tickets every year or so.

If $400k gets you this, who can afford all those luxuries that surround us here in DC? I sometimes wonder. Are there that many people who just make an infinite amount of money?

You are middle class, get over it

SEE NOW DO YOU GET IT?????? Yes 400k in this area is middle class because with the big mortgage and (probably) student loans to pay off, you can afford nice hotels or airfare.

Nope. I can't figure out how all these dumbasses figure out how to even use the Internet to post here. 400k is not middle class no matter where you live. It's simply not. You don't get to rewrite the rules because you bought too much house and went to fancyass academy and majored in international studies. However, 400k ain't jetsetter money so you can't expect to roll like the Vanderpumps.

Calm down. You sound completely unhinged.

[Anonymous]

We earn a little more than you in salary, not including income from commensurately sized savings/investment and retirement portfolios. Let's not kid ourselves that we have it rough - if we wanted to blow $1000 tomorrow at Minibar, we can and it wouldn't put a dent in our ability to pay any of our bills or make our savings/budget goals for the year. When DC finishes school, DS and I can buy a new luxury car and total it on New Year's Eve and cause no pain to our lifestyle or financial targets. It's just that we don't get out lifestyle cues from the reality tv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We earn a little more than you in salary, not including income from commensurately sized savings/investment and retirement portfolios. Let's not kid ourselves that we have it rough - if we wanted to blow $1000 tomorrow at Minibar, we can and it wouldn't put a dent in our ability to pay any of our bills or make our savings/budget goals for the year. When DC finishes school, DS and I can buy a new luxury car and total it on New Year's Eve and cause no pain to our lifestyle or financial targets. It's just that we don't get out lifestyle cues from the reality tv.

If you have only 1 DC on that salary, that's the reason you can afford to be extravagant. OP, with 3, on her slightly lower income, can't. I think when people have kids also makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regarding expensive hotel rooms: our traveling lives changed when we discovered the concierge level of good hotels that provide round the clock food and beverages (including adult beverages). We rarely planned meals around it (except often times we'd eat breakfast there). It was just always just a better way to go for our family of 5. I've never cooked on vacation. And no one's ever gone hungry or thirsty.

Concierge as in help you buy food and beverages or recommend them? Certainly it can't be included...

Seems a lot to pay just for some food/beverage recommendations.

A concierge level is a floor of the hotel that gives you access to a room that is stocked with drinks and snacks, and will usually have hot breakfast items and hot appetizers. Some are better than others, but you can basically eat full dinners at a Ritz concierge lounge b/c it's serious heavy appetizers, fruit and cheese platters, dessert, etc... Or you can just stop in for a cup of coffee and an apple. For a family of 5 it might make it worth it to skip a $40/head breakfast buffet!

Oh I see.

Not sure if I'd call that a deal. Food is usually an important part of our vacations. I don't find the concept of spending $$$ a night for a room for the ability to munch on buffet food attractive. I'd rather save a few hundred and spend it at an actual restaurant.

[Anonymous]

We leave tomorrow for a high-end resort and will be on the Club floor. Hope it makes a dent in our daily burn rate!

I have a picky eater who turns his nose up at the food the rest of us enjoy at dinner. Then he's hungry at 10pm and I'm stuck with Doritos from the vending machine. A cheese & cracker tray would be preferable!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We leave tomorrow for a high-end resort and will be on the Club floor. Hope it makes a dent in our daily burn rate!

I have a picky eater who turns his nose up at the food the rest of us enjoy at dinner. Then he's hungry at 10pm and I'm stuck with Doritos from the vending machine. A cheese & cracker tray would be preferable!

Really depends on the hotel. We stayed at a Marriott in Mexico in the Club level and there was very little my picky son would eat. Lots of "fancy sandwiches" and apps. More simple would have been better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
i guess the moral of the story is that you can't under estimate how expensive kids really are.
When I was in my 20's I went to Europe a lot and stayed in low end hotels or hostels. Now a trip to Europe is a giant expense because airfare alone for 5 people is $5K. Instead of buying fish and chips for one, we're feeding 5.
It's remarkable how you can earn what by standard is a great income ($400K) and still be no where near being able to afford luxury goods (aside from an occasional anniversary-type splurge). Sure, i could buy the $3K handbag. I have the money in the bank.
but it will stress me out because I have 3 looming college tutions, and then there is grad school......

Kids just suck up an unbelievable amount of money. My oldest son is turning out to be a great soccer player who is crazy obsessed with the game (4th grade). He plays travel soccer. Our local program just cost us $3500 (all fees, tournaments, required winter training, required week of summer camp etc) for this year. And we didn't go
looking for the most expensive, high end program. He just tried out for the travel team of our rec league and suddenly we're paying $3500 over the course of the next 12 months. Our youngest loves the piano. So we're paying weekly lessons.
At $36/week plus recital that's another $2K/year. It just all adds up and so our baseline lifestyle remains unchanged from what it was 10 years ago.
We're making a very respectable income (which I and the government and just about everyone on the planet would actually say is a HIGH income) and splurges are few and very far between.

I hope when the college tuition bubble crashes so does this idea that parents have to fund every cent of their children's education. You would seriously pay for grad school on top of college? Sorry. Not happening in my house. At a certain point I'm done bleeding out because you want 3 degrees. Perhaps covering one makes sense but funding advanced education for Masters and PhD's as parents seems nuts.

+1
Why would you pay for grad school? It's paid for by being a Research assistant or teaching assistant. Mine was free. If your child gets a degree where this doesn't happen, I'd make him pay. I'm saving for my kids college but that's it.